The King and Hendersonâ— argue about Church matters Mr. Hudson conveyed the King from Oxford The City congratulatocy Petitions to the Parliament The Kings former letters to Ormond of April the thirteenth discovered The Kings Warrant to disband his forces Scots Armies letter to the Parliament The Kings letter to the Prince Hudson examined his confessions The Kings command to Ormond not to treat with the Irish Rebels The State of the Propositions of Peace Prosecution of the Propositions of Peace The Declaration against the Scots Papers Propositions sent to the King The Kings Message to the Parliament French Ambassadour Extraordinary hath Audience Parliaments Answer Propositions presented to the King The Kings Answer to the Propositions 〈…〉 The Scots offer to be gon with the rest of their demands The Kings Answer to the Scots Petition and Remonstrance The Propositions are urged to the King Debate how to dispose of the King Letters complaining of the Scots Army General Fairfax comes to London English Army mutiny for money The taking Covenant with exceptions Tender Consciences taken up Dispute about diposing the Kings person argued The Scots Answer One years account of the Scots Army Earl of Essex his Life and Death 〈…〉 Sir Io. Stowel Prisoner The Scots Papers concerning the dispose of the King Scots Argument Ready money for the Scots Army Sums of money disposed of to certain Members The Kings Message for a Treaty near London The King voted to Holmby The Parliament of Scotland's Queries Ministers of the Assembly answer The Parliament of Scotlands result concerning the King The Kings queries to thâ— Scots Army Scots Answer The Kings Reply The Scots Declaration concerning the King Commissioners to receive the Kings Person Scots Army depart Newcastle The King desires two of his Chaplains to be with him Serjeant Glanvile released upon Bail The King writes again for his Chaplains Eikon â—as page 106. Chap. 24 The Army Model City of London Petition Prince of Orange dies Of the Presbysâ—rial Government Tyranny and Power Practise of the Presbytery Of the persons authorized Their power how exercised Affairs of Ireland The Kings Letters to the Lord General of Ireland In vita Iulii Agricolae The Commons vote the Government of Ireland Dublin besieged by the Rebels Continuation of the Kings affairs under Montrose in Scotland David Lesly comes with Horse from the Scots Army in England Defeats Montroses Forces Surrender of Dunkirk to the Frencâ— 1647. A summary or entrance to this year 1647 Anno 1647. Prince Elector Palatine a Member of the Assembly of Divines The King contemplates his Captivity at Holmby Eikon Bas. cap. 23. Judg Ienkins refuses to be examined Army modelled Petition from the Army Rosvil in secret gives Letters to the King The Kings Answer to the former Propositions The Army discontent The City Petition burned Commissioners of the Parliament and of the Army treat The King taken into the Armies power The Army draws towards London The Armies Representation The Charge against eleven Members Their persons to be suspended Votes in Parliament concerning the 11. Members Answered by the Army Eikon Bas. cap. 26. The Kings desire to see his children retarded The Generals letter in the Kings behalf and herein the case of the Army in reference to the King The eleven Members have leave to navel Result of the difference between the Parliament and Army Both Speakers and some Members fly to the Army The General resents the outrage of the City Theâ— Cities Declaration against the Army The City in some disorder submit And treat with the Army The Army Bâ—igades come to Southwark The Kings Letter to the Gâ—neral for Protection The absent Members are setled again The Army marches in State to Westminster and in Triumph through the City The forced Acts of Parliament made null The late force of Parliament debated Armies Remonstrancâ— hereupon Six of the 11. Members surprized at Sea Sir Philip Stapleton died of the Plague Excise continued by ordinance of Parliament King at Hampton Court Scots Commissioners Sundry secret Petitions of mixed natures Divers Members condemned for Actors in the late Tumult Desires of the Army Propositions sent to the King and his Answer The Kings Message in Answer to the Propositions Debaâ—es hereupon Agitators of the Army present Agâ—tators send Letters to the General and Army The Generals Answer Scots Commissioners Letter to the Speaker The effects of the Kings Answer The Letter of Inteligence The King escapes from the Court Lieutenant Colonel Cromwels Letter to the Parliament The Kings Letter to Col. Whaley The Letter to the Lord Mountague The Letter to the Parliament The Generals Letter to the Speaker Death for any to conceal the King Col. Hamonds Letter to the Parliament Votes to secure the King The Kings Message to the Parliament from Carisbroke Castle Which Hamond refuses in his Letter to the Parliament The Kings Message to the Parliament for an Answer to his last from Carisbroke Castle Four Bills offered to the King with the Proposals The Scots Commissioners dissent Answer to the Bills and Propositions The Kings Servants dismissed Votes of no further adress to the King The Parliaments Declaration concerning those Votes An Answer to the Parliaments Declaration Mutinies about keeping Christmas The Kings Dâ—claration to his people after the Vote of no address The Kings Title altered in things Army Modelled Continuation of Military Actions under Montrose Ogleby escapes Gordon and Spotswood executed Gutlery Murrey Middleton comes from the Scots Army in England with Forces Montrose commanded by the King to lay dowâ— Arms. His Answer sent to the King Montrose disbandeth his Forces and takes leave of â— Scotlâ—nd The affairs of Ireland in chief Munster Treaty concluded Anno. 1648. Summary of the affairs of this year Vniversity of Oxford refuses to be visited by the Parliaments Ordinance Exceptions a the gainst Ordinance of Parliament Concerning the Covenant Negâ—tive Oath Earl of Pembroke Chancellor His Visitation of Oxford Col. Poycâ— revolts in Wales Major General Laughorn joyns with him and surprize Tenby Mutiny in London dispersed City consult and crave pardon Poyers power at Pembroke defeats the Parliaments forces Chepstow Castle taken Poyers party defeated and how Anno 1647. Laughorn escapes to Poyer Tenby surrendâ—ed Pembroke besieged Surrendred upon Aâ—ticles Anno 1648. The Prince writes in the Prisoners behalf Votes concerning the King and Government Duke of York escapes beyond Seas to Holland Petition of Essex for a Treaty with the King Surrey Petition very high gâ—d quarâ—el City petition to this purpose Prisoners of Tumult released Kent insurrection The Geneâ—als Letter in Answer to theirs They reply and fight Maidstone fight Votes against the eleven Members Lords and Aldermen are discharged Kentish men come to Black Heath and Disband The Generals Summons Rumour of impoisoning the King Insurrection of the Earl of Holland They write to the City for assistance Engage in â—ight Earl of Holland taken prisoner The Estates of Scotland disagree Scots protestation Committee of danger in Scotland
to Dr. Balcanqual the penner of that Declaration a Creature of Hamilton and pâ—rfect hater of the Arch-Bishop who hindered his preferment to an English Bishoprick out of an innate disaffection to the Scots Nation but offered him a poor Scots Bâ—shoprick that he might dispose of his Benefices in England of 1200 l. per annum A fit Instrument he was to drive on Hamiltons designes being of a nimble Wit and clear expression dissolute of life and easily drawn to do evil for preferment which in part the Marquesse procured him to be Master of the Savoy and Dean of Durham the latter falling to him after the Declaration which the Scots say was his reward for betraying their Church therein And because it discovers their juggling to the life they forced the King in his necessity and time of declension by his act of oblivion first and then to call it in as containing untruths But they have not disproved any passage therein of the true Narrative part unlesse in too much respect and favour to Hamilton and his Complices See great Declaration page 324 326. But to pacifie these Distempers Hamilton must be designed the Kings high Commissioner into Scotland In which trust how treacherously he managed the Kings Interest hereafter follows The Bishops and others of the royal party advised the King to have delegated the Marquesse of Huntley his high Commissioner to manage the affairs of Scotland but by Morton Roxborough and Trahair Hamilton had that honour with the treacherous help of the Scottish Grooms of the Bed Chamber Mall Murrey and Maxwel who for all their falsities were made Scotish Earls for their reward Hamilton thus intrusted abuses the King in that Commission trifling the time from the three and twentieth of Iuly 1637. untill the sixth of Iune 1638. with Declarations Proclamations Messages Letters whilest the Scots raised Officers Arms Ammunition from abroad four Moneths more till the nine and twentieth of November in vain Disputes and three Journeys to the King and back again with the expence of so much Money as might have reduced them by reward or power Treachery always mercenary even to Liberty Life and all For by this time their General Lesly and other Commanders and Officers from far that never had or ever would come home again but by Design being likened to a Puff of Winde behinde that never returns and William Dyck Merchant at Edinburgh and Thomas Cunningham Factor at Camphere provides them Arms for which they were afterwards knighted and Cunningham preferred also Conservator an Office of trust taken from an honest man Sir Patrick Drummond without Law or Trial having served King Iames many years and ever since till now in that Place with good repute And although these Noble-men and others were main Enemies to the Scots Bishops yet they flattered them most into temporal Places of Judicature in the Council Exchequer and Sessions and were Suiters to the King for their Preferments thither as best able to serve him on purpose thereby to pick out matter of Exceptions for the Peoples hatred so that of fourteen Bishops eleven of them were thus invested And although sundry of the Nobility and Gentry were joyned with them in Judicature even in their High-commission Court the other were induced to forbear that the odium of Fines and Confinements might lodg on the Bishops alone the most of them very weak in temporal and most ignorant in State-affairs And to promote the Covenant the Countess of Roxborough a cunning old Courtier of Queen Anns being sent for from Scotland insinuates into this young Queens favour Lady of the Bed-chamber and Governess to the Princess Mary the chief Marian to mannage their Designs amongst the Women giving intelligence to her Husband a subtil old Fox who the rather resided with her at the Nursery-court St. Iames's the Rendezvouz of Scotish Designs against their Bishops Roxborough not in duty to Religion but in fear to lose his Lordships rich Abby of Kelso with the Demeans and seven and thirty Parish-churches impropriate a small Bishop himself and it not all to be returned to the Church yet the improprlate was in hazzard and so intimated towards the erection of the new Bishoprick of Edenburgh And with this Countess all the chief leading Covenanters in all Designs had their private Consults The honest Duke of Richmond mis-lead by Trahair and almost all the Scots in Court favouring the Covenanters Thus was the King amused to the time that the War commenced Iune 1639. before the King marched to Berwick and the Earl of Arundel made General by Land and Hamilton Admiral by Sea a considerable Fleet with Land-forces likewise of five thousand Foot and sent to the Frith sufficient enough to have reduced the Covenanters onely by hinderiâ—g their Commerce and forreign Trade had he not been false and a considerable Army of a few Scots standing for the King for the present aâ— Aberdene but much suspected since to be designed for themselves But Hamilton keeping intelligence under hand with the Covenanters and his Mother like a Virago riding with Pistols at her Saddle-bowe to encourage them and all his Kindred and Vassals Covenanters and this great Fleet doing no harm onely Colonel Gun was sent Northwards with a Regiment to betray those of the Kings Friends for which he was knighted at London The Scots Army incamped at Dunslow having before scattered in England a cunning Declaration to withdraw the People from assistance of the King alleging their taking Arms was for his Defence against wicked Bishops and their Episcopal War which Declarations were sent into the Kings Camp and divulged even by his Scotish Servants of the Court But the King came and the Treaty began Hamilton leaves his charge in trust to another posts to the Kings Camp promotes the base patched Pacification sudden and upon any terms the Covenanters assured that the Kings Army once disbanded their onely aim it would not be easie for his Majesty in these Times of the general Distemper of both Nations to raise another themselves resolving to keep theirs intire still whereas had but the King marched towards Edingburgh it was generally believed the Scots durst not have opposed him having five thousand the most accomplished Cavalry the prime Gentry of England and sixteen thousand well appointed good Foot The Covenanters not more than two thousand Nags hunting Saddles Scots Pistols no Back nor Breast or Head-piece and not twelve thousand Foot raw and ill armed But here begins their Pacification and ends the Quarrel for that time which was in Iune 1639. Thus much in brief the Particulars follow The Covenanters pretend their first cause of Rebellion was the Service-book imposed on their Kirk by the Kings immediate Authority All Christian Kings being they themselves confess Custodes utriusque Tabulae Nursing Fathers to the Church Episcopi extra Ecclesiam as Constantine is stiled by Eusebius in the first Nicene Council Vos estis Episcopi intra Ecclesiam Ego vero extra And
others who came over only to complain of the exorbitances and oppressions of the said Earl Testified by the Earl of Desmond the Lord Roch Marcattee and Parry The Earls Reply That the Deputy Falkland had set out the same Proclamation That the same Restraâ—nt was contained in the Statute of 25 of Henry 6. upon which the Proclamation was founded That he had the Kings express Warrant for the Proclamation That he had also power to do it by the Commission granted him and that the Lords of the Council and three Justices not onely yielded but pressed him unto it That it was done upon just cause for had the Ports been open divers would have taken liberty to go to Spain to Doway Rhemes or Saint Omers which might have prooved of mischievous consequence to the State That the Earl of D' Esmond stood at the time of his Restraint charged with Treason before the Council of Ireland for practising against the Life of one Sir Valentine Coke That the Lord Roch was then a Prisoner for Debt in the Castle of Dublin and therefore incapable of a Licence That Par ry was not sined for coming over without Licence but for several Contempts against the Council-board in Ireland and that in his Sentence he had but onely a casting Voice as the Lord Keeper in the Star chamber The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Articles were not insisted upon 19. That the said Earl having taxed and levyed the said impositions and raised the said Monopolies and committed the said oppressions in his Majesties name and as by his Majesties Royal command he the said Earl in May the fifteenth year of his Majesties reign did of his own authority contrive and frame a new and unusual oath by the purport whereof among many other things the party taking the said oath was to swear that he should not protest against any of his Majesties Royal commands but submit themselves in all obedience thereunto Which oath he so contrived to enforce the same on the subjects of the Sâ—oâ—ish Nation inhabiting in Ireland and out of a hatred to the said Nation and to put them to a discontent with his Majesty and his Government there and compelled divers of his Majesties said subjects there to take the said oath some he grievously fined and imprisoned and others he destroyed and exiled and namely the 10. of October Ann. Dom. 1639. he fined Henry Steward and his wife who refused to take the said oath five thousand pounds a peece and their two daughters and James Gray three thousand pounds a peece and imprisoned them for not paying the said fines The said Henry Stewards wife and daughters and James Gray being the Kings liege people of the Scotish Nation and divers others he used in the like manner and the said Earl upon that occasion did declare that the said oath did not only oblige them in point of allegiance to his Majesty and acknowledgement of his supremacy only but to the Ceremonies and Government of the Church established or to be established by his Majesties royal Authority and said that the refusers to obey he would prosecute to the bloud The Earls Reply That the Oath was not violently enjoyned by him upon the Irish Scots but framed in compliance with their own express Petition which Petition is owned in the Proclamation as the main Impulsive to it That the same Oath not long after was prescribed by the Council of England That he had a Letter under his Majesties own hand ordering it to be prescribed as a Touch-stone of their Fidelity As to the greatness of the Fine imposed upon Steward and others he conceived it was not more than the heinousness of their offence deserved yet had they petitioned and submitted the next day that would wholly have been remitted 20. That the said Earl in the fifteenth and sixteenth Years of his Majesties Reign and divers Years past laboured and endeavoured to beget in his Majestie an ill opinion of his Subjects namely those of the Scotish Nation and divers and sundry times and especially since the Pacification made by his Majestie with his said Subjects of Scotland in Summer in the fifteenth Year of his Majesties Reign he the said Earl did labour and endeavour to perswade incite and provoke his Majesty to an Offensive War against his said Subjects of the Scotish Nation and the said Earl by his counsel actions and endeavours hath been and is a chief Incendiary of the War and Discord between his Majesty and his Subjects of England and the said Subjects of Scotland and hath declared and advised his Majesty that the Demand made by the Scots in this Parliament were a sufficient cause of War against them The said Earl having formerly expressed the height and rancour of his minde towards his Subjects of the Scotish Nation viz. the tenth Day of October in the fifteenth Year of his Majesties Reign he said that the Nation of the Scots were Rebells and Traitours and he being then about to come to England he then further said that if it pleased his Master meaning his Majesty to send him back again he would root out of the said Kingdom meaning the Kingdom of Ireland the Scotish Nation both Root and Branch Some Lords and others who had taken the said Oath in the precedent Article onely excepted And the said Earl hath caused divers of the said Ships and Goods of the Scots to be staied seized and molested to the intent to set on the said War The Earls Reply That he called all the Scotish Nation Traitours and Rebells no one proof is produced and though he is hasty in speech yet was he never so defective of reason as to speak so like a mad man for he knew well his Majesty was a Native of that Kingdom and was confident many of that Nation were of as heroick spirits and as faithfull and loyal Subjects as any the King had As to the other words of rooting out the Scots both Root and Branch he conceives a short Reply may serve they being proved by a single â—estimony onely which can make no sufficient faith in case of Life Again the Witness was very much mistaken if not worse for he deposeth that these words were spoken the tenth day of October in Ireland whereas he was able to evidence he was at that time in England and had been so near a Moneth before The one and twentieth and two and twentieth Artâ—cles were not urged 23. That upon the thirteenth Day of April last the Parliament of England met and the Commons House then being the Representative Body of all the Commons in the Kingdom did according to the trust reposed in them enter into Debate and Consideration of the great Grievances of this Kingdom both in respect of Religion and the publick Libertie of the Kingdom and his Majestie referring chiefly to the said Earl of Strafford and the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the ordering and disposing of all matters concerning the Parliament he the said Earl of
A Compleat HISTORY OF THE LIFE AND RAIGNE OF King CHARLES FROM His Cradle to his Grave Collected and Written BY WILLIAM SANDERSON Esq. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley Richard Tomlins and George Sawbridge 1658. To the very Worthy and well-weighed Author of this Modern History WILLIAM SANDERSON Esq. SIR HISTORY may be well call'd the great Arbitress of Time and Truth a Tribunal that summons the Dead to judgement and a Court of Record to the Living Therefore among those industrious Spirits who by their Speculations and publique Writings do deserve well of their Countrey an Historian may march with the foremost I mean a knowing and faithfull Veridical Historian whereas an ignorant and false erroneous Chronicler is one of the worst Members that can be in a Common-wealth and indeed of Mankind in general for he wrongs the time passed the time present and the time to come But you Sir may be deservedly rank'd with the first for when you favour'd me with the perusal of this Modern History I finde that you have proceeded with that knowledge and Probity a prime vertue required in an Historiographer as also with that exactness and punctuality that you have confuted a late Paradox commonly repeated that it was impossible to compile the Story of these confus'd and entangled vertiginous Times without writing so many Volumes as would fill a Library I say that you have refelled this vulgar Error and while you bring our Royal Master to his grave you may be said to give him a Burial a Monument and a Resurrection Nor indeed was there any man more capable to pen this Story then your self being from your youth bâ—ed up at Court not only an Eye and Ear witnesse of most of those Transactions and Traverses of State you trasmit to Posterity but you were an Actor in divers of them having been imployed in so many Negotiations of good consequence both at home and abroad whereby you were par negotio But truly I mused much with my self when I observed the great discretion and cautionary prudence you use in your Comportment all along For though a great part of the Times you speak of were full of Tempests and Whirlewinds and that you were like one passing through a boysterous working Frete having on the Star-board side dangerous Rocks and Craggs and on the Larboard ill-favour'd Shelfs of Quicksands yet you skew the wind dexterously and steer your course so streight and steddy that you avoid splitting on either Lasty I finde that this elaborate work of yours which smells so much of the Lamp hath been cast into so good a mould and is so strongly limm'd the ingredients that went to the composition of it being so material and so necessary for our late Nephewes and all future Ages to know that by giving this Historical life to King Charls you may well promise to your self an Eternity For of all Sublunary things Chronology is of the longest extent having not only an affinity and commensuration with Time it self but makes the neerest approach to Immortality IAMES HOWELL The Introduction THUS far we are forward in our Compleat History successively continued from that exquisite Compendium set out by William Drummond Esq. of the Lives and Reigns of five the preceding Kings of Scotland James the 1. the 2. the 3. the 4. the 5. from the year 1423. unto 1542. At the end of which we have heretofore taken our Rise and Entrance having lately published the First and Second part from the birth of Mary Queen of Scotland to the death of her Son and Successour King James the sixth and after Queen Elizabeth of great Britain France and Ireland the first of that Name And now we proceed to the third part the Reign and Death of his Son and Successor King Charls the first But before we enter into his sad Story it may not be amiss to enlighten the Reader with the State and condition of these his three Kingdoms England Scotland and Ireland Of England King Iames having been imbarqued by consent of Parliament in a War against the House of Austria left this life and the Palsgraves hopes at a very low Ebb if not dispair while the Emperour and the Duke of Bavare shuffled the Cards and plaid the Game to others loss The Germane Army suppressing all the reformed Princes bandited the Palatine and forced the other Electors to make Bavaria one among them The wonder was why the Austrians should stand so stifly upon such an inconsiderable piece of that great Empire but through that Spot the Spaniard had free passage with his 〈◊〉 of Italy and other Parts to pass into the Netherlands to reduce them to obedience And this occasioned the Commotion and Combination of the Duke of Brunswick bringing in the King of Denmark and afterwards the King of Swede all which conversions were advanced partly by the assistance of King Charls with his monies returned to Hamborough and with other such meanes of vast expence even to his last ability and enforced his Councellors to invent and strain the waies of supply which advanced them but undid the King It was high time to endeavour the abating of the Austrian power which too long had disquieted the repose of Christendom and forced France at first and all Protestant Princes after with some Papists underhand to joyn in the Confederacy But mostly concerning the united Provinces who having long before through their just fears plotted the Bohemian Hubbub and invited the Palsgrave to the unhappy acceptance of that Crown bending all their wits to bring in the Swede assisted from England to patch up a peace for him with Poland These were the Foreign Engagements cast upon England which King Charls was enforced to espouse especially to oppose the Emperors inflexibility for the restauration of the Palatine And thus imbroyled the Parliament left him to shift for himself which his Privy Councellors undertake and therein possibly might wrest some Prerogatives for raising monies The Factious Clergy were at hand to make things worse not but that those times producing Learned and most Renowned able men at the Altar as ever any Age could parallel I mention those other young Wolves in Lambs cloathing who by their Lectures late Excrescencies led about the Vulgar under colour of depressing Popery to the destruction at last of the whole Church Between Papist and Puritan the honest Protestant was neglected for the Lords and Council not being byassed with one of these were so unhappily ignorant as to know little more then their own pleasure patching up their poor fortunes by unhandsome courses Others of them wrought their ends rather by the Bow then the string basely bending to private Advantage by dishonourable shiftings became odious to honest men forfeiting their honours by falsifying their words and lastly failing in their Duty Allegeance and all The Duke of Buckingham had been his Fathers Favourite and now became his by former engraffing and his late Loyal service to him in Spain A person he was most
fit for a Kings use because submitting to the regret of the peoples hate and had no doubt abilities to have ballanced affairs to the better had not his Assassination left things loose in the very time that he endeavoured to fasten them These grievances such as they were murmured into common knowledge made the Multitude most averse to supply the Kings necessities and his Instruments of Invention seeking thereby their own ends to advance the Prâ—sbyterian Faction by a discontented bussle put the King upon the most regretful wayes that proved his ruine Of Scotland But to heighten these Differences the Scots are called home from foreign parts and flocking to the English Court upon large expence their former begging trade almost out of use began confederacie with the English Puritan and Presbyter crying out upon the Queen and Popery some advantages they finde ready fitted to hand the busie Arch-bishop who must in this time of high discontent press a full conformity of their Kirk in Scotland with the English Discipline which occasioned the Commons and cunning Lords of both Nations to combine watching such a conjuncture of time and state that should force the King in to the Parliamentary way which they effected mightily insisting upon their Priviledges enlarged by former favour of Soveraigns specially of Queen Eliâ—â—beth whose interest lay couched in the Mad-headed Multitude lately become loose by sundry Laws which gave them equality with the Peerage and now cry out for liberty And so we shall enter upon some Observations in reference to their first Actors on their own Stage It is observable that upon the change of Soveraignty a Mutability and alteration of men and manners to follow The former Councellors and Favourites of State to decline yielding or overpowred with the Factions and Complots of such as seek to set up themselves with others ruine as in England so in Scotland The Earl of Niddisdale married into the Kindred of the Duke of Buckingham took to Faction the Earl of Mentith of the Ancient Noble Family of Grahames their Spirit was preserved in him but the Estate decayed in them all only Sir Iames Grahame I remember of some credit heretofore with King Iames applyed his policy then in spite to Somerset for the Induction of the Favourite Villiers buoy'd up by the Scots upon his score who had interest with that Duke ever after his noble 〈◊〉 and perfect character never ingratefull Another was Sir William Alexander of Menstrie and but Master of Requests for Scots Affairs yet great enough to bear up with any the most ambitious who with pâ—rsons some Bishops of their own and others of such like humours advised a general Revocation of things passed heretofore partly in minority of Princes in prejudice to the Crown a course most usual just and reasonable with the Kings Predecessors and yet now become grievous for great men to part with Grounded no doubt and that Legally upon former Revocations after dissolution of the Popish Religion and so annexed to the Crown but it was at this time done with all moderation and in effect for ease to the Gentry and the Ministery who of all proved most ingrate Another Symptome of discontent proceeded from men of the Noblest extraction Lords of the Erection or Laicks or as in England Impropriators who usually abused their gathering in of their Tithes against whom Petitions were frequent from almost all the Ministers and Gentry and their Farmers for their oppression in matters of Tithes none having power to carry away his nine parts or any part untill the Proprietary have set out his tenth part The Ministers likewise received no Tithes or but a poor pittance or stipend and so in dependence of such Patrons upon all occasions of Faction good or bad A necessary considered in point of State also That all those Ministers and others that pay Tithes the greatest part of the people should depend on the Nobility or Laick persons upon which reasons for reformation there issued out Commissions to sundry the Prime of Estates and Degrees the very offenders not omitted and called Commissioners of Surrenders of Superiority and Tithes the effect accordingly rendred a due and equal amendment of evill manners and freedom from that bondage and so acknowledged from all Nor were the Patrons displeased in point of profit as it was ordered only they were curbed of their usurpation in their Powers and Superiority over the people and therefore to deceive them it was bruited abroad as a design of the Bishops and struck at the Liberty of Religion Other complaints were fram'd against the Dependants and Favourites of the Lords of Session obstructing the equality of Justice Three of the chiefest Earls Hadington Lidsdale and Southeck led the way of surrendring their Patents from King Iames ad vitaâ— vel culpam and all others Patents were reformed durante beneplâ—citâ— Regis Yet see the ingenuity and grace of the King the last two Earls continued Privy Councellors And Hadington removed from the place of Secretary was rewarded with the custody of the Privy-seal of more honour but less gain And which angered them all Sir William Alexander made a Lord and soon after Secretary of State yet still to stop the mouth of malice Hadington had half the benefit of the signet Mentith made President of the Council a new Office in that Nation which formerly resided in 〈◊〉 Chancellour and afterwards created Earl of Stratherne These Mutations gave the first motions of discontent and proceed to Mutiny for Niddesdale comes thither with Commission of Grievance framed at Court to be setled in form of the English Star-chamber intentionally to raise fines from offenders for the Kings use which Niddesdale meant to beg to pay his debts A design effectually ruinous only to great men notorious oppressors But the Earls of Kinnoul Chancellor Marr Treasurer and old Hadington Privy-seal having continual intelligence out of the Kings Bed-chamber the most Scotch-men his own servants therein from first and last fatal Informers of all his secrets so moved their Faction and Friends armed with Scots Pistols and Whinyards their Mode in mutiny opposed Niddesdale to his teeth the very day of delivery of the Commission to be confirmed by the Council and old Hadington with his Hanger a man now of the Gown in the head of the Rout Niddesdale was fairly enforced to steal away by a back Postern and posted to England with his Commission in his Cloak-bag This the first fatal opposition to Soveraignty and Justice and the first foil which was never removed to the last of the Kings life Alexander also made an Earl unable to execute his Office of Secretary was contented to have assistance of another the manner of England Sir Archibald Attchison a Judge in Ireland his intimate friend but of such an unquiet Spirit as from his first Accession gave fuel to all those after Seditions Upon the surrenders of Superiority and Tythes Sir Iohn Stewart of Traham amongst others was deputed by the Gentry
