A ROYALL STORY FOR LOYALL READERS For they intended mischiefe against thee and imagined such a device as they are not able to performe And why because the King putteth his trust in the Lord and in the mercy of the most Highest Hee shall not miscarry Qui cupit optatam cursu contingere metam multa tulit fecitque Printed in the Yeare 1651. Parcere subjectis et debellare superbos Charles ye second Son to Charles I. ye Martir King of England Scotland France and Ireland defender of the faith c. Now in ye head of a gallant and numerous army of ye valiant and faithfull English Scotts marching by the power and mightines of his Maker towards the possession of the rest of his Fathers Crownes with olive branches emblemes of Victory peace and mercy To restore to the Loyall their Religion Lawes and Liberties to shew pitty and compassion to all the seduc'd and sorrowfull returniÌ„g to their obedience But to execute Vengeance on the impenitent malitious and implacable murtherers of his Royall Father Cornelius Van Dalen sculpsit-Amster Ejaculation MAy God and his Annoynted the King and all that are God's and his Annoynted the King's forgive me if in these thoughts whilst they were yet invisible or now that they are become legible I have offended him or them humane fraielties excepted I hope I may appeale to Heaven the searcher of all hearts in poynt of my integrity in the matter of Loyalty and in the honest and hearty intendment of these Papers Lord continue and encrease all good designes in my breast untill they come to that perfection thou wilt please to accept And O thou whose proper worke it is to make the people of one house to be of one minde and to whom 't is equally possible to make those of one or more Kingdomes to be so too Blesse in thy time and way and that in the time and way present if it be thy holy will these distracted devided Kingdoms with composed united mindes that after so horrible and so long a seperation from thee by Rebellion Blasphemy Sacrilegde Murther and all other deadly sinnes we may once againe enjoy thee our God of Peace in Peace and by thee thy Vicegerent our King and under him our Church our Lawes our Liberties and our mutuall Loves through Jesus Christ the eternall sonne of thy love in whom thou hast loved us first Amen Now know I that the Lord helpeth his Annoynted and will heare him from his Holy Heaven even with the wholesome strength of his right hand NAy nay forbeare forbeare Gentlemen judge not that ye be not judged 'T is not to you high flying Youths but to the soberly Loyal soules who have candour as well as judgement that I intend these for your parts you were ever too rash in your actions and uncharitable in your censures for my conversation Pray pardon me that I am by mischance rusht into your company indeed I was looking for a more grave society you know I affect not yours and I am not ignorant that you hate mine therefore if you take ill this my misfortune pray tell me before I go 't is not generous to calumniate behinde any mans back if I have offended I am ready to cry you mercy or give you any handsome satisfaction in its defect meane while I kisse your hands Gentlemen and leave you to the wise mans first Course eate drink and be merry yet may I finde you hereafter to be recollected or but once becalmed amidst the surges and surfets of your sinfull excesses I shal then present you with his second course but remember that for all these things you must come to judgement and I 'le adde too that you know not how soone the times are dangerous swords are drawne and the thread of mans life as t was ever soone cut or knapt asunder so it seems now to be environed with Armies of weaponed and engin'd men at contest which shal give first that fatall blow and as the tree fals so it lies as life leaves death and Judgement find Vestigia nulla retrorsum who rememembreth thee in the grave saith valiantly holy David shal the dead praise thee no no the living the living they shal prayse God Therefore damne not sink not now lest you sink and be damned for ever God wil not blesse nor the King accept such persons some of you know it from Breda and I could tell you more from His Majesties owne mouth to an acquaintance of ours His Majesty now stands uppon His Fathers headlesse shoulders and sees the plagues attending the cursing drinking debaucht crew which help'd bring to the Scaffold the barbarously murthered but most blessed Martyr CHARLES the first who saw indeed in His time and sorrowed for but could not help the vicâ—s of His Armies and abuses of His Commisioners and Governours the former His gracious Meditations let you and all the world know As to the latter I am satisfied from His owne sacred lips when upon occasion of my giving His Majesty according to the duty of my command an account of affaires and persons in the West of England His Majesty deare King was pleased passionately to tell me that he was confident the relation I gave was just and patiently he added Oh the mirrour that he was reduced to that unhappy condition as to be forced to trust Knaves and knew not how to help it Our present King CHARLS the second such a Son to such a Father as I believe the world never paraleld though reduced certainly to as much necessity as ever so great a Prince was what time as he went from one Nation to another from one Kingdome to another people God suffering no man though to do him wrong abroad