both parties were employed in raising of forces The Earl of Essex being made Captain-General for the King and Parliament as the stile of the War was then with full power to nominate Officers and I can affirm that the Army was raised with great difficulty there being immediately upon grant of that Commission the greatest solitude at Westminster that I had seen whereof I my self taking notice before a Member who was designed to a principal command in the Army as a thing of small encouragement he made this answer That he thought the people of England were mad being so blind to the discerning of their own interest but the Parliaments business was more and more facilitated every day there being a Committy erected of Lords and Commons called the Committy of Safety in the nature of a Privy Council and Money or Plate coming in freely upon the propositions for contribution in London beyond any mans expectation But that which most advanced the Levies was a Liberty declared for Apprentices to forsake their Masters service at this time without loss of freedom and the nomination of Collonels Members of both Houses being persons eminent for popularity so as the Army consisted very much of boys at the first but there being great scarcity of experienced Commanders the General thought it necessary to accept the service of divers Scottish-men whom the assurance of good pay had invited to offer themselves being not only able persons for Command but also better hardened in the way of Military opposition to the Royal power than our English Now there passed every day Acts of hostility for the King appearing in person before Hull and entrance being denied raised a battery against the Town and laid a kind of siege to it On the other side the Parliaments forces seized every day upon such places as they found necessary in the way of advantage for War so as Mars began to exercise his power in several parts of the Kingdom even to bloud by wrestlings between the respective Partisans when they met as also by the siege of Warwick-Castle by the Earl of Northampton who soon after lost his life in the Kings service and the Parliament it self then seemed to have assumed a new nature according to the businesses there agitated which were only relating to the War After several skirmishes between parties the Armies came to face one another at Edgehill in the year 1642 whereupon ensued a battel and notice being given at Westminster we were in continual expectation of the issue and the House being set in an afternoon there came a Messenger who brought word that the Parliaments Army was so worsted as he his self saw the Earl of Essex's Cannon seized upon by the Kings forces This gave so great a terror as the Speaker Lentall addressed himself to some of us and used these terms Gentlemen you shall do well to send to his Majesty betimes to ask conditions lest by delaying you come too late to effect your security Such a terror did the present apprehension strike into him and many others but it was not long before an express Messenger came from the General himself signifying that he was Master of the field and had been once possest of the Royal Standard This gave fresh courage yet the intelligence brought by the first person was true for the Parliaments left wing had been routed and their Cannon possessed but for want of discipline the prevailers applied themselves to plunder the baggage and so the other part of his Majesties Army was born down and the Earl of Essex remained possessed of the field or Champ de bataigle as the French call it but with his Forces so broken as the Kings Army having done their business in forcing a passage pursued their design and marched forwards which Essex in his Letters termed a flight and said that for want of horse he could not prosecute his victory without a fresh supply from London And thus the victory is pretended to on both sides and not without a fair colour Not long after this the King having refreshed his army at Oxford marched with it towards London yet could not do this with such expedition but that General Essex was gotten thither before him and the Citizens of London were so fearful of being plundered as they came out unanimously for defence and so his Majesty thought good to retreat to Oxford which gave a period to action for that year Somewhat before the late encounter near Brainford the house of Commons ordered me to go into the Countrey for which I served where I found all full of terror the common people generally apprehending that the Cavaliers as the Royallists were then called were coming to plunder them This fear was artificially put into them as I could easily perceive for the Countrey was full of strange fictions of their inhumane carriage in other countreys and being at my usual Mansion we had scarcely any rest no not in the night for Messengers giving the allarm and the manner was to bring a paper of intelligence without any subscription and this must be taken for truth without any farther proof These allarms generated strange wild and indigested propositions such as were not to be hearkned unto by any person of Judgment and experience yet they were some way tending to the great design of raising the terror to a height and putting arms into the hands of Schismatical people under the name of Voluntiers and by those means to form a new power to be disposed of upon occasion in any part of the Kingdome without the limits of their own Counties as it came to pass afterwards when Majors General were established But since the Kings forces did not really make any approach towards us and since I had not accepted of any Command to oblige my stay in the Countrey I made my return to London and applyed my self to my constant course of attending in Parliament where I found the state of business somewhat altered for General Essex began