THE HOVSE OF LORDS THE HOVSE OF COMMONS THE WARS IN ENGLAND Scotland and Ireland OR An Impartial Account of all the Battels Sieges and other Remarkable Transactions Revolutions and Accidents which have heppened from the beginning of the Reign of King CHARLESI in 1625 to His Majesties happy Restauration 1660. Illustrated with Pictures of some Considerable matters curiously Ingraven on Copper Plates LONDON Printed for Nath. Crouch and John How at the Seven Stars in Sweetings Alley near the Royal Exchange in Cornhill 1681. TO THE READER THis small Volume is intended for the use of those who cannot go to the price of a greater and yet would willingly be informed of those wonderful Transactions and Revolutions which have happened in these Three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland in this last Age and within the memory of many now living And though it cannot be expected that a large Account of every particular Accident can be comprehended in this little Compendium yet I have endeavoured without the least passion or partiality briefly to comprise the most considerable Matters Now as the Things here inserted are more remarkable both for their Variety and Quality than it may be ever happened at any time heretofore in so short a space so the serious perusal and consideration thereof may be very useful and necessary for quieting the present Discontents and deplorable Distractions that are now amongst us since these were the Forerunners of those miserable Wars Ruins and Desolations which are herein related wherein all Bonds of Religion Alliance and Friendship were utterly destroyed Wherein Fathers and Children Kindred and Acquaintance became unnatural Enemies to each other so that with some little Variation we may apply what Lucan writes of the Civil Wars of Rome to England in those times Wars more than Civil on the Brittish Plains Then happened and England Distzins In her own Bowels her Victorious Swords Where Kindred Hosts Encounter all Accords Of Empire broke where arm'd to Impious War The strength of all the shaken Land from far Is met known Ensigns Ensigns do desie Fathers by Sons and Sons by Fathers die What fury Countrey-men what madness cou'd Move you to feast your Foes with English Blood And chuse such Wars as could no Triumphs yield Whilst yet proud Babylon unconquer'd held Alas what seas what lands might you have ta'ne VVith that bloods loss which your own hands have drawn Let us all therefore who pretend to the name of Christians study to be quiet and follow Peace with all men which is the most Effectual means to prevent those Confusions and Miseries which we have lately suffered and under the effects whereof we still groan and that this short Narrative may be useful to this purpose is the earnest and hearty desire of Your Countrey-man and Well-wisher RICHARD BVRTON THE WARS IN England Scotland and Ireland c. BEfore we proceed to give an Account of those Unnatural Wars Ruins and Devastations which have happened in these Kingdoms in this Last Age it may seem necessary by way of Introduction to give a Relation of several previous Transactions before these Woful Calamities befel us Upon the 27th day of March in the year 1625 King James departed this life at Theobalds in the Fifty ninth year of his Age when he had reigned Twenty two years compleat And in the Afternoon of the same day Charles Prince of Wales his only Son then living was proclaimed King of Great Britain France and Ireland The first thing he did was performing the Ceremonies of his Fathers Funeral in which the King himself in Person followed as chief Mourner immediately after the Herse having his Train of black Velvetborn up by the Twelve Peers of the Realm at his right hand the Earl of Arundel and at his left the Earl of Pembroke He then proceeded to his Coronation and after that he consummated the Marriage with Henrietta Maria younger Daughter of the Great Henry the Fourth King of France whom he had formerly seen in his Journey through that Countrey into Spain his first Complement to her when he went to meet her at Dover was That he desired to be no longer Master of himself then he was Servant to her which indeed he made good for on the day before his deplorable death he desired his Daughter the Lady Elizabeth to assure her Mother if ever he saw her again That his Thoughts had never strayed from her and that his Affections should be the same to the last The King then called a Parliament which Assembled the Eighteenth of June follwoing to whom he represented in a short Speech The urgent necessity of raising a Subsidy since it would not agree with his Kingly honour to shrink from the War with Spain which his Father upon solid Considerations had by consent of both Houses undertaken although prevented by death from putting it in Execution That Money the sinews of War must be levied without which neither Army nor Fleet could move former Contributions being already disbursed to a penny That he should seem ridiculous to all Europe if he did not now at length proceed to Action That it was his first Enterprize the success whereof would have influence upon