The Enemy not being at that time ready to make any Attempt upon us retreated to their main Body of which tho the Marquiss of Hertford carried the name of General that thereby the Country might be encouraged to come in yet Prince Maurice as he had then the principal Influence over them so he was soon after placed in the head of them as more likely to promote that Arbitrary and boundless 〈◊〉 which the King endeavoured to set up over the People Having notice that some of the King's Forces were at Salisbury I went out with six of my Troop to procure Intelligence and to do what Service I could upon the Enemies Straglers When I came to Sutton I was informed that six of them were gone up the Town just before Whereupon we made after them and by their Horses which we saw tied in a Yard supposed them to be in the House to which it belonged upon which I went in and was no sooner within the door but two of them shut it upon me but my Party rushing in they ran out at another and escaped a third mounted one of my Mens Horses and rid away the other three who were in a Room of the House upon promise of quarter for Life surrendred themselves with whom and six Horses we returned to the Castle Our Army after they had possest themselves of Reading did nothing remarkable that Summer only there hapned some Skirmishes in one of which that most eminent Patriot Col. Hampden lost his Life by a Shot in the Shoulder Sir William Waller commanded a Party in the West with which he did considerable Service tho it was so small that he marched for the most part in the Night to conceal his Weakness He reduced Higham-house a place of Strength garisoned by the Enemy and protected the Gentlemen of the Country whilst they were raising Forces for the Parliament And being joined by Sir Arthur Hasterig's Regiment of Horse and the Forces of Wilts Somerset and Dorset with as many as could be spared from Bristol he was become so considerable as to put a stop to the March of the King 's Western Army which coming to the Town where my Father's House was wholly ruined it and destroyed his Park But upon their Removal from thence conceiving I might take some Straglers or some way or other annoy the Enemy I went thither the Night after with about forty Horse where tho I could hear of no Men yet I found much Provision which a Gentlewoman had obliged the People of the Town to bring together and which she was preparing to send to the King's Army with Horses and Carts ready to carry it amongst which there was half a dozen Pasties of my Father's Venison ready baked which with as much of the other Provisions as we could we carried away with us The two Armies before-mentioned engaged about Lansdown where the Success was doubtful a good while but at last ours obtained the Victory The Cornish-men commanded by Sir Bevil Greenvil stood their Ground till they came to push of Pike but were then routed and Sir Bevil killed The Enemy retreated to the Devizes and ours pursued them The News of this Action being brought to us I marched out with my Horse towards Warmister and in the way searching the Houses of some Persons disaffected to the Publick we found two of our most active Enemies whom we carried away Prisoners But the great Hopes we had conceived of enjoying some Quiet in the West by the means of this Victory were soon blasted for a body of Horse sent from Oxford not being attended by any from our Army tho as I have heard commanded so to do engaged our Horse on Roundway-hill where the Over-forwardness of some of our Party to charge the Enemy upon disadvantageous Ground was the principal Cause of their Defeat The Horse being routed our Foot also quitted their Ground and shifted for themselves many of whom were taken and many killed the rest retreated to Bristol where they made the best Preparation they could to defend themselves expecting suddenly to be besieged as it fell out Sir William Waller with what Horse he had left marched to London where no means were omitted to recruit them Exeter was surrendred to the Enemy upon terms and Bristol besieged which being stormed on one side and ours not doing their Duty part of the Enemy being entred the Governour desired to capitulate and delivered up the Town upon Articles which were not well kept in retaliation as they pretended for the like breach by ours at the taking of Reading The Governour of Bristol was hereupon tried and condemned by a Court Martial how justly I know not but the Parliament ordered the execution of the Sentence to be suspended About this time a Gentleman of the Country related to the Lord Cottington desired a Conference with me wherein he endeavoured to perswade me to surrender the Castle of Warder promising me any Terms I would desire and assuring me that several of the Western Gentlemen finding our Affairs desperate had made their Peace with the King and that the Kentish Men who were risen for him would be sufficient to accomplish his Work tho he had no other Army Also Colonel Robert Philips my Friend and Kinsman coming before the Castle some time after with a Party of Horse and desiring to speak with me