he became an object of pitty mixt with admiratioÌ„ from all the nobly disposed persons in the world and an object of scornings lashings of the Independent English tongues especially in Holland that had never seen him but such as with the Queen of Sheba hearing of his fame came to behold the magnanimity of his courage and the constancy of his vertues in the banishment from His other Royall possessions became astonished and either returned convinced penitent and Loyall or else seized with horrour went home trembling in their soules at the sight of His sacred Presence that I have charity to hope an holy operation from His Majesties divine influence will steale them also by degrees to their own salvation yet this King strangely happy and I know not how it comes to passe in this low condition as it seemed to the world was then now His Majesty is in power is more a strict reprehender of vice and a vigilant observer of those who became too sawcy with Majesty clouded in fortune onely not in face and kept up by his owne grace and presence a Kingship perfectly in himselfe not discovering the least passion for the absence from His Crownes which was the greater conquest then of the world and that desire of
His Martyr'd Father hath therein taken effect when he wished rather that he might prove CHARLES le bon then CHARLES le grand indeed as the world already knowes Him CHARLES the good for I believe that goodnesse is now leading His Majesty by the hand to greatnesse having sought the Kingdome of Heaven first the rest shal be added and according to the old Prophesie as he is e Carolo Carolus so he wil be shortly Deo annuente Carolo magno major and that I alwayes saw with the eye of faith but since the beginning stilo novo of June 1650. Gods immediate hand hath guided the King visibly to the eye of sense and reason yet above comprehension too And at this day His Majesty by the conduct of Heaven is arrived from the most uncertaine I may say desperate condition wherein His Majesty then was to so great a degree of glory as was then wholely despaired of by most that ever he would have compassed in this world for what clouds were over His Majesties affaires at Breda after a treaty there began with the Scots Commissioners to effect which treaty there was no small difficulty attended His Majesty at Jersey where His Majestyes Privy Counsell Lords and Counsell at Law were divided in opinion nay the Duke of York that most hopefull and illustrious Prince was perswaded in judgemēt for the King to declare against all treaties with that party of Rebell Scots His Highnesse and the discenting Lords relying wholely with Gods blessing on the formerly almost miraculous Marquesse of Montrosse who was then gone to kindle a loyall fire by His Majesties Commission in the Highlands of the Scottish Nation but Gods wayes are unsearchable and his works past finding out the Kings heart is in Heavens hand and he disposeth it as Rivers of waters which way soever pleaseth him and though most think it tedious to wait on Gods providence in the weary steps which must be taken about the meanders dividings and unitings turnings and returnings of the streames after many miles straggling passing againe neare the same place and though almost all that look not with the eye of faith more steddily than the eye of reason not only lose the current when it entereth the concaves and hollowes of the earth but their hopes too and are possessed with despayre of ever seeing those refreshing waters breake out any more yet the hand of God brings them to life againe though they channelled under many an hill and rocky cragge hee cuts a way to their appearance and satisfieth the world by experience That his leading Providence never leaveth them untill they bee sefely brought to the Sea their Centre where they embosome in the greatnesse and glory of the triumphant Ocean Blessed bee God that leaveth not his Anoynted comfortlesse nor our Soveraigne Councellesse He himselfe whose name is Mighty Councellour proves his Councell designing strangely first to winnow and try the Kings fayth by affliction laying low that foundation whereon he intends to erect so glorious a fabrick as ever since and before Heaven hath been modelling in our gratious King whose heart divided in the division of his friends and Councell unites againe in God who strongly enclines his soul to treat with the illest look't and falsest hearted party that ever drew breath in that noble Nation of Scotland in almost all whose Countenances any man that durst look in their faces which I confesse I could never scarce doe without feare and trembling for our deare Kings sake might visibly read treachery and most abominable falshood their Priests Prayers and Preachings premising nothing but slavery to the King and their groanings and whinings only to gull the silly flocke that could have so much unchristian patience as to hear them His Majesty by this Treaty if hee could not convince them into an agreement which if any thing unlesse a contract to lay down his life and which was infinitely dearer his Honour he was resolved to bring them to if not yet his Majesty would leave them excuselesse in whatsoever might be the consequence that so they should by their owne irreligious and avaritious capitulations and sawcy rejections affronting their Maker in the person of his Anoynted draw their owne guilt and their owne bloud upon