his following Reign That it concerned their own Reputations herein to Assist him effectually least the world should judge them to have betray'd their King That Celerity was necessary because of Winter then approaching a season prejudicial to Martial Attempts the Pestilence at that time Reigning in the City which in all probability might cause a sudden Dissolution of their Meeting All which Arguments if duly considered did evidently demonstrate That it was most Honourable Opportune and safe to use Expedition in the business As for Religion and Manner of Government he was resolved to tread in his Fathers steps hoping that his former life had ministred no just grounds for them to suspect the contrary The Parliament acknowledged these Arguments for a Subsidy to be very rational but yet would not suddenly resolve upon it till they had first presented their two Petitions concerning Beasons of Religion and Complaint of their Sufferings which points had been offered to his Father King James in the close of his last Parliament and by his death were left hitherto unanswered In both which they received competent satisfaction and likewise an account of the Arrears which were due to the Forces both by Sea and Land together with an Estimate of the future Charge and Expence of the Spanish War upon which the King obtained of the Laity freely and absolutely Two Subsidies to be paid by Protestants and four from Papists and three Subsidies from the Clergy In this Parliament Dr. Montague the Kings Chaplain was questioned for certain Tenets in his Answer to a Book called the Romish Gagger and his defence thereof Intituled Appello ad Caesarem And he being brought before the Bar of the House the Speaker declared their pleasure That they would refer his Censure till the next meeting and in the mean
Protestation to maintain with Life Power and Estate the True Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations Which was ordered to be printed and published through the Kingdom May 5. The Lords acquainted the Commons That they thought it the safest course to lay by the Bill of Attainder because it brought in the King for Judge And the next day they debated the several Articles of his Impeachment and voted the Earl guilty of High Treason upon Two of them that is the 15th For Levying of moneys in Ireland by force in a Warlike manner And the 16th For Imposing an Oath upon the Subjects of Ireland The Commons had now finished a Bill For the Continuance of the Parliament which having passed the Lords was tendred to the King to be signed together with the Bill of Attainder His Majesty answered That on Monday following he would satisfie them and on the Sunday before the King spent the whole day in consulting about the Earl of Strafford with the Judges and Bishops The Judges told him That in point of Law according to the Oath made by Sir H. Vane of the Earls advice to raise Horse to awe this Nation he was guilty of Treason In the evening the Five Bishops viz. of Armagh London Durham Lincoln and Carlisle were called in to the King to satisfie his Conscience about it who all agreed That the King might shew mercy without any scruple and that he could not condemn the Earl if he did not think him Guilty This was to matter of Fact but as to matter of Law He was to rest in the Opinion of the Judges Monday May 10. The King gives Commission to several Lords to pass Two Bills one the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford The other For Continuing the Parliament during the pleasure of both Houses Which last Act was occasioned for satisfying the Scots who required Vast Sums of Money and for disbanding both the Armies whereby great Taxes were laid upon the People by Act of Parliament which could not possibly be levied in a short time and therefore there needed a present Supply from the City of London who as it was alledged would not part with their money least a Dissolution of the Parliament should happen before payment upon which Account the King was pressed to pass this Act. The same day the Bill was passed against the Earl of Strafford the King sent Sir Dudley Carlton Secretary of State to acquaint the Earl with what was done and the motives thereto whereat the Earl was greatly astonisht but the next day the King being troubled writes a Letter with his own hand to the House of Lords and sent it by the Prince of Wales telling them That whereas Justice had been satisfied in his Condemnation an intermixture of mercy would not now be unseasonable and therefore he desired them that if it might be done without any discontent to the People the Earl might be permitted to fulfil the Natural Course of his Life in close Imprisonment sequestred from all Publick Affairs provided he never attempted to make an Escape however he thought it a work of Charity to repreive him till Saturday But nothing could be obtained in favour of him but that the Lords said Their Intention was to be suitors to His Majesty to shew favour to his innocent Children and that whatever provision himself had made for them it might be confirmed Some Designs were said to have been laid for his