was earnest with me to the same effect my Answers to both were that I had resolved to run all Hazards in the discharge of that Trust which I had undertaken The two Houses of Parliament notwithstanding the many Difficulties they met with at home having sent over Forces to subdue the Rebels in Ireland thought it also their Duty to send Recruits thither and at the same time presented the Earl of Ormond with a Jewel as a Testimony of their acceptance of his Service at the Battle of Rosse where there was above forty of his own Name and Kindred killed upon the place and the Enemy totally routed tho for a long time they had much the better of the day The Earl of Leicester having been voted Lieutenant of Ireland by the Parliament and approved by the King wanted nothing but his Commission to begin his Journey for that Kingdom which after several Delays he received from the King but being at Chester in order to take Shipping the Carriages and Draught-Horses which lay there for that Service as also the Clothes and other Provisions designed by the Parliament for the Souldiers in Ireland were seized by the King's Order and made use of for his Service here whilst his Agents there endeavoured to perswade the English Souldiers in that Country that they were neglected by the Parliament Upon which false Suggestion he prevailed with them to serve him in England against the Parliament and contrary to his Engagement to both Houses not to treat with the Rebels without their Concurrence made a Cessation with them and brought over many of them to serve in his Army against the
Officers were either omitted by the Parliament or had quitted their Commands in the Army judging himself Master of the Field marched towards Leicester and by this time was grown so considerable that the Committee of both Kingdoms thought it high time to look after him and to that end commanded the General with the Army to march and observe his Motions but before he could overtake him the King had made himself Master of Leicester by storm and plundered it with the loss of about seven hundred Men on his side and about one hundred of the Town Being encouraged with this Success and with the consideration that he was to encounter with an unexperienced Enemy upon advice that our Army was in search of him he advanced towards them and both Armies met in the Field of Naseby on the 14 th of June 1645. Some days before one Col. Vermuyden an old Souldier who commanded a Regiment of Horse had laid down his Commission whether through diffidence of Success or what other Consideration I know not and in the beginning of the Engagement Major General Skippon the only old Souldier remaining amongst the chief Officers of the Army received a shot in the Body from one of our own Party as was supposed unwillingly whereby he was in a great measure disabled to perform the Duty of his Place that day tho extreamly desirous to do it Under these Discouragements the Horse upon our Left Wing were attacked by those of the Enemies Right and beaten back to our Cannon which were in danger of being taken our Foot giving ground also But our Right Wing being strengthned by those of our Left that were rallied by their Officers fell upon the Enemies Left Wing and having broken and repulsed them resolving to improve the Opportunity charged the main Body of the King's Army and with the Assistance of two or three Regiments of our Infantry entirely encompassed the Enemies Body of Foot who finding themselves deserted by their Horse threw down their Arms and yielded themselves Prisoners By this means our Horse were at leisure to pursue the King and such as fled with him towards Leicester taking many Prisoners in the pursuit who with those taken in the Field amounted in all to about six thousand and amongst them six Colonels eight Lieutenant Colonels eighteen Majors seventy Captains eighty Lieutenants eighty Ensigns two hundred inferiour Officers about one hundred and forty Standards of Horse and Foot the King's Footmen and Servants and the whole Train of Artillery and Baggage This Victory was obtained with the Loss of a very few on our side and not above three or four hundred of the Enemy In the Pursuit the King's Cabinet was taken and in it many Letters of Consequence particularly one from the Lord Digby advising the King before any Act of Hostility on either side to betake himself to some Place of Strength and there to declare against the Parliament by which Men perceived that the Design of making War upon the Parliament was resolved upon early the King having followed this Council exactly The Parliament had impeached Finch of High Treason for advising the illegal Tax of Ship-money soliciting the Judges to declare it lawful and threatning those who refused so to do for which good Service the King had preferred him to be Keeper of the Great Seal but the Place being vacant upon his Flight the King would not entrust it with Littleton before he had obliged him by an Oath to promise to send the Seal to the King whensoever he should by any Messenger require it of him which I am inclined to believe to have been the