the pates of them and their posterities The King during this Treaty had a hard taske to comport with variety of tempers and constitutions so as to keepe them though enemies one to another friends to himselfe The Commissioners often grew peremptory but at such time his Majesty would quickly awe them into some reverence by letting them know hee was their King His Majesties old friends that all wished one end yet unhappily divided in their opinions of the meanes thereunto conducing grew to asmuch jealousie and enmity one with another as ever the Presbyterians and Independents were at So that the friends to the Treaty looke on the opposers as enemies to the King and the other party reciprocally on them that not onely the declarers became averse one to another but the moderate or neuters who waited for the Kings Highway having their soules bound up in Buffe of obedience to Him in eyther became neglected or mistrusted of both yet the Treaty goes on the antipathy undermines the whilest and it is beleeved Marquesse MONTROSSE was perswaded from thence by private instructions from eminent persons to make a bolt or a shaft of his businesse to winne the horse or lose the saddle breake the Treaty by Conquest or at least attempt something to make the Treaters more modest which his Excellency putting in execution during the Treaty fayled of those friends in Scotland and of those supplies of horse armes men and as the sinew of all warre money from Forreigne Kings and Princes which probably had the Treaty never began or had beene then ended he would have found and have beene accompanied with wonted successe But his Excellency all these things falling under a strong fate became most unfortunately taken in his first designe was carried Prisoner to Edenborough where hee was met with the Sentence of Condemnation to bee hanged by the common Hangman O unworthy bloudy Judges which he cheerefully embraced and they most barbarously put in Execution with all speed to hasten his death and glory and their owne sinne and shame together and that power which the Kirke onely feared in the person of that gallant MONTROSSE being now layd low they resolve to break all treaties with the King but in the nick the Commissioners had concluded with His Majesty and His Majesty was removed with them from Breda towards Scotland His Majesty no sooner came to Hounslowdike an house of the Prince of Oranges neare the sea side in order to his voyage but His Majesties cares were there saluted with the unwelcome newes of the death of that incomparable MONTROSSE the deep sense whereof so pierced His Majesties Royall heart that there could not but arise new conflicts within His Princely soule The opposite Lords
to sit in their Councels either of State or War nor to be in the Army because the Souldiers were so taken with and fond of Him which the Kirke were jealous of lest in time He should get their Crowne from them for they resolve that at best He shall have onely the name of King the Soveraigne power is fit to recide in the Kirke alone those inspired sonnes of Government and if His Majesty can but once bring His faith to that spirituall pitch as to believe as the Kirke believes He shall not need trouble Himselfe with any thing else They 'l ease His head of cares and His shoulders of all Kingly burthens His Majesty shall need onely Signe and Seale what they please and Himselfe may hawke hunt and enjoy those Noble Recreations suitable to His Youth the while and if this will not content Him He shall be brought to the Stoole of Repentance heare God and Himselfe his Annoynted blasphemed in their next belching prayers and afrighting preachments as an Antidote against which His Majesty might not be permitted to take any of His Orthodox Divines either English or Scottish Chaplaines over with Him and His English and many Scotch Lords Officers and household servants are banished the Court His Majesty must further then be humbled under the pride of these spirituall Trumpeters but it shall be sayd to be for the sinnes of His Fathers house and the Idolatry of the Queen his Mother Indeed His Majesty must must was never used for a King in this sence before doe whatsoever they 'l have Him doe if He intend to have any rest in life or respite from death Well His Majesty wise as an Angell acts now the part of a Subject heares sees and sayes nothing Blessed be God that hath endued so yong a body with so prudent a minde with so meeke a soule a soule so humble that I am confident God reveales his secrets to Him as he hath promised to doe to those that are so qualified to receive them but he resisteth the proud and the loftinesse of the Kirkemen foreruns their destruction God so infatuates their Counsels as that in the great pride of their hearts notwithstanding CROMVVELL had entered the Kingdome of Scotland with a potent Army from whom surely they expacted little mercy yet in the nick of time before they should have fought with him did this Kirk-Faction proudly presuming upon their owne strength and being bewitched with an opinion of their owne righteousnesse disband and cashiere divers thousands the best Officers and Souldiers of their Army resolving to carry on the worke onely with their owne spirituall Bumkins an heard of untutor'd Disciples and these were of the Kirks teaching to fight Ex tempore as they should bee unpremeditately by an impulse of spirit put upon it CROMVVELL