Escape however May 12 1641 the Earl of Strafford was conveyed from the Tower by a Guard consisting of the Trained Bands Marshals men Sheriffs Officers and Warders of the Tower Before him went his Gentleman-Usher bare headed and he himself followed accompanied with the Archbishop of Armagh and others As he went along he passed by Arch-bishop Lauds Lodging and spying him at the Window he called to him for his Prayers and his Blessing but the Bishop at the sight of him was so surpriz'd that for some time he could not recollect himself and being reprehended by his Friends of an undecent Pusillanimity He Replyed That he doubted not but when that bitter Cup should come to his turn he should taste it with a most Christian Courage The Earl being come to the Scaffold upon Tower-hill addrest himself to the Arch-bishop of Armagh to this Effect That he was come to pay the laâ—â— Debt he owed to Sin with a good hope of rising agaiâ— to Righteousness That he dyed willingly forgave alâ— and submitted to Justice He professed himself guiltless as to the matter for which he dyed He wished aâ—â— prosperity to the King and People and acquitted him from the guilt of his death as having acted thereiâ— no otherwise then as constrained He advised his Adversaries to repent of their Violent Proceedings againâ—â— him and telling them that he thought it a strange waâ— to write in Blood the beginning of Reformation and Settlement of the Kingdom However he wished that hiâ— Blood might rest and not cry against them He declared He died in the Faith of the Church of England for whose happiness he prayed and concluded his Speech with intreating the Spectators to pray for him After which he kneeled down to Prayer and rising up again took his last leave of his Brother Sir George Wentworth and all his Friends sending his Love to his Wife and his Blessing to his Children with a most strict Injunction to His Onely Son Never to meddle with the Patrimony of the Church And theâ— giving the sign to the Executioner his head waâ— severed from his body at the first stroke This was the end of that Great and Able Minister of State who is reported when he heard the King had consented to the Bill of Attainder to have lift up his Eyes to Heaven and clapping his hand upon his heart to have cried out perhaps in immitation of Cardinal Woolseys Complaint Put not your Trust in Princes nor in the Sons of Men for in them is no Salvation And indeed it seemed very hard that he shou'd be made guilty of High Treason by a Bill framed on purpose without former President and to which His Majesties Consent was in a manner extorted and which he afterward bewailed with great remorse of Conscience though it is said the King was not so much convinced by any thing said to him but the chief Motive was a Letter from the Earl wherein he thus concluded Sir To set your Majesty's Conscience at Liberty I do most humbly beseech you for the Preventing of such mischiefs as may happen by your refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove praised be God I cannot say this accursed but this Unfortunate Thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall forever establish between You and Your Subjects My consent herein shall more acquit you to God then all the world can do beside To a willing man there is no injury
done His Character is Expressed by the King his Master in his Eikon Basilike who said He looked upon the Earl of Strafford as a Gentleman whose great Abilities might make a Prince rather afraid than ashamed to Imploy him in the greatest Affairs of State The fall of this powerful man so startled other great Officers of State that several resigned their places About the same time some discontents arose between the Parliament and the English Army in the North but a while after both Armies were disbanded The payment of Tonnage and Poundage had been much questioned since 1628 but now the King at the request of the Commons was content to relinquish his Claim to it and afterward pasied a Bill for Pole-money and two others for putting down the Star chamber and High Commission Courts which had proceeded with too much severity having so far out grown the power of the Law that they would not be limited nor guided by it July 5. A Charge was brought into the House of Commons against Dr. Wren Bishop of Ely being accused of some Treasonable Misdemeanors in his Diocess who thereupon Voted him unworthy and unfit to hold or exercise any Office or Dignity in Church or State and desired the Lords to join with them to request the King for his Removal from his service and so he was committed to the Tower and about the same time the Writs for Ship money and all the Proceedings therein were by the Kings consent adjudged void and 5. of the Judges that gave their Opinions for it were Impeached of high misdemeanors that is Bramston Trevor Weston Davenport and Crawly and Berkly another of the Judges was accused for Treason but no further prosecution was made therein August 6. Both the English and Scotch Armies were disbanded and four-days after the King went toward Scotland and was entertained with great demonstrations