now to appear to the private Caballists somewhat wresty so as they found it necessary to raise new forces to be commanded less immediately by him Upon this there was a kind of army put under command of Sir William Waller and Sir Arthur Hasellrigg whose actions were afterwards as much cryed up as the Generals were cryed down And then there were also Ordinances of Parliament which kind of law grew now in fashion framed and past for constituting associations whereof the Eastern was chief and much promoted by Cromwel who founded his greatness there though for the present he was commanded by the Lord Grey of Warke chosen Major General of that association and placed in that Command as a person less active and more to be wrought upon than he afterward proved to be which made Essex who had yet power sufficient to crush him cause him after about a years service in that Command to be summon'd to his attendance in the Lords house with a substitution of the
persons that at any time raise a Power in opposition to the present Governors as these very persons found by experience during their short rule Aristotle and his adherents are much cried down by our modern natural Philosophers for making privation a principle but certainly these men made it the most considerable principle in their politicks for they could not effect any thing fully but demolition and destruction They never set up any thing in the way of Government that was new but it was in a short time disliked and overthrown And indeed it could not be otherwise since the greedy Monster of their faction could not subsist but by devouring whatsoever was most precious in the Land and since the opportunity to do so could not be had but by frequent changes of Government so the rapacity of this brood of Harpies caused the destruction of so many fair Buildings whereof the raising had been so costly the suppression of Bishops with their Hierarchy and the sale of their Lands and I may even say felling of the Royal Oak it self with prostitution of the publick Revenue and Ornaments to sale and the same cause would infallibly have produced the ruine of both Universities with demolition of the Colledges and alienation of their Lands and many other destructions of that nature so as to have deprived the Nation of all excellence in the way of beauty and splendor That this was done the Power once raised is not strange but how so great a part of the people nay even of that remainder of Parliament should be drawn to consent to it carrieth much wonder and certainly there was much art used to win their consent to so great a devastation The Historical part of this business being too heavy a burden for my shoulders I shall only for the satisfaction of some friends set down in writing my observations of the carriage of that business at Westminster where I was then resident as a Member of the House of Commons wherein perhaps there may be found some particulars not so obvious to others and in that respect likely to be omitted In matters Political it is seldom found that events depend upon causes necessarily producing them and when they do there must be some great imperfection in the original constitution of a State as writers in Politicks affirm of Civil War arising in an Oligarchy by reason of many dependences upon great persons possest of the Sovereign power whose private and differing interests distract the forces of such Commonwealths but this cannot be our case who live in an extraordinary well-tempered Monarchy where the perfect constitution is sufficiently proved by an esflux of very much time without the least appearance of any visible defect We must therefore search out other causes It cannot be doubted that there is a Divine Providence which ordereth and governeth all things but as this is above us and altogether out of our sight so we must rather submit chearfully than make any inquisition about it As for second causes in disturbance of States none can justifie an armed opposition by Subjects against their Sovereign and unless there be some plausible title to the Supreme power there is seldom any that become considerable but discontents upon conceit of misgovernment and in this case the justness of discontent is not so dangerous as the generality of it and in that respect designs grounded upon right reason and with certainty of publick advantage if effected are yet well laid aside when liable to a general misconstruction in the way either of danger or oppression Never Parliament was assembled when the people were in a higher discontent than at this time such a general diffidence there was as they thought themselves sure of nothing The encrease of Ceremonies had made them fear the approach of a Religion hateful to them The late business of Ship-money together with some other impositions without consent of Parliament caused them to apprehend the loss of property in their estates and they had little hope of redress by Parliament because his then Majesty had been so unhappy as to be put upon a sudden dissolution of all Parliaments formerly by him called There wanted not persons ill-disposed and seditious to trumpet these things in the ears of the generality whereby they incensed them so far as thereby they found means to raise a power against their Sovereign which how it was done and by what degrees and how improved is the chief intent of our business to set forth At the time of assembling this unhappy Parliament there were two armies on foot in England whereof one was that of the Scots and another consisting of English-men to oppose them if occasion were and the King to remove all jealousie of a wilful continuance of the war by engaging them to a fresh hostility had made the Earl of Holland a person then standing gracious with the Parliament and People General of the English army The persons who knew themselves