notwithstanding findes himselfe too weake for these Kirkers and resolves as privately and as speedily as he may to ship away his traine his wounded and his sick men at least if not all his infantry and so breake away with his horse to which purpose hee makes towards Dunbarre where the English Fleet lay ready the Kirkers principled in this particular purely like Cowards who naturally presse hard upon a running party no holding them from pursuing such as flye more then perswading them to engage handsomely against a party that will stand but those zealous hotspurs follow violently CROMVVELS reere before he could ship his Artillery and encamp so neare to their Army that CROMVVELL sending a party to a passe in his way to England to see whether it were open and finding it possessed by the Scots and himselfe necessitated to fight or yield dishonorably resolves to make a desperate venture and expect the issue of a bold attempt Audaces fortuna juvat timidosque repellit had those Kirkers learnt our English Proâ—erbe as they may do in time give them rope and they 'le hang themselves they had then certainly been better advised then to make an Enemy either desperate or contemptible or to put that in hazard by a fight which they might upon the matter certaiâ—ly have compassed by forbearing had they possessed their soules in patience but it seemes they wanted that beliefe which keeps people from making hâ—st and they finding CROMVVELL to be but in a stinking condition his Army being extreamly weakened with the Flux which so violently seized upon them that 't is sayd they were â—oâ—ced to march with their breeches untrussed in â—heir hand ready to give not fire but water or bloud at a minutes warning They pursue the chase whilest the scent was hot and CROMVVEL â—â—â—ng thus streightned wisely gives the first blow so they go too t Now fight Dog fight Beare neither barrell better herring t is ten thousand to one but if Traytors be beaten Rebels prove Conquerours The matter receives a sudden issue whether by Gods immediate providence that this way and no other his and the Kings Enemies should at this time destroy his and the Kings Enemies by their infatuated division of interests Quos Deus vult perdere dementat prius or whether as a meanes thereunto conducing some of the Scots Officers as 't was believed proved treacherous or whether onely out of improvidence or necessity the season being wet and the Scots Army very weary the foot generally having not their matches lighted and were non vino sed somno sepulti all sleepy and drowzy when CROMVVELL by the assistance of that fate which constantly appeares with active soules vigilantibus non dormientibus gave them betimes in the morning a resolute and unexpected charge mixed with a frightfull surprize and put the whole Army into such a confusion that though there were on each party many slaine of the Scots most yet I can hardly call it a Battell for unlesse Major Generall ROBERT MONGOMERY yongest son to the Earle of Eglington had with a body of Horse under his Command and the Atholl Regiment of foot which were all cut off maintained the field a while which by both sides they are acknowledged to doe very gallantly the businesse had scarce received a dispute however ultra posse non est esse MONGOMERY was over-powred by the adverse Horse which indeed was their maine strength CROMVVELL proves victorious slew as 't is generally 〈◊〉 about 4000. on the spot and tooke about â—â—00 Prisoners besides the wounded men which 〈◊〉 turned off to a very great number amongst the rest Leivtenant Generall LUMSDALE sayd to be a very good Officer and stout was taken but the unchristian usage which the common souldiers of the Scotch Party received in their Imprisonments from those that led them away captive by famishing and surbating them in their cruell and tedious overmarchings towards Newcastle and then quartering them in a great Cabbage field when they came there before they could otherwise be disposed of suffering the poore creatures to have nothing to eate buâ— their owne flesh or that as raw food too cold for over heated bodies
wicked way he knew nothing too hazardous for him by way of expiation for his former offences to venture against CROMVVELL or any other but him he looked on as the great Dictatour and Commander in that high mischiefe and if her Majesty pleased to command him he would either by poyson or stob though with the certaine losse of his owne life give a period to CROMVVELLS dayes Her Majesty the Mirrour of Her Sex for constant love and loyalty to Her King and Husband pierced to the heart with this fresh renewing of her griefe in the losse of her incomparable King and Consort after She had recollected Her selfe answered that he might apprehend that offer as some satisfaction to himselfe but she had better learnt Her Saviour and would not by any consent of Hers take the matter out of Gods hands who had sayd vengeance was his and he would repay in whose due time She expected to see their ruine that had committed that unheard of murther the Fountaine of Her and all Loyall Subjects misery the shame of Christendome and the astonishment of the known World to which MORS replies that though her Majesty was not pleased to accept of his service in that particular yet by that he hoped her Majesty believed he would then be ready to doe any thing lesse dangerous wherein he might serve her Majesty