Cause why Littleton left the Parliament not daring to stay after he had according to his Oath sent the Seal to the King by one Mr. Elliot dispatched to him by the King for that purpose The Seal being thus carried away the Parliament finding Justice obstructed through the want of it declared that the Seal ought to attend them during their Sitting and therefore that all that was or should be done since it was carried to the King was null and void Upon which a new Seal was ordered to be made and Commissioners nominated for the keeping of it and putting it in execution to all Intents and Purposes the Parliament thereby exercising the Supreme Authority in virtue of their frequent Declarations That the King doth nothing in his personal Capacity as King but in his politick Capacity according to Law of which the Judges of Westminster-hall are Judges in the Intervals of Parliament and during the sitting of Parliament the Two Houses being the Great Council both of King and People are the sole Judges thereof In the King's Cabinet were also found Letters from the Queen blaming him for owning those at Westminster to be a Parliament and warning him not to do any thing to the prejudice of the Roman Catholicks with a Copy of his Answer wherein he promised his Care of the Papists and excused his owning the two Houses at Westminster to be a Parliament assuring her that if he could have found two of his Mongrel Parliament at Oxford as he called them of his mind therein he would never have done it and that tho he had done it publickly the Parliament refusing to treat with him otherwise yet he had given Order to have it entred in the Journal of his Council that this notwithstanding should not be of any Validity for the enabling them to be a Parliament Another Paper was found with them giving some Account of the Troubles in Ireland wherein the Papists who had taken Arms being qualified Rebels that term was struck out and the word Irish added by the King himself There was likewise a Letter to the French King complaining of the Unkindness and Ingratitude of the Queen and of the Reasons of the Removal of her Servants that she brought over with her of which it had been Discretion in the King to have kept no Memorials such Matters when buried in Oblivion being next best to the not having any Differences between so near Relations Many more Letters there were relating to the Publick which were printed with Observations by Order of the Parliament and others of no less Consequence suppressed as I have been credibly informed by some of those that were instructed with them who since the King's Return have been rewarded for it One Paper I must not omit which was here found being that very Paper which contained the principal Evidence against the Earl of Strafford and had been as before mentioned purloined from the Committee appointed by the House of Commons to manage the Charge against him having these Words written upon it with the King 's own Hand This Paper was delivered to me by George Digby tho he as well as the rest of that Committee had solemnly protested that he had neither taken that Paper away nor knew what was become of it The Prisoners and Standards taken in the Fight were brought through London to Westminster The Standards
from them When the British Refugees were glad to hear him named for that Service and he in an Extasie to serve his Country any where was arrived in England the Reception he found there was such as ought rather to be forgotten than transmitted to Posierity with any Remarks upon that Conjuncture Thus being denied the Honour of dying for his Country he returned to the more hospitable Place from whence he came But England had not one good Wish the less from him on the account of her last Vnkindness For at the very Article of Death some of his last Words were Wishes for the Prosperity Peace and Glory of his Country and that Religion and Liberty might be established there on so sure and solid a Foundation that the Designs of ill Men might never bring them into Danger for the time to come MEMOIRS OF EDMVND LVDLOW Esq. HAving seen our Cause betrayed and the most solemn Promises that could be made to the Asserters of it openly violated I departed from my Native Country And hoping that my Retirement may protect me from the Rage and Malice of my Enemies I cannot think it a mispending of some part of my leisure to employ it in setting down the most remarkable Counsels and Actions of the Parties engaged in the late Civil War which spread it self through the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland wherein I shall not strictly confine my self to a relation of such things only in which I was personally concerned but also give the best Account I can of such other memorable Occurrences of those Times as I have learn'd from Persons well inform'd and of unsuspected Fidelity Those who make any Enquiry into the History of K. James's Reign will find that tho his Inclinations were strongly bent to render himself Absolute yet he chose rather to carry on that Design by Fraud than Violence But K. Charles having taken a nearer