of Affection by that Nation and conferred several Places of Honour and Power upon divers of them confirming likewise the Treaty between the two Nations by Act of Parliament October 23 1641. A Horrid and Notorious Rebellion broke out in Ireland which was managed with such secrecy that it was not discovered till the night before it was to have been put in Execution which was in divers places carried on with such fury that Two hundred thousand English Men Women and Children were in a short space barbarously murdered by all manner of most cruel torments that their Devlish minds could invent And this was chiefly occasioned by the Instigation of the Irish Popish Priests Monks and Fryers who every where declaimed loudly against the Protestants saying That they were Hereticks and not to be suffered any longer to live amongst them That it was no more sin to kill one of them then to kill a dog and that it was a mortal and unpardonable sin to relieve or protect any of them Yea the Priests gave the Sacrament to divers of the Irish upon Condition they should spare neither Man Woman nor Child of the Protestants saying That it did them a great deal of good to wash their hands in their blood and that they were worse than Dogs and if any of them died in the Quarrel before their bodies were cold their souls should be in Heaven without ever calling in at Purgatory by the way This bloody Rebellion happened in a time wherein the Irish had all the Priviledges and Liberty they could reasonably expect and the ancient hatred which the Irish had born to the English did now seem to be forgotten Forty Years of Peace having compacted and cemented them together both by Alliances and Marriages which were all now miserably broken and destroyed The Castle of Dublin wherein were Ten thousand Arms and all other Forts and Magazines in the Kingdom were to have been surprized and all the English Protestants that would not joyn with them were to be murdered but the seizing of the Castle was happily prevented by one Owen Conally from some discourse accidentally in a Tavern with one Hugh Mac Mahon Grandson to the Great Earl of Tyrone the night before the intended Execution Upon this Discovery Mac Mahon and Lord Mac-Guire were seized by the Lord Chief Justices of Ireland and many Principal Conspirators escaped that night out of Dublin so was Dublin saved that all Ireland might not be lost in one day But the horrid Design was past prevention as to the General for the Conspirators were in Arms at the day appointed in all the Counties round about and poor English Protestants daily arrived there robbed and spoiled of all they had giving lamentable Relations how their Houses were seized the Towns and Villages fired and in all parts all manner of cruel Outrages and Villanies committed The Lords Justices Sir William Parsons and Sir John Burlace taking those Arms which they found in Dublin and Arming whom they could to defend themselves sent Sir Henry Spotswood to the King then in Scotland with an Account of all that happened who dispatched Sir James Stuart with Instructions to the Lords of the Privy Council in Ireland and to carry all the Money his present Stores would supply He likewise moved the Parliament of Scotland as being nearest for their assistance but they excused it because Ireland was a dependant upon the Crown of England but if the State of England would use any of their men for that service they would make Propositions in order to it At the same time likewise the King sent Post to the Parliament of England and a while after Owen O Conally the First Discoverer of the Plot came to London and brought Letters to the Earl of Leicester who was chosen Deputy but not yet gone over wherein the Lords Justices desired some Reward might be given him upon which the Parliament Voted him a Gift of 500 l. and an Annuity of 200 l. a year and at a Conference of both Houses they passed several Votes for the Relief of Ireland yet little was done till the Kings return from Scotland which was about the end of November The Irish to dishearten the English from any resistance bragged That the Queen was with their Army That the King would come amongst them also and asist them That they did but maintain his Cause against the Puritans That they had the Kings Commission for what they did shewing indeed a Patent themselves had drawn but thereto was affixed an Old Broad Seal which had been taken from an Ancient Patent out of Farnham Abby by one Plunket in the presence of many of their Lords and Priests as was afterwards attested by the Confession of several That the Scots were in the Confederacy with them And to seem to confirm this last they abstained for some time from destroying the Estates or murdering any of that Nation And on the otherside to incourage the Irish they produced pretended Letters wherein they said they were informed from England That the Parliament had passed an Act all the Irish should be compelied to the Protestant worship