to inform at Court the valuation thereof and so to insinuate into the Kings favour A person he was not improper for the Court of comely behaviour quick wit and nimble in tongue and being Son in Law to the Earl of Sowthesk was by him brought in and so crept up into esteem with the Duke of Lenox and by degrees mounted to great preferment the most unworthy ingrate treacherous firebrand to all future mischiefs Taking rise from private wrongs disputable with the Bishop of Rosse For Traham being made Deputy Commissioner and afterwards sole Treasurer this Bishop Io. Maxwell Minister of Edinburgh was set up by Laud then Bishop of London who finding him eloquent and factious enough placed him a Bulwark against adverse Forces and to that end he was Authorised to be Lord of the Session and Exchequer who prying too narrowly into Trahams Accompts and falling foul on personal accusations the Earl of Traquair made it his work to rid him out of all but before that fall he failed not to ruine that Bishop and Episcopacy also not without malice and revenge upon the interest of the King and his affairs Of Ireland But somewhat may be said concerning Ireland that Kingdom bearing a fatal part in this confused malady The Kings of England have born the Title of Sovereigns over Ireland for above four hundred years yet not till of late throughly subdued and reduced to obedience the causes have been first from the faint prosecution of the War in former Kings Reigns and secondly in the business of the Civil Government untill the time of King Iames who supplyed the defects of former Government in his first nine years and perfected it in the remain of his Reign more than was formerly done in four hundred fourty years since the first Conquest for though the Conquest was finished at his Commencement to these Crowns yet he maintained an Army â—ustly and royally paid to give strength and countenance to Civil Government only one rebellion of O'dogherlye which was instantly suppressed And for the Civil Government he granted his Act of Oblivion for Offences done before his Reign the Subjects received into the Kings protection and the most universal peace over all Ireland so that in six years there was not found so many Malefactors worthy of death in all the six Circuits now divided into thirty three Shires as in one Circuit of six Shires in the West of England And now was the peoples Estates setled all the Irish Lords aswell as English surrendring their Lands for new Grants of the Crown and for strengthening defective Titles And lastly the late Plantations setled there not granting any intire County to a particular person or Iura regalia or extraordinary Liberties as heretofore The revenue of the Crown double to what it ever had been all their Charters renewed and their Liberties enlarged so that this Land of Ire because the Irascible power was predominant for four hundred years is now become the Land of peace and Concord and King Iames left it so to his Son King Charls But how they fell into Rebellion and so into destruction All three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland the most glorious Monarchy of Christendom concentring in the ruine of themselves the sub sequent Historie will open not to be told but in Tears wherewith my eyes are already Dim One word by the way Intent upon this History we overtook two Writers One with a piece of the Reign and yet Intitles it The History of King Charls Him we know not but by his Nominal Letters H. L. Esquire The other an Observator upon him Anonymus whose Fame needs no Name nor to be shrouded from reverence due to his Function and great Abilities we oppose not but crave leave to mediate the difference as we meet it in either ERRATA In the absence of the Author beyond Seas the Printer hath failed to number the pages from 406. unto which being so corrected by your pen you will finde eight lines in page 410 inserted into the Primates Letter which were to be a Marginal Note only The words begin in the tenth line these two here instanced c. and end in the seventeenth line may easily appear Gulielmus Sandersonus Aetat suae 68 Etsi Se nescit quod senescit tamen up it dissoâ—â—â— The REIGN OF King CHARLES WE come now to the Descendent Son and Heir Charles the first of the Name King of Great Brittain France and Ireland Born the second Son to King Iames at Dunferling in Scotland the 19. day of November 1600. And whilst the Elder Brother Henry was hopeful to succeed this Prince may be said to be the less looked upon and so no Overtures of merit brought to Observation in competition with the Other Besides this Prince was directed by such as knew the forwardness of the former to make himself rather less than he was then to appear more then he should be a Rule not improper for most men specially Princes untill Soveraignty hath set them up Examples to all beyond the Mark and power of envy And it may be referred to his wisdome not to his meekness so far to comply with that Policy And therefore we find him the less apparent to open examination till time and opportunity might present him to the publique Not without some regret to his Domestick and other ordinary Observations that he lost time with overmuch neglect giving advantage and grace to the great Favourite Buckingham by assisting to set him up and to eclipse himself whereby some men took that occasion in his 〈◊〉 time to form tales of distempers between them which because in tâ—uth they could not find they were pleased to frame But for his Acts in the age of his youth and tutelage of subjection we shall not have use here to remind what hath been so particularly mentioned heretofore in the History of his Fathers life but what hath been since so improved to admiration of our Christian World Nor need we now to quarrel the mistakes concerning the Spanish Match or the French Negotiation or other Characters of King Iames with which an Author and his Observator enters his History but refer the truth and story to what we have said of those times and actions mentioned in his Fathers life In a due and compleat season therefore of age and time King Iames that famous Monarch dies at Theobalds the 27. day of March 1625. leaving the Diadem of three Kingdomes in succession to his Son immediately proclaimed being on a Sunday morning when Doctor Lawd then Bishop of St. Davids was in the Pulpit at Whitehall and broke off his Sermon upon this first notion of the Fathers death Whose Funerals the 14. of May following were sumptuously performed at Westminster King Charles attending these Obsequies contrary to the Old custome when chief Mourners use to be retyred into Chamber-recluse this complyment he conceived more fit for him in duty and piety to observe in Person And now the
third appointed this form To be chosen by six Princes of Germany Three Ecclesiastical Arch-Bishops Moguntia Colen and Trevine Three Temporal the Duke of Saxonie the Count Palatine of the Rhene and the Marquesse of Brandenburgh and when those six voyces should happen equally divided that then the Duke of Bohemia before it was a Kingdom should determine the Election this was approved by all the Germain Princes and other Christian Princes and Estates of this world And the manner and conditions are these After his Election he is called onely Caesar and the King of the Romanes and not Emperour till he be Crowned and takes his Oath presently after his Election To defend the Catholick Religion and Pope of Rome To minister Iustice to keep the Lawes of the Empire c. and so is anointed and with some prayers upon him a drawn sword put in his hand a Ring on his finger a scepter in his other hand and three Bishops set the Crown Emperiall upon his Head Then all the Princes take Oath to him In Polonie after the same manner In Spain of late the Kings are not Crowned but have another admission equal and performed by the Arch-Bishop of Toledo Primate of Spain In France they have some alterations from their ancient manner by Lewis le Ieune who ordained the 12. Peers of France Six Ecclesiastical and six Temporal The Arch-Bishop and Duke of Rhemes anointeth and Crowneth the King The Bishop and Duke of Lava bears the Glasse of sacred Oyl The Bishop and Duke of Lanques the Cross. The Bishop and Earl of Beauvais the Mantle Royal. The Bishop and Earl of Koyon the Girdle The Bishop and Earl of Chaalons the Ring The Duke of Burgundy Dean of the Order holds the Crown The Earl of Gasconie and Guiennie the first Banner quartered The Duke of Normandy the second Banner quartered The Earl of Tholosa the Golden spurs The Earl of Campain the Banner Royal or Standard of War The Earl of Flanders the sword Royall And this day the King is severally apparelled three times First as a Priest Secondly a King and Warriour Thirdly as a Iudge He takes his Oath by the Arch-Bishop of Rhemes to the Church and to the people c. and so vested with the Mantle Girdle Ring Ointment and Crown with declaration what each signified And though this Ceremonie of sacring and Anointing Kings be more ancient than the Christian Kingdom of France yet is it the most ancient for particular Majestique manner and most of the Neighbour Kingdoms have affinity from her especially in England being the very same in effect The sacredness of the Hebrew Kings depended much upon their being anointed Anointing added a divine Majesty to their Kings and made them sacred and allied unto God exercising power and authority over things divine the virtue of the sacred Ointment being communicated to them formerly compounded by Moses of Aromatick ingredients and was yet for Initiation and Consecration till Iosiah hid it under ground in the Temple in the same secret place where the Ark of the Covenant Aarons rod Urim and Thummim and the Manna were laid up in preservation against the overthrow of the Temple by the Assyrians as had been prophecied and so lost to posterity in time of their Babylonish Captivity And therefore the King resolves on the day 2. February which is censured For a vanity though serious and the wisest Monarchs are very idle in it as not conferring one dram of solid grandure to the Throne and yet he acknowledgeth that as the King enters recognizance and stipulateth with the people to govern by Law so they acclaim him their King And is all this but vanity Though the Scriptures also exemplifies it in the Iews their first King Saul after the manner of all Nations and after him David Solomon Iehoash The Highâ— Priest anointing him with solemnities as you may see of Gods own appointing and the Ceremony to our Saviour when the Iews crowned him was no doubt in imitation of other Kings and may be a pattern for Christians But the day come which began his solemnitie conveyed him by water from White-Hall to Westminster not in usual state through the streets from the Tower the onely reason the dregs of the Infection not clearing the danger of such concourse of people which is put upon his frugality to save money And though it belonged to the Dean of Westminster Bishop of Lincoln to officiate some chief parts of the Celebrity yet he being under a deserved displeasure and in October last put out of his office of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England and intrusted unto Sr. Thomas Coventry who sat in Chancery two Terms before much of his duty was conferred upon Dr. Laud Bishop of St. Davids not of Bath and Wells till September after And then concerning the alteration of the Prayer The very Committee for managing the particulars of the Coronation resumed then those ancient particulars of the Prayer till Henry the sixth's time Ut obtineat gratiam huic populo c. like Aaron in the Tabernacle Elisha in the waters Zacharias in the Temple Sit Petrus in Clave Paulus in dogmate and were suitors to the King not to suffer the Dean to that duty and had this answer Who was not worthy to keep the seal lesse deserving to Minister now to his Soveraign Nor was he admitted to the next Parliament nor had summons by Writ so no Proxy to appoint a suffrage though it is said and evilly mentioned by an Historian That the Dukes Mother intruded who loved the Bishop if fame belies her not better then was fitting But this scandal I have answered sufficiently See the Life and Death of King Iames. And his own letters will discover the truth dated the seventh of Ianuary 1625. to the Duke and signed Iohn Lincoln so then he was not Chanceller and saies that he is come to do service for the preparation to the Coronation c. and craves of the Duke to receive a creature of your own struck dead with displeasure and by him to be brought to kiss the Kings hands And another Letter to the King complains that he hath not received his Writ of summons unto the Parliament that he might make his Proxie c. Nor can he go into the County as he had done long since but in expectation of this Writ and that in his absence in this Parliament no use may be made of the Kings Name to wound the reputation of a poor Bishop Cabala 107 108. and so our other Historians are mistaken in this And the manner of his Delivery of the Seal was thus Sir Iohn Suckling was sent from the King to demand it but charily he locked it up in a Cabinet and sent it and the Key by the Knight inclosed in a Letter to the King and so was outed of the Seal but kept his Bishoprick of Lincoln and the Deanary of Westminster which indeed he had for his life and after
well resemble us the Commons And as it is encompassed with Air and Fire and Spheres Celestial of Planets and a Firmament of fixed Stars All which receive their heat light and life from one great glorious Sun even like the King our Soveraign So that Firmament of fixed Stars I take to be your Lordships Those Planets the great Officers of the Kingdom That pure Element of Fire the most religious zealous and pious Clergy And the reverend Iudges Magistrates and Ministers of Law and Justice the Air wherein we breath All which encompasse round with cherishing comfort this Body of the Commons who truly labour for them all and though they be the Foot-stool and the lowest yet may well be said to be the setled Centre of the State Now my good Lords if that glorious Sun by his powerful Beams of Grace and Favour shall draw from the Bowels of this Earth an Exhalation that shall take fire and burn and shine out like a Star it needs not be marvelled at if the poor Commons gaze and wonder at the Comet and when they feel the Effects impuâ—e all to the corruptible matter of it But if such an imperfect mixture appear like that in the last Age in the Chair of Cassiopeia among the fixed Stars themselves where Aristotle and the old Philosophers conceived there was no place for such corruption then as the learned Mathematicians were troubled to observe the irregular motions the prodigious magnitude and the ominous Prognosticks of that Meteor so the Commons when they see such a Blazing-Star in course so exorbitant in the Affairs of this Common-wealth cannot but look up upon it and for want of Perspectives commend the nearer Examination to your Lordships who may behold it at a neerer distance Such a prodigious Comet the Commons take this Duke of Buckingham to be against whom and his irregular wayes there are by learned Gentlemen legal Articles of Charge to be delivered to your Lordships which I am generally first commanded to lay open First the Offices of this Kingdom that are the eyes the ears and the hands of this Common-wealth these have been engrossed bought and sold and many of the greatest of them holden even in this Dukes own hands which severally gave in former Ages sufficient content to greatest Favourites and were work enough for the wisest Counsellors by means whereof what strange abuses what infinite neglects have followed The Seas have been unguarded Trade disturbed Merchants oppressed their ships and even one of the Royal-Navy by cunning practice delivered over into foreign hands and contrary to our good Kings intention imployed to the prejudice almost to the ruine of friends of our own Religion Next Honours those most precious Jewels of the Crown a Treasure inestimable wherewith your Noble Ancestours my Lords were well rewarded for eminent and publique service in the Common-wealth at home for brave exployts abroad when covered all with dust and blood they sweat in service for the honour of this Crown What back-wayes what by-wayes have been by this Duke found out is too well known to your Lordships whereas anciently it was the honour of England as among the Romanes the way to the Temple of Honour was through the Temple of Virtue But I am commanded to presse this no further then to let your Lordships know one instance may perhaps be given of some one Lord compelled to purchase Honour Thirdly as dâ—vers of the Dukes poor kindred have been raised to great Honours which have been and are likely to be more chargeable and burthensom to the Crown so the Lands and Revenues and the Treasuries of his Maiesty have been intercepted and exhausted by this Duke and his friends and strangely mis-imployed with strange confusion of the Accompts and overthrow of the well established ancient Orders of his Majesties exchequer The last of the Charges which are prepared will be an injury offered to the person of the late King of blessed memory who is with God of which as your Lordships may have heard heretofore you shall anon have further information Now upon this occasion I am commanded by the Commons to take care of the Honour of the King our Soveraign that lives long may he live to our comfort and the good of the Christian world and also of his blessed Father who is dead on whom to the grief of the Commons and their great distaste the Lord Duke did they conceive unworthily cast some ill ordure of his own fowl wayes Whereas Servants were anciently wont to bear as in truth they ought their masters faults and not cast their own on them undeservedly It is well known the King who is with God had the same power and the same wisdom before he knew this Duke yea and the same affections too through which as a good and gracious Master he advanced and raised some Stars of your Lordships Firmament in whose hands this exorbitancy of Will this transcendency of Power such placing and dis-placing of Officers such irregular running into all by-courses of the Planets such sole and single managing of the great Affairs of State was never heard of And therefore onely to the Lord Duke and his procurement by mis-informations these faults complained of by the Commons are to be imputed And for our most gracious Soveraign that lives whose name hath been used and may perhaps now be for the Dukes justification The Commons know well that among his Majesties most royall virtues his Piety unto his Father hath made him a pious Nourisher of his Affections ever to thâ—s Lord Duke on whom out of that consideration his Majesty hath wrought a kinde of wonder making Favour hereditary But the abuse thereof must be the Lord Dukes own And if there have been any Commands such as were or may be pretended his mis-informations have procured them whereas the Laws of England teach us that Kings cannot Command ill or unlawful things when ever they speak though by their Letters-Patents or their Seals if the thing be evil these Letters-Patents are void and whatsoever ill event succeeds the Executioners of such Commands must ever answer for them Thus my Lords in performance of my duty my weaknesse hath been troublesome unto your Lordships It is now high time humbly to intreat your pardon and give way to a learned Gentleman to begin a more particular charge The Prologue ended Sr. Dudly sat down and the Impeachment was read so large as that for method we adjoyne it to the Dukes Answer which came in some dayes after In which time the Commons sent a Message to the Lords how mightily it did mis-become the honor of their House to permit a man so deeply impeached to sit in Councel with them whilest Sr. Dudly Diggs and Sr. Iohn Elliot the Van and the Rear of the Commons were beckened out to speak with two Gentlemen who proved to be two Messengers of the Kings Chamber having his Warrant to take them prisoners to the Tower where they lay till the Iudges resolved
obtain them to his own use the summe of 3000 l. and did also procure for the said Surrender from the late King an Annuity of 1000 l. per annum payable to the said Earl for which considerations the said Earl surrendred the said Office with his Letters Patents unto the late King who granted them to the said Duke for his life which is an Offence contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm those Offices so highly concerning the Administration and execution of Justice That the Earl of Nottingham then Lâ—rd Admiral being grown much in years and finding himself not so fit nor able to perform what appertained to his place as formerly became an earnest sutor to his late Majesty to permit him to surrender up his Office who at length being overcome by the Earls many solicitations condescended thereunto and his late Majesty at the entreaty of others without the Dukes privity was also perswaded to confer it upon the Duke much against his will he being no way experienced in those Affairs so that the Earl did freely surrender and the Duke aecept the grant of the said Office without any the least contract or proviso But true it is that his late Majesty out of his Royall Bounty did grant to the said Earl a Pension of 1000 l. per annum as a Recompence for his former service to the Crown and also the Duke himself did freely and voluntarily with his late Majesties approbation as an Argument of his honorable respects to so Noble a Predecessor send the Earl three thousand pounds which he hopeth is not blame worthy in him III. Reply 3. That he the said Duke in the 22. year of the late King did give and pay unto Edward Lord Zouch for the Offices of the Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports and Constable of Dover Castle the sum of one thousand pounds and granted also an Annuity of 500 l. per annum during his life and that for the consideration aforesaid the said L. Zouch did surrender his Offices and Letters Patents to the late King who granted them to the said Duke for his life which Offices so highly concerning the Administration of Justice the Duke hath ever since held against the Laws of the Land That the Lord Zouch being grown in years and unfit to manage the Office of the Warden of the Cinque-Ports and Constable of Dover Castle which are indeed both but one discovered a willingness to surrender it and made severall Offers thereof to the Duke of Richmond who at last contracted with the said Lord Zouch for his surrender for the consideration of 1000 l. in money and 500â— l. per annum and the said Duke of Richmond being prevented by death his late Majesty directed the Duke of Buckingham to go through with the Lord Zouch for it upon the same terms which he was the willinger to do by reason he had found by experience that the Kings service suffered much through the emulation disaffectiâ—n and contention arising between those two Officers and he hopeth this act of his in acquiring this Office accompanied with such circumstances the King also being both privy and directing it will receive a favorable construction especially considering he was altogether unacquainted with any law tâ— the contrary IV. Reply 4. That he hath neglected the just execution of those his offices and violated the Trust reposed in and committed to him by them insomuch as through his neglect the trade of this Kingdome hath been of late much decayed and the Seas ignominiously infested with Pirates and Enemies to the great loss of both ships and Goods and imminent danger of this Kingdom That the loss happening to the Kings Subjects by Pirats and Enemies hath not proceeded through the Dukes default as is suggested but because those Pirats ships are built of a mould as fit for flight as for fight being far too nimble for the Kings Ships To prevent which inconvenience for the time to come there is present order taken for the building of Ships of the same shape with those of Dunkirk and for the Pirats of Sally that provision is taken either to restrain by Treaty or to repress them by force as will give good satisfaction and this will clearly appear upon proof V. Reply 5. That whereas about Michaelmas last a Ship called the St. Peter of New-haven laden with divers Merchants Jewels and Commodities to the value of 40000 l. or thereabout for the proper account of Monsieur de Villeurs then Governour of New-Haven was taken by the Ships of his Majesties late Fleet and brought into the Port of Plymouth as a Prize upon probability that the said Ship or Goods belonged to the Subjects of the King of Spain whereupon there was an arrest of two English ships at New-haven in the Kingdome of France after which intimation was given to the Advocate in the chief Court of Admiralty from his Majesty by Secretary Coke for the freeing and discharge of the said ship and goods and thereupon by Commission under Seal the said Ship and goods were released The said Duke notwithstanding any such order and decree detained still to his own use the Gold Silver Pearls Jewels and other Commodities so taken out of the said Ship and unjustly caused the said Ship to be arrested again in contempt of the Laws of this Land and to the prejudice of Trade That Complaint being made on the behalf of some French men at the Councel Table concerning the Saint Peter and some other ships His Majesty then present did order that she and all other stould be released as were found to belong to any Prince or State in amity with him provided they were not fraâ—dulently coloured And accordingly this ship was by Sentence in the Admiralty discharged But within few daies after new information came to the Lord Admiral that this ship was laden by the Subjects of the King of Spain in Spain that the Amirantesio wafâ—ed her beyond the North Cape and that Witnesses were ready to attest as much upon which the Duke acquainted his Majesty therewith and by his command made stay of this ship as he was assured by the opinion of the King and five other Advocates he might do and command was given to the Kings Advocate to hasten the examination of Witnesses in pursuance of the new information But the French Merchants impatient of delaies which the producing many witnesses would occasion complained again to the Council-board and obtained an Order from thence for the delivery of the said Ship and goods upon security which Security was once offered but after retracted yet upon consideration of the testimonies produced the Kings Advocate informing the Duke that the proof came short for that Ship the D. did instantly give order for her final discharge and that all her goods should be re-imbarked to the Owners which was done accordingly VI. Reply 6. That the East-India Merchants in the 21. of the late Kings Reign preparing to set forth four great