faulty in holding intelligence with the Scots were then so apprehensive of a complete agreement between his Majesty and Them and of their being won to a compliance with him in all things as the Earl of Holland in a private Letter to Mr. Pym writ somewhat to this effect That the sky was horridly black in those Northern parts and that all things there seemed as tending to an universal judgment The Earl being then General could not intend this other than a private advertisement but Mr. Pym finding the publication of it a sit means to encrease the general apprehensions presently imparted that Letter to the House of Commons and from thence the substance of it was divulged over all the City of London This served to keep the people in a heat and jealousie concerning the Kings intentions but that fear proved vain for the pacification was effected wholly by interposition of the English-Commissioners who were persons approved of by the Parliament as to that employment But this business of satisfying the Scots and of disbanding of the Armies requiring vast summs of money there were were great Taxes laid upon the people by Act of Parliament which money was not likely to be levied in much time and therefore there needed a present supply by the City of London who as was pretended would not part with their money lest a dissolution of the Parliament should come before payment thereupon the King was pressed to pass the Act of Continuance whereby the Parliament could not be dissolved but by their own consent This Act had the Royal assent and gave to the Crown the greatest blow that it had yet received for so the King established against himself a Power which he could not extinguish This pacification being free from all secret agreements with the Scots gave a great strength and confidence to our Cinistones or kindlers of Sedition for though the Presbyterian discipline was now again consimed as to Scotland yet it was impossible that the Scots could think themselves secure to hold it
them with an absolute negative and there passed something then which perhaps may be fit to be inserted herein as containing that which is something extraordinary I received the relation from a noble person who was one of the Commoners then sent and this it is After having received his Majesties answer the Committy being still at Theobalds retired it self to take into consideration the terms of it that there might be no difference in reporting to the several Houses of Parliament As soon as the Committy was set the Earl of Warwick was called out to speak with his brother the Earl of Newport He went out and speedily returned with this account of the business that the Earl of Newport had acquainted him that the King was even then so pressed to give a more satisfactory answer as he was confident they should have such an answer if they would but defer their departure for a small season To this the whole company seemed to assent with much chearfulness when suddenly young Sir Henry Vain declared himself to mervail at it for said he is there any person here who can undertake to know the Parliaments mind that is whether this which we have or that which is called a more satisfactory answer will be more pleasing to the Houses For my part I cannot and if there be any that can let him speak to this no man made any answer and so having agreed upon the report to be made they departed I have related this to shew how easily one subtle ill-disposed person may overthrow a general good intention Now were the well affected party as it was then termed stirred up in all parts to give incouragement to the House of Commons in the way of pretended Reformation by petitions whereof some were delivered dayly at the bar and the deliverers had thanks given by the Speaker which was a thing altogether new And as a general return to these and to keep the people in perfect heat it was resolved that a general and publick declaration of the State of the kingdom should be made to the Nation In time of former Princes the House of Commons had some times but very rarely made remonstrances of that nature to the King which were never pleasing to him yet not justly to be excepted against because it is exprest in the writs of Summons that they are to advise his Majesty but for any advising or treating with the people it was always held illegal and of mischievous consequence Upon these grounds the declaration being brought into the House caused a very long debate but was at last passed with the dissent of very many of the most considerable Members Our Nation being in such disorder the rebellion broke out in Ireland and the Lords of the Council being yet in London imparted their new received intelligence to the House of Commons who seemed chearfully to embrace the business of reducing that Kingdom to obedience and thereupon endeavoured the raising of a stock of money by adventure upon security of the living Bears-skin which was the Estates of such persons as were in Rebellion Upon this the King made offer of going in person to suppress the rebellion if he might be supplied with money and other necessaries for the work which offer was so far from being hearkned unto at Westminster as it created new jealousie But the Parliament made good use of the Irish business for by that means they listed Officers and made full enquiry concerning their inclinations which succeeded happily with them afterwards Every day produced new differences between the King and Parliament for that unsatiable Monster of publick security caused the making of a proposition to his Majesty which was that the Parliament might govern the Militia or Trained-bands for some time at least which was rejected by the King as a power not to be parted withal no not for an hour whereupon the Parliament made new Lieutenants for each County who assumed the exercise