King as not willing to have them too strong yet promised to take such care for their security from Violence as he would for the preservation of Himself and Children and if this general Assurrnce would not suffice to remove those Apprehensions he would command such a Guard to wait upon them as he would be responsible for to Almighty God This Answer being unsatisfactory the City joyn with them and in their Common Council drew up a Petition complaining That the Trade of the City was decayed to the utter Ruin of the Protestant Religion and the Lives and Liberties of the Subjects by the Designs of Papists Foreigners and Domesticks more particularly their fomenting the Irish Rebellion by changing the Constable of the Tower and making preparations there By the fortifying of White-hall and his Majesties late Invasion of thâ— House of Commons Whereupon they pray Thaâ— by the Parliaments Advice the Protestants in Ireland may be relieved the Tower to be put into hands of Persons of Trust a Guard appointed for the safety of thâ— Parliament and that the Five Members may not be restrained nor proceeded against but by the Priviledges of Parliament And besides this The King riding into London the Citizens in multitudes flockeâ— about his Coach beseeching him To agree with his Parliament and not to violate their Priviledges To their Petition the King returned Answer That he could not express a greater sense of Ireland that he had done That meerly to satisfie the City he had removed a worthy Person from the charge of the Tower and that the late Tumults had caused him to fortifie White-hall for the security of his own Person That his going to the House of Commons was to apprehend those five Members for Treason to which the Priviledges of Parliament could not extend and that yet he would proceed against them no otherwise than legally And now such numbers of ordinary People daily gathered about Westminster and White-hall that the King doubting of their Intentions thought fit to with-draw to Hampton Court taking with him the Queen Prince and Duke of York where he and his Retinue and Guard quickly increased by accession of divers of the Gentry But the next day the Five Members were triumphantly guarded to Westminster by a great number of Citizens and Seamen with hundreds of Boats and Barges with Guns in them shouting and hallowing as they passed by White-hall and making large Protestations at Westminster of their constant fidelity and adherence to the Parliament About this time the Parliament had notice the Lord Digby and Collonel Lunsford were raising Troops of Horse at Kingston where the County Magazine was lodged whereupon they order That the County Sheriffs Justices of Peace and the Trained Bands shall take care to secure the Countreys and their Magazine and suppress all unlawful Assemblies Lunsford was seized and sent to the Tower but Digby escaped beyond Sea The King removed to Royston at which time Sir Edward Harbert Attorney General is questioned at the Lords Bar to answer concerning the Articles against the Five Members where it had gone hard with him if the King at his earnest Supplication had not taken him off by a Letter to the Lord Keeper Littleton who succeeded L. Finch wherein the King clears the Attorney General and takes the whole business upon himself yet concludes That finding cause wholly to desist from proceeding against the Persons Accused he had commanded his Attorney General to proceed no further therein nor to produce nor discover any proof concerning the same And so this Breach between the King and Parliament seemed at present to be made up At this time the Scots having a considerable Interest in their Britttish Plantations in Ireland make Proposals for Transporting 2500 Souldiers thither which were accepted by both Houses and afterward consented to by the King after which the Scotch Commissioners interposed their Meditation for composing the differences between the King and Parliament which were now grown to too great an height for which Mr. Pym was ordered by the Commons to give them the thanks of the House January 20. The King sends a Message to the Parliament proposing the security of his own just Rights and Royal Authority and That since particular Grievances and Distractions were too many and would be too great to be presented by themselves that they would comprize and digest them into one entire body and send them to him and it should then appear how ready he would be to equal or exceed the greatest Examples of the most Iudulgent Princes in their Acts of Grace and Favour to the People After this the Commons move the Lords to joyn with them in Petitioning for the Militia and the Command of the Tower but they not complying the House of Commons singly of themselves Importune the King to put those things into the hands of the Parliament as the only available means for removal of their Fears and Jealousies But the King not willing to part with the Principal Jewels of his Crown signified to them That he thought the Militia to be lawfully subject to no command but his own and therefore would not let it out of his hands That he had preferred to the Lieutenancy of the Tower a Person of known Fortune and unquestionable Reputation and that he would prefer none but such to