descended of the ancient English race or hold of the Crown and have of their own possessions to stick to who may well be trusted against a Foreign Invader although Papists and this is proved in the late Wars of Tyrone when these persons refused the powerful temptations from their Loyalty for at that time the King of Spain did confederate with the Rebels and landed their forces The Popes Bulls likewise and Breves solicited our Nobility and Gentry to revolt from that Queen imparting the same favour to them as to such of his that fightâ—against Turks and so seconded by a Declaration of the Divines of Salamanca and Vallidolid but our Nobles notwithstanding continued Loyal and were incouraged so to do by the Priests of the Pale though Papists who therefore were vehemently taxed by â—he Traytor O Sullevan and stiles our Profession Insanam et venenosam doctrinam et Tartareum dogma And besides those there are a number of Irish grudging at the English planted amongst them and being poor are apt to side with a Foreign Enemy Indeed our policies in planting have been defective from former times which was to plant new Colonies but to translate the antient Inhabitants to other Counties we have not done so whereby they being strongly imbodied for power and numerously increasing seeing themselves deprived of their former Inheritance will readily disturb our quiet at the first occasion And so at Home or Abroad our danger is eminent Nor may ye my Lords and Gentlemen that differ from our Religion imagine that your Community in profession will exempt you the Common mischief of an Enemy as the Duke of Medina Sidonia answered one in 88. That his Sword knew no difference of Catholick and Heretick but he came to make way for his Master and the kindness of your Countrymen in such a Confederacy is the same as ye find by their Carriage to you and yours both in the Court and in the Colledges abroad as they advised their Councils unto Spain wherein they would not have so much as the Irish Priests and Jesuits descended of English Blood but all of them taken for Enemies to Spain In the Declaration about the beginning of the Insurrection of James Fiâ—z Morice in the South the Rebels profess it no part of their meaning to subvert Honorabâ—le Anglorum solium their Quarrel was onely against Queen Elizabeth and her Government But now the Design is otherwise To translate the very Throne of the English to the power of a Foreigner and the re-establishing the Irish in their antient Possession which by the valour of our Ancestors we gained from them This ye may assure to your selves Manet alta mente repostum and make you more hated of them than any other of the English Nation and therefore let us unanimously join our best helpes to avoid the danger It was wont to be said Iniquum petas ut aequum feras and such perhaps might be the intent of the Project the other day propounded to you but now I observe your distast against that hardly admits your ears to any equal motion The exceptions are partly General made by all partly Special only toâ—ching particulars Of the Former there are Two The quantity of the sum demanded and the time unlimitted The proportion for the maintenance of 5000. foot and 500. Horse you alledge too Great and your means too Small not able to undertake it you shall delude his majesty and disappoint the Army of their expected pay and though you were able to bear it for a time yet you doubt it may conduce to a Custome and continued as a constant Revenue to his Majesties Exchequer unwillingly to be charged on your Posterity The Exceptions of the Second kind are against the Grants annexed to the former demands which seemed rather to hinder than to further the Service as not equitable For first Some have the full benefits of the Grant as those Counties whiâ—h pay Composition and during the time of new payments are suspended Secondly Others that have the Charge of the payments to the full are not partakers at all of the benefit of the Grants as the Brittish planted in the 6. Escheated Counties of Ulster Thirdly such as are forward to further his Majesties service and to contribute with the most are troubled in conscience to yield upon the terms proposed whereby the execution of the Statute against Recusants is offered to be forborn Wherein if some of my Brethren the Bishops are supposed to be too forward in preaching against this kinde of Toleration I hope the great Charge laid upon them by your selves in the Parliament 20. Eliz. will plead their Excuse Requiring and Charging all Arch-Bishops and Bishops and other Ordinaries for the due and true execution of this Statute through their Diocesses So that if in this Case they had been silent they might have been the worse censured But if for these Reasons the Project will not be admitted we must not therefore discharge our selves from the care of our own safeties Where the burthen is born in common by Subjects of different Iudgements in Religion it stands not with common reason to annex such conditions to the gift as must of necessity deter the one party from giving at all upon such terms as are repugnant to their Consciences As therefore the Recusants should join with us in a Common aid we must not put in the condition of executing the Statute which they will never yield unto So if they expect that we should join with them in the like contribution they ought not to require the condition of suspending the Statute to be added which we in conscience cannot yield unto The way then will be to grant freely without any manner of condition that may seem unequal to any side and to refer to his Majesty how far he pleaseth to extend or abridge his favours of whose limits in the execution of the Statute our Recusants have found so much experience as makes it the same freedom in giving any thing that is demanded As for the fear of this voluntary contribution to be made a Matter of necessity and imposed perpetual upon posterity it may easily be helped with such a clause as we find added in the Grant of 〈◊〉 Ayd made by the Popes Council 13. H. 3. out of the Ecelesiastical proâ—its of this land Quod non debet 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 it s other examples also of later memory And for proportion of the sum of money which you say is too great it is my Lords desire to know what you can well bear and will voluntarily proffer To say you are not able to gâ—ant as was demanded may be some reason but therefore to give nothing is neither agreeable to reason or duty You offer to serve the King as your Predecessours have done with your bodies and lives as if the Kings supplyes with monies were unknown to our forefathers Search the Pipe Rolls for only the Marying of H. 3. Sister to the Emperour you shall
a way that were departing The King himself Orders all things four thousand elected out of all the Host besides Volunteers of the first rank that in all French Warrs catch at all occasions for honour and fame to whom came all the besieged whom Samprule Numbers 11100. and all the Islanders to gain them favour of their old Masters We had not 3300 foot scarce 60. horse half starved with their Grooms so that their foot exceeded Ours by two parts and their Horse by five I reckon not by colours or Captains some not 20. Onot 12. in a Company and those sickly If in all these hardships the French had but the heart to try Mastry in open field we should never have denied there some glimpse of glory This last fresh collected Army for expedition was mustred in the Haven of the Continent the shortest cut over to the Island and committed to the Duke Shawbergh with Marilane his Lieutenant General who would needs be landed with 80 Ships at Oleron less guarded by the English on that side Nay a third Fleet is preparing under command of brave Bassompiere and Haliere with 800. of their Kings Life Guard 150 of the Country thereabout 30. of the Kings horse and 3. great Brass pieces land at the Medow Castle and their Authors Fr. Mercury pag. 114. and Isnard pag. 193. assure us there were one hundred thousand loaves of bread and other proportionable provisions so it seems they were in fear to be rid of the English Bold Buckingham begins the assault selects 500. foot and 40. horse and holding it a high point of wisdome to be quick Neer the approach the French under the Meden fort and newly landed take the Alarm The first Rank meet the Charge at a distance with some loss which drew up the rest to battall and coming close to the fight the French were put to it to fly into the Castle with such fear as Isnard who saw it he sayes and never saw the like and as our English generally reported at their return home for in the flight of the French a Reformed French man on our side pursues his Country man with kill kill Another of theirs encourages his Runawaies to stand to it with Courage Messieurs Se ne sont que de francois as if the English were terrible And in a word had totally routed them had not their Guides directed them their waies which the dark night drove us into durty quagmires Isnard saies fifty of ours fell The Mercury saies but 38. how many of theirs we may guess in the dark by their own number of their principal Commanders Monsane Persemore Baville Pensamonte and others and so with this Victory Buckingham retreats to his Camp where finding our former Trenches possessed with the French he sends Stanley to recover them with a fierce fight neer the Bulwark of Antioch and with main force beat them out again with loss on both sides As we were packing away A Party of our Horse commanded by the Lord Mountjoy took a small Troop of theirs this Person Isnard terms â—meritus Miles qui jam functus est suo munere but it may be scandal Him they endeavour to surprize with six Horse in show who were chased to the Meden Castle when we discovered their Ambuscado of many more but we retired The French came over from the Continent by Shoals it was ingenious gallantry for us to stand our ground yet we assailed them Among many Approaches this for one We fell upon a Party in a dark night not discernable each from other and so mingled that by mistake we fell into their Camp a prey to the Enemy and so invincible Necessities enforced us to depart whether Conquerors or conquered from the Isle of Rhe Soldiers and Seamen so infeebled that sickness was the Physician of our want and want our sickness and death the onely cure So that Noble Buckingham had no other cause to stay but only that which might put any other to a flight ashamed to go away He denounces the Battail and the very set time and that by an Herauld resolving to assault St. Martin Castle to enjoy their Victual in despair of slow supply from England Upon intelligence that they were weak within decayed by death and their walls on the further sâ—de not finished to their intended height The French Prisoners many Gentlemen were commanded aboard and from thence to bring some scaling Ladders and other materials for use Toras hath this by intelligence the night before commands his shot to their stations in Coats of Male and his Guns in order and signified so much to the Medow-castle who upon our three times discharge of our Cannon should march up to the English which by their discovery would be about midnight Our Ladders but 40. and too short in one place we assayled in another and in another also At Toras Fort which yet we set up two yards under which we boldly assaulted not so ambitious perhaps of victory as of honourable death climbing to the upmost round there we stuck unmoveable untill opprest by shot which felled us to the ground not with one or two shot and other wounds but till they all together became deadly and then more dropt and not till Isnard confesses That Toras himself considered our Gallantry in impossibilities so much our valour wrought upon wonder Somewhat we did too for by the force of but eight hundred we drove the besieged from their place of strength fenced with a ditch and fort and thence into their inner Compass where they lay hid in the very foot of their Castle to their great loss and hitherto only as impossible any more our fury became abated And so unwillingly not therefore because unwilling we withdraw but not till brave Buckingham was assured of the Enemies sudden supply he commanded a Retreat by sound Early the next Morn in a well composed figure their Army with the new come French marches towards our Camp At La Flotta they met a small Troop of our Horse led by the Lord Mountjoy who with leisurely order retreated before the enemy untill time brought assistance of our other Souldiers before the Tower who suddainly marshalled into order the enemy in our face they make a Holt and streight way they turn to the Medow-castle Buckingham pursues this moving Army as far as La Flotta but only with five hundred and recovering that Village supposing our selves far enough and freed from the French we passed to our Camp I say not how easie it had been for their numbers and advantages to have done much more then they did if they durst to have dared our Resolution though we dropt one hundred fourty seven dead saies Isnard and of theirs he names many Gallants and a score more but our accompt reckons them far above ours which it seems he consents unto not killed but by heat of fight fell down dead Buckingham will be gone and what the Enemy could not do
continuance and Repeal of divers Statutes 5. For the establishing of the Estates of the Tenants of Brumfield and Yale in the County of Denbigh and of the Tenures Rents and services thereupon reserved according to a late composition made for the same with the King then Prince of Wales 6 For the confirmation of the Subsidies granted by the Clergy 7. For the grant of five intire Subsidies granted by the Temporality There was a Design in the King to lay it up under deck amongst other Crimes fit for Star-chamber Censure that when the State should have been at leasure their Charter might have paid for all and I know the Attorney Generall had Order in these In Iuly dies Doctor Preston an excellent Preacher of whom something hath been said in the Historie of the Church which concludes his Character A subtile Disputant and great Polititian having large parts of sufficient Receipt to mannage the broad Seal which if the Condition had pleased was proffered unto him and might have been the Dukes right hand Or rather lesse then his little finger who despairing of being Patriarch of the Presbyterian party used the Duke no longer Excellent parts no doubt he had His pieces are in Print His Posthumus And his Pupil left nothing unsaid of his life to give him merit and eternall memory Somewhat must be said as to his Politiques He was esteemed indeed a proper Patron for the Puritan Presbyter which now got head to prick up And all the Plot was to bring him in forsooth to make the Duke in that Ministery which they durst intrust to his Management And first to appear aloof the manner of Court observers his addresse must be to the Dukes Confident rhe Earl of Holland made easie to him by favour of that family But yet a Remembrancer was thought upon to move by the by a dependant of that Lords who in truth dealt Ingeniously Intimating to the Duke Doctor Prestons power and interest with the Presbyters in that time more necessary to be sought unto then to be put by To which the Duke answered with an Oath The King knows him too well and hath no good opinion of him If so replied the Other and already known the advantage the better to make alike use of him so they did In which truly the Dukes head was not too easie for the Doctors for in shew he was carressed to undo him which wrought the effects suspected of his own followers lest he should be not onely besprinkled but drencht in Court Holy-water And in very earnest somewhat tainted he was and tempted with ambitious hopes and if I may speak it himself was brought to accept it But it was very necessary for him to undeceive his Disciples and there to intrust One in whom Obedience and Blindnesse met together A being made to do as he was bidden To him the Doctor writes a Letter under hand to be communicated onely unto special friends wherein to blazon himself he relates what he thought fitting to be believed more to his own glory and disparagement of the weaknesse of Court wits as he stiled them then many vain men might be thought to imagine That not enough he vents therein his own policy working upon the witlesse Statists at Court bestowing on each of them by Name such characters as he conceived would caresse his Pupils with a Stanza or two short and Satyrical This Letter sealed was found in Smithfield broken open and carried to the Duke But by a noble friend of his handsomly descried to him How witty he was in Rhimes and bidden to look about him Of which when he had but a hint He clapt his hand on his heart and confessed he was undone But his party to procure their Patrons peace of minde and to silence such a Witnesse they dealt subtilly indeed down-right Bribes to the Dukes Barber to finger the Letter out of the Dukes pocket and so being brought to the Doctor to bury the obloquie before his death not much time after This I say to shew how partially Mens pens put down private Actions which they guesse at Other such I could unravel And for this with the Testimony to boot of a Person then his disciple and since of that eminency in honour and justice as we shall fail to finde out his example Sithence the return home of the second unfortunate Fleet designed to relieve Rochel this whole vacation took up the time with those ships and others appointed for a fresh Expedition thither The most accomplished Armado that was set out by England And the Duke designed himself to be the General Commander once more to give adventure for the fatal effects or final end to their languishing misery And because the Earl of Marlborough had been a dull and unactive Treasurer for raising money to the Exchequer he was removed to be President of the Privy Counsel And Sr Richard Weston lately created Baron supposed more solid for the weight of that Staffe And in truth the King was put upon it to seek for such men whose abilities might recover him from the hazzard and defection he was fallen into both in his Purse and power He for the one and Sr. Thomas Wentworth of the North was made a Lord ready for the next Session to sit with the Peers He had been too heavy against Prerogative and this was a way to bring them in for the King The Fleet now in readinesse the King draws down his Guests of Progresse towards Portsmouth where the Ships were and from thence to dis-embogue The Town so full of Gallants and so pestered with lodgings that the King kept aloof and made his Court four miles distant The Duke very diligent to hasten his designe treating daily with the Commissioners of Rochel and Soubize in Portsmouth with his Duchesse and Family when He took his last leave of this life And because the Historian is much mistaken in relation of the Dukes Murder I shall ingeniously and truly not upon surmize or Hear-say resolve all the particular That fatall morning the three and twentieth of August the Duke having fitted himself to wait upon the King he hastily called for Breakfast His servants attending the sewer to bring in the meat the Duke came down stairs from his upper Chamber to eat in a lower Parlour turning in at the foot of the Stairs in a narrow Entry And Sir Thomas Friar one of his Colonels following him to the Parlour door stooping to take his leave the Duke declining imbraced Friar with these words Honest Tom. and so turning into the Room one Iohn Felton at that instant shadowed behinde them stabbed him to the heart with a back-blow of a Coutel-knife which stuck in his body till the Duke dragg'd it out and so enlarged the orifice that streamed with the effusion of so much bloud and spirit that instantly he died not able it seems to utter a syllable and certainly no soul there present for he fell backward into the Parlour and the Assassinate
by the Kings command expresly to leave the House and attempting to rise was by force held down by Master Hollis who swore he should sit still whilest they pleased but not prevailing Sir Peter Hayman moved Hollis to reade these Articles which the House protested First whosoever shall bring in Innovation of Religion or by favour seek to introduce Popery or Arminianism or other Opinions disagreeing from the true and orthodox Church shall be reputed a capital Enemy to this Kingdom and Common-wealth Secondly whosoever shall counsel or advise the taking or levying of the Subsidies of Tunnage and Poundage not being granted by Parliament or shall be an Actor or Instrument therein shall be likewise reputed a capital Enemy to the Common-wealth Thirdly if any man shall yield voluntarily or pay the same not being granted by Parliament he shall be reputed a Betraier of the Liberties of England and an Enemy to this Common-weath To each of these in order the House gave there a loud applause at every close which distempers reaching but to the Kings ear he sent for the Serjeant of the Mace but he was kept in and Sir Miles Hobart a Member locked the Door and kept the Key The King incensed at these insufferable Contempts sent Maxwel the Usher of the Black Rod to dissolve the Parliament but him and his Message they excluded which put the King into a forcible Posture the Captains with their Pensioners and Guard to break their entrance they fearing the effects suddenly slunk out of the House not daring to abide his anger who instantly came to the Lords and told them My Lords I never came here upon so unpleasant an occasion it being the Dissolution of a Parliament therefore men may have some cause to wonder why I should not rather chuse to do this by Commission it being a general Maxime of Kings to leave harsh commands to the Ministers themselves onely executing pleasing things Yet considering that Justice as well consists in reward and praise of virtue as punishing of vice I thought it necessary to come here to day to declare to you and all the World that it was meerly the undutifull and seditious carriage of the Lower House that hath made the Dissolution of this Parliament And you my Lords are so far from being causes of it that I take as much comfort in your dutifull demeanours as I am justly distasted with their Proceedings Yet to avoid mistakings let me tell you that it is so far from me to adjudg all that House guilty that I know there are many there as dutifull Subjects as any in the World it being but some few Vipers amongst them that did cast this mist of undutifulness over most of their eys yet to say truth there was a good number there that could not be infected with this contagion in so much that some did express their duties in speaking which was the general fault of the House the last day To conclude as these Vipers must look for their reward of punishment so you my Lords must justly expect from me that favour and protection that a good King oweth to his loving and dutifull Nobility And now my Lord Keeper do what I commanded you Who in the Kings name dissolved the Parliament But because Tunnage and Poundage was much disputed we shall shall say something to the first ground and occasion of them It is a fundamental truth essential to the constitution and government of this Kingdom and hereditary Privilege of the Subject that no Tax Tallage or other charge might be laid without consent in Parliament this was ratified by the contract of this Nation with the Conquerour upon his admittance and declared and confirmed in the Laws which he published and yet afterwardâ— broken by King Iohn and Henry 3. then confirmed by Magâ—â—â— Charta and other succeeding Laws but then attempted to be broken by the two succeeding Edwards when the Subject pursued those Breaches by the opportunity of frequent Parliaments and found relief procuring the right of the Subjects to be fortified by new Statutes And it may be observed that those â—ings in the very Acts whereby they did break the Law did really affirm the Subjects liberty and disclaimed that right of him a thing which hath been since challenged by successive Sovereigns the Merchant in those times usually giving consent to such Taxes but limited to a time to the ratification of the next following Parliament to be cancelled or confirmed But mostly these upon Merchandise were taken by Parliament six or twelve per pound for time and years as they saw cause for defence of the Sea sometimes also granted unto Noblemen or Merchants but for that use and afterwards they were granted to the King for life and so continued for divers Descents Between the time of Edward 3. and Queen Mary never any Prince some say demanded any Imposition but by Parliament Queen Mary indeed laid a charge upon Cloth by the equity of Tunnage and Poundage because the rate set upon Wool was much more than that upon Cloth and little Wool being transported unwrought she had reason to impose so much more as brought them to an equality but that there still continued a less charge upon Wool wrought into Cloth than upon Wool carded out unwrought untill King Iames his times when upon Nicholson's advice there was a further addition of charge which is that which we call the pretermitted Custome In Queen Elizabeths time some Impositions nay many increased the general prosperity of her Reign in the conjuncture of time and forrein affairs overshadowing and her power and will commanding without regret or complaint That of Currans was one for the Venetians having taxed a charge upon our English Cloth she raised that of the Currans with pretence to be even with them the sooner to take off the other And this came to be denied to King Iames by Bates a Merchant and a Sute in the Exchequer adjudged it for the King The three Judges then no more distinguished their several opinions The first that the King might impose upon forreign Commodities but not upon Natives to be transported or necessary to be imported for the use of the Kingdom The second Iudg was of opinion he might impose upon all forreign Merchandize whether superfluous or no but not upon native The third was absolute seeing the King had the custody of the Ports and Guard of the Seas and might shut up or open the Ports as he pleased 〈◊〉 had a Prerogative to impose upon all Merchandize exported or imâ—â—rted Afterwards King Iames laid charges upon all Commodities Outward and Inward not limited to time or occasion This Judgment and the right of imposing was a question in 7. and 12. Ian. and in 18. and 21. Ian. It was declined by the Commons House But in 1 Car. it was renewed by the Kings Propositions and then rather confirmed not abolished It was not sufficient for the King to break up the School of dissension
Reprobates and therefore believes our Churches regeneration is by infusion of Grace by sowing the good seed But to answer him in this Let all Christians religiously pray and live according to the grace of Restitution and humbly submit their judgements concerning the secresie of personal Election and so this man sins against the 17. Article 4 The Anabaptist His purenesse is a supposed birth without Original sin and his Tenet that Infants must not be baptized and this believer opposeth the 9. and 27. Articles 5. The Brownists purenesse is to serve God in Woods and Fields and his opinion is that Idolatry cannot be reformed without pulling down of Churches Christ indeed whipt the buyers and sellers out of the Temple though it was prophaned yet without any pulling down and this man is against the 35. Article 6. Loves familist serves God as well at his neighbours charge as at his own omnia sunt communia the things which they possesse are not their own but all are Common He teacheth that unlawful swearing is worse than murther and this is against the 39. Article 7. The Precisian will not swear before a Magistrate That unlawful swearing is a greater sin than murther God indeed is greater then man here is the compare but then the effect destructive is greater by murther God commands that the murtherer die blood for blood he deals not so severely with the swearer See the 39. Article 8 The Sabbatarian preaches down Holy dayes preaching that the Instrumental directing cause to keep holy the sabbath day he makes to be the keeping holy the sabbath But Gods holy Worship prayer is keeping holy the sabbath day for preaching the holy direction teacheth holy worship prayer to be the holy practise of that day to praise the Lord for our Redemption the sole principal end of preaching on the Lords day His preaching is a Sylva synonymorum Tautologies Iterations His praying much erroneous and this is against the 35. Article 9. The Anti-disciplinarian is above the Kings supremacy Imperious Imagination his highnesse is the Churches greatest Authority and he saith this is as good a rule to know the reformed true faith is the holy Writ He is a strict observer of the Law therefore he accounts it the best Religion His tenet is That Kings must be subject to the Puritan To the Puritans Presbyters Censure submit their Scepters throw down their Crowns lick up the dust of their feet This Mr. Rogers in his eleventh page of his Preface to the 39. Articles And T. Cartwright teacheth in his Reply page 1080. And here the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance are broken against the 21. Article His tenet that all Priests should be equal See Varellus and Vivetus sermons two Geneva Presbyters against the â—3 33. and 36. Articles and against the twentieth Article 10. The presuming Predestinatist hath an inspired knowledge to be saved by Gods absolute Election as sure as it were now in Heaven no life in him but Gods essential glory against the 17. Article and the 3. Article Thus was it then amongst us Reformed and since it hath increased ten times worse But the Papist is not clear from Crimes schismes and sins The contest between Iesuites Priests and Secular Priests have evermore their debates and now grounded upon this occasion Richard Smith titular Bishop of Calcedon his honour there in Greece but his profit from England over all the Romish Catholicques especially for ordaining of Priests and confirmations of persons Baptized But when he came hither we cannot finde till now we have caught him here Yet Pope Gregory the thirteenth delegated one William Bishop to Calcedon who died 1624. After him succeeded another by Mission of Urbane the eighth 1625. this Richard Smith to the same Title But why to a foreign Title and not at as easie a rate to English as in Ireland he had to all Sees there the reason is He had in Ireland a Counter-party of People for Number and Quality in every Diocesse and Parish not so in England where it had been ridiculous in the Granter and dangerous in the Accepter To oppose his power up starts Nicholas Smith a Regular in malice to his advancement and quarrelled also against Doctor Kelson President of the Colledge of Doway who had printed a Treatise of the dignity and necessity of Bishop and secular Clergy Nicholas Smith's Reasons were for the Regulars first such Bishops uselesse in England in times of persecution Either for Ordination which might be supplied by foreign Bishops Or Confirmation of children which any Priest might perform by Commission from the Pope Secondly Burthensom to the already pressures of the English Catholicques And Thirdly the Person of Calcedon not lawfully called Kelson undertakes Answers to all these and the Insolency of the Regulars seemed more secular And indeed the Irish Regular exceeded such in England maintaining That the superiours of Regulars were more worthy than Bishops which caused the Doctors of Sorborn in Paris to censure the Proposition and the Arch-Bishop of Paris to condemn Nicholas Smiths Book and other Tractates of that sense But Bishop Smith would take upon him to approve of such Regulars Priests as were to be constant Confessors which the Jesuites opposed as an usurpation upon them And being the better Polititians contrive a Declaration under the name of the most noble and eminent Catholiques against his pretended Authority which Declaration was offered to the Spanish Ambassadour Don Carlos de Coloma together with the Kings Proclamations to ferret his person He declined both his power and presence to seek safety in France The Bishop fled the dogs bark Knot vice provincial of the English Jesuites and Flood another of St. Omers undertake him and Kelson also but were censured and silenced though not their several factions unto this day But this bickering is lodged under the product of the peace with Spain as if to encourage the Catholiques to rant it in Ireland also towards a Toleration The Lords Justices at Dublin at Church in one Parish the Priests at Masse in another who were seized by the Arch-Bishop and Major and all the City Officers their Trinkets taken away Images hewen down the Priests and Fryers delivered up to the Souldiers and yet rescued by the people from whom a strong power enforced them and eight Popish Aldermen clapt in prison for being remisse to attend their Major upon which mis-behaviour and mutiny fifteen Houses were seized to the Kings use and the Fryers and Priests persecuted and Two of them to save publique Execution hang'd themselves in their hose-garters The Earl of Essex would needs try Mastery with a fresh Mistresse being over born by his first Wife as their story is truly told in the life of King Iames 18. years since He then but a stripling but ever since getting strength and being falsely fram'd for Martial Exploits in the Low-Conntries where he Disciplin'd himself but without any high renown or feats of Arms or any extraordinary