view of Despotick Government in his Journey to France and Spain tempted with the ghttering Shew and imaginary Pleasures of that empty Pageantry immediately after his Ascent to the Throne pulled off the Masque and openly discovered his Intentions to make the Crown absolute and independent In the beginning of his Reign he marry'd a Daughter of France who was not wanting on her part to press him upon all occasions to pursue the Design of enlarging his Power not omitting to solicite him also to mould the Church of England to a nearer Compliance with the See of Rome Wherein she was but too well seconded by corrupt Ministers of State of whom some were professed Papists and an ambitious Clergy whose Influence upon the King was always greater than could well consist with the Peace and Happiness of England 'T is true he called some Parliaments in the first Years of his Reign but the People soon became sensible he did it rather to empty their Purses than to redress their Grievances The Petition of Right as it was called passed in one of them yet by the manner of passing it and more by the way of keeping or rather breaking it in almost every Particular they clearly saw what they were to expect from him And the by the Votes passed in the House of Commons after a Message from the King to require their Attendance in order to a Dissolution thereby to prevent their Enquiry into his Father's Death complaining of the Grievances of the Nation and asserting the Liberties thereof declaring it Treason for any to pay Custom or other Taxes without the Authority of Parliament locking the Door of the House of Commons and compelling the Speaker to continue in the Chair till it pass'd He might have observed the Pulse of the Nation beating high towards Liberty yet contrary to his Promise to preserve the Privileges of Parliament he caused the Studies of their Members to be searched their Papers to be seized and their Persons to be imprisoned in the Tower where Sir John Elliot who was one of them lost his Life Divers others suffered in their Health and Estates being prosecuted with all Severity at the Common Law for discharging their Duty in Parliament After the Dissolution of which a Proclamation was published whereby it was made criminal in the People to speak any more of Parliaments The King having assumed this extraordinary Power resolved to make War against France not upon the account of those of the Reformed Religion as was pretended but grounded upon personal Discontents and to gratify the Revenge and Lust of his Favourite The Rochellers who once before upon Encouragement from England had endeavoured to desend their just Rights against the Encroachments of the French King till being deserted by the King of England they were necessitated to accept Terms from their King very disadvantageous to their Affairs were again by frequent Importunities and fair Promises prevailed with tho very unwillingly to assist the English with Provisions and such other things as they wanted in their Expedition against the Isle of Rhee From whence our Forces being repulsed the French King sent his Army against the Protestants of Rochel whose Provisions being before exhausted by the English they applied to the King of England for Succours according to his Promise Who as if he intended to assist them effectually caused a certain Number of Ships to be fitted out under the Conduct of Sir John Pennington But private Differences being soon after composed Sir John receiv'd a Letter from the King signed Charles Rex which was afterwards found by the Parliament amongst his Papers requiring him to dispose of those Ships as he should be directed by the French King and if any should refuse to obey those Orders to sink or fire them The King's Command was put in execution accordingly and by the help of those Ships the French became Masters of the Sea and thereby inabled to raise a Work composed of Earth Stones and Piles with which they entirely shut up the Mouth of the Harbour and so prevented them from any ReLef that way Being thus straitned on all sides they were forced to yield to the Pleasure of their King and that strong Town of 〈◊〉 wherein the Security of the Protestants of France chiefly consisted by this horrible Treachery was delivered up to the Papists and those of the Reform'd Religion in all Parts of that Kingdom exposed to the Rage of their bloody and cruel Enemies About this time the most profitable Preferments in the English Church were given to those of the Clergy who were most forward to promote the Imposition of new Ceremonies and Superstitions An Oath was enjoined by them with an c. several new Holy Days introduced and required to be observed by the People with all possible Solemnity at the same time that they were encouraged to profane the Lord's Day by a Book commonly called The Book of Sports printed and published by the King 's especial Command But this was not the only Work of which the Clergy were judged capable and therefore divers of them