of that power by Parliamentary authority in many parts of the Kingdom And upon the same ground of publick security Sir John Hotham seised upon the Town of Kingston upon Hull with the Kings Magazin there which his Majesty cried out upon not only as rebellious but as a robbing him of his Arms and Ammunition being personal Goods bought with his money and this before any the least act of hostility shewed on his part The King was then retired to the City of York as a place of more safety than nearer to London And there first of all the Warrants of Parliament being sent by express Messengers for Delinquents by them so stiled were flatly disobeyed which was no unwelcome news to the great managers of affairs at Westminister for they pretended such obstruction of Justice to be a justifiable sufficient ground for the raising of forces When the opposition was grown to this height his Majesty judged it fit that such Members of both Houses as had resolved to engage against the Parliament should withdraw themselves and one of the last that continued sitting in the House of Commons was Mr. Sidney Godolphin who for a farewel declared That by a War the Parliament would expose it self to unknown dangers for said he when the Cards are once shuffled no man knows what the Game will be which was afterwards found by the Parliament too true when their own Army became their Masters But in the mean time this Secession of Members did very much facilitate the entry into and continuance of the War all dispute being taken away within the Houses and the House of Commons would not lose this convenience and therefore they soon excluded the withdrawn Members by special Votes This abscission or cutting off of Members had been formerly used in this and other Parliaments but very rarely and for offences extraordinary and such an offence was this obedience to his Majesty then adjudged to be so unfitting a time for Judgment is the heat of a Civil War in matters relating to that War This War first began in Paper by Manifestoes and Declarations on both parts which brings to remembrance a pleasant passage in the House of Commons upon this account One of the Members brought with him into the House a Declaration of his Majesties which he had newly bought and complained much of those who were so insolent as freely to sell such papers of the Kings At this a young Gentleman of those who were accounted Fanaticks in those days but one who never spake publickly in the House grew into a seeming impatience and said with much earnestness Why not his papers as well as every mans else Which though loudly yet being spoken without standing up was answered only with looks and smiles This passage is scarcely worthy of a place in any serious discourse yet it seemeth naturally to express the small ingenuity of those times which allowed not to a Sovereign Prince in his own Dominions that freedom which every petty fellow assumed without exception At this time
Earl of Manchester in his place of Major General being one of his own near relations The House of Commons was employed in providing money without which they could have no good effect of their armies Several ways were found but no one nor all of them together answerable to their occasions One was by Sequestration of Delinquents estates not excepting the King 's own revenue which last yielded the best supply being manag'd by a Committy of Parliament whereas they were inforced to use ravenous people in the Sequestration of private estates making a very slender account to the publick and converting most of the profits to their own use whereof the Parliament was not in condition to take much notice at that time Another way of raising mony there was by requiring a twentieth part of goods and a fifth part of every man's revenue This began upon persons disaffected to the Parliament but came at last to be a calling dance being made general and herein both parties did good service by giving complete information concerning one anothers estates But the last and surest was a monthly tax for the army which was the first of that kind and likeliest to continue in being And now the case is wholly altered for every demand must be answered there being armies on foot very well disposed to constrain payment in case of refusal About this time those persons who had been nominated Committies in each County for money matters held meetings in imitation of the Covenanters tables in Scotland and took upon them the decision of businesses relating to the County in general but especially as to the war which comprized the suppression of the Royallists and by this means they exercised an unlimited power being assured of Indemnity at Westminster for all things done in the way of advantage to their military affairs While the asperities of war lay thus frozen up in winter quarters it pleased his Majesty to send the Earl of South-hampton and Sir John Culpepper with a proposition for a treaty of peace and a considerable member of our House made this relation to me of Mr. Pims opinion concerning it This Gentleman said he met Mr. Pim going into the Committy of Safety and desiring a word with him asked if he knew the substance of Southhampton's message and what he thought of it Mr. Pim's answer was that he knew the particulars and praised God in his heart hoping that the issue of it would be happy for the Kingdome But it seems that being entred into the Committy his mind soon changed for the General with other Lords there were absolutely for the refusal of it which was the event of it also in Parliament and not without some harshness in the manner for South-hampton and Culpepper would have delivered their message in the respective Houses within the Bar as Members which was refused to them and so their message being made known and unanimously concluded unseasonable by reason of