proofs of his manhood had a strong minde to a second Marriage and as if recovered of his former Impotency to exercise himself upon tryal with Betty Paulet as they called her daughter she was indeed of a Knight extracted from that Nobility of the Marquesse of Winchester but by what venture of descent we need not enquire She was pretty but poor Beauty hath price enough and a great portion would not have him In March he was Married but being mistaken in his own abilities of the Bed having it seems not excercised that kinde of Low Countreys manhood found himself failing and so retired out of Town as to give occasion for others to court his Countess and his advantage of a second Divorce and in truth he was easily drawn thereto by such as hung upon him in former time his Revenue now divided into Families Wife and Women-creatures shared the less to his Dependants Their Design was to watch their Countess who was wanton enough for such a Husband and by a Ladder to her Chamber-window saw so much as forcing the Door Master Udal was found sitting upon her Bed-side very late unbraced with heat as in pursuit of her Sister who in merriment after some questions he had been commanded to kiss her she being shadowed in the Ladies Chamber where he went to seek her but the conclusion was Divorce though her innocency was pleaded and sealed with all possible protestations and so generally believed untill she proved with childe and yet the Earl was so wise as to father it Marry then the Moon-calf must fall at the minute of his own account which no doubt happened just with the birth of the Baby a jolly Boy and so as best right for him to nestle who seized it from the Mother never like to see it long alive nor what became of it we need not doubt But why these his dishonours were not more resented at Court agreeable to his Extraction in a prophetick relation to all King Charls his future mishaps is more of the Authours wonder than I can make of it and concludes that he became the Head of an Army giving the King Battel in a Pitch Fâ—eld partly upon the score of those indignities before which he supposes was charged on the Kings account It was in Anno 1627. Therefore Feoffees were legally intrusted to purchase in the Impropriations with their own and other good mens money and with the profit to maintain a constant preaching Ministery where the Word was wanting They consisted of 4. Divines to perswade the conscience 4. Lawyers for the Conveyances and four Citizens for no other end but their money There was no need of Captains for Captain Michael's Sword was then sheathed There are in England 9284. Parish-churches endowed with Glebe and Tithes But 3845. were either appropriated to the Clergy or impropriated as Lay-fines to private persons which latter these Feoffees endeavoured to redeem and might have done it in fifty years by the large summs soon advanced and no wonder the subtilty was not then discerned for in time the Purchasers would become the prime Patrons for number and greatness of Benefices multiply their dependence and increase non-conformity and therefore the Attorney General Noy exhibited a Bill in the Exchequer to overthrow their Apocrypha incorporatum First Breach of Trust for erecting a Morning Lecture at St. Antholines London the Land of Goshen and not in other places far distant where Souls famished for want of Food Secondly preferred Non-conformists and so their proceedings were censured as dangerous to the Church and State pronounced illegal and dissolved and their money confiscate to the King which yet of late was accounted a pious Project Good men and bad are Examples fit for History the one to follow these to shun And the man of the first rank was Mervin Lord Audley Earl of Castlehaven married to a second Wife the Daughter of the old Countess of Derby and Widow of the Lord Chandos by whom she had a Daughter married to the Lord Audley the Earls eldest Son This Earl upon Petition of his own Son and Heir the Lord Audley was committed in December last and indicted at Salisbury the County of his abode the 25. of March the first day of this year 1631. accused for causing one Skipwith of mean extraction and his Servant advanced by him to great preferment to assist him to ly with his Countess and to cuckold his Son Audley the Earl assisting and to hold his Wife whilest Brodway did ravish her and for acting Sodomy upon Brodway and Fitz Patrick his Servants a strange kinde of hideous monstrous quality in the sin of this Earl enforcing others to that wickedness wherein himself had no temptation for his excuse or inclination to the action which is the begining of sin no fruits or sensual pleasure for the present which is the act in sin no advance or profit in the future which is a reward to a mans self of his sin The uncouth baseness of the Rape the Master to serve the Servants to cuckold himself the highest horridity of a Wittal the Husband to ravish his own Wife nay to commit a Rape upon himself being both one a sin without former President or future belief so monstrous in the manner so execrable in the end The onely man of Nobility of infamous note that suffered judicial Execution by this King for I reckon not the Earl of Strafford under that notion These Crimes are bad enough we need not devise any more that he in Prison impudently told some Lords his whole delight was to damn Souls by inticing men the surest way to effect it which hath no credit and we shall lodg no other upon him but truths for certainly had he said this before his Trial it might have been remembred as all circumstances were then to advance his guilt And it becomes an Historian in dubious relations to admit the most Christian and charitable being more unlawfull to deceive Posterity by feigned narrative than to abuse a Judg by false Witness But of the other he was found guilty by Grand Inquest and so his cause put over to the Kings Bench and his Person sent to the Tower The manner of his Trial for Life was by a Court of High Commission delegated to some principal Person as chief Iudg constituted with a Power as being next to the King In some sort matching the Ephory amongst the Lacedemonians and therefore not to be longer intrusted than for the time of Trial for the business being done he breaks his Staff the Verge of his Power and Authority And Thomas Lord Coventry Lord Keeper of the Great Seal was by Patent of the thirteenth of April 1631. commissioned Lord High Steward of England for the Day being the five and twentieth of April And because it was the first and last Commission of this nature by this King we shall not spare the particular Narrative to rectifie mis-reports of many others herein It was at the
that solemnity was done and she in Bed he presents Amptil his Page to her Person and unchaste imbracements reasoning with Scripture that her Body now made subject unto him and so at his command if to evil not her fault let her sin ly at his door but she refusing he left her at this time and takes Amptil whom he That the Kings Majesty had committed the Trial of the business to your Grace my Lord High Constable the Earl Marshal and this Court which course was warrantable by the Laws of other Nations and also by our own who have used the same manner of Trial. That our Law admitted sundry Proofs for Treason which in other matters it did not That all Subjects were bound to discover Treasons and cited two ancient Civilians Hieronymus and Tiberius who gave their Reasons for this kinde of Trial. And he mentioned sundry Records of our own Chronicles and Examples herein as the Duke of Norfolk combating against the Duke of Hartford in Henry 4. his time Jo Ely and William Scroop against Ballamon at Burdeaux the King being there The Lord Morley impeached Mountague Earl of Salisbury And that Thomas of Walsingham and Thomas of Woodstock in their learned Writings expressed sundry Presidents for this manner of Proceeding wishing the Court in Gods Name to go on to the Trial and the Appellant to give in his Evidence Then the Appellant came up upon the Table to whom the Earl Marshal delivered the Petition which he had the day before exhibited to the King And the Defendant being also called up the Petition was read which was in effect That he having accused Ramsey of Treason and also Meldram his Kinsman and of Confederacy against whom Captain Nothwick was witness therefore had desired that the Court would proceed against Meldram first But he was told by the Court that their Cases differing the Appellant was ordered to deliver in his Charge against the Defendant which he did in writing by Bill containing sundry Particulars viz. That in May last in the Low-countreys Ramsey complained to him against the Court of England That the matters of Church and State was so out of frame as must tend to a change if not desolation That thereforefore he had abandoned the Kingdom to live where now he was and to expect a mutation forthwith to which end he had brought present Moneys to maintain him at six pounds a day for three years That Marqucss Hamilton had a great Army promised to him for pay whereof the King had given in hand ten thousand pound and all the Wine Customes in Scotland for sixteen years presently to be sold for the Armies subsistence And that he staid but for Ammunition and Powder to come over for which his Lordship was to mediate with his Majesty of Sweden and the States and then link themselves together of whose minde Rey should know hereafter That their Friends in Scotland had gotten therefore Arms and Powder out of England and that what he should procure in Holland was to be brought over by the Marquess and that all Scotland were sure to them except Three That France and Spain thirsted for England but Hamilton would defeat them for himself His onely fear was of Denmark where he meant to land and either to take him off or make a party That afterwards at Amsterdam Ramsey with Alexander Hamilton solicited him the Lord Rey to be true to them and to be of their Council though as yet they durst not reveal too much of Hamilton's secrets but if he repaired to England he would intrust him with Letters and that his Brother in Law Sea-port knew all This being the effect of the Charge He added That if Ramsey would deny it he was a Villain and a Traitour which he would make good And therewith cast him his Clove Ramsey denied all and said Rey was a Liar a barbarous Villain and threw down his Glove protesting to gar him dy for it if he had had him in place for that purpose Rey was temperate without any passion but smiling replied Mr. Ramsey we will not contend here Answer to my Bill Then Ramsey offered some Reasons of the impossibility of the Charge the slender Numbers of men from England but six thousand raw Souldiers against three Kingdoms whom the first Proclamation might dissipate That the Marquess was neither so wicked nor weak in judgment and if he should conceit to surprize the King what hope had he against his Children and Kindred And therefore said he my Lord Rey is a barbarous Villain and a Liar and he will gar him dy for it or lose his dearest bloud He was interrupted by the Earl Marshal telling him he must not stand upon conjectures but answer the Bill of Form according to Law and was advised to take counsel therein Then Ramsey in general acknowledged all the particular circumstances of time and place alleged by Rey and the discourse to that effect but concluded that no Treason was intended or uttered and craved Counsel to answer which was granted And so the Court adjourned till the fifth of December but upon a fresh Arrest by the Earl Marshal they were to put in Bail for Appearance which were the old Security and Ramsey ordered to answer upon Oath At which Day appearing the fame of the Cause brought thither such a crowd of People as was not imaginable Rey entered as before in manner and habit but Ramsey was new suited in black Satten and presented his Answer in writing to this effect That having well considered the time place and communication with the Lord Rey beyond the Seas as before urged he confesses That Rey demanded of him whether the Marquess Hamilton intended to come over and follow the Wars He said Yes And told him of his Forces six thousand men and of the ten thousand pounds in money and Wine-customes in Scotland which he would selt to maintain the Army and that he would come so provided with Ammunition that being joyned with his Friends he valued no Enemy Upon which Rey replied that his own two Regiments should wait upon him but the place of these Forces to meet was at Sea and there to receive directions from the King of Swede where to rendezvouz Upon which Rey said that his Life and Fortunes should wait on the Marquess who being told of his friendship wrote a Letter to Rey which Ramsey delivered in effect that Rey would get some Ammunition from the King of Swede which was wanting And that speaking in general of matters amiss in England Rey answered God amend all To whom Ramsey replied By God Donnold we must help him to amend all And to all the other matters and things he utterly denies and craves revenge upon Rey's person by dint of Sword Then Doctor Eden of Council for Ramsey spake to the Court That being assigned his Council his opinion was that the Defendant might decline the Combate and reply to the Appellant's Bill in brief with these Reasons First
fire-coales into a flame the French being then upon a War with Spain and the Cardinal a great Statist knew that Englands best policy was ever to side with the weakest to ballance the biggest power neither of them to increase above the measure of moderation To that end Monsieur Montril was sent Emissary and Agent to work out the Design in England and Scotland as may appear by the Scots Letter to the French King as hereafter follows and that they had great incouragement from Richelieu but what assistance under hand I could never finde out fair promises and no doubt never to engage against them But Balmerino his great Enemy the Earl of Kinnol Lord Chancellour of Scotland took his leave of this life and left his Office to Spotswood Son to the first Superintendent formerly Arch-bishop of Glasgow and now Arch-bishop of St. Andrews aged above sixty years a learned moderate wise man as by his History appears the first of his Coat since the Reformation of that Dignity and that for the great advantage of the Church if rightly apprehended without that mistaken Vote never known before for three hundred years a Clergy-man to bear that Dignity I shall remember those that were Andrew Foreman 15 Iac. 4. James Stuart Brother to James the fourth James Beaton 10 Jac. 5. and Queen Maries Reign David Beaton Cardinal succeeded him Jo Hamilton Brother to the Duke of Chattleheralt was the last of the Popish Bishops and many more before those and all of them Arch-bishops of St. Andrews and Chancellours Then there were Willam Lowater anno 1412. Andrew Foreman Iac. 4. Gawin Dunbar Praeceptor to James 5 and after him James Beaton And these following were Arch-bishops of Glasgow and Chancellours Adam and Patrick Bishops of Brocher Chancellours annis 1360 1370. Thomas Spence Bishop of Galloway and Chancellour to Jac. 2. William Elphinston Bishop of Aberdene Chancellour to Jac. 3. Indeed in Scotland heretofore Justice was perâ—ormed by Itinerarie Courts like to the Judicature of Courts in England fifteen Judges in all seven Churchmen and seven Laymen and the President also a Churchman and the best offices of State were formerly in Bishops and Abbots which gave them abilities in purse to perform those great and pious works of charity honour and common benefit Abbies Churches Hospitals Bridges Causewayes and the like all Acts of the Clergy heretofore which now their successours destroy Death indeed was more indifferent with two Great Ones in England two Eminent Men of several factions the One Sr. Richard Weston Earl of Portland Lord High Treasurer of England the Kings great Favourite for his Abilities at this time the more useful in promoting Prerogatives and all advantages of raising money with some regret of the Commons for such services His place was therefore for the present put under power of Commissioners for some time after The other was Sr. Edward Cook a Common Lawyer and so bred up himself to please the people Increasing esteem on that score from his first rise Queen Elizabeths Attorney General chief Iustice of the Kings Bench under King Iames where he lost himself by too much liberty of Eloquence or Impudence and removed from that Court to his Countrey retirement in the County of Buckingham made high Sheriff to humble him towards this King with a clause in his Commission to avoyd his Election of being a Burgesse in Parliament of which he was the more ambitious because thereby the better able to shew his Enmity but he got it in Norfolk his birth-place and he a Law-wrangler was voted legally chosen notwithstanding his Commission of Restraint We may not forget the Affairs of Germany the Swede having a continued confederacy with the protestant Princes and the French assistance against the Emperour and Spain for although they fought and treated for a conjunction Duke Barnard had been so often bafled by former promises of Wallestien before his Murther that now he trusted to fair words no longer And the good Duke Francis Albert of Saxony Leumburgh the Instrument chosen to tye these two different dispositions into a Ligament was not his crafts master but was carried prisoner for many years to Vienna The King of Hungary for the Imperial party having cured the Army with good gold after the disorder of Wallestiens murther and taken new Oath of the souldiers when News came to his camp of a notable victory gotten by Arnem upon the Imperialists in Silesia and of his marching towards Prague whither the King sent so strong a supply Arnem was constrained to retire into Saxony at the same time that the Town of Ratisbone was regained for the Emperour in Iuly the brave and famous General Aldring being slain a little before at Lanshut He was of Luxenburgh obâ—curely born whose virtues and valour had raised thus high and eminent in many battels against Iohn de Wiert with successe And the businesse Military in Germany requiring all assistance for the Emperour against such a confederacy of friends Thither comes the Cardinal Infanto from Milan with the old Spanish Italian and Burgundian Bands through all Switâ—zerland soon reforming the riotous Swedes by their example into a true Military Discipline These forces joyning with the Imperialists marched into the Duchy of Weitemburgh but first must passe the fiery Tryal of a strong Town Norlington The Swedes and their Allies are likewise summoned together from all parts Horn joyns with Duke Barnard and advises to spare the Enemy a Town or two than to hazzard the publicque cause But the Duke would fight for it and designed the day the sixth of September and the rather because some private offer had been for Overtures of a Peace which the Swedes took for a good Augure what ere it presaged It procured to both Armies the most horred bloody fight that had been between Christians To the Protestants party were already arrived the forces of the Duke of Weitemburgh the Lantgrave of Hassia and Count Cratz He who was for Bavaria and should have betrayed Ingolstade to the Enemy and so being discovered was fled hither wanting none but the Rhingrave and his four thousand men The fight began early the most furious first shock was for a Hillock the storming of a mined fort lost many of the Swedes Infantry The Canon hidden behinde some bushes did mighty Execution also and the Swedes constrained to fly and their Cavalry pursued by the Duke of Lorain and Iohn de Wiert were utterly defeated eighty pieces of Canon three hundred colours and twelve thousand men slain and six thousand prisoners amongst whom that brave man Gustave Horn Nobly received by the King The fruit of this Battel began a peace short and sweet onely to let that miserable Countrey taste of the blessing which lasted not long when the revenger of blood opens the veins to let out more evil fumes This Victory might answer for their Eminent successe heretofore at Leipsick and Lutzen and as the Swedes did then so does
Deputy Magistrate Seeing therein their Title bears evidence against them for in their three first subscriptions is exprest either King Iames his own act or an ordinance of the secret Councel equivalent to regality or at the desire of the General Assembly to intreat it If they had power to command the new taking of an old Oath as they had not what authority had they to interpret it concerning the five Articles of Perth the Service Boâ—k the Book of Canons and high Commission their Predecessours abjuring onely those Romish corruptions of that time near sixty years since but what could not be more evident was taken upon trust with Jesuitical Equivocation to many such Objections The former Confession and Band annexed heretofore was mâ—de in defence of the King his Authority and Person with their bodies and lives in defence of the Gospel of Christ and Liberties of that Kingdom To which they now have added a mutual defence of one another against all opposers the King not exâ—epted nor any for him Nay by two Acts of their own Parliaments Declare all leagâ—es of subjects amongst themselves without the King to be seditious and punishable The Oath of Iames the sixth and ninth Parliament of Queen Mary the Kings consent never granted nor ever asked The fire of this seditious Covenant flaming throughout the corners of that Kingdom the King to appease those passages sends the Marquesse of Hamilton with power of High Commissioner to conclude and determine for the peace of the Kingdom But why a peace-maker Commissioner and not a war-like Commander And if by a fair Imparlance why Hamilton so much reason to be distrusted as before observed unlesse rather to be deceived than to distrust against the advice of some Scotish Lords the Earl of Sterling Secretary of State the Bishops of Rosse and Broken Privy Counsâ—llours Sr. Robert Spotswood Lord President of the Colledge of Justice and Sr Iohn Hay Master of the Robes who came post hither to disswade the King from him and to present the Marquesse Huntley for that service one utterly in Enmity against Covenanters where the other was suspected But the King carried on by fate suffered the weak contribution of the Duke of Lenox his advise though the old Enemy of his house than that a County Lord Huntley should carry it from them both And indeed it was a Royal deputation fitted for King Hamiltons ambition who having lost the Scotish army for the King of Swedes ayd He fell upon secret designes for his own ends obliging all Scots at Court his dependants and by his authority in Scotland he had the means to alien any from the King to himself as he did in his trust cosen the King by granting what the Covenanters desired even to his Crown by degrees To suspend and after to suppresse the Common Prayer and Canons the five Articles of Perth got by Inches from his Father to be confirmed by Parliament and the Covenant authorized with the calling of General Assemblies for votes of Covenanters to censure and Excommunicate the Bishops and to abolish Episcopacy and all the Royal Clergy to be ruined making himself the greatest figure in Scotland and the King his cypher He acting all in the after Warre as the story proceeds to shew in particular But in Iune the sixth day his Commission was read at Dalkieth four miles from Edinburgh where the Covenanters increased devising because some powder landing at the Fryth for supply of the provision of Edinburgh Castle that assuredly the plot was to blow away the Covenant by destroying the Covenanters And in earnest they were to disdain any notice of the Commissioner or his arrand unlesse he came to them where they were fixed with better force than to adventure out of Edinburgh they having openly landed two good ships loaded with Arms and Amunition and then invited him to come thither which he did Being met with the Nobility and Gentry Covenanters and all sides making a lane of the looser sort who were made believe that Popery and Bishops were One with bitter cursings against both and therefore He being setled at Haly-rood House desired the Covenanters to dismisse their Multitude which they did to be eased of the charge And then He demanded first What they would expect from him Secondly What might be expected from them in duty to the King To the first That nothing but a General Assembly and Parliament would please them and so in both they would be their own Judges and for return to any former obedience they acknowledge no dissertion in the least degree from justifying their actions and rather renounce Baptism than loose one Article of their Covenant or rebate one syllable of the literal rigour of it Religion and Laws be at stake They double their guards of the city the Ministers libel the pulpits and send to the Commissioner the Sunday Eve that whosoever should read the English service though in the Kings Chappel should die the death where they were observed and increasing Insolency they send several letters to each of the secret Councel to require them to take the Covenant Therein expressing the comfortable experience they have already of the wonderfull favour of God upon renewing their Confession of their Faith and Covenant their resolution and beginnings of Universal Reformation to God his great glory contentment of his Majesty blessing to the Kingdom and joy of all good subjects And doubt not that your Lordship will both subscribe to the Covenant and be promover to it in the duty of a good Patriot the Office and trust of a Privy Councellour this the time of trial of your affection to Religion the respect of your fame the eyes of men and Angels being upon your carriage the Lord Iesus a secret witnesse to observe and a Iudge hereafter to reward and confesse such men before his Father that take his part before men All and each of these call and cry to God and your Lordship in a cause of so great and singular necessity as you expect at the hour of death to be free of the terrour of God and to be refreshed with the comfortable remembrance of Christ Iesus King of Kings and Lord of Lords The Marquesse now findes this place too hot for him and removes to Dalkieth without adventuring upon the English Divine Service formerly continually used there for twenty years in audience of the Councel Nobility and Judges and here he Proclames his Maiest es gracious Declaration for relieving of their grievances and satisfying of good people in his forwardnesse for maintenance of the Religion professed in that Kingdom His aversnesse from Popery Not to presse the practise of the Service-Book and Canons but in a legal way of proceeding and had ordered the discharge of all acts and Councels concerning them and to indict a General Assembly or Convocation and Parliament to agitate the welfare of the Church and Kingdom The Covenanters afraid that this Justice and clemency might
these were Pembrook Salisbury Holland and others lately Commissioners in the Pacification And yet amongst them all the most unworthy kept in and bred in Hamilton At last the number was lessened to three the Arch Bishop the Lord Leivtenant of Ireland and Hamilton And at the close it was concluded on the fift of December And no wonder now to set down the truth as secret as this Junto was I draw my intelligence from a Letter written the tenth of December to the most Eminent of degree under obedience of the King the whole manner and matter of that debate which saies that on Thursday last the Iunto met when the King gave reasons of the evil and necessity of suddain prevention ere it should highten beyond remedie which in his Judgement ought to be by consent and assistance of 〈…〉 in England the Lord Lievtenant acknowledged it the 〈…〉 highly magnifying the Kings resolution and with the 〈…〉 confirmed professing afterwards in a fuller Assembly that 〈◊〉 he should know himself to be one principally aymed at for Examination in Parliament yet he so far preferred the Kings prosperity and the affaires of State as to hazard his own life and fortunes to his Innocencie and their Censure And the Lord Lievtenant wholly had the honour in the peoples opinion for promoting this Resolution Then was it also concluded for a Parliament also in Ireland to precede this herein and the Lieutenant to be dispatched thither to return time enough to this which was therefore resolved for that cause principally not to remove till the middle of April following and in the mean time to raise monies by that reputation sufficient to put himself in a posture of war And indeed the Arguments were urged pro and con unsafe unseasonable insecure because of the rancour left by the last Parliament the unseasonable recalling an Assembly after the peoples thoughts had laid them aside and the King had learned to stand on his own legs viz. power by Land and Sea and no doubt Insecure to many great ones a whipping Parliament as Sir Thomas Iermin named it But then the necessity of the affairs and the Kings resolution to satisfie all exceptions put it on And for present mony The Lord Lieutenant subscribed the Lone of twenty thousand pounds the Duke of Richmond as much more Hamilton pretended poverty and did not sign at all though his Scotish Imployment got him twice so much It after came to the rest some in zeal other in good manners few refused All the Judges Officers and dependants of Courts of Judicature were assessed by the discretion of the Council acording to their qualities and places of profit But herein mistaking the profit of the six Clerks places in Chancery for they were raised to the sum of two thousand pounds a piece beyond the benefit of their gain And indeed to draw on the Clergie and to shew that a Recusant in the rites of our Church may yet have a conscience of fidelity answerable to the duty of other obedient subjects the Queen had the honour of Promoting her interest with them appointing Sir Kenelm Digby and Mr. Walter Mountague to negotiate with the Catholiques for a hearty contribution being very proportional to their affections and beyond their proper abilities which was afterwards hinted as a great crime and therefore throughout the war called the Papist Army It was no matter for the Scots were termed Rebells here and in Ireland and more forward than the King with their faces but with a cunning carriage of counterfeite humility and Innocencie crave leave to prostrate their duty and obedience by access to his Majesties Throne of grace and mercy To that end the Covenanters did send their Commissioners the Earl of Dunfermling the Lord Loudon Sir William Dowglas and Mr. Barkley The two last not so much as mentioned in the Commission and the Lords onely authorized to plead Integrity and to demonstrate their fidelity but not impowred to propound particulars towards a Mediation any way satisfactorie at all to the Kings expectation and in truth they came but to juggle with this State as you have heard for at this time the Covenanters were so forward as to Imprison at home some of the Kings well affected Nobility and Gentry suspected by them and from birds of their feather the Hollander they procured many Commanders Scots and others with liberty to keep their places with Arms and ammunition upon trust though such Officers from thence as came to the King were soon casheered ungratefull People both for courtesies done to repay with injury and after to destroy as 't is observed that Naturale est odisse quem laeseris And the King could say of them both that They were lost by Favours and won by Punishment And thus forwarded like desperate Insurrectors they engage beyond Retrive themselves the first to proclaim their Discontents imploring Aid from their old Friends the French by the Letter to that King which they did not doubt under confidence of the Cardinal Richelieu and Con the Popes Nuncio to obtain The very original Letter to the French King whether sent or but intended came to the Kings hands as a close Secret and was found to be the Character of the Lord Loudon who was therefore though Commissioner from the Covenanters committed to the Tower in close confinement till the Marquess Hamilton procured his Release And this very Letter in the Kings presence being openly read in the Lords House the next Parliament the Commons being at the Bar without any great resentment which testified that the major part did not much dislike the Scots Proceedings as appears too true thereafter Nay before this their Letter to the French King they were encouraged six Moneths since from France by Chambers the Priest a bold Scot and Chaplain to Richelieu sent by him to advise them to take Arms and thereafter he sent his Page Hepburn with Letters to the principal of them in the Court here and then to Scotland and no sooner invited but they begin their Reaks the Covenanters first seizing Edinburgh and Sterlin Castle others in a seeming way of force because the Earl of Mar was hereditable Keeper of them both and secretly sided with them as also the Castle of Dunbarton before their Army was marched to Dunslow And besides this Letter to the French King they had implored help from the King of Denmark Sweden Holland Poland and their Letters were shewed to the King wherein they offer their Isles of Orkney and Shetland to the King of Denmark advising the Swede to fall upon that King in case he should assist his Kinsman Nay it is further reported that they solicited the Turk to ingage against the Emperour lest he should contribute to their prejudice But it seems by their own true Representation that they trusted chiefly to their English Brethren We are now come to the consideration concerning this resolved Rebellion whether besides the hopes of