the command of his Forts and Castles yet would not intrust the power of conferring those Places and Dignities from himself being derived to him from his Ancestors by the Fundamental Laws of the Kingdom Yet the Commons would not desist but again petitioned and were again refused Soon after divers Petitions were delivered to the Parliament against the Votes of Popish Lords and Bishops in the House of Peers as one from Suffolk with 1500 and another from the Londoners with 2000 hands and a Third from the City Dames All which were Answered That the Commons had already endeavoured Relief from the Lords in their Requests and should so continue till Redress were obtained And shortly after the Lords passed the Bill For disabling all Persons in Holy Orders to have any Place or Vote in Parliament or to exercise any Temporal Jurisdiction At the same time they petition the King again for the Militia and for clearing Kimbolton and the Five Members by his Answer to both which they understood his Resolution Not to intrust the Militia out of himself nor to clear the Members but only by a General Pardon which was unsatisfactory The King now at Hampton Court thought fit to send for all his Domestick Servants of either House of Parliament and particularly the Earls of Essex and Holland but they refused to come excusing themselves with The necessity of performing their duties in Parliament and discharging the Trust reposed in them For which they were put from their Places at Court The Lord Digby about this time sent Three Letters from Middleburg in Zealand where he was fled out of England one to the Queen and two others to Secretary
safe conduct for those who were to present it for the King refused to receive any Address from those whom he accused of High Treason of whom the E. of Essex was one The King then marches from Shrewsbury toward London upon which the Parliament ordered the Forces of the Associated Counties of Essex Hartford Middlesex and London to be ready at an hours warning They likewise order that the Lands Rents and Profits of Archbishops and Bishops shall be Sequestred as likewise the Kings Fines about Wards A while after Collonel Fines and Sands were routed at Worcester by Prince Rupert while they endeavoured to take the Town from Sir John Byron who had it in possession for the King but Essex making his approach with his Army Prince Rupert and Byron quitted the Town to him then were Glocester Bristol and other places made Garrisons for the Parliament But in York-shire and Cornwall the Kings Party grew powerfull and likewise in Wales where the E. of Worcester had got together a great number of Welchmen so that the King seeing his Army increased resolved to march toward London and was gotten one dayes Journey before Essex who perceiving his Error of staying so long at Worcester hastens after him to the relief of his Masters the King disdaining to be pursued by a Subject turns back to meer him and October 23. 1642. both Parties drew into the Field between Keinton and Edghill in Warwick-shire where on both sides were slain between five and 6000. men that day but night parting them the next day both parties quit the Field the King then marches to Coventry and from thence sends a Proclamation of Pardon to the Cities of London and Westminster some Persons only excepted This Battell of Edge-hill was fought on Sunday the same day twelve Month the Irish Rebellion brake out The King then takes in Banbury the Town and Castle being surrendred without a blow and two Regiments of Foot and a Troop of Horse took Arms under him from thence the King marches to Oxford and Essex goes to London where he was received with great Honour The Parliament to recruit their Army declare That all Apprentices who will List themselves shall be free from their Masters for that time and shall afterward be received again into service By which means abundance were induced to turn Souldiers they likewise invite the Scots to come in to their assistance which the King by a Letter to the Lords of the Privy Council in Scotland endeavours to prevent but in vain At this time several of the Lords and Commons present a Petition to the King at Colebrook to desire him to appoint a place to treat in To which he answered He would expect them at his Castle of Windsor and desires them to hasten the Treaty At the same time the King hearing that Essex had drawn his Forces and Ordnance out of London toward him and that unless he gained Brainford he would be hemm'd in by the Parliaments Army who possessed most of the Towns round about him the King marches thither that night where part of Col. Hollis's Regiment that quartered there made a stout resistance till the L. Brooks's and Coll. Hamdens Regiments came in to their relief who maintained the Fight till night and then retreated out of Town which the King presently took possession of with some Prisoners Arms and Amunition 11 Colours and 15 pieces of Ordnance Essex hearing this soon came thither followed with the City Militia and Trained Bands which together made a formidable Army so that the King thought fit to march back again to Oxford This