the Generals standing yet together with divers other eminent persons declared Traytor they both returned to Oxford This may appear strange since the General was conceived to wish and labour for peace which may the better be believed because after this time he sent a letter to the Parliament to express his sense of the Nations miserable condition under a war and to desire that there might be propositions of peace sent to his Majesty a fault never to be forgiven by the private Caballists which desire of restoring peace continued with him even to his end as was hinted in his funeral Sermon wherein he was compared to Abner who perished being in such a design but it is usual for such persons to dislike all pacification saving what is procured by themselves wherein their own interests are fully provided for and it is very likely that Essex would have had the business to pass chiefly through his own hands whereby we may see how far a poor Nation may suffer by the on of some principal persons But howsoever it was with others it is not to be doubted but some of the close Cabal rather than to yield to any pacification were disposed to make use of the pious intimation delivered by a Minister in a Fast Sermon preached before the House of Commons which was this That if they could not effect the desired reformation yet it would be in their power to break the pillars and as Sampson did to pull down the house over the heads of their enemies Yet for publick satisfaction the people being wearied with a war it was always in agitation to bring the business to a treaty though not without much jealousie on the Parliaments side which might be much encreased by a letter from a Lord at Oxford to a Commander in that army which became publick being intercepted and contained these words Do but cudgel them into a Treaty and we shall do well enough with them Before drawing the armies out in the year 1643. there had been a hopeful treaty of peace both parties having tendred propositions and Commissioners being sent to Oxford to treat but this was soon rendred fruitless by the Parliament who too far straightned the time of treaty and bound up their Commissioners by instructions obliging them in the first place to treat upon and conclude the proposition for disbanding of the armies which could not be consented to by his Majesty without assurance first had that the other most important articles would be agreed upon And so at this time the poor people were defeated of their hopes it being one of our Cabals greatest arts to give way to a treaty of peace for publick satisfaction and then to bring it to a rupture in some plausible way as here it was upon the article of disbanding which was a thing so much desired by the people This year 1643. businesses were transacted at Westminster with greater heighth than ever for the Queen being returned to the King's quarters with some assistance the House of Commons assumed the boldness to impeach her of high treason at the Lord's bar and about the same time both Houses voted a new great Seal to be made which is the instrument of Royal power far above all others and the doing of these two things could not but much exasperate his Majesty yet their military affairs were never less succesful for the West of England was wholly lost by defeat of the Earl of Stamford's army and Bristow forced by Prince Rupert In the Northern parts the Earl of Newcastle was prevalent almost wholly And certainly had the King instead of besieging Glocester marched to London and the Earl of Newcastle instead of besieging Hull forced his way into the Eastern association the war had come to a period but Divine Providence had designed a more gentle end and disposed the minds of the Northern and Western armies so as they would not forsake their own Countries till they saw them cleared from all opposition The Parliaments business being in this evil condition it was easily
a General without Command surrendred his Commission with many expressions of good affection to the Parliament and wholly bent himself to a retirement being the first person and last of the Nobility employed by the Parliament in Military affairs which soon brought him to the period of his life and he may be an example to all future Ages to deter all persons of like dignity from being instrumental in setting up a Democratical power whose interest it is to keep down all persons of his condition Yet they did him all possible honour in his Funerals at the publick charge so acceptable is an opportune death In pursuance of the great design all the old Commanders were wormed out by little and little and none admitted to Commands but those persons who were known not only to be of an Antimonarchical spirit but purely disposed to the Armies interests which the Army found very useful afterwards when it began to contend with the House of Commons for the Sovereign power By this it may appear how supinely negligent the Parliament was in forbearing to mould the army with surer dependence upon it self which might have been effected in the nomination of Colonels and chief Officers at first if care had been taken for choice of many persons who were resolved to stand fall with their interest such as were Colonel Harley and Sir Robert Pye who forsook the army when it opposed it self to the Parliament and for want of associates could effect nothing but their own prejudice As soon as this new army began to move it was thought necessary by the House of Commons to send Cromwel to them who was there not only received but intrusted with command of all the cavalry by the title of Lieutenant General there being then no General of the horse This army had but ill success at first having laid siege to Oxford and failed when in the mean time the King with a brave army had taken Leicester town and struck a great terror into all