prevailing lessen the Army the souldiers mutiny by under hand applaud of their Commanders who being â—nabled openly appear Cashiering such as were too much Parliamentary an hundred Officers and more assisted by two in every Regiment selected Agitators forâ— the rest who intend a Democracy These seize the King indulge him with specious promises and frame propositions as to provide for the King and themselves and the Commonwealth which mollifies them into the Kings favour Taking boldnesse to declare envies on the Parliament accusing divers Members of High Treason endeavouring to dissolve them in seeming shew to Act for the Kings Interests The Army rises against the Parliament and both the Speakers fly to the Camp the City and Parliament prepare for defence but flagging their tail they deliver up themselves to the discretion of the Army and the Speakers are restored some members the Major and his Aldermen are imprisoned for High Treason but are dismissed impune A new Lieutenant set over the Tower of London a new model of the Militia and admiralty Thanks and payment voted for the Army but whether the Acts of the Camp or Ordinances of Parliament should be most prevalent holds a long debate which puts some Members to flight And most men at a gaze whether to elect Oligarchy or Democracy alike against the Presbytery Aristocracy and also against Monarchy and the King However Proposals are sent to the King in pretence of peace but in earnest to insnare him which he answers cautelously as referring rather to the Armies advice from whom He was forthwith aliened by impressions of fear from the Agitators in the Army and so cheated into a flight from Hampton Court to the Isle of Wighâ— designed so by his greatest enemies from whence He sends Concessions to the Parliament upon which he desires to treat but is brought to such extream overtures as that the Scots Commissioners at London absolutely oppose and so he was straitned struggling to satisfie discordant Interests and discovering his Inclination He was suddenly secured into close Imprisonment the Agitators are soon reduced into Order and the whole faction of Oligarchy railagainst the King in Parliament demand and obtain votes against any further commerce with him surreptitiously obtained of the Commons House but by menaces from the Lords not without Declarations of calumny upon the King published and preached to some Parishes and cunningly extort a few gratulatory Petitions of the people but coldly of all which notwithstanding the King is cleared by severall Apologies which wrought so as that the people began universally to resent the indignities done to the King and petition to settle again on foot the treaty with him over reasoning the mindes of the most Parliament Members And first Petitions from the County of Essex then from Surry and at last for the most of the other without prevailing some begin to Arm and in their Ensignes to be read in Capital the Liberty of King and People The Navy revolts to the Prince now beyond the Seas The Scots resent the Kings durance and make an Invasion by the Marquess Hamilton who is taken prisoner and their Army defeated and pursued home where in the midst of Domestick forâ—es raised against them by Argyle and the English Army also their foraign enemy that poor Nation was fain to submit to mercy and to the future effects of this conjoyned power Some other Insurrections also here at home not lasting out their besiegers were reduced which successes falling out thus on land the former Ships revolt from the Prince yet the Parliament now at liberty by the Armies Imployment abroad repeal the former votes of Non-address to the King and resolve to treat again with him at Newport in the Isle of Wight and necessary servants sent to him and some assistance of Councel but such was his admired wisdom and eloquence He alone discussed all Arguments And in the midst of the Treaâ—y the Parliament demand Ormonds Commission the Kings Deputy in Ireland to be recalled carping at the Kings answers though he grants many things unexpected and demands somewhat for himself easie enough for honest men to condescend unto which introduced great hopes of an happy issue but is choaked by the wilful faction pretending to joyne in their Desires until they had incited the Common Souldier against the peace and to demand the King to punishment And thereupon rendevouz near Londonâ— and Remonstrate against the peace and approved in a Council of war and exhibited to the Parliament but the Commons house incline to the Kings concessions which put the Army to a suddain seizure of the Kings person and bring him prisoner to London and enquarter round about the Parliament who yet debate concerning the King and vote that the Kings Concessions are a good foundation for setling a peace some principal Commanders herewith displeased beleaguer the houses of Parliament and Imprison certain Members and others are driven a way and the rest of the members now in power wrest Authority to themselves dependant on the Souldiery and determine publique affairs of punishing the King confirming the votes of no more address to him and anul such other and promise more reflecting on his life And erect a Tribunal of Subjects one hundred and fifty Iudges for that black deed to which the house of Lords dissent and reject the Commons vote which notwithstanding is confirmed and prosecuted for the Kings Tryal by a President oâ— an High Court of Iustice The Presbyterian Ministers declaim and the Scots protest against it The States of Holland Interpose The Lords offer themselves Pledges for the King The people murmur but in vain Mr. Peters in his pulpit animates the Iudges witnesses and Articles are publiquely cited against the King who is convented and accused he demurs to the authority of the Court which the president affirms to be denied from the people that chuse the King of England which the King denies He is convented the second and third time and reasoneth against the authority of the Court But he is prevented by the President with rebukes He is convented the fourth time and refuseth to submit to the Authority of the Court and craves leave to speak with the Members of both houses The President in a premeditated speech prepares to sentence of death which he commands to be read the Iudges rise up in approbation thereof Souldiers take him away and mock at him Inhumanely His behaviour magnanimous and prudent and prepares himself to undergo this bitter cup. The Iudges consult of the manner and time of his suffering whereto he is led forth His speech upon the Scaffoâ—d defends his Innocencie but submits to the justice of God pardons his Enemies pities the Kingdome points out the Errors of the factious shews them the way of peace professes to die a Protestant and is beheaded in monstrous manner they seize his writings Only his excellent Book is preserved to the Light The sadness of the people And ending in his Character He dead the
others progress to an equal poise and in a word the same Ministers of State spurred on by ambitions and to raise their families from time to time have increased suspicions which have hatched these fatal wars through all Europe France styles her self most Christian but meddles least therein ordinarily attracting the Reformates to her interests and being enemies to the Pope and so to Spain which suffers not their doctrines in her dominions But Spain will be Catholique-zealous for her Religion and seldome declines her aid to any of her own unless by force proceeding from the necessity of State affaires through some new conjuncture Lewes the thirteenth attached the house of Austria with much authorâ—ty and power in so much that Richelieu the Angel Guardian of France by his puissant alliances begat an opinion that amongst polititians there he endeavoured the Universality for his Master and so to overthrow the Emperial house by the helpe of the Hollanders and his other underhand underminings which he could never so poise for any time but that the Scales were now up then down to his dying day The Earl of Strafford had passed upon him the Commons accusation and now it was time to form their compleat charge into twenty eight particulars and being ready Ianuary the thirtieth they were presented by Mr. Pym to the Peers in the presence of the Earl and although it was long two hundred sheets and so time would be taken up for engrossing and though the Treasons therein alleaged were of a standing time above fourteen years not suddainly to be answered unto yet the Commons were earnest for dispatch and he enjoyned such hast as by the four and twentieth of February it was read to the Lords in the Kings presence and the next day after to the Commons He craved aid of the Council which in cases of Treason is not allowed in plea de facto it may not but in matters de lege it may and so he had Councel And the place of his Trial could not be in the Lords House being of little Room to hold the House of Commons who desired to be present and to manage the accusation by their own members and in a full body of their house compleat which the Lords would not indure and they come as a Committe and so Westminster-hall was the place assigned and that not to big for this unparralel Trial the King Queen Prince and Courtiers being present and all the Parliament The scene was at the upper end reared of some heigth and above that a Chaire and cloth of State on either side a close private Gallery for the King Queen and Prince Before them seats for the Peers and on either sides Scaffolds mounted for all the house of Commons who sate bare headed and hundreds of others Auditors who could get leave to enter The command of the place and stage was ordered by the Earl of Lindsey not as he was made high constable for the day but as he was Lord great Chamberlain of England in right of his mother Mary the daughter of Iohn de vere the sixteenth Earl of Oxford who maried Peregrine Berty Lord Willoughby of Earesby by whom she had issue this Robert now Earl of Lindsey and thereby the disposing of all the Scaffolding as his fee when the Tryal was ended The Bishops being by ancient Canons disabled to be present at the sentence of blood and death but not from being assistants in examining and deposing of witnesses or giving Councel till now abridged by this Parliament to sit as Peers And it is observed that they were defended to have right of place presence by a Manuscript in many hands de jure Paritat is episcoporum and their Priviledges thereby asserted in this particular which yet they as the times were did not interpose but were contented to be absent giving advantage thereby to the Parliament to deprive them of their votes and after to destroy their calling On Munday the two and twentieth of March the day fixed for his appearing at Westminster-hall almost five moneths time since his first Commitment which it seems was taken up and spent for procuring proofs of witnesses purposely sent for from Ireland And in truth the rather for Intertaining some Overtures of the Court to take of the edge of his adversaries and the best and usual way was by their several preferments The Earl of Bedford to be Lord Treasurer Mr. Pym Chancelor of the Exchequer the Earl of Essex Governour of the Prince Mr. Hamden to be his Tutor the Lord Say Mr. of the wards and Mr. Hollis principal secretary in the place of Windebanck the Deputies place in Ireland also to another and the Earl of Warwick in some command in the Navy And it was in part prosecuted in relation hereto for the Bishop of London did deliver up the Treasury staff and the Earl of New-castle the governance of the Prince the Lord Cottington resigned up his offices in the Court of wards and Exchequer and it was not to be doubted that the Bishop of Salisbury Dr. Duppa would willingly quit his place of Tutor to the Prince But whether the Kings mind was herein mutable or what else intervened they thus concerned and baffled became irreconciliable to the Earls destruction and that this is true may be hinted from the Kings Declararion of the twelfth of August after what Overtures had been made by them saies the Declaration and with what Importunities for offices and preferments what great services should have been done for him and what other undertakings even to have saved the life of the Earl of Strafford So cheap a rate it seems might have saved that Incomparable Statesman The Earl of Arundel was made Lord High Steward and the Earl of Lindsey Lord High Constable and thus set as before said the Earl of Strafford was told by the High-steward that he was called thither to answer the Impeachment of High Treason preferred against him by the Commons of England and Ireland expressed in their accusation to which he had answered and both of them read took up this day and the Court adjourned to the next day when the house of Commons fell upon the first seven general Articles of subverting the fundamental Laws of both Nations and this was managed by Mr. Pym a paper sealed was opened and read which signified from the Parliament of Ireland that they had voted the Earl guilty of High Treason To which he in passion said There was a conspiracy against him to take away his life It would not admit of recollection and the Commons cried out for Justice against him who standing impeached of high Treason accuseth the Parliaments of two Kingdomes of a conspiracy against him for which inconsiderate words he humbly craved pardon not thereby intending either Parliament but meant it by some particular persons Mr. Pym craved that he should forthwith answer to three Articles more which were lately annexed to the charge But although the
Strafford with the assistance of the said Arch-bishop did procure his Majesty by sundry Speeches and Messages to urge the said Commons House to enter into some Resolution for his Majesties supply for maintenance of his War against his Subjects of Scotland before any course was taken for the relief of the great and pressing Grievances wherewith this Kingdom was then afflicted Whereupon a Demand was then made from his Majesty of twelve Subsidies for the release of Ship money onely and while the said Commons then assembled with expressions of great affections to his Majestie and his service were in Debate and Consideration of some Supply before Resolution by them made he the said Earl of Strafford with the help and assistance of the said Arch-bishop did procure his Majesty to dissolve the last Parliament upon the fifth Day of May last and upon the same Day the said Earl of Strafford did treacherously falsly and maliciously endeavour to incense his Majesty against his loving and faithfull Subjects who had been Members of the said House of Commons by telling his Majesty they had denied to supply him And afterward upon the same did treacherously and wickedly counsel and advise his Majesty to this effect viz. That having tried the affections of his People he was loose and absolved from all Rules of Government and was to do every thing that Power would admit and that his Majesty had tried all ways and was refused and should be acquitted both of God and Man and that he had an Army in Ireland meaning the Army above mentioned consisting of Papists his Dependents as is aforesaid which he might imploy to reduce this Kingdom to obedience The Earls Reply That he was not the principal cause of dissolving the last Parliament for before he came to the Council-table it was voted by the Lords to demand twelve Subsidies and that Sir Henry Vane was ordered to demand no less but he coming in the interim he perswaded the Lords to vote it again declaring to his Majesty then present and them the danger of the breach of the Parliament whereupon it was again voted that if the Parliament would not grant twelve Subsidies Sir Henry should descend to eight and rather than fail to six But Sir Henry not observing his Instructions demanded twelve onely without abatement or going lower that the height of this demand urged the Parliament to deny and their denial moved his Majesty to dissolve the Parliament so that the chief occasion of the breach thereof was as he conceived Sir Henry Vane He confesseth that at the Council-table he advised the King to an offensive War against the Scots but it was not untill all fair means to prevent a War had been first attempted Again others were as much for a defensive War it might be as free to vote one as the other Lastly Votes at a Council-board are but bare Opinions and opinions if pertinaciously maintained may make an Heretick but never can a Traitour And to Sir Vane's Deposition he said it was onely a single Testâ—mony and contradicted by four Lords of the Iunto Tables Depositions viz. the Earl of Northumberland the Marquess of Hamilton the Bishop of London and Lord Cottington who all affirmed that there was no question made of this Kingdom which was then in obedience but of Scotland that was in Rebellion and Sir Henry Vane being twice examined upon Oath could not remember whether he said this or that Kingdom and the Notes after offered for more proof were but the same thing and added nothing to the Evidence to make it a double Testimony or to make a Privy-counsellours Opinion in a Debate at Council high Treason The four and twentieth Article not urged 25. That not long after the dissolution of the said last Parliament viz. in the months of May and June he the said Earl of Strafford did advise the King to go on rigorously in levying of the Ship-mony and did procure the Sheriffs of several Counties to be sent for for not levying the Ship-money divers of which were threatned by him to be sued in the Star-chamber and afterwards by his advice were sued in the Star-chamber for not levying the same and divers of his Majesties loving subjects were sent for and imprisoned by his advice about that and other illegal payments And a great loan of a hundred thousand pounds was demanded of the City of London and the Lord Maior and the Aldermen and the Sheriffs of the said City were often sent for by his advice to the Counsel Table to give an accâ—unt of their proceedings in raising of Ship-money and furthering of that loan and were required to certifie the names of such Inhabitants of the said City as were fit to lend which they with much humility refusing to do he the said Earl of Strafford did use these or the like speeches viz. That they deserved to be put to Fine and Ransom and that no good would be done with them till an example were made of them and that they were laid by the heels and some of the Aldermen hâ—nged up The Earls Reply That there was a present necessity for Money that all the Council-board had voted with yea before him That there was then a Sentence in Star-chamber upon the Opinion of all the Judges for the legality of the Tax of Ship-money and he thought he might advise the King to take what the Judges had declared was by Law his own He confessed that upon Refusal of so just a service the better to quicken the Citizens to the payment of Ship-money he said they deserved to be fined Which words might perhaps be incircumspectly delivered but conceives cannot amount to Treason especially when no ill consequence followed upon them and it would render men in a sad condition if for every hasty word or opinion given in Council they should be sentenced as Traitours But that he said it were well for the kings service if some of the Aldermen were hanged up he utterly denieth Nor is it proved by any but Alderman Garway who is at best but a single Testimony and therefore no sufficient Evidence in case of Life 26. That the said Earl of Strafford by his wicked counsel having brought his Majesty iâ—to excessive charges without any just cause he did in the moneth of July last for the support of the said great charges counsel and approve two dangerous and wicked Projects viz. To seise upon the Bullion and the Money in the Mint And to imbase his Majesties Coin with the mixtures of Brass And accordingly he procured one hundred and thirty thousand pounds which was then in the Mint and belonging to divers Merchants strangers and others to be seised on and stayed to his Majesties use And when divers Merchants of London owners of the said Bullion came to his house to let him understand the great mischief that course would produce here and in other parts what prejudice it would be to the Kingdom by discrediting the Mint and hindring the
to his Son Sir Harry Vane a Key to fetch some Papers out of a Cabiner in which he findes another Key to an inward Shutter which he opens and lighted upon these Notes who forthwith shews them to Master Pym and that afternoon occasioned a Conference with the Lords to whom he urges the Commons former Request that the Earl might answer to new Proofs referring to the three and twentieth Article and were grounded upon these Notes which he then produced and that the Commons desired that the Earl might answer to them the next Day at the Bar in Westminster-hall which was granted April the thirteenth he appeared and the Notes were read upon this ground No danger of a War with Scotland if Offensive not Defensive Then their several Opinions which he collected in brief with Nominal Letters for each Counsellours Name thus K. C. H. How can we undertake Offensive War if we have no more money L. L. IR. Borrow of the City an hundred thousand pounds Go on vigorously to levy Ship-money Your Majesty having tried the affections of your People you are absolved and loose from all Rules of Government and to do what power will admit Your Majesty hath tried all ways and being refused shall be aquitted before God and Man and you have an Army in Ireland that you may imploy to reduce this Kingdom to obedience for I am confident the Scots cannot hold out five Moneths L. Arch. You have tried all ways and have always been denied it is now lawfull to take it by force L. Cot. Leagues abroad there may be made for the defence of the Kingdom The Lower House are weary of the King and Church All ways shall be just to raise Moneys in this inevitable necessity and are to be used being lawfull L. Arch. For an Offensive not any Defensive War L. L. Ir. The Town is full of Lords put the Commission of Array on foot and if any of them stir we will make them smart The Earls Reply That being a Privy-counsellour he conceived he might have the freedom to vote with others his opinion being as the Exigent required it would be hard measure for Opinions resulting from such Debates to be prosecuted under the notion of Treason And for the main hint suggested from his words The King had an Army in Ireland which he might imploy here to reduce this Kingdom He answereth That it is proved by the single Testimony of one Man Secretary Vane not being of validity in Law to create Faith in a Case of Debt much lesse in Life and Death That the Secretaries Deposition was very dubious for upon two Examinations he could not remember any such words And the third time his Testimonie was various but that I should speak such words or the like and words may be very like in sound but differ in sense as in the words of my charge here for there and that for this puts an end to the Controversie There were present at this Debate but eight Privy-counsellours in all two are not to be produced the Arch-bishop and Windebank but Sir Harry Vane affirms the words I deny them then there remain four for further evidence viz. the Marquis Hamilton the Earl of Northumberland the Lord Treasurer and the Lord Cottington who have all declared upon their Honours that they never heard me speak those words nay nor the like Lastly suppose though I granted it not that I spake those words yet cannot the word this rationally imply England because the Debate was not cerning Scotland as is yielded on all hands because England was not out of the way of obedience as the Earl of Clare well observed and because there was never any the least intention of landing the Irish Army in England as the aforesaid Lords of the Privy-council are able to attest And having done the Lord High Steward asked him if he had any more to say in his own defence for the Court was willing to prepare matters for Judgment To which he made a summary Repetition of his several Defences And having ended he spake thus My Lords THere remaines another kind of Treason that I should be guilty of for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Land That this should be Treason together that is not Treason in one part a Treason accumulative that when all will not do it alone being weaved up with others it should do it seems very strange Under favour my Lords I conceive there is neither Statute nor Common Law which doth declare this endevouring to subvert the Fundamental Laws of the Land to be high Treason for I have been diligent in the inquiry as you know it deeply concerns me and could never discover it It is hard to be questioned for life and honour upon a Law that cannot be shewn for it is a rule in Sir Edward Coke De non apparentibus non existentibus eadem est ratio Ihesu Where hath this fire lain hid so many hundreds of years without smoak to discover it till it thus burst forth to consume me and my children That punishment should precede promulgation of a law to be punished by a law subsequent to the Fact is extreme hard what man can be safe if this be admitted My Lords it is hard in another respect that there should be no token set by which we should know this offence no admonition by which we should avoid it If a man pass the Thames in a boat and split himself upon an Anchor and no Buoy be floting to discover it he who â—weth the Anchor shall make satisfaction but if a Buoy 〈◊〉 sot there every man passeth upon his own peril Now where is this mark where the token upon this Crime to declare it to be high Treason My Lords be pleased to give that regard to the Peerage of England as never to expose your selves to such moot-points such constructive interpretations of Laws If there must be a tryal of wits let the subject matter be of somewhat else than the lives and honours of Peers It will be wisdome for your selves for your posterity and for the whole Kingdom to cast into the fire these bloudy and mysterious volumes of constructive and arbitrary Treason as the Primitive Christians did their Books of curious Arts and betake your selves to the plain letter of the Law and Statute that telleth us what is and what is not Treason without being more ambitious to be more learned in the art of Killing than our fore-fathers It is now full 240. years since any man was touched for this alleged Crime to this height before my self let us not awaken these sleeping Lyons to our destruction by taking up a few musty Records that have lain by the walls so many ages forgotten or neglected May your Lordships please not to add this to my other misfortunes for my other sins be-slave me not for Treason Let not a president be desired from me so disadvantagious as this will be in the consequence to the whole Kingdom
and so an abrogation of those of Ireland Now there was not a reception of the one instead of the other but the one with the other there being no difference in substance but onely in method number of subjects determined and other circumstantials argue no more an abrogation then that doth of the Apostles Creed by our reception of the Nicene Creed and Athanasius's wherein some points are more enlarged Or that the reception into our use the form of the Lords prayer according to S. Matthew abrogates that of S. Luke being the shorter Neither do I see but if for the manifestation of the union of the whole Reformed Churches We then should approve and receive the Articles of Religion agreed in other Reformed Churches and they receive ours it were no abrogating of either And the difference in them being onely in Circumstantials and not in substance all might be called one confession That as of many Seas one Ocean of many National Churches one Catholique Church so of many formes of Confessions but one faith amongst them That Argument from the Apostles speech of making void the old Covenant by speaking of a new or taking in the first day of the week to be the Sabbath instead of the last when but one in seven was to be kept doth not fit the Case for in these there was a superinduction and reception of the one for the other but in the Canon the Articles of England are received not instead but with those of Ireland And the practise of divers Bishops confirms it who many years after that upon an Ordination examined the persons as formerly according to the Articles of Ireland and took their subscription of them And in this I shall give you the sence of a most eminent learned and judicious person upon the view of what the Observator rescued had written of it I have received saies he the Book you sent me and have perused it I see he will have the allowance of our Articles of England by the Synod in Ireland to be a virtual disanulling of the Irish Confession which I conceive saith nomore but that both Confessions were consistent And the Act of that Synod not a revocation of the Irish Articles but an approbation of ours as agreeing with them He hath his flings at the Sermon preached at the Lord Primates Funeral but in truth he wrongs himself and our Church in those detractions from him Now this being so that the Articles of Ireland were not abrogated nor by the Primate so apprehended where was the ground of any displeasure disaffection or former grudge pretended very uncharitably by the Observator to be the cause of the Lord Primates carrying a sharp tooth against the Earl of Strafford It could not be for the first Canons passing which was all that was done in it for himself proposed and commended it and such as were intimate with him never heard him express any displeasure to the Earl upon that account And what Arguments soever may now be picked out of the draught of the Canon to imply an abrogation virtually or legally which is the last refuge the Observator flies unto are of no force to prove his displeasure then who did not so apprehend it and if he had then taken any such offence they are strangers to that holy man that can believe he could smother a grudge so many years but for such as have so aspersed him I shall pray that the thoughts of their hearts may be forgiven them So much for the clearing of that mistake concerning the Articles of Ireland which being made the Foundation of that other Building we are next to enter upon must accordingly fall with it also viz. The second Scandal in putting forward of the Earl of Strafford 's death But first to the whole matter which I shall lay down as plainly and briefly as the business will bear it The House of Commons having voted the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford which with some difficulty passed at last the House of Lords also and so tendered to the King for his royal assent He refused it for the present as not being satisfied upon his Hearing the Charge and Defence with the Evidence on both sides of which himself was witness That no sufficient proof was made nor any Law then in force whereby the Earl could be guilty of high Treason It was therefore necessary that Judges for the Law and Divines for his Conscience should satisfie him therein and they were with him to that end sent for by him and not sent to him The Houses of Parliament already really assured that their Proceedings and Votes for the Earl's condemnation ought to be sufficient satisfaction for the King without scruple of his own conscience to sign to their judgment the King being a party in Life and Death of a Delinquent ought to confide in the Verdict of the Iury. Nor was the King present as to satisfie his own conscience but his curiosity and it had been a strange President in the Parliament to consent unto much less to send any persons to the King to clear his conscience contrary to the Parliaments sentence especially such persons not having Vote in the House as the Judges have not Nor are the Bishops so much as assistant in cause of bloud or death by the fourth Canon of the Council of Toledo And it is confessed by both Authours that the Judges and Divines also were not willing to give their Opinions point blank against the Vote in Parliament And certainly if they had they might well have expected to be further questioned for it But in truth the Judges told the King that in point of Law the Oath made by Sir Henry Vane of the Earls advice to raise Horse to aw this Nation the Earl was guilty of Treason which though but singularis testis and which circumstances have been taken for sufficient testimony in Treason and more the King could not draw from the Judges as to any other particular but they flew to their general Opinion that super totam materiam he was guilty The King then starts his last Doubt that in his conscience he could not pass the Bill although the Earl were guilty having promised him under his hand that his Prerogative should save him never to pass that Bill nor to consent to the acting of any thing to take away his life And this was now that point of conscience Breach of Promise mostly insisted upon wherein the Divines were to satisfie And we have heard what hath been said of them And now let us see what the Arch-bishop of Armagh is pleased to say and that under his own hand-writing The Arch-bishop of Armagh's Testimony in Answer to the Historian pag. 257. l. 29. That Sunday morning writes he wherein the King consulted with the four Bishops London Durham Lincoln and Carlile the Arch-bishop of Armagh was not present being then Preaching as he then accustomed every Lords day to do in the Church of