County as properly belonging to them The Parliament that they might leave no means unattempted to perswade the King to return to them sent down Propositions directing their Commissioners at York to deliver them to him And because much of the Intentions of the Parliament appear in the said Proposals and for that they were in effect the principal Foundation of the ensuing War I conceive it will not be amiss to recite them in this place as they were agreed on by both Houses the Second of June 1642. with the Title of their Humble Petition and Advice in Nineteen Propositions sent to the King The most Humble and most Faithful Subjects of Your Majesty the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament HAving nothing in their Thoughts and Desires more precious and of higher Esteem after the Honour and immediate Service of God than the just and faithful discharge of their Duty towards Your Majesty and this Kingdom and being most sensible of the Destruction and Disorders and of the imminent Dangers and Miseries which threaten your Majesty and Subjects the which have proceeded from the subtle Informations malicious Practices and wicked Counsels of Persons ill-affected to the true Religion of God to the Peace and Honour of your Majesty and to the Good of the Commonwealth after a serious Consideration of the Causes of these Mischiefs in all Humility and Sincerity they present to Your Majesty this Petition and Advice full of Duty to the end that by Your Royal Prudence for the Establishment of your Honour and Safety and by a tender Sense of the Good and Safety of your Subjects and your Estates you may please to consent and agree unto these humble Desires and Propositions as the most necessary and most effectual means by the Blessing of the Lord to remove the Jealousies and Differences that are unhappily begot between You and your People and to procure to You and them a constant Current of Honour Peace and Happiness Proposition 1. That the Lords and all others of your Majesty's Privy Council and such other Chief Officers of State as well within the Kingdom as on the other side of the Sea be put out of all Offices and Employments except such as the two Houses of Parliament shall approve and that those who shall be put into their Places shall be approved by Parliament and that those of the Council shall take an Oath for the due execution of their Charge in such Form as the Parliament shall agree 2. That the great Affairs of the Kingdom shall not be concluded nor passed by the Advice of private Persons nor by any Counsellors unknown or that shall not have taken Oath but that such Matters as concern the Publick and are proper for the High Court of Parliament that is your Majesty's Great and Supreme Council shall be debated resolved and passed in Parliament and there only and those who shall persume to do any thing to the contrary shall be subject to the Censure and Judgment of the Parliament And other Matters of State that are proper for the Privy Council of your Majesty shall be debated and concluded by the Nobles and others who shall be chosen for that end from time to time by the two Houses of Parliament and that every publick Act that concerns the Affairs of the Kingdom and shall be agreed by the Council shall be esteemed of no force and as not proceeding from the Royal Authority if at least the greatest part of your Council have not consented thereunto and signed the same and that your Council shall be brought to a certain Number that shall not exceed twenty five nor be under fifteen and if it happen that any Counsellor's Place becomes void during the Intervals of Parliament it shall be supplied by the Plurality of Voices of those of your Council which shall be either confirmed or voided at the first Sessions of Parliament 3. That the Lord High Steward of England the Great Constable the Chancellor the Keepers of the Seals the Great Treasurer the Keeper of the Privy Seal the Earl Marshal the Admiral the Governour of the Cinque-Ports the Lieutenant of Ireland the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Master of the Court of Wards the Secretaries of State the two Chief Justices and the Chief Baron shall be chosen with the Approbation of the two Houses of Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament by the major part of the Privy Council with the Condition above mentioned in the Choice of the Counsellors of State 4. That the Governour of the Children of the King shall be chosen with the Approbation of Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament in the manner before-mentioned and of the Servants that are already about them the Parliament shall change such as they think fit 5. That the Children of the King shall not marry without the Advice of the Parliament and those who shall be employed therein without their knowledg shall be punished by the Parliament 6. That the Laws against Popish Recusants shall be put in effectual execution and that those of them who are Prisoners shall not be set at liberty without giving good Security 7. That Papists shall have no Vote in Councils and that their Children shall be brought up in the Protestant Religion 8. That the Parliament shall reform the Liturgy