the parts adjacent But all this was useful only to bring on a greater misfortune for General Fairefax drew his army that way and the opposing of his passage brought on that fatal battail of Naseby where there was so absolute a defeat of his Majesties forces as the after strivings were but as labouring for breath by a person not long before his decease After this Oxford was besieged again and yielded by treaty which was followed by a total dissolution of all his Majesties military power Yet the King assayed to engage a powerful army for him which was that of the Scots at Newark and that he might the more endear himself to these he put his Royal person wholly into their power At first the Scots carried themselves as if they intended to appear worthy of so great confidence for they presently marched Northwards The Parliament gave no time to consider but made a peremptory demand to have the King's person delivered to them and had the help of Themistocles his two great gods Vis Suada the terror of a victorious army ready to fall upon them in case of refusal and by way of perswasion a representation of their duty that army being then in the Parliaments pay and obliged to act only in their service to which with many other reasons was added a promise of their arrears by very ready payment The first of these was more likely to give offence than terror to so powerful a body and as to that pretended duty of the army it could not extend it self to the extinguishing of natural allegiance which is a duty personal But whatsoever arguments were used the Scots consented to deliver him and performed it to their eternal infamy which infamy is much encreased by a breach of trust for having received his Majesty they ought to have set him in a state of freedom as good as he had when he came and because the contracting for mony makes the business appear as a sale of their Soveraign Prince Soon after the King's forces were wholly dispersed the army being without imployment made business for it self by interposing in publick matters appertaining to the Government which was begun by a mutinous accusation of Mr. Hollis with other members to the number of eleven and a drawing up of the army Southwards whereupon the Parliament sent Commissioners to them to expostulate about their remove Southwards and to promise all reasonable satisfaction in general terms but nothing would serve without the exclusion of those Members from the House of Commons But I should have related how upon delivery of the King's person the Parliament placed him at Holdenby-house with a guard of Soldiers and a Committy of Lords and Commons to attend him and to order matters there for his security At this the army seemed to take offence disliking the choice of Commanders for his guard but surely their main intention was since now an opposition to the Parliament was designed to have the Royal person only in the power of the army and thereupon they sent a party to take him from Holdenby which was effected without the least opposition and so they held his Majesty with or near the army till being at Hampton Court the chief Officers grew jealous that his residence with the Soldiery might have an influence endangering the power of them the Commanders At this time Cromwel who was the chief manager of affairs in the army carried himself with such respect to his Majesty as his party grew highly jealous of him insomuch as John Lilborn the great Leveller offered a kind of 〈◊〉 against him at the bar in the House of Commons wherunto there was little car given by the house in general but those who abhorred all reconciliation with his Majesty remained unsatisfied and began to complain bitterly of him one to another as a person persidious but their fear was causless for he never intended to be an instrument of so much good to the nation and therefore his courtship must be thought to have had some other intention which may be guessed at by that which followeth While the army lay about Hampton Court the Houses were informed that the King had made an escape from thence and that the chief Commanders were very much distracted with the thought of it This was very well dissembled since it soon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the King had been perswaded to withdraw himself and was never fully out of power for being quickly seized upon again they placed him according to their hearts desire in the Isle of Wight where there could be no addresses made to him but by their permission Yet here the army was content the Parliament should have the honour that his Majesties perseemed to be in their custody for the guard and care of him was referred to a person nominated or at least approved of by them who was Colonel Hammond And now the English Nation though all too late was grown so generally sensible of their Prince his distressed estate
spent a whole night in that debate they sent their Red-coats early in the morning before the next sitting who passed the Streets with great cries and so possest themselves of the House of Commons-door admitting only those Members whose names they found not in their Catalogue and seizing upon many of the rest who would have entred I question not but upon this occasion as upon all others of great importance they held a solemn fast among the chief Commanders to ask counsel of God for the doing of that which they their selves had already resolved upon which if I deceive not my self is one of the greatest hypocrisies that the world hath known The House of Commons being thus moulded according to their desire they presently fell upon the formalities of that most hideous and not to be paralell'd murther of our Royal Sovereign and upon the business of putting down the House of Lords with intention to establish a perfect Democracy among us But God hath preserved us from so unhappy