for that Letter which he means was 〈◊〉 five days before Yet the Earl intending to say more than had been writ in some passion he cast away the Pen and out of his Cabinet drew that Paper-promise under the Kings hand intrusting it to the Lieutenant or to that other person for the King whether sealed up or open I cannot say and this is the Paper which the Primate doth mention that Lincoln put into the Kings hand But the Letter before spoken of was very long and written to the KIng upon the Citizens Tumult at Westminster And it was thus May it please your Majesty It hath been my greatest grief in all these Troubles to be taken as a person which should endeavour to represent and set things amiss between your Majesty and your People and to give Councils tending to the disquiet of the three Kingdoms Most true it is that this mine own private condition considered it had been a great madness since through your gracious favour I was so provided as not to expect in any kinde to mend my fortune or please my minde more than by resting where your bounteous hand had placed me Nay it is most mightily mistaken for unto your Majesty it is well known my poor and humble advices concluded still in this that your Majesty and your people could never be happy till there were a right understanding betwixt you and them no other means to effect and settle this happiness but by the counsel and assâ—â—â— of the Parliament or to prevent the growing evils upon this State â—ut by intirely putting your self in your last resort upon the loyalty and good affections of your English Subjects Yet such is my misfortune this truth findeth little credit the contrary seemeth generally to be believed and my self reputed as something of separation between you and your people under a heavier censure than which I am perswaded no Gentleman can suffer Now I understand the minde of men are more incensed against me notwithstanding your Majesty hath declared that in your princely opinion I am not guilty of Treason nor are you satisfied in your conscience to pass the Bill This bringeth me into a very great strait there is before me the ruine of my Children and Family hitherto untouched in all the branches of it with any foul crimes Here is before me the many ills which may befall your sacred person and the whole Kingdom should your self and the Parliament part less satisfied one with the other than is necessary for the preservation of King and people Here are before me the things most valued most feared by mortal man Life or Death To say Sir that there hath not been a strife in me were to make me less than God knoweth mine infirmities give me And to call a destruction upon my self and young children were the intentions of my heart at least have been innocent of this great offence may be believed will finde no easie content to flesh and bloud But with much sadness I am come to a resolution of that which I take to be best becoming me to look upon that which is most principal in it self which doubtless is the prosperity of your sacred person and the Common-wealth infinitely before any private mans interest And therefore in few words as I put my self wholly upon the honour and justice of my Peers so clearly as to beseech your Majesty might please to have spared that Declaration of yours on Saturday last and intirely to have left me to their Lordships So now to set your Majesties conscience c. at liberty I do most humbly beseech you for the preventing of such mischief as may happen by your refusal to pass the Bill by this means to remove praised be God I cannot say this accursed but I confess this unfortunate thing forth of the way towards that blessed Agreement which God I trust shall for ever establish betwixt you and your Subjects Sir my consent herein shall more acquit you to God than all the World can do besides To a willing man there is no injury done And as by Gods grace I forgive all the World so Sir I can give up the Life of this World with all chearfulness imaginable in the just acknowledgment of your exceeding favours and onely beg that in your goodness you would vouchsafe to cast your gracious regard upon my poor Son and his Sisters less or more and no otherwise than their unfortunate Father shall appear more or less guilty of his death God long preserve your Majesty Your Majesties most humble and faithfull Subject and Servant STRAFFORD Tower May 4. 1641. But then this Letter you see was dated five days before the ninth day of May which was Sunday So that the account stands thus Saturday May the first the Kings Speech to both the Houses in defence of the Earl of Strafford Munday 3. The Tumult of the Citizens at Westminster crying out for justice against the Earl Tuesday 4. The said Letter was writ from the Earl to the King mentioning the Kings Speech on Saturday last Wednesday 5. The Lords laid aside the Bill of Attainder because it brought the King in as a Judge and consulted to fall upon several Articles of his Accusation Thursday 6. The Lords voted him guilty of high Treason and the Commons as busie about the Bill for continuation of the Parliament Saturday 8. Both Bills were presented to the King who promised his Answer on Munday after Sunday 9. The conference with the Bishops At the close of which and at parting at night the Bishop of Lincoln having gotten that Paper-promise under the Kings hand from the Lieutenant of the Tower or from that other person sent it or put it into the Kings hands These passages made it late on Sunday night And the next morning Munday the tenth of May he was solicited early from both Houses with those two Bills which the King signed and commissioned the Earl of Arundel the Lord Privy Seal the Lord Chamberlain and others for the passing of them the one for the continuation of the Parliament during the pleasure of the two Houses the other the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford at one time the same instant with the same Pen and Ink the King lost his Prerogative and Strafford's life also Corruptio unius generatio alterius But because we may not censure without the Book see what the King says giving his Reasons which enforced him to the signing of both these Bills and first as in order upon his passing the Bill for the Triennial Parliament and after settling this during the pleasure of the two Houses THat the world saies the King might be fully confirmed in My purposes at first to contribute what in Iustice Reason Honour and Conscience I could to the happie success of this Parliament which had in Mee no other design but the General good of My Kingdoms I willingly passed the Bill for Triennial Parliaments which as gentle and seasonable Physick
against the Earl of Strafford but mercie being as inherent and inseparable to a King as justice I desire in some measure to shew that likewise by suffering that unfortunate man to fulfill the natural course of his life in close imprisonment yet so that if he ever make the least offer to escape or offer directly or indirectly to meddle in any sort of publick business especially with me either by Message or Letter it shall cost him his life without further process This if it may be done without the discontentment of my people will be an unspeakable contentment unto me To which end as in the first place I by this Letter do earnestly desire your approbation and to endear it the more have chosen him to carry it who is of all your House most dear unto me So I desire that by conference you will endeavour to give the House of Commons contentment likewise Assuring you that the exercise of mercie is no more pleasing to me than to see both Houses of Parliament consent for my sake that I should moderate the severitie of the Law in so important a case I will not say that your complying with me in this my intended mercie shall make me more willing but certainly it will make me more chearfull in granting your just grievances But if no less than his life will satisfie my people I must say Fiat justitia Thus again recommending the consideration of my intentions to you I rest Your unalterable and affectionate Friend CHARLS R. If he must die it were charitie to reprieve him till Saturday To this Letter the Lords conceived this Order the same day May 11. 1641. This Letter all written with the Kings own hand we the Peers this day received in Parliament delivered by the hands of the Prince It was twice read in the House and after serious but sad consideration the House resolved presently to send twelve of the Peers Messengers to the King humbly to signifie that neither of the two intentions exprest in the Letter could with dutie in us or without danger to his Consort the Queen and all the young Princes their Children be possibly admitted Which being accomplished and more expressions offered his Majestie suffered no more words to come from us but out of the fulness of his heart to the observance of justice and for the contentment of his people told us that what he intended by his Letter was with an If If it may be done without discontentment to his people If it cannot be I say again the same that I wrote Fiat justitia My other intention proceeding out of charitie for a few days respite was upon certain information that his estate was distracted that it necessarily required some few daies respite for setlement thereof Whereunto the Lords answered Their purpose was to be suiters to his Majestie for favour to his innocent Children and that their Fathers provision for them might be confirmed Which pleased the King who thereupon departed from the Lords At his Majesties departure the Lords offered up to the King the original Letter which he had sent but he was pleased to say What I have written to you I shall be content it be registred by you in your House in which you see my minde I hope you will use it to mine honour Upon the return of the Lords thus much was reported to the House by the Lord Privie Seal Upon the fatal day Wednesday the twelfth of May the Earl was summoned to his period being conveyed from his Chamber in the Tower with these Ceremonies before him went the Marshal's men next them the Sheriff's Officers with Halberts then the Warders of the Tower being of the King's Guard and after the Earl's Gentleman Usher bare and then himself accompanied with the Primate of Ireland and others in his way passing by the Lodging of the Arch-bishop of Canterburie a Prisoner and casting up his eye to his Window where he looked out desired his Prayers and his Blessing who after some collection of his sadness resolved into comfort and doubted not when his own turn came that he should taste that bitter Cup with a most Christian courage The Earl being come to the Scaffold upon the Hill he addrest his Speech to the Lord Primate My Lord Primate of Ireland It is my very great comfort that I have your Lordship by me this day and I do thank God and your Lordship for it in regard that I have been known to you these many years I should be very glad to obtain so much silence as to be heard a few words but I doubt I shall not the noise is so great I come hither by the good will and pleasure of Almightie God to pay the last debt which I ow to sin which is death and by the blessing of that God to rise again through the merits of Jesus Christ to righteousness and life eternal I am come hither to submit to that Iudgment which hath passed against me I do it with a very quiet and contented minde I do freely forgive all the world a forgiveness that is not spoken from the teeth outwards as they say but from the very heart I can very well say in the presence of Almightie God before whom I stand that there is not a displeased thought arising in me towards any creature I thank God I can say and that truly too and my conscience bears me witness that in all the imploiments since I had the honour to serve his Majestie I never had any thing in the purpose of my heart but what tended to the joint and individual prosperitie of the King and people If it hath been my fortune to be mis-understood surely I am not the first that hath been so it is the common portion of us all whilest we are in this life to err but righteous judgment we must wait for in another place for here we are very subject to be mis-judged one of another There is one thing I desire to free my self of and I am confident speaking it now with so much chearfulness that it cannot be but that I shall obtain your Christian charitie in the belief of it I did alwaies think the Parliaments of England the happiest Constitutions that any Kingdom or Nation lived under and next under God the best means to make the King and his people happie so far have I been from being against Parliaments For my death I here acquit all the world and beseech the God of Heaven heartily to forgive them though in the intentions and purposes of my heart I am innocent of what I die for And my Lord Primate it is a very great comfort unto me that his Majestie conceives me not meriting so severe and heavie a punishment as is the uttermost execution of this Sentence I do insinitely rejoice in this mercie of his and I beseech God to return it upon him that he may findâ— mercie when he stands most in need of it I wish this
oppressing theirs nor were those Lords and Gentlemen which assisted me so prodigal of their Liberties as with their Lives and Fortunes to help on the enslaving of themselves and their Posterities As to Civil Immunities none but such as desire to drive on their ambitious and covetous Designs over the Ruines of Church and State Prince Peers and People will ever desire greater Freedoms than the Laws allow whose Bounds good men count their Ornament and Protection others their Manacles and Oppression Nor is it just any man should expect the Reward and Benefit of the Law who despiseth its Rule and Direction losing justly his Safetie while he seeks an unreasonable Libertie Time will best inform my Subjects that those are the best Preservers of their true Liberties who allow themselves the least licentiousness against or beyond the Laws They will feel it at last to their cost that it is impossible those men should be really tender of their Fellow-subjects Libertie who have the hardness to use their King with so severe Restraints against all Laws both Divine and Humane under which yet I will rather perish than complain to those who want nothing to complete their mirth and triumph but such Musick In point of true consciencious tenderness attended with humilitie and meekness not with proud and arrogant activitie which seeks to hatch every Egg of different opinion to a Faction or Schism I have oft declared how little I desire my Laws and Scepter should intrench on Gods Sovereigntie which is the onely King of mens consciences and yet he hath laid such Restraints upon men as command them to be subject for conscience sake giving no men libertie to break the Law established further than with meekness and patience they are content to suffer the Penalties annexed rather than perturb the publick Peace The truth is some mens thirst after Novelties others despair to relieve the Necessities of their Fortunes or satisfie their Ambition in peaceable times distrusting Gods Providence as well as their own merits were the secret but principal Impulsives to these popular Commotions by which Subjects have been perswaded to expend much of those plentifull Estates they got and enjoyed under my Government in peaceable times which yet must now be blasted with all the odious Reproaches which impotent malice can invent and my self exposed to all those Contempts which may most diminish the Majestie of a King and increase the ungratefull Insolencies of my People For mine Honour I am well assured that as mine Innocencie is clear before God in point of any Calumnies they object so my Reputation shall like the Sun after Owls and Bats have had their freedom in the Night and darker times rise and recover it self to such a degree of splendour as those feral Birds shall be grieved to behold and unable to bear For never were any Princes more glorious than those whom God hath suffered to be tried in the Fornace of Afflictions by their injurious Subjects And who knows but the just and mercifull God will do me good for some mens hard false and evil speeches against me wherein they speak rather what they wish than what they believe or know Nor can I suffer so much in point of Honour by those rude and scandalous Pamphlets which like Fire in great conflagrations flie up and down to set all places in like flames as those men do who pretending to so much pietie are so forgetfull of their Dutie to God and me By no way ever vindicating the Majestie of their King against any of those who contrary to the Precept of God and President of Angels speak evil of Dignities and bring railing Accusations against those who are honoured with the name of Gods But 't is no wonder if men not fearing God should not honour their King They will easily contemn such Shadows of God who reverence not that Supreme and Adorable Majestie in comparison of whom all the glorie of Men and Angels is but obscuritie yet hath he graven such Characters of Divine Authoritie and Sacred Power upon Kings as none may without sin seek to blot them out Nor shall their black Veils be able to hide the shining of my Face while God gives me an heart frequently and humbly to converse with him from whom alone are all the Irradiations of true Glorie and Majestie There was ever and anon some occasions offered in the Commons House against Bishops and I finde one Master Thomas to start up in confirmation of what was said there before when they voted the Bishops out of the Upper House and now he explains himself whose Speech in some Points may be observed He takes a View and Examination of all the former Actions of Bishops in Parliament from the Year 1116. to this this time in the several Reigns of three and twenty Kings and Queens of this Kingdom how obnoxious they have been to Prince and People and therefore not fit or convenient that they should continue Members of the Higher House in which they have been said he so disloyally and traiterously affected to Regality and no less mischievous and pernicious to Church and Common-wealth Then he ravels into all foreign Records whereout he could pick any personal Delinquency of any Bishop and from thence falls upon such others in the Reigns of English Sovereigns But as to their Interest in Parliament he acknowledges them from the first Parliament Anno 1116. but he would have them now considered not an fuerunt but an profuerunt and so not to debate an factum but an fieri debuit if bad the longer the worse Antiquity without Truth is but ancient Errour for Henry 1. an Usurper upon Robert his elder Brother admitted them in the Upper House to justifie hisTitle to the Crown They advanced King Stephen another Usurper though they had formerly sworn to Maud the Empress endeavouring to salve it by bringing in the Salique Law into this Kingdom And tells the story of Thomas Becket against Henry 2. that although the Papists adored him as a Saint Martyr yet the Doctours in Paris did debate whether he were damned therefore avowing that he deserved Damnation for his Contumacy towards the King being the Minister of God That Bishop Longchamp Governour or Viceroy for Richard 1. absent in the Holy War Rex Sacerdos who for his Sacrilege and barbarous Misdemeanours being taken in Womans Apparel velâ—t delicata Muliercula was banished And remember the story of the Bishop of Bavois in France taken Prisoner in his Coat of Mail was by that King sent to the Pope with a Vide an tunica filii tui sit an non That Arch-bishop Hubert advanced the Usurper King Iohn rejecting Arthur his eldest Brothers Son and yet at last deprived Iohn of his Life and Kingdom But herein Mr. Thomas is mistaken for Hubert died ten years before King John That Henry 3. and his eldest Son the Prince were forced by Stephen Arch-bishop of Canterbury to swear to be governed by four and twenty Noble-men
allowing to the King onely Primus accubitus in coenis And why onely Stephen Was it not voted by Act of the Parliament at Oxford and concluded in several Articles That Edward 2. life was taken away by Bishop Thorlton The story is that this Man Adam de Orlton was Bishop of Hereford took a Text 2 Kings 4. Caput meum aegrotat My head my head aketh whereby he advised the cure of a sick head of the Kingdom to be cut off and therefore must be guilty of his Murder afterwards Indeed there was an enigmatical Verse fathered also upon him Edvardum occidere nolite timere bonum est which Verse the Bishop utterly denied Then comes he to Edward 3. that Iohn Arch-bishop of Canterbury incited the King and Parliament to a bloudy War with France And why John Was it not voted in Parliament where all the Peers were as hot upon it as he Indeed because the Clergie in those days spake better sense than an ignorant unlearned Lord many Historians father the ill success of former actions upon them Promotors of the Designs as if in re stulta sapientes and in malo publico facundi That in Parliament the Laity offered Richard 2. a Fifteenth if the Clergy would also give a Tenth and a half which William le â—ourtney Arch-bishop opposed as not to be taxed by the Laity and thereupon the Lords besought the King to deprive them of their Temporalities thereby says he to humble them to humble them and damn the Authours of Sacrilege and cruelty yet were they mercifull not to take away all Spiritualities also Then follows H. 4. an Usurper he says and that the Bish. of Carlile opposes him in a Speech and therein so reasonable was the cause just I cannot say that the Lords combined to depose him for there were living of the House of Clarence Title to precede his of Mortimer for whom five other Bishops went Ambassadours abroad to get assistance and those Bishops also scape not the censure of doing evil by justifying this others Right to the Crown and deposed him also but then it was so voted in Parliament and therefore not all the blame to be laid upon those Bishops that acted but their part and it is true that in a Parliament in that Kings Reign a Bill was exhibited against the Temporalities of the Clergie but not passed Parliamentum indoctorum says one and the Commons fitter to enter Common with their Cattle Henry 5. succeeds he says who was incited by Arch-bishop Chidley to revive his Title to France with the effusion of much bloud and ill success And was it not true that the King had good Title to France And the same cause had Edward 3. And as just was it against the domestick Title of Henry 4. and so in sum in either of the Bishops by their Council You say it was not the Office of Bishops to incense Wars either Domestick or Foreign But then Policy is pickt up for a Reason being you say to divert the King from reforming the Clergy That in the time of Henry 6. the Protectour Duke of Glocester accused Beaufort Cardinal of Winchester But then take all the story he was also Chancellour of England great Uncle to this King Son to John of Gaunt and his Brother Cardinal of York and the greatest Crime intended was because of his greatness which the Protectour durst not trust and therefore devised a Charge of which he was not guilty but acquitted by Parliament Edward 4. follows who was taken Prisoner he says by Arch-Bishop Nevil declaring him an Usurper and entailed the Crowns of England and France upon Henry and his Issue male and in default upon Clarence disabling King Edward's eldest Brother He was a party in the Plot if there were any but then take the Junto of the Authours it was the power of that great Warwick and others that did create and unmake Kings at pleasure the confusion of the right submitting to power whether right or wrong Edward 5. his Crown was by the Prelates placed on his murderous Uncle Richard 3. the Cardinal Archbishop taking the Brother Richard out of Sanctuary that so both of them might be taken away That Cardinal was a great Actour therein but the Duke of Bukingham did the business upon whose head the Cardinal would have set the Crown who had no right thereto Henry 7. he says was perswaded by the same Cardinal Morton and prevailed to the Crown He might assist therein what honest English man would not have done so But to say that the Cardinal was the main Instrument we shall want the force of all Arguments but Gods good Providence Henry 8. called the Bishops half Subjects to him Wolsey and Campeius refused to give Judgment for his Divorce Numbring up against them the Petitions Supplications and Complaints of godly Ministers Doctour Barns Latimer Tyndal Bean and others And were not some of these godly men Bishops also That the Statutes of 31 Henry 8. yet in force against them That in Anno 37. Letters Patents were granted to Lay-men to exercise all manner of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction as the Kings Officers not the Bishops Let us never deduce Reason or Iustice from that Kings Actions more like an Atheist than a Christian either Ecclesiastical or Temporal besides the Mutation and Change of Religion then not affording any good President in either kinde But thus much as in excuse was in time of Popery He proceeds to others no less detestable he says nay more heinous since the Reformation but with this Proviso that in the Reigns of all the succeeding Sovereigns to this present he charging those reverend Bishops good men chief Pillars of the Church great Lights of Learning they doing those things as Bishops which he believes they would not have done as private Ministers to hold their Bishopricks to please great Lords Princes Kings and Emperours have not onely yielded but perswaded to introduce Idolatry to dis-inherit right Heirs to Kingdoms and force good Princes to Acts unnatural and unjust But he is not against Episcopacy or a Church-government but so much degenerate it is from the first substance Vox praeterea nihil yet would not have it demolished till a better Model be found out God-a-mercy for that And presently he charges Arch-bishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley for perswading Edward 6. that the Lady Mary might be permitted Mass in her own Chapel more like Politicians than Divines though not prevailing with that pious Prince She was the right Heir apparent to her Brother and the onely right Issue to the Crown begotten no doubt in lawfull Matrimony bred up in Romish and the might of Charls the Emperour would and did in Reason and Policy afford her liberty of her Profession without any scandal upon those Bishops for their opinion therein her Mother had suffered too much injustice and it was no justice to have denied to her Daughter this desire After Edward 6. those two Bishops Cranmer and Ridley says he