and the Government of the Church as they shall think fit with the Advice of Divines That your Majesty shall assist to put a stop to Innovations to expel suspicious and scandalous Ministers and for the countenancing of a godly and preaching Ministry throughout the Nation 9. That it will please your Majesty to content your self with the Order that the Parliament hath established in the Militia until an Act be agreed on for that purpose and that your Majesty will recal the Declarations and Proclamations against the Orders given therein by the Parliament 10. That every Member of Parliament that hath been put out of his Employment or Office shall be re-established or Satisfaction given him 11. That the Privy Counsellors and Judges shall take such Oath as shall be agreed on by Parliament for the doing of Justice and observing the Statutes that shall be agreed on by this Parliament and that Report be made every Session of Parliament of the evil Administration of Justice 12. That all Officers shall enjoy their Places so long and no longer than they behave themselves well therein 13. That all Persons shall be subject to the Justice of the Parliament even altho they remove themselves beyond the Seas 14. That the Amnesty accorded by your Majesty shall have such Exceptions therein as the Parliament shall think fit 15. That the Fortresses of the Kingdom shall have Governours of the Choice of your Majesty yet of the Approbation of the Parliament and in the Intervals of Parliament as is afore said 16. That the extraordinary Guard that your Majesty hath at present about you may be discharged and that for the time to come you will raise no such
of the Army should be sent to the Relief of Ireland and it was carried in the Negative by one Voice only The Commonwealth-Party taking Advantage of the Arguments used in the House for the Relief of Ireland and Ease of the People of England procured an Order for the disbanding of Col. Massey's Brigade and Money to be sent to the Devizes in the County of Wiles where they were ordered to be drawn together for that purpose Alderman Allen and my self who served sor that County were commissionated to see it put in execution In order to which we repaired to the Lord General who lay then at Cornbury and prevailed with him and Commissary General Ireton with two Regiments of Horse to draw to the Devizes which we found to be very necessary for tho many of that Brigade were glad of the Opportunity to return home to their several Callings having taken up Arms and hazarded their Lives purely to serve the Publick yet divers idle and debauched Persons especially the Foreigners amongst them not knowing how to betake themselves to any honest Employment endeavoured to stir up the Brigade to a Mutiny but not being able to effect that some of them listed themselves to serve against the Rebels in Ireland under Sir William Fenton and others there present to receive them for which we had Instructions from the Parliament the rest dispersed themselves and returned home The Forces also that served in the North under Major General Pointz were soon after disbanded The City of London had made it their Request in the Petition before-mentioned that some Commissioners from them might accompany those from the Parliament to the King but their own Party in the House fearing perhaps to be outbid by them or it may be not having quite lost all Sense of Honour rejected that Motion with Contempt alledging that they had their Representatives in Parliament and were concluded by what they acted as well as other Men upon which Mr. Martin said That tho he could not but agree with what had been affirmed touching their being involved in what their Representatives did and their not sending Commissioners as desired yet as to the Substance of what they proposed he could not so much blame them as others had done they therein shewing themselves in the end of the War no less prudent than they had expressed themselves honest in the beginning for as when the Parliament invited them to stand by them in the War against the King in Defence of their Religion Lives Liberties and Estates they did it heartily and therein shewed themselves good Christians and true English-men so now the War being ended and the Parliament upon making Terms with the King and thinking fit to sue to him now their Prisoner for Peace whom they had all incensed by their Resistance the Citizens having considerable Estates to lose shewed themselves prudent Men in endeavouring to procure their Pardons as well as others And tho said he you will not permit them to send as they desire they have expressed their good Will which without doubt will be well accepted The Commissioners of Parliament joining with those who were before with the King endeavoured to perswade him to agree to the Propositions of the Parliament but he disliking several things in them and most of all the abolition of Episcopacy to which Interest he continued obstinately stedfast refused his Consent upon private Encouragement from some of the Scots and English to expect more easy Terms or to be received without