towards a publick good and her Majesty he conceived must needs have affaires of weight with the King and to send to His Majesty as he understood she did by the way of Holland was very uncertaine tedious and expensive as a quicker dispatch if her Majesty could think of any service he could doe in that or any thing else he would undertake to go from Calais to Dover and so by land much sooner and in respect of his knowledge in the North much safer he believed and would venture his life to carry Letters or message from Her Majesty to the King Her Majesty glad at all times to have opportunity to present her duty and love to her Sonne the King and at that time having some more immediate businesse with His Majesty embraceth MORS his offer and prepares Letters to the King MORS no sooner receives them with promise of all sidelity and secrecy but posts away for England at Whitehall he acquaints his Black Masters how far he had succeeded in this dark designe at which Hell and they t is to be supposed kept a private thanksgiving MORS receiving fresh encouragement and instructions hyes away for the North and in great pretended privacy comming into Lieth there hee disguiseth himselfe into womans apparrell in that habit cunningly passeth over the water to Burnt Island where after he was harboured he sends to the Governour imparting the matter to him that hee came from the Queene c. and desired his assistance that he might be presently fitted with mans cloathes againe and accommodated with Horses and Guides to goe to the King then at St. Johnstons the Governour glad of the employment doth accordingly MORS no sooner comes to Court but there meets him a Major an English Gentleman who knowing him most maliciously active formerly against the King saluted him asking him whether he were a Convert MORS tels him the same kinde of lamentable story of his sadnesse which before he had told the Queene and that the Queene had honoured him with Letters to the King which hee was in great hast to deliver the Major joy'd at his conversion presseth him to drink a Cup of Scotch Ale with him upon the Guard before he went in to the King when they came into the Court of Guard the Major chargeth the Captaine of the Guard with him as a Spye and causing him presently to be searched there was found nothing about him but those Letters from the Queene which the Major leaving MORS a prisoner presents to the King His Majesty seeing his distressed Mother Queenes hand receiveth them joyfully and askes for the Messenger the Major thereupon tels the King what a dangerous person MORS that brought them was of a disposition so implacably malicious that he could not sleep as the Psalmist sayes unlesse he had done at least contrived mischiefe and humbly begged the King that he might be tried as a Spy for he wus confident he came upon some horrid designe such another person not being to be found for their purpose His Majesty advising with his Counsell and being pressed by many arguments from the Major granted a Commission of life and death to certaine persons according to the forme of that Kingdome who calling MORS to triall as a Spy he pleaded not onely not guilty but rather merit in running so great a hazard to do the King service in a time so dangerous but the Judges found cause enough to condemne him and told him they were justified in themselves for what they did upon the evidence given yet that he might justifie them also to the world they caused a rack to be brought before him and Souldiers with lighted matches told him he was as a dead man already yet if hee would confesse his intentions he might receive mercy else whether guilty or not guilty at present must bee betweene God and his Conscience they would burne his hands and feet with matches as far as they would burne that done they would rack him one joynt from another untill he should confesse or if not confesse they would execute him at last MORS seeing death at the doore and that better dye in an ingenious confession then in so much guilt to throw body and soule headlong he without either the matches burning his flesh or the rack torturing his bones freely confessed the designe was layd by the States of England and that he had undertaken for reward to slay innocent bloud and either by poyson he was to have done it whilest he stayd in expectation of an answer to the Queenes Letters or if he could not effect that then when he received his dispatch from the Kings hand he was resolved to have given a fatall blow MORS thus having confessed being condemned was remaunded to prison before Execution the Lord LOTHIAN CARRE His Majesties Secretary mistrusted alwayes for a Juggler with the English Rebels tells the King that this MORS was the first person condemned to dye by the Kings immediate Power and humbly propounded how acceptable a thing it would be to God and man in his first action to shew rather mercy then judgement His Majesty answered that His owne inclination did naturally prompt Him rather to pardon then punish Offendors yet at that time he would not out of that regard remit MORS but His Majesty would looke upon his Lordships Proposall as a desire and His Majesty did not thinke fit to deny a Nobleman of Scotland the first request that should be made to him after His Coronation MORS therefore for his Lordships sake should live and not dye for which his Lordship returned thanks to the King and within