of morning-stars so called terrible weapons on the walls A world of Crescets for lights to the Town An iron chain cross the River warning to all Neighbours to draw in their Corn and Hay which was prevented the Enemy at midnight firing the worth of 1000. l. yet some grain was with much hazzard brought in and fired all our out houses from sheltring the Enemy At the beginning of December the first fruits of Skirmish at St. Lawrence Gate and west Gate The Town â—allied out 350. foot and two Troops of Horse for securing some carriages sent out for Corn from the Green Hills within half a mile the Enemy having intelligence from within and met in the middle way in a mighty Fog standing in Batalia and numbred to be 3000. At their shout the English Officers advised to retreat and no sooner said but the horse in the Rear ran back to the Gates discouraging any supply to speed for their succour yet the Governour Titchburn in this confusion the more resolute alighted and led the Foot forwards to the Succour advanced the Shot to the Hill and placed the Pikes in the narrow passage of the Lane to open for the Horse and so soon made ready The Rebells by this time had charged twice without doing hurt but the Aid being come up they charged them so full and effectual that without standing to the shock they fell back and fled chased a Mile and more in sight of the Town Walls with loss of two hundred and not one of the English hurt Amongst the Dead were one priest and three Captains one of them near a Kin to the Earl of Tyrone with pillage of some money Cloaths and Arms very useful to the Assailants Such of them Prisoners were often ransomed and if returned were well fed by their Town-sisters and so fully supplied as if they had been Martyrs Those of ours from them had been crouded in Dungeons fed with Garbage and Offals Dogs meat without Salt or Fire with Cabbage-stalks or a Sheaf of Beans and being returned almost starved seldom recovered Such of the Town Souldiers that were Papists were so poysoned by the Priests that they stole over the Walls at Mid-night by Dozens But after their usual manner with affording us false Allarms The Enemy sent an extraordinary Embassage by a Frier one Father Darcy lately a Prior of the Dominicans in that Town his Companion was a Captain of his own name beating a parley was admitted to the Captain of the Port who received his Commission in effect That the General and Captains of the Catholick Army had sent Father Darcy with others to treat with the Governour und Captains of the Town of Drogheda to whom they were to give credit as in their Names desiring safe Conduct and Return under the Governours hand before they would enter But ere it could be considered the Frier upon the bare word of an Officer presents himself By which he was told the safety of his life yet being imputed to his inconsiderate Act not skilled in arms he had Audience And his Arrand no less than the absolute surrender of the Town for his Majesties use and service assuring them beside of such Projects and Forces by Land and Sea as would confirm it impossible to be relieved The Governour and Council told him of their Commission from the King of such a Date to defend it against them but if theirs were of a later Date from his Majesty or the Lords Justices they would submit In the mean time they were better able to keep the Town than the Countrey was to keep them No such distress within to admit of so mean a thought were it by Sword or Famine to endure the most extremity And so having this â—nswer to his Arrand he took leave giving to the Governour a Copy of the Oath lately taken by the Lords of the Pale and by the rest of the Catholicks I A. B. in the presence of Almighty God and all the Angels and Saints in Heaven promise vow swear and protest to maintain and defend as far as I may with my life power and estate the publick and free exercise of the true Catholick Roman Religion against all persons that shall oppose the same I further swear that I will bear faith and true Allegeance to our Sovereign Lord King Charls his Heirs and Successors and that I will defend him and them as far as I may with my life power and estate against all such persons as shall attempt any thing against their royal Persons Honours Estates and Dignities and against all such as shall directly or indirectly endeavour to suppress their Royal Prerogatives or do any Act or Acts contrary to royal Government as also the power and Priviledges of Parliament the lawfull Right and Priviledges of the Subject and every person that makes that Vow Oath and Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my power as far as I may I will oppose and by all ways and means endeavour to bring to condign punishment even to the loss of life liberty and estate all such as shall either by force or practice Counsels Plots Conspiracies or otherwise do or attempt any thing to the contrary of any Article Clause or any thing in this present Vow Oath and Protestation contained So help me God Upon this the Governour and Council thought fit to draw up a Protestation and Oath as followeth The Protestation Whereas we are beset with such who pretend their Attempts in taking of this Town to be for the advancement of his Majesties service which notwithstanding is but a pretext to delude the vulgar we the Governour and Captains for the further manifestation and approbation of our loyalty and faithfulness to his Majesty by whose immediate command we are charged for the defence of his royal Title in it doth likewise hereby unanimously make this following Protestation and Oath The Oath To defend this Town against all outward and inward attempts whatsoever for his Majesties service And discover any Plot Conspiracie or Combination which may or shall come to my knowledge from without or within which may be any way intended to the prejudice of the whole Town or Governours and Council Nor consent that the Town shall be givâ—n up upon any pretence or cause whatsoever without the consent of the Governour and Officers or without the special command from his Majesty or chief Governour or Governours of this Kingdom But Master Mayor and Aldermen after time allowed for consideration utterly refused this Oath pretending that thereby they might hazzard the favour of a fair Quarter and two chief Officers papistical yet having taken the Oath and afterwards stealing over the Wall the one brake his Back the other his Neck and sundry others none escaped without Maims The Siege growing hot yet thâ— weather cold about the end of December friezing the River Boyn in one night a boy was taken very early upon the
out of the Kings aim for the present but to be hazzarded in the future if the Parliament do not remove it to London which was their Design Therefore the County of York petition the King that the Magazine may still remain in respect of securing the Northern parts especially where his person does reside being like David's the Light of Israel more worth than ten thousand besides The best assurance to give them sufficient answer was to seize it himself into his own hands or rather to take view of what might be fitting to remain there or to remove it for Ireland and taking onely a Guard for his person of his Domesticks and neighbour Gentry went in person the three and twentieth of April but contrary to his expectation the Gates were shut upon him the Bridges drawn up anâ— from the Walls appears Sir Iohn flatly denies him entrance his Reason without Breach of Trust to his Parliament and â—o seditiously put his Treason upon them to which the King demanded iâ— they had so directed him to shew their Order And after a reasonable time of parley Hotham having a thousand in Garison excepted against the greatness of the Kings Train at length against him and twenty Horse and at last against any at all unless by condition which the King disdaining Hotham was there to his face proclaimed Traitour And there being in the Town the Duke of York and the Prince Electour having gone there the day before to visit the place with much ado and long consultation ere they could be let out to the King And for this Treason his Majesty demands justice of his Parliament against Sir Iohn April 24. This act apprehended to be high Treason against the Kings person 25 Ed. 3. 11 H. 7. It was so certified by Letter to the Mayor and Fraternity of Kingston upon Hull as a warning to them and the Gâ—rison not to adhere to Hotham and declare their allegeance but to lay down their Arms and admit of the King and requiring them all not to permit any part of the Magazine to be removed without the Kings assent being more willing to enlarge their immunities than by any occasion to question their Charter April 25. And not being able to endure this affront he again sends to the Parliament that the Town and Magazine be immediately delivered up to him and exemplary justice upon Hotham and tells them â—ll this be done he will intend no other business whatsoever for to be worse in condition than the meanest Subject not to enjoy his own 't is time to examine how he lost them and to trie all possible waies by help of God the Law and his good Subjects to recover them and vindicate himself And concludes if we shall miscarrie herein we shall be the first Prince of this Kingdom that hath done so and God so deal with us as we continue in these resolutions To which Messages having no return Scouts are laid to intercept Letters or Messengers between Hull and the Houses which they vote to be such a Breach of Parliament as to defend it with all their lives and fortunes and order That the Sheriffs and Iustices of the peace of the Counties of York and Lincoln suppress all Forces that shall be raised or gathered together against the Town of Hull or to disturb the peace The Bill of the Militia as the King designed it to be drawn by his Council was declined by the Parliament and a new one fitted by themselves and presented to the King which he refused being the fiâ—st which he â—annot ought not must not pass for these Reasons he resolved upon against which they never gave one Argument to satisfie his judgment they having put the power in the persons nominated by them for two years excluding the Kings in disposing or executing any thing together with them without limitation or circumstance which he offered not to do neither withou their advice and in his absence in Ireland or other place to be soly in them and that for a year It was strange for them to press the King herein for the power in particular persons what to expect from an exorbitant legal power when Hotham's late insolency by a power not warranted by Law dares venture upon a treasonable disobedience Besides they had put Names out and in altering the former Ordinance with especial provision against such as would obey no Guide but the Law of the Land as in particular the good Lord Mayor of London Gurney a person now in their disfavour in whose behalf the King told them His demeanour hath been such as might be example to the Citie and the whole Kingdom This being thus refused they take to heart Hull and Hotham 's cauâ—â— by Declaration votes and orders therein That the desperate Desigâ— of Papists occasioned the Parliament to intrust Hull to Sir John Hotham a Member of theirs of the same Countie of considerable fortune and unquestionable approved integritie who not long after turned Traitour to them and the rather there because of former intercepted Letters of the Lord Digby to the Queen and Sir Lewis Dives And that Captain Leg should have surprized the Town the Earl of New-castle coming thitâ—er suspitiously aâ—d then the Kings cominâ— with force to surprize the Garison and to deprive Sir John of his life which the Parliament reserv'd for the Gallows All which being by the King a high Breach of the Privilege and violation of Parliament they think fit to clear by votinâ— it and Hotham justified and send a Committee of Lords and Commons to reside there for the better securing Hull and him April 28. It was no boot for the King to dispute these proceedings how unreasonable how unjust yet he does in an Answer to theirs advise the Subject to peruse the Statute 11 H. 7. cap. 1. and concludes with Mr. Pym's words in one of his Speeches If the Prerogative of the King overwhelm the Libertie of the People it will be turned into Tyrannie If Libertie undermine the Prerogative it will grow into Anarchie And the King adds of his own We say into confusion Nay to add to the Kings anger Hotham is authorized to issue out his Warrants to raise divers of the Trained Bands in the County of York and to march with their Arms into Hull where being come he disarms them and turns them home again This the King signifies to the High Sheriff and that it cannot be done legally but by the Kings Warrant or Writ or the Lords Lieutenants or Deputies by Commission And there being now no Lord Lieutenant and the former Commission to Colonels Captains and other Officers of Trained Bands derived from him being void And therefore commands him to signifie to all the late Colonels and Officers and to all Controllers upon their Allegeance not to muster or train or march with any Trained Bands without the Kings immediate command or Writ and if they refuse obedience then to command Posse Comitatus to suppress them
an Accommodation and states the case to the Lords The King offers says he to concur with the Parliament in the setling of our Liberties is willing to hearken unto all our Propositions and for establishing the Protestant Religion he moves us to it That the Rule of his Government shall be the Laws of the Kingdom and offers a more large and general Pardon than by any his Predecessours And truly my Lords this is all that ever was pretended unto by us We on the other side profess to make his Majestie a glorious King to endeavour to support his Dignitie and to pay unto him dutie and obedience which we by our Allegeance several Oaths and late Protestation ow unto him and to maintain all his just Regalities and Prerogatives which may be conceived is as much as his Majestie will expect from us What then is wanting to give to either mutual satisfaction The greatest difficultie may be how that which shall be agreed upon may be secured It is commonly the last point in Treaties betwixt Princes and of the greatest niceness much more between a King and his Subjects the chiefest difficultie of Accommodation for it is much easier to compose Differences arising from Reasons yea from wrongs than it is to satisfie Iealousies which arising out of diffidence and distrust grow and are varied upon every occasion nay already increased to that height and the mutual replies to those direct terms of opposition that if we make not a present stop it is to be feared speedily to pass beyond verbal contestation In some Answers it is spoken as in fear of a Civil War a word of horrour to such as have seen those unexpressible calamities witness Germany the most flourishing Countrey in Europe now reduced to monstrous miserie Of which we had lately a costly Example for in these unhappy troubles betwixt us and Scotland after there was a stop from acts of hostilitie a desire of peace and the Articles propounded yet the keeping of those Armies whilest the Treatie was on foot at Rippon and after at London cost this Kingdom no less than a million of pounds Then he proposes the way A select Committee of Parliament truly to state the matters in difference with the most probable ways of reconciling them Secondly to descend into the particulars which may be expected either in point of supporting the King or relieving his people And lastly how these conditions agreed upon may be secured Then he sums up the present unhappy estate which needs relief and remedy The deplorable estate of Ireland the Debts and Necessities of the Crown the Distractions likely to produce Confusion of Religion most dangerous and destructive to a State Besides those publick Calamities to consider the distracted condition of every one of us under the different commands of the King and of the Parliament no caution can promise any safetie inconsistent to obedience The Parliament command all persons to obey their Ordinance as the Fundamental Laws The King declares it to be contrary and commands us upon our Allegeance not to obey it and unto contrary commands Conformitie cannot be submitted but by Fasting and Prayer to reduce both parties to Reason But for what was done at York in reference to a Guard of Horse for the Kings person the Parliament vote as a preparation for War against the Parliament a Breach of the Trust reposed in him by his people contrary to his Oath and tending to the dissolution of his Government and all such as serve him there are Traitours to the Laws of the Kingdom 11 Rich. 2. 1 H. 4. Then comes out another larger Declaration or third Remonstrance of all the Kings mis-actions wherein for themselves they allege these following as infallible Positions 1. That they have an absolute power of declaring the Law and that whatsoever they declare to be so ought not to be questioned by the King or any Subject So then in consequence all right and safety of the King and his people must depend upon their pleasure 2. That no Presidents can be Limits to bound their proceedings Then may they do what they please 3. That a Parliament may dispose of any thing wherein the King or Subject hath a Right for the publick good That they without the King are this Parliament and Iudg of this publick good and that his consent is not necessary Then the Life and Liberties of the Subject and all the good Laws made for the security of them may be disposed of and repealed by the major part of both Houses at any time present and by any ways or means procured so to be and the King hath no power to protect the people 4. That no Member of either House ought to be troubled or meddled with for Treason Felonie or any other Crime without the cause first brought before the Parliament that they may judg of the Fact and their leave obtained to proceed 5. That the sovereign power resides in both Houses and that the King hath no Negative Voice Then the King must be subject to their commands 6. That the levying of Forces against the personal commands of the King though accompanied with his presence is not levying War against the King But the levying of War against his Laws and Authority which they have power onely to declare and signifie though not against his person is levying of War against the King 7. That Treason cannot be committed against his person otherwise than as he is intrusted with the Kingdom and discharging that trust and that they have a power to judg whether he have discharged this trust or no. 8. That they may dispose of the King when they will and are not to blame for so doing Certainly the Duke of Venice is of more power than such a Monarch But as large as that was it was not long ere the King returns his Answer to this Book and we may be excused for the length thereof which necessarily is required to their particulars And to which I must refer the Reader being on both parts as much and no more than the Reader may finde in the daily Transactions observed in this History heretofore set down and which hereafter follow But to this Answer of the King we meet with no Reply untill the second of November next following which the Authour styles A Treatise or rather a Tome and that he doubts not but he shall therein give ample satisfaction to the Reader By which we suspect it Apocrypha To which the King never vouchsafed any Rejoinder But the Parliament in reference to their power and authority ordain That all High Sheriffs Iustices c. within an hundred and fifty miles of the Citie of York to make stay of all Arms and Ammunition carrying to York and the persons so conveying to be apprehended c. Another also they ordain That all Sheriffs within the Kingdom of England and the Dominion of Wales shall by the power of the Counties suppress all Forces of Horse and
favour and grace by many Acts they would devise their Reasons of fear That he meant never to observe them To others that were deterred to consider the effects of abusing so gracious a Sovereign they would perswade them That those about the King could work him to their wills Then they get all the Militia and power of the Kingdom into their hands garison Hull and Hotham their Governour there and the Tower of London brought under subjection of one of their own and so with continual vexations caused the King to withdraw his person and to secure the Queen to pass beyond the Seas and himself to retire towards the North. What hath happened since his coming to York is so notorious as with amazement to all parts of Christendom to see the wisdom courage affection and loyalty of the English Nation so far shrunk and confounded by malice cunning industry of persons contemptible in number inconsiderable in fortune and reputation united onely by guilt and conspiracy against the King Treason licensed in Pulpits persons ignorant in learning seditious in disposition scandalous in life unconformable to Laws are the onely men recommended to authority and poweâ— to impoison the mindes of the multitude The Kings goods money and what not seized from him and to make the scorn compleat he must be perswaded That all is done for his good Opinions and Resolutions imposed upon him by Votes and Declarations That the King intends to levie war and then Arms are taken up to destroy him All Actions of his for his advantage are straightway voted illegal All the great Officers of State coming to the King are pursued with Warrants to all Mayors Justices Sheriffs and others to apprehend them compelling the Countries to take Arms against the King His Ships are taken from him and the Earl of Warwick made Admiral in despite of the King And after all this Mr. Martin should say That the Kings Office is forfeitable and the happiness of the Kingdom does not depend on him or any of the regal Branches of that stock And Sir Henry Ludlow should say That the King was not worthy to be King of England and that he hath no Negative Voice that he is fairly dealt with that he is not deposed that if they did that there would be neither want of modestie or dutie in them They publish scandalous Declarations commit his great Officers for doing their duties Raise an Army and chuse the Earl of Essex General with power to kill and slay whom he list They convert the Money given by Act of Parliament for the Discharge of the Kingdoms Debts and for Relief of Ireland and all to serve their turn to war against the King Commit those Lords that are loyal degrade nine Lords at a clap for coming to the King Take Tunnage and Poundage without the Kings consent But can the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commonalty of England sacrifice their Honour Interest Religion Liberty to the meer sound of a Parliament and Privilege Can their experience Reason and Understanding be captivated by words And then he sums up many of his graces favours freedoms to them and the people And yet into what a Sea of Bloud is the Rage and Fury of these men lanching out to wâ—est that from him which he is bound to defend How have the Laws of Hospitality civility been violated discourses whispers in conversation been examined and persons committed and so kept during pleasure His and the Queens Letters broken open read publickly and commented upon that Christendom abhors to correspond with us Crimes are pretended against some men and they removed for others to be preferred If Monopolies have been granted to the prejudice of the people the calamity will not be less if it be exercised by a good Lord by a Bill now then it was before by a Patent And yet the Earl of Warwick thinks fit to require the Letter Office to be confirmed to him for three Lives at the same time that it is complained of as a Monopoly and without the alteration of any circumstance for the ease of the Subject and this with so much greediness and authority that whilest it was complained of as a Monopoly he procured an Assignment to be made of it to him from the person complained of after he had by his interest stopped the proceedings of the Committee for five Moneths before the Assignment made to him upon pretence that he was concerned in it and desired to be heard And the King concludes all with this Protestation That his quarrel is not against the Parliament but against particular men who first made the wounds and will not suffer them to be cured whom he names and will be ready to prove them guiltie of high Treason And desires that the Lord Kimbolton Mr. Hollis Mr. Pym Mr. Hambden Sir Arthur Haselrig Mr. Strode Mr. Martin Sir Henry Ludlow Ald. Pennington and Capt. Ven may be delivered up to the hands of justice to be tried according to the Laws of the Land Against the Earl of Warwick the Earl of Essex Earl of Stamford Lord Brook Sir John Hotham Major General Skippon and those who shall henceforth exercise the Militia by virtue of the Ordinance he shall cause Indictments of high Treason upon the Statute of 25 Edw. 3. Let them submit to their Trial appointed by Law and plead their Ordinances if they shall be acquitted he hath done And that all his loving Subjects may know that nothing but the preservation of the true Protestant Religion invaded by Brownism Anabaptism and Libertinism the safetie of our person threatned and conspired against by Rebellion and Treason the Law of the Land and Libertie of the Subject oppressed and almost destroyed by an usurped unlimited arbitrarie power and the freedom privilege and dignitie of Parliament awed and insulted upon by force and Tumults could make us put off our long-loved Robe of peace and take up defensive Arms. He once more offers pardon to all those that will desire the same except the persons before named if not he must look upon these Actions as a Rebellion against him and the Law who endeavour to destroy him and his people August 12. 1642. The Parliament had passed an Act for raising of four hundred thousand pounds by Overtures of Adventurers and Contributions and Loans for Relief of Irelaâ—d and Money and Plate was thereafter very heartily brought in to the Parliament when upon the thirtieth of Iuly the vote That the Treasurers appointed to receive the money already come in upon Subscriptions for Ireland do forthwith furnish by way of Loan unto the Committee for defence of the Kingdom one hundred thousand pounds for the supplie of the publick necessitie and defence of this Kingdom upon the Publick Faith Of which the King remembers them and of the Act of Parliament That no part of that money shall be imployed to any other purpose than the reducing of those Rebells And therefore charges the House of Commons as they will answer the
with Mr. Hotham who was in ill case to continue but must be forced to retreat to Hull The Forces of the West in Cornwall for the King began to form into a Body near Pendennis Castle the Governour thereof Sir Nicholas Slaning a gallant Gentleman and assisted 〈…〉 others Sir Bevil Greenvile who possessed themselveâ—â—â—aunston the County Town of Cornwall but not long after Sir Ralph Hopton appears in chief command over the Cavaliers The Parliament had Plymouth the neighbour Port Town of Devonshire bordering Cornwall in the South and Sir George Chudly a Stickler for them for a time onely The Kings party increased in Mid-Wales and descending Southwards as he marches the Welch come to him from all parts of Hereford Monmouth mightily increasing by the power and industry of the Earl of Worcester their Brigades reaching to Oxford and round about where Prince Rupert commanded who took Powder and Match marching through Staffordshire to reprieve Manchester The Parliament party lay about Warwick Coventrie Worcester Buckingham and their Brigades round about even to Glocester Some Arms for the King are landed at Newcastle and ten thousand pounds in Money to raise Dragoons in Northumberland and to fall into Yorkshire which appeared for the King The King on his march from Wales descended Southward and now being near Stafford the Parliament order That the Citie of London be strongly guarded and Posts Bars and Chains be erected and set up in places and by-lanes of the Parishes of St. Margarets Westminster St. Martins in the Fields St. Clements Savoy Holborn St. Giles Covent-garden St. Johns Street â—lerkenwell Criplegate Shoreditch White-chapel Islington Mile-end Southwark Lambeth or any other places necessary at the charge of the Parish by equal Assesment Octob. 22. And the Parliament declare a solemn Protestation to all the world In the presence of Almightie God for the satisfaction of their Consciences and the Discharge of that great Trust which lies upon them That no private passion or respect no evil intention to his Majesties person no Design to the prejudice of his just Honour and Authoritie engaged them to raise Forces and take up Arms against the Authours of this War whereof the Kingdom is now inflamed And after they have by clearing themselves lodged the occasion upon the Contrivers Papists about the King for extirpation of the Protestant Religion wherein principally this Kingdom and Scotland are concerned as making the greatest Body of Reformation in Christendom they conclude For all which Reasons they are resolved to enter into a solemn Oath and Covenant with God to give up themselves lives and fortunes into his hands and defend this his cause with the hazzard of our lives against the Kings Armie according to a form agreed upon and to be subscribed and to associate and unite with all the well-affected of the Citie of London and other parts of his Majesties Dominions 〈…〉 expect their dear Brethren of Scotland that they will help and 〈◊〉 defence of this Cause which if the Popish partie prevail must needs involve Scotland in the like alteration of Religion and engage them also in a War against this Kingdom to defend their own Religion And this they do again they say protest before the everliving God to be the chief end of all their counsels and resolutions without any intention to injure his Majestie either in his person or just power Octob. 22. And the Battail of Edg-hill the next morning being Sunday After the Kings party had beat the Enemy at Worcester Fight the three and twentieth of September he joyns all his Brigades near hand and marches to meet General Essex hovering thereabout to watch the Kings Designs who lodged on Saturday night October 22. at Sir William Chancies six miles near Keinton and Essex at Keinton And early the next morning being Sunday the three and twentieth drew up into a Body near Keinton and ascending the top of Edg-hill with his Prospective Glass took view of Essex his Army in the Vale of the Red Horse about a Mile distant but before the King could draw into order he was saluted with three Pieces of Cannon from the other side with three Shouts of their Souldiers And being asked by his Officers what his Majesty meant to do To give him Battel said the King it is the first time I ever saw the Rebells in a Bodie God and good mens prayers to him assist the justice of my cause And instantly ordered the Fight by the return of two Shot of Cannon in answer to theirs about two of the clock after noon the Word was God and King Charls his greatest Body of Horse was on the right Wing and on the left some Horse and Dragoons The Parliaments Army was put into this order the Foot a good space behinde the Horse when the Charge began three Regiments of Horse on the right Wing the Generals Regiment commanded by Sir Philip Stapleton Sir Balfore's Regiment who was Lieutenant General of the Horse and the Lord Fielding's Regiment which stood behinde the other two as a Reserve Sir Iohn Meldrum had the Van with his Brigade Colonel Essex the middle the General 's Regiment the Lord Brook and Colonel Hollis had the Rear in the left Wing were twenty Troops commanded by Sir Iames Ramsey Commissary General And thus they stood The Earl of Lindsey Lord High Chamberlain of England was the Kings Captain General but the Fight was ordered by the Lord Ruthen since made Earl of Forth a Scotish man and the General lead on the main Body with a Pike in his hand it is said that General Essex lead on his Forces also but then it is confessed that he was advised to retire from Danger and so he escaped when the other was killed The Forlorn Hope was commanded by Major Baâ—stake and Captain Hamond both of them Officers in Sir Lewis Diveâ— Regiment of Foot and drawn down the Hill to the side of a Ditch lined with Musquetiers and both sides had no sooner fired but that the Kings Cannon followed and discharged six or seven Shot Prince Rupert General of the Horse commanding the right Wing routed their left Wing and followed them in chafe to Keinton Town and two Miles beyond killing all whom they overtook the Lord Ruthen ordered the left Wing of the Kings Horse with the Lord Wilmot both of them doing gallant service 't is true Prince Rupert presumed that he had left a sufficient Reserve of Horse behinde under command of the Earl of Carnarvan with some other Troops who seeing the Enemies Horse and Foot to run his spirit not accustomed to stand still followed too far and left their own Foot naked of Horse which Essex espying took the advantage and with his Horse fell upon the Foot including these Regiments the Lord Generals Colonel Fieldings and Colonel Bowels a Regiment raised by the Lord Paget and did much execution upon them this service being done by Colonel Hurry afterwards Major General for the Parliament The Lord General Lindsey