a change As for my self being one of the secluded Members I from that time retired me wholly from publick affairs till a farther call which by Gods mercy I lived to see and had the happiness to be a Member even of that House of Commons when all was disposed there for a perfect restitution of the ancient Government under our most gracious Sovereign Charles the Second whom God preserve long in prosperity for his service and for the happiness of these Nations And here I end this Discourse leaving it to better pens to set forth the continuance of that Anarchy and the miraculous way of Divine providence in Restoring us to our Sovereign Prince and to our fundamental Laws without effusion of one drop of bloud in the Military way A SHORT ADDITAMENT SInce the finishing of this Discourse I have consulted the Histories of several Nations to see if I could meet with any thing running paralel to the raising and issue of this War but I have absolutely failed of doing it It hath been usual for Senates to take part with a power already raised by persons assuming the Sovereignty so it was with the Roman Senate when Galba had prevailed against Nero and that Senate went farther than any other within my reading for they proceeded to a capital sentence against their Prince but it was not till the Imperial dignity was in a manner possessed by Galba and the Military power was so far from being raised or directed by themselves as they durst not give the least countenance to it till Nero was absolutely run down That which cometh nearer to us is a levying of War by the Roman Senate against Julius Maximinus the Emperor but at the same time they invested Pupienus and Albinus with the Imperial purple in opposition to him and claimed no Sovereignty in themselves which setting up of Emperor against Emperor was a thing very frequent among the Romans In these later times there have been divers Rebellions against Princes wherein Senates have been concurring but have not originally formed the opposition So in the United Provinces of Belgia Arms were first raised by particular persons or places and the States or Deputies of Provinces afterwards approved and concurred And the Parliament of Paris adjoyned it self to the Liguers or Covenanters against the two last Henries of France but that Parliaments actions are little to our purpose for they are to be looked upon as no more than a standing Court of Judicature wherein the Peers of France are priviledged to sit at pleasure and having jurisdiction only in some part of the French Dominion except in cases of appeal and besides this the War was neither begun nor managed under their Authority In Scotland an Assembly stiled Ecclesiastical though comprizing Lay-persons was Convocated by King Charles the First and they continued their Session after his Majesties Act for their dissolution assuming to themselves a power independent upon him but I never read that they made any Order for raising of Military Forces for maintenance of their Decrees though it was otherwise done against his Majesty In our Chronicles there is mention of divers Kings deposed even by Parliament but those Parliaments did it in compliance with a strength already in being and they no ways either directed or concurred in raising that power Thus have I raked together out of several Histories much filth but none of so bad savour as that contracted by our Long Parliament There are some particulars of aggravation against that Assembly I mean chiefly the House of Commons who for the most spurred the Lords into action as to things irregularly done which are not applicable to any of those in foreign Histories As first that they levied War against their Prince in their own name Secondly that they were Assembled by the King 's Writ to advise him in his affairs and therefore ought not to have acted against him Thirdly that they were limited by the terms of that Writ and in that respect ought not to have exceeded those limits Fourthly that they were representatives of the Commons and though they would be otherwise exorbitant ought not to have done things prejudicial to them and contrary to the mind of their Major part as certainly they did in levying of War and in those things which ensued thereupon And lastly they assumed a Jurisdiction upon the Kings Royal person without the least colour of right by making Substitutes stiled by them a High Court of Justice to Arraign him as a Delinquent and to proceed capitally against him even to death it self whereas he alone was the Fountain of all Justice within his Dominions and nothing of that nature could regularly be done against the meanest person but by vertue of Authority or Commission from him And all this when he was still acknowledged to be their King for he was so stiled In Terminis at the Arraignment This is far beyond what hath been formerly done by any other body of men and is of so odious a condition as pity it is there cannot be a total obliteration of it to prevent any transmission to posterity It hath been hinted herein that the levying of War against the King was displeasing to the people in general yet partly by terror and partly by hope of advantage the most powerful part of the Nation was made instrumental in it and this may the better be believed because many of the most important businesses transacted in that Parliament were upon a weaker consideration carried on contrary to the judgment of the Major part of that House of Commons I intend the sense of the House as it was constituted at first for to speak of it otherwise were like making a Coat for the Moon which is never of the same dimensions but either encreasing or decreasing This seemeth a paradox yet thus much I can say by experience for the truth of it that oftentimes very many Members of those who sate near me in the House gave their voice the same