Action in a time of Treaty though not without sufficient ground was so ill resented by the Houses that they Voted to have no Accommodation Yet afterward upon consideration they again Petition him to desert his Army and return to his Parliament but with the same success as formerly At this time a Letter from one of the Kings Agents in Holland was intercepted in which he is advertis'd of considerable Forces ready to be sent over for his Service from Denmark likewise Arms are sent for ten thousand Foot and 2500 Horse with a Train of Artillery and every thing proportionable even to the Drums and Halberts In York-shire the Earl of Newcastle had a sharp rencounter at Tadcaster with the L. Fairfax and forced him to retreat The Counties of Norfolk Suffolk Essex Hartford Cambridge the Isle of Ely and the City of Norwich are authorized by Parliament to associate under the L. Gray of Wark and Winchester and Chester are gained by the Paliament Dec. 15. Collonel Goring with the Kings Standard 80 Old Commanders and store of Warlike Provision joyn with the E. of Newcastle About which time the City of London Petitioned the King and profess their grief for his distrust of their Loyalty with large Protestations of their zealous Intentions to defend him with all the Love and Duty which became good Subjects The King replies That he hath a good Opinion of many of them and could freely and willingly Pardon all except Pennington the present Maior Venn and some others and concludes with declaring his high displeasure against such as shall continue acting and assisting his Adversaries Many of them were startled with this Answer yet were revived again with what Mr. Pryn and the Parliament Committee told their Common Council of the Parliaments great Love and Affection to them and Resolution to live and dye in their Defence In the North Sir Hugh Cholmly encounters with several Partyes of the Kings Horse at Malton and Jan. 16. joyning with Sir Matthew Boynton routed a Party of 600 Horse and Foot under Col. Slingsby Sir Thomas Fairfax likewise takest Leeds with little loss on his side but 500 Royallists were made Prisoners six of them Commanders 4 Colours and much Arms and Ammunition were taken The Kings Forces next leave Wakefield and Doncaster which are presently garrisoned for the Parliament The E. of Newcastle brings his Forces to York to prepare for entertaining the Queen and Jan. 17. he proclaims the L. Fairfax and his Son Sir Thomas Traytors as the E. of Cumberland had done before which the Parliament resenting proclaimed the L. Newcastle the same The Parliament Febr. 1. make the following Prepositions to the King at Oxford which were presented by the Earls of Northumberland Salisbury Pembrook and Holland with 8. of the House of Commons To disband his Army and to return home to his Parliament To leave all Delinquents to Tryal and all Papists to be disarmed To pass an Act for Abolishing the present Church Governors and such other Bills as shall be prepared in order to a Reformation All Popish Recusants to abjure and renounce Popery All Malignant Councellors to be removed the Militia to be setled according to the Parliaments minds such Persons to be preferr'd to Great Offices and Places of Judicature as the Parliament shall name and all such Justices of Peace as have been lately turned out of Commission to be again
discovering by an intercepted Letter began to project new designs and his Son Capt. Hotham being suspected by the Parliament was imprisoned at Nottingham but made his escape and underhand Treated with the E. of Newcastle Upon which Orders were sent for seizing both Father and Son which was done accordingly together with his wife and the rest of his Children who were all sent up Prisoners to the Parliament and some Months after Sir John and his Son were brought to Tryal in Guild-hall the E. of Manchester and others being assigned their Judges and the Father is charged That he had Traiterously betrayed the Trust reposed in him by the Parliament and adhered to the Enemy as appeared by his Words by his Letters and by his Actions and that he held correspondence with the Queen the E. of Newcastle L. Digby and others of that Party and had endeavoured to betray Hull to them His Son was charged with things of the same nature upon which they were both Sentenced to be Beheaded which was accordingly Executed the Son Jan. 1. 1644. and the Father the next day after But to return July 4. 