any at all The Parliament willing to bring this Matter to a Conclusion sent the same Propositions a second time to the King and desired the Scots to use their utmost Endeavours to procure his Consent to them The Scots Commissioners especially the Lord Loudon pressed the King very earnestly to comply with them telling him that tho the Propositions were higher in some Particulars than they could have wished notwithstanding their Endeavours to bring them as low as they could according to their Promises yet if he continued to reject them he must not expect to be received in Scotland whither they must return and upon his resusal of the Conditions offered deliver him up to the Parliament of England But whatsoever they or the English could say making no Impression upon the King the Parliament's Commissioners returned with a Negative from him The Interposition of the Scots in this Affair proving ineffectual the War being at an end and such considerable Forces altogether unnecessary the Parliament appointed Commissioners to conser with those of Scotland concerning such things as remained to be performed by the Treaty between them that the fraternal Union might continue and the Scots depart towards their own Country In order to which the Accounts of their Army were adjusted and a great Sum of Money agreed to be paid to them at the present and other Sums upon certain days to their full Satisfaction Major General Skippon with a considerable Body of Men carried down the Money in specie for the Paiment of the Scots Army which being received by them they delivered the King into the hands of the Parliament's Commissioners that attended him there and began their March for Scotland having delivered Newcastle to the English and drawn their Men out of Berwick and Carlisle which two Places were agreed not to be garisoned without the Consent of both Kingdoms About this time the Earl of Essex having over-heated himself in the Chace of a Stag in Windsor Forest departed this Lise His Death was a great Loss to those of his Party who to keep up their Spirits and Credit procured his Funeral to be celebrated with great Magnificence at the Charge of the Publick the Lords and Commons with a great number of Officers and Gentlemen accompanying him to the Grave In the mean time I observed that another Party was not idle for walking one Morning with Lieutenant General Cromwell in Sir Robert Cotton's Garden he inveighed bitterly against them saying in a familiar way to me If thy Father were alive he would let some of them hear what they deserve adding farther That it was a miserable thing to serve a Parliament to whom let a Man be never so faithful if one pragmatical Fellow amongst them rise up and asperse him he shall never wipe it off Whereas said he when one serves under a General he may do as much Service and yet be free from all Blame and Envy This Text together with the Comment that his after-Actions put upon it hath since perswaded me that he had already conceived the Design of destroying the Civil Authority and setting up of himself and that he took that Opportunity to feel my Pulse whether I were a fit Instrument to be employed by him to those ends But having replied to his Discourse that we ought to perform the Duty of our Stations and trust God with our Honour Power and all that is dear to us not permitting any such Considerations to discourage us from the
Nation doth of Right belong only to the Parliament of England who will distinguish those who have always lived peaceably or have already submitted to their Authority and put themselves under their Protection from such as have committed and countenanced the Murders and Massacres of the Protestants during the first Year of the Rebellion as well as from those who continue still in Arms to oppose their Authority That they cannot in Justice consent to an Act so prejudicial to the Peace of the Country as would involve quiet and peaceable People in the same Prosecution with those who are in open Hostility That they cannot grant safe Conducts to such as persist in their Opposition to the Parliament to assemble from all Provinces and to communicate their Designs to each other But that all those who will lay down their Arms and submit to the Common-wealth shall have as favourable Conditions as they can justly expect This Resolution of the Commissioners being made publick the Irish fell upon another Expedient in pursuance of which the Earl of Clanrickard who had been left Deputy by the Earl of Ormond sent a Letter directed to me then Commander in Chief of the Forces of the Parliament in Ireland in the Words following SIR MANY of the Nobility Clergy and other Persons of Quality Subjects of this Kingdom with the Corporation of Galway having considered the present State of Affairs and the ruinous Effects which this long War hath produced have solicited me to desire of you a Conference for the establishment of the Repose of this Nation and to obtain a safe Conduct for the Commissioners whom by their Advice I shall judg capable to be sent to you for that end It is this which hath obliged me to send you an Express with this Protestation that I shall not abandon them till I see such Conditions granted them as they may with Honour accept for want of which I am resolved to continue the Authority and Protection of his Majesty over them even to Extremity not doubting but by Divine Assistance with the Forces we have already and the Succours which shall be sent us by his Majesty and Allies we shall be found in a condition to change the present State of Affairs or at least to render your former Conquests of little advantage and in the end to sell our Lives at a dear rate if we shall be forced thereto the which leaving to your Consideration and expecting your certain Answer and Resolution I remain 24 March 1652. SIR Your Servant CLANRICKARD POSTSCRIPT If you please to send a safe Conduct I desire it may be addressed to Sir Charles Coote or whom you shall think fit near to this Place with a Pass for the number of five Commissioners and their Retinue of about twenty Persons to the end that having notice thereof I may send a List of the Names of the said Commissioners To this I returned the following Answer My Lord IN answer to yours of the 24 th of March by which you propose a Treaty for the Settlement of this Country and desire a safe Conduct for the Commissioners you shall judg fit to employ in the management of that Affair I think fit in pursuance of the Advice of the Commissioners of the Parliament of England and of many Officers of the English Army to advertise you as hath been already answered to those who have sent Propositions of the like nature That the Settlement of this Nation doth of Right belong to the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England to whom we are obliged in duty to leave it being assured that they will not capitulate with those who ought to submit to them and yet oppose themselves to their Authority and upon vain and frivolous hopes have refused such Offers of Favour as they would gladly accept at present so that I fear they will be constrained to proceed against them with the highest Severity which that you may prevent by your timely Submission is the Desire of My Lord Your humble Servant EDMVND LVDLOW That Passage in my Answer touching their Readiness to accept such Terms as they had formerly rejected was grounded upon notice sent by Sir Charles Coote that the Town of Galway since the time limited by the Commissioners for their Submission was expired desired a Treaty whereupon I had acquainted him that seeing the Besieged had refused the Conditions formerly offered they ought not now to expect the like after such an addition of Trouble and Charge as they had lately put us upon yet for all this Caution Sir Charles Coote concluded a Treaty with them immediately after the Return of my Answer to the Earl of Clanrickard upon Conditions much more advantagious to them than those formerly proposed and very prejudicial to the Publick undertaking to get them ratified by the Commissioners of Parliament within twenty days and in the mean time promising that they should be inviolably observed The Commissioners of Parliament having received the Articles and conceiving it to be unjust as well as imprudent to give the best Terms to those who made the longest Opposition and of what dangerous Consequence it might be if that Place were not fully secured to the English Interest spent the whole Night in Consultation with the Officers of the Army and in the end resolved That they could not consent that any should receive the Benefit of those Articles who had been any way concerned in the murdering of the English in the first Year of the War That they would not oblige themselves to permit any to live in Galway whom they should hereafter think fit to remove from thence for the Security of the Place That they cannot consent that the Burgesses shall enjoy any more than two thirds of their Estates lying near the Town That they will not suffer the Habitations of such as have been forced to quit the Place upon the account of their Affection to the Parliament to be detained from them With these and some other Alterations they declared their Consent to the rest of the Articles before-mentioned which if those of the Town refused they ordered that our Men should not enter and if entred that they should restore the Possession of it to the Garison but notwithstanding this Expedition the Messenger that was dispatched with the Resolutions of the Commissioners came too late and all that could be obtained was a Promise from Sir Charles Coote to endeavour to perswade those of Galway to accept of the Articles with the Amendments made by the Commissioners The Parliament having resolved upon the Incorporation of Scotland with the Nation of England into one Free State or Commonwealth and to reimburse themselves some part of that Treasure they had expended in their own Defence against the Invasions of the Scots declared the Goods and Lands formerly belonging to the Crown of Scotland to be confiscated and also those that were possessed by such Persons as had assisted in the Invasion of England by Duke Hamilton in the