1643. P. Rupert sits down before Bristoll and though Coll. Fines had formerly hanged up some Citizens for intending to have delivered up the Town to the Prince yet nevertheless the design took effect for being at that time very ill provided for resistance which P. Rupert had notice of from his Correspondents within the Governour was constrained after 3 days Siege to surrender it to him Aug. 12. the E. of Lindsey being freed from his imprisonment wherein he was since Edge-hill fight came to the King at Oxford and soon after P. Maurice besieged Exeter flinging in Granadoes and firing part of the Suburbs upon which a fruitless Parley ensued the next day the Prince masters the Great Sconce and turns the great Guns thereon upon the City and then the Garrison agreed to yield the Officers only to part with their Swords and the private Souldiers to march out with Cudgels in their hands At this time Judge Berkley who had been imprisoned by the Parliament about Ship-money was fined Twenty thousand pound made incapable of all Offices and to continue a Prisoner during pleasure The Parliament were now busied for recruiting Sir William Waller's Army and to incline the Londoners to a more chearfull compliance Pennington the L. Maior was made Lieutenant of the Tower yet Waller was forced to stay because Essex his Army wanted likewise Reinforcement Essex musters ten thousand men at Hounslow Heath but this would not serve for so weighty an Affair as the relief of Glocester now besieged by the King and he must therefore make use of the London Trained Bands Glocester was the place which stopt the current of the Kings successes Massey was Governour thereof and had with him two Regiments of Foot and an 100 Horse which with some other Recruits made up 1500 men with forty Barels of Powder and a slender Artillery yet they within behaved themselves like men of Resolution and Allarum'd the Besiegers with frequent Sallies The King plants his Cannon against the Gates which made above 150 shot and the Granadoes did some Execution in the Town yet nothing abated the Spirits of the People Whereupon the King prepares for a General Storm and all was ready they within being in want and having but three Barrels of Powder left when news comes that Essex was on his March with a powerfull Army to raise the Siege whereupon after consultation had by the King with the General Officers it was resolved the Kings Army should draw off which was done and all their Hutts were set on fire and Sept. 5. 1643. Essex enters into Glocester and having furnished the City plentifully with provisions went after the King who at that Siege lost that opportunity of marching up to London the Parliament having then no considerable Army in the Field which he could never regain The War had hitherto continued in Ireland and the English Army had commonly success against the Rebels but the King now understanding the Parliaments contracting with the Scots for aid thought fit to strengthen himself by recalling part of his Army there hither and commissionated the E. of Ormond his Lieut. General to agree on a cessation for a year which was concluded at Singeston and Sept. 18. 1643. was proclaimed by the Lords Justices and Council at Dublin and soon after some Forces from thence landed in Wales and took Hawerden Castle near Chester for the King The E. of Essex having relieved Glocester speeds after the King and passing by Cirencester left a strong Party there where P. Maurice was expected that night but instead of him comes Essex and being mistaken for the other enters the Town without any Opposition seizes 400 men and 30 Cart loads of Provision and then marches to Newberry where the King was before and had gotten the advantage of the Ground and planted his Ordnance Early in the morning Sept. 20. 1643. Essex views the Kings Army and in Newberry Common draws up his own and falls to firing the Kings Army doing the like That part of the Army which P. Rupert charged being overlay'd were forced to fall off on the Right hand where two Great Bodies of Horse marched down the Hill and fell in furiously upon the Prince both sides acting with great valour and fury and coming to handy-strokes with their Swords The Essexians then wheeling about charged the L. Jermins Regiment whom they forced to make their escape through some Bodies of Foot this Battel caused great loss and bloodshed on either side but greater on the Kings whose other Bodies of Horse commanded by the Earls of Carnarvan and Northampton notwithstanding the great courage of their Commanders were overpowered and the Earls of Carnarvan and Sunderland Viscount Falkland and many other Officers and Gentlemen slain The London Trained Bunds and Auxiliaries did the Parliament great service in this Fight Night coming on both Armies retired and next day marched away from each other After this several Places were Garrisoned for the King by Sir William Vavasor as Tewksbury Shudley Castle and other places in Glocester-shire and soon after Waller again surpriseth Tewksbury but is afterward beaten by P. Maurice Massey and Waller take Hereford and Sir William Brereton had the Town and Castle of Eccleshall delivered upon reasonable Quarter An Ordinance is now published by the Parlirment to seize upon the Kings Revenue And Sir William Waller is made Major General of Hampshire Sussex Surrey and Kent and marching to Farnham beat a Party of the Kings Army and then took Aulton and Arundell Casile Collonel Nerton was routed by Hopton and the Paliament finding the Kings Power increase they publish That whoever shall assist the King with Horse Arms Plate or Money against them are Traytors to the Paliament and shall be so preceeded against The King summons a Parliament at Oxford Jan. 22. 1643. where in the great Hall at Christ-Church he tell them