there a person much in favour with the King which so allarmed the Cardinal that finding him tripping in some counsel for accommodation with Spain and pressing for a peace so hatefull and dangerous to the Cardinal he was sent to Lyons with Monsieur de Thoü and there both beheaded The Duke of Bovillon was condemned on that score but saved by Intercession of the Prince of Orange who had rendered France remarkable service in Germany and so meriting no less than the saving of an innocent sufferer Thus this ambitious Cardinal choaked with the bloud of the French Peers and some coldness to him from the King took sickness and the fourth of December 1642. died His Life was like that of Sejanus their Death different this Man in his Bed who deserved violence He was born at Paris of noble Extraction took Priesthood at Rome where Pope Paul the fifth by his visiognomy told him That he should become the great Cheat of the Word The Queen Mother preferred him first to be Bishop of Laron where he wrote that Book of controversie full of wit and learning then she put him to the King and afterwards commends him to the Pope who sent him the Cap and after the famous Siege and forcing Rochel he became Commander of the King and Kingdom his policy made him ingratefull to his Mistress cruel to any that shadowed him from the Sun-shine of glory and ambition he cut off the Marillack's head and many others of the greatest eminency sparing none that opposed him pardoning none an accomplisht Machiavel if not exceeding beloved by the most zealous Protestants and hated by the most devout Catholicks His task was to ruine Lorain beginning with that of Guise and in deadly malice with Austria He was the Engine to imbroil this Monarchy of Great Brittain tampering with the Scots into their Rebellion and after with England the onely means to ruine Religion in which he observed so much setlement as that in fine it might have given a turn to the Romish And indeed he imbroil'd the World into Divisions that himself might govern by that means and thereby hath the honour of setling France by his superlative service His Life tyrannous cruel which caused him in continual fears and much disquiet He deserves a voluminous memory and he hath it made up a Medley of good and evil merit Most men expected a mighty change in that Government but he setled his Succession upon his Confident Cardinal Mazerine whom he so instructed that the work went on in the former Frame and so continues to this day But the French King outlived not long the Haresser of this his Journey to Catalonia but returning to Paris extreme sad and loth to die was forced the more to leave this life and to declare the Queen Regent or Governess of his young Son the King recommends the Cardinal to her who had received him long before This King was kept under by Richlieu who indeed did his work and made him outward glorious ambitiously hurried on to War his own good nature desirous of peace In whose time though the Hugonots were destroyed he assisted the Duke de Nevers to the Succession of the Dutchy of Mantua seized upon Lorain allied with Swede and the Protestant Princes against the Emperour and House of Austria disturbing the peace of all Europe In these great men ends this Year We begin this Year 1643. with a Treaty of peace for in truth honest men and wise men were weary of War and therefore Sir Benjamin Rudyerd said well in a Speech when he told the Parliament in February last The War would soon ruine all He did verily believe said he That the Vote already pass'd For the Disbanding the Armies the next Moneth will finde us no farther on our way than where we now are besides the ill Accidents thaâ— may happen and so much precious time spent as till then The main Business is whether we shall have a present Treaty or no and this concerns us in all that we have and Are. Since we refused a Treaty at Nottingham I do not finde that we have gotten much ground although our Army then was fresh full and full paid the People erect bountifull and forward to the War Now the Disposition of the Kingdom for the greatest part stands bent towards a Peace so that wheresoever the Refusal or Delay of the way to it shall be fixt the Disadvantage will fall on that side How clear soever the Intentions of the House are yet abroad it will be taken but as a Shew without Reality and so it will be returned upon us For the Propositions I have not known nor heard that all the Propositions in any Treaty of Importance were ever swallowed whole If some be harsh and rough they may be wrought and suppled by wise Treaters made fit for an acceptable Agreement If other be unpassable they may be totally rejected Those that are our unquestionable Rights may be so claim'd and held We have already tasted the bitter bloudy Fruits of War we are grown exceedingly behinde-hand with our selves since we began it â—f we persist there will such a confluence of Mischiefs break in upon us as I am afraid will ruine the King the Kingdom the Nation unless God be mercifull to us and do step in with a great Miracle for a little one will not serve our turn I have long and thoughtfully expected that the Cup of Trembling which hath gone round about us to other Nations would at length come in amongst us It is now come at last and we may drink the Dregs of it the worst which God divert There is yet some comfort left that our Miseries are not likely to last long For we cannot fight here as they do in Germany in that great large vast Continent where although there be War in some parts of it yet there are many other remote quiet places for Trade and Tillage to support it We must fight as in a Cock-pit we are surrounded with the Sea We have no stronger Holds than our own Sculls and our own Ribs to keep out Enemies so that the whole Kingdom will suddenly be but one flame It hath been said in this House that we are bound in conscience to punish the shedding of innocent bloud with bloud But Sir who shall be answerable for all the innocent bloud which shall be spilt hereafter if we do not endeavour a Peace by a speedy Treaty Certainly God is as much to be trusted in a Treaty as in a War it is He that gives wisdom to treat as well as courage to fight and Success to both as it pleaseth him Bloud is a crying sin it pollutes a Land why should we deâ—ile this Land any longer Wherefore Mr. Speaker Let us stint bloud as soon as we can Let us agree with our Adversaries in the way by a present short wary Treaty God direct us It was sound counsel and for the present begat a Treaty
on to Warwick and there refreshed fell upon Strafford Avon commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Wagstaff Colonel Croker and Trist a Dutchman and some Companies of Foot with these they made good the Bridg faced the Enemy but not able to endure the Ordnance made a safe Retreat and left the Town to the Enemy who in fear of some stratagem made a hasty plunder and retreated to Warwick and so to Staffordshire where his Lordship by his Reputation and presence sought to dissolve the Association of the Gentry there and reduce the County to the Parliament Being come to Lichfield he gets into the Town indefencible and unarmed but those Forces that were there under the Earl of Chesterfield retired to the precincts of the Cathedral called A Close a place more tenable Brook being Master of the Town gave on upon the Enemy and whilest they fought he was got up into a chamber-window and peeping at a loop-hole of the Window received a fatal Shot upon the Ey-ball of which he instantly sunk down and died The remarkable passage is that the Lord Brook was shot in the eye on Saint Chad's day the first Bishop of the Mercians of that Church and that by the Son of a Clergy man the Enemy of the Church was killed The Assailants having lost their Leader retired for a while but came on again and took the Church together with the Earl of Chesterfield and all his Souldiers being many and some good Ordnance The Report was constant that the Lord Brook had ordered his Chaplain at his setting forth to this Encounter to preach upon this Text If I perish I perish Hest. c. 4. And himself prayed and used this Execration upon himself and Souldiers That if the cause he followed were not right and just he might be presently cut off and that he hoped to live to see the day when one stone of Saint Paul 's Church in London should not be left upon another Should be killed in the Eye and not the Lid touched He that disliked the Letany for the Prayer against sudden Death should die stone-dead But on Sunday afterwards March 22. the Commanders of the Kings Forces besiege Lichfield received intelligence that Sir Iohn Gell and Sir William Brereton for the Parliament with a Body of three thousand were coming to the Relief of the Besieged they drew out eight hundred Horse and three hundred Dragoons and came upon them unexpected and the Parliaments Horse not able to endure the Charge were put to flight and the Foot seeing themselves deserted forsook the Field leaving the Victory intire to the Kings party many killed and Prisoners taken with Ammunition and Baggage some Ordnance and four Drakes but all these were full dearly bought for though the King lost but few men he had it at no less price than the Earl of Northampton's life a gallant faithfull Lord who charging in the Head of his Troop was so-ingaged that his own Saddle-horse being shot and failing he was unfortunately slain and though he lost his life yet Victory attended him to his grave vanquishing those by whom he suffered and died a Protestant professour contrary to the feigned Report devised on him But afterwards Lichfield Close was gotten for the King by Prince Rupert the one and twentieth of April who having sprung his Mine made a reasonable Breach which assailing and at the same time others scaled the Walls both which failing and he sent for to Court gave them a fresh Attempt as a Farewell at which they yielded Lieutenant Colonel Russel commanding in chief to depart with fourscore Horse Men and Arms as many Musquetiers with Colours flying a free Pass and eleven Carts for their Baggage to Coventry and all Prisoners taken on either side since the Lord Brook came into the Countrey should be released It was on Saturday April 17. that the General Essex sate down before Reading and the next day made an Attempt thereon but was beaten off by Sir Arthur Aston the Governour an old Souldier bred up in the Wars of Germany from his youth A second Onset followed and entered upon one of the Out-works and repulsed with loss and for that good service the King sent them thanks with a Supply of seven hundred Musquetiers and sufficient Ammunition which was conveyed to Dorchester and so by a considerable strength of Horse to the water-side just against the Town by break of day and by Boats got in the Besiegers seeing it done but far off to hinder it But the place not able to indure the several Attempts of so great an Army daily supplied with fresh men the City of London Trained Bands and plenty of all provisions the last Encounter of the Besiegers with their great Ordnance shooting into the Town the Governour got a dangerous Bruise on the Head by the fall of some Brick-bats and in much danger the command devolved on Colonel Fielding and by him the Town was delivered up to their Enemy upon noble Conditions All the Forces to march out in warlike manner with free passage to Oxford with fifty Carts for Carriage the Town not to be plundered and such as will may remove from thence within six weeks and this was done on May day Of which sudden Surrender Fielding was questioned and committed at Oxford and by a Council of War sentenced to lose his head but left to the Kings mercy and by importunity of his Kindred the Villiers he had pardon And Sir Arthur Aston recovered of his Mischance to do the King good service for many years after In May the Overseers for demolishing all Pictures Crosses and what not that were so idolatrous abominable concluded their Reformation in that Monument of Adornment to the City Cheapside the great Cross after the Multitude had defaced the excellent Statues thereon of former Kings and Queens they pulled down the whole Fabrick to the ground in hate to Idolatry as was pretended but more certainly they made good use of the Gold and Lead which the pride of the City formerly had set out with much cost and now as forward to pull it down for the benefit of the State service And the next good Act they voted the Queen a Traitor for taking part with her Husband for now she was ready to march with good Forces towards the King Captain Hotham the Son being imprisoned by the Parliament made his Escape and sent to the Earl of Newcastle that he would cast himself into his arms and that Hull and Lincoln should be rendered to him and is now gone to his Father at Hull and both of them stand upon their guard The Queen now at Newark with some Forces intends to lie at Werton and thence to Ashby and there resolve what to do the Enemies Forces from Nottingham being gone to Leicester and Derby to intercept the Queens passage The Queen before she departed left for the safety of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire two thousand Foot and Arms for five hundred more and twenty
of answering these they ran quite away leaving the Field with five hundred Muskets fourteen Barrels of Pouder a whole Stand of Pikes with some Arms but their Cannon they got off This Fight lasted form two a clock afternoon till one the next morning These aforesaid we finde slain with eight Officers and some Gentlemen of note Mr. Leak Son to the Lord Daincourt found dead at day-light with his Enemies Colours about his arm Mr. Barker Lieutenant Colonel Wall Serjeant Major Lower Captain Iames Captain Chalwell and Mr. Bostard But then it is said that Waller's Foot were absolutely dispersed or cut off with great loss of Officers Horse and Foot modestly reported onely it is assured the Cavaliers kept the Field Arms and Pillage and such other signs of Victory And this was done the fifth of Iuly Whilest Waller fights their General Essex solicites the Parliament with Letters inclining to petition for a Peace which though it took well with some Lords yet being read to the Commons Mr. Vassal a London Burgess desired that their General should be pressed to speak more plainly and that if after the expence of two Millions of Treasure he had a minde to lay down Arms he should let them know it that as good a Souldier as he should take them up meaning Sir Will. Waller who was generally cried up by the City untill they heard of his Defeat near the Devises Round-way-down whither the King having sent some Troops of Horse towards the West which came within three Miles of the Devises were met with by Waller's Forces being on the Down between the Cavaliers and the Town to hinder their joyning with the rest of the Army Some Regiments of Horse on each side began the fight with equal success till Waller's Horse made â— Retreat to their Strength which lay on a Hill where he was and drew out his Foot and commanded the Onset but his Horse not enduring the hazzard left the Foot to their Enemies Sword or mercifull Quarter hundreds of them slain and more Prisoners taken four fair Brass Guns Ammunition and Baggage eight and twenty Colours and nine Corners I wonder at this Defeat for Sir William Waller had advantage of number in Men and Arms five Regiments of Foot six of Horse five hundred Dragoons eight Brass Guns It is confest that the Cavaliers were but fifteen hundred Horse additional to the other Forces with two small Pieces of Cannon And to adorn the Victory the Queen made her triumphant Entry into Oxford that day her Return from beyond Seas And on the other side to encourage Sir William Waller at this time when their Generalissimo was suspected the Parliament voted to make and confirm Leases of the Office of Botelier of England a Place of good profit and credit both The twelfth of August the Earl of Lindsey Great Chamberlain of England was welcomed to Oxford from his Restraint and Imprisonment since Edg-hill Fight being now received by the Queen Council and Court with all Expressions of Honour to him and more could not be done for the present in respect of the Kings absence at Gloâ—ester Siege The five and 20. of August the Earls of Bedford and Holland went from London towards Oxford and being gotten to Wallingford intrusted themselves with the Kings Forces untill their coming to submit to his Majesty in the mean time they are received by the Governour Colonel Blagge with honourable respect and so at last they were brought to the King professing their Duty and Allegeance and acknowledging their Errours this long time whom the King received with favour and forgiveness They held not out in this their Protestation but fled back again to the Parliament The Committees of Nottingham and Lincoln held intelligence with some Prisoners of theirs in the Marshals â—ustody at Newark whom they designed to blow up or to surprize the Magazine there whilest they had some favour and freedom of the Goaler their Letter conveyed to the Imprisoned discovers as much as will be necessary to know the men more than the matter Gentlemen and Prisoners for the Lord Jesus our long laboured Design is now ripe Your care is expected according to your faith and promise We doubt not but the opportunity of the Liberty afforded you may advance the good Cause The Magazine is near enough to you Give notice to our Brâ—thren under the Provost Marshall Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall finde so doing Matth. 24. 46. The appointed time holdeth which we hope to our hands Lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Luke 21. 28. Whereâ—ore comfort one another with these words 2. Thess. 4. 18. The rest will we set in order when we come 1 Cor. 11. 24. Greet all the Brethren 1 Thess. 5. 26. The Lord establish the Work of our hands upon us Work of our hands establish he it Psal. 90. is the Prayer of Yours in the Lord The Committee of Nottingham and Lincoln Scripture is often made use of by the Sectaries to factious and seditious ends and here to the hazzard of Murder the easiest terms I can afford them The Lecturers were the most busie meddling men even so as ever have been the Kiâ—kmen of Scotland and therefore Mr. Saltmarsh a seditious Minister contrived certain Propositions of Counsel which were read in the House amongst many were these 1. That all means should be used to keep the King and his People from sudden union 2. To cherish the War under the Notion of Popery as the surest means to engage the People 3. If the King would not grant their Demands then to root him out and the royal Line and collate the Crown upon some body else This last was too harsh to be swallowed by reasonable good men who excepted against it but Mr. Henry Martin said He saw no reason to condemn Mr. Saltmarsh adding That it were better one Family should be destroyed than many To which Mr. Nevil Pool replied That Mr. Martin might explain what One Family he meant Martin bold and beastly answers The King and his Children For which Speech before the time was ripe to discover that Secret he was voted a Prisoner to the Tower Mr. Pym himself urging upon him his extreme lewdness of life but this punishment was but to cool the heat of the House for that time for Martin was soon released upon the change of the Lieutenant of the Tower forthwith following The Recruits of the Army fell heavy upon the City of London who were caressed with all kindness to finish the Work and to set out Sir William Waller again and to win upon them Sir Edward Coniers was commanded to surrender his Lieutenancy of the Tower unto Pennington the Mayor of London and so Mistris Mayoress was quit with Mistris Ven that she should be Governess of Windsor Prison as she called it and thereby command over Souldiers which was a power she now might equal with hers
raised by the Kings Commission here for that purpose were imployed in the Army of General Essex These things were known in Ireland and the effects foreseen which encouraged the Rebells there in some hopes of Peace by the Protestants necessities if not it might be possible for some Pacification or Cessation To that end the Irish frame a short Petition to the King presented to the Lords Justices and Council there in the Name of the Roman Catholicks for to be heard to speak for themselves In the beginning of December after the Irish Committee petition the King at Oxford of the miserie and necessitie of that gasping Kingdom unless timely Relief were not his loyal Subjects must yield their fortunes a prey their lives a sacrifice and their Religion a scorn to the merciless Rebells Upon which Commissioners meet on both sides but so unsatisfactory that the Kings Lieutenant General there being troubled with the cavils and proceedings of the Rebells marched out in Feb. with two thousand five hundred Foot and five hundred Horse to force Victual from them for his Army not having received any Relief from England in four Moneths before so that in March 16. following the Lords Justices and Council signifie That the State and Army there were in terrible want and that unless Money Munition Arms Cloaths were speedily sent thither utter destruction and loss of that Kingdom must follow Instead of Redress the very Ships as were to transport thither Cloaths and Victuals from charitable people were seized and taken by the Earl of Warwick and endeavours here to draw the Scots Forces from thence into this Kingdom to assist the Parliament Whereupon the Marquess Ormond the Kings Lieutenant General there had the 31. of Iuly last Commission to agree of a Cessation for a year which was concluded at Singinston the fifteenth of September at twelve a clock for a year and confirmed by Proclamation of the Lords Justices and Council at Dublin the nineteenth of September 1643. Donough Viscount Muskery Dillon Plunket Talbot Barnwell and others were for the Catholick Subjects as they styled themselves The Articles are ordinarily the same as usual free Trade and Prisoners of War released And as a Gift to the King they ingage for thirty thousand eight hundred pounds to be paid as a Present to the Kings use at several Payments before May-day Then to justifie the necessity of the Cessation for the good of the Kingdom we finde an Instrument setting down the misery of the Nation and want in the Army It had been proposed to very many persons of Honour and others in the Army who framed a Writing importing all the former particulars and there conclude They for these causes do conceive it necessary for his Majesties Honour and Service that the said Marquess Ormond assent to a Cessation of Arms for one whole Year on the Articles and Conditions drawn up and to be perfected by virtue of his Majesties Commission for the preservation of this Kingdom of Ireland witness our Hands this fifteenth of Sept. 1643. Clanricard and St. Albans Roscomon Dungarven Brahazon Inchequin Lucas Ware Erule Hunks Paulet Eustace Povey Gifford Percival Warren Cook c. Upon the Rebellion and Troubles in Ireland and upon the Cessation of Arms there the King hath expressed himself with that clearness as to the satisfying of all malicious Aspersions which some men have endeavoured to charge upon him where he saith That the Commotions in Ireland were so sudden and so violent that it was hard at first either to discern the Rise or applie a Remedie to that precipitant Rebellion Indeed that Sea of Bloud which hath there been cruelly and barbarously shed is enough to drown any man in eternal both infamie and miserie whom God shall finde the malicious Authour or Instigatour of its Effusion It fell out as a most unhappie Advantage to some mens malice against me that when they had impudence enough to lay any thing to my charge this bloudie opportunitie should be offered them with which I must be aspersed although there was nothing which could be more abhorred to me being so full of sin against God disloyaltie to my self and destructive to my Subjects Some men took it very ill not to be believed when they affirmed that what the Irish Rebells did was done with my privitie at least if 〈◊〉 by my Commission But these knew too well that it is no news for some of my Subjects to fight not onely without my Commission but against my Command and Person too yet all the while to pretend they fight by my Authoritie and for my safetie I would to God the Irish had nothing to allege for their imitation agâ—â—st those whose blame must needs be the greater by how much Protestant-principles are more against all Rebellion against Princes than those of Papists Nor will the goodness of mens intentions excuse the Scandal and Contagion of their Examples But who ever fail of their Dutie toward me I must bear the blame this Honour mine Enemies have always done me to think moderate Injuries not proportionate to me nor competent Trials either of my patience under them or my pardon of them Therefore with exquisite malice they have mixed the Gall and Vineger of falsitie and contempt with the Cup of my Affliction charging me not onely with untruths but such as wherein I have the greatest share of Loss and Dishonour by what is committed whereby in all Policie Reason and Religion having least cause to give the least consent and most grounds of utter detestation I might be represented by them to the world the more inhumane and barbarous Like some Cyclopick Monster whom nothing will serve to eat and drink but the flesh and bloud of mine own Subjects in whose common welfare mine interest lies as much as some mens doth in their perturbations who think they cannot do well but in evil times nor so cunningly as in laying the Odium of those sad Events on others wherewith themselves are most pleased and whereof they have been not the least occasion And certainly 't is thought by many wise men that the preposterous Rigour and unreasonable Severitie which some men carried before them in England was not the least Incentive that kindled and blew up into those horrid Flames the Sparks of Discontent which wanted not pre-disposed fewel for Rebellion in Ireland where Despair being added to their former Discontents and the Fears of utter Extirpation to their wonted Oppressions it was easie to provoke to an open Rebellion a People prone enough to break out to all exorbitant violence both by some Principles of their Religion and the natural Desires of Libertie both to exempt themselves from their present Restraints and to prevent those after-rigours wherewith they saw themselves apparently threatned by the covetous zeal and uncharitable furie of some men who think it a great Argument of the Truth of their Religion to endure to no other but their own God knows as I can with Truth
Parliament at Edenburgh but Montrose and his friends do not appear The Covenanters out vote the Royal party by seventy voyces assuming all Soveraign power with the King and ordain to Levy a powerful Army against the King in ayd of the English Parliament And now again they deal with Montrose who to work the Kings interests the better he accepts and is caressed by Alexander Henderson the Covenanters Apostle to satisfie his conscience who to sift the secrets with Napier Ogleby and Keer meet neer Sterling To those Henderson discovers that it was resolved to send an Army in ayd of their brethren in England against the King that for his own part he was happy to be a Minister and Mediatour in so blessed a businesse entreating Montrose to speak his minde freely and to commit the affairs to him effectually to manage it with the Parliament for profit and honour to them all To which Montrose returns a hopeful answer In company of Henderson comes one Sir Iames Rolloch chief of an ancient Family and Kinsman to Montrose who assures him that Henderson had instructions from the Parliament to treat Montrose acquaints all his friends who though passionate for the King yet his loss being without recovery and themselves unable to act they would be lookers on But he and Ogleby post's to England and arrive at Oxford whilst the King was at the siege of Glocester to the Queen they communicate all but she over-affected to the interest and power of the Hamiltons neglects them who go to the King at Glocester and inform him that of necessity the strength of treasons ought to be broken ere it grew to big The King in distresse what to doe to struggle with the deep-rooted confidence he had of the Hamiltons the subtil devices of desperate Courtiers who daily buzzed in his ears too Montrose's prejudice in ballance with Hamiltons and so returns to his winter quarters at Oxford where the publique reports of Scotland fixed Montrose's discoveries to be true the Scots Army being raised 18000. foot and 2000. horse and upon the borders then Hamilton in Scotland posts his Letters of discovery to the King with this excuse that he and his friends had prevailed to prevent an invasion the last Summer but now winter is come and the Army marching The King shews these Letters to Montrose and commands his advice and counsel to recover him from the treachery of such â—o whom he had intrusted his greatest concernments It was with several daies counsel thus concluded That the King should send some Souldiers out of Ireland inâ—o the west of Scotland to order the Marquesse of Newcastâ—â— the Kings General of his Northern Forces in England to assist Montrose with a party of Horse to enter the south of Scotland and so into the heart of that kingdom That the King of Denmark might be dealt with for some Troops of Germane Horse And Montrose to have some Army from beyond seas into Scotland All these the King would undertake to effect and gave assured trust in Montrose his valour faith and good fortune And instantly sends for the Earl of Antrim of Scotish extraction descended of the Noble and ancient Family of the Mac-donalds and lately matched in mariage to the Duke of Buckinghams Widow and being driven out of Ireland resided at the Court at England Antrim confirms this Counsel with assurance to Montrose that he would be in Arguile a part of Scotland bordering upon Ireland by the first of April 1644. and this was in December And Sir Io. Cockram is sent forthwith to the King of Denmark for Horse and Arms and post is sent to the Marquesse of Newcastle to prepare for Montrose's coming who is instantly Commissioned to be Governour of Scotland and General of the Kings Army there But presently comes Hamilton and his Brother the Earl of Lanerick post from Scotland and gives out by the way that they were banished their Countrey for Loyalty to the King and were forced to fly to him for succour With much adoe the King was advised to forbid them the Court Lanerick stayes in Oxford and suddainly gets to the Parliament at London and afterwards to the Scotish Army so soon as they entred England and ever since to do them service And thereupon Hamilton is sent prisoner to Pendennis Castle in Cornwal Montrose having intelligence of several Scots Counties suspected of disloyalty advised the King to invite the Scots in Court to a Protestation heartily to detest the courses of the Covenanters and condemned the coming in of the Army into England against the King and the Laws of the Land as an act of treason promising and vowing to acquit themselves of that scandal and to the utmost of their power and hazard of their lives and fortunes to oppose those that were guilty But as the most Scots took this Protestation so the Earl of Traquair and Mr. William Murray of the Bedchamber a while refusing for fear of the Covenanters yet afterwards engaged themselves by solemn oath to aid Montrose in Scotland by a day prefixt which Oath they basely broke Montrose hastens to the Marquesse Newcastle who discourses of nothing more then the necessity of his Army the Scots having spoiled his Recruits and were quartered within five miles of him that he could not spare a Horse but if hereafter he should winde himself from this present danger he would not be wanting in the best of his service to Montrose and so in much necessity he affords him 200. Horse with 2. brasse field pieces with Orders to all the Kings Forces to aid him in his journey to Scotland and was met by the Counties of Cumberland and Westmerland with 800. Foot and three Troops of Horse and he had got together some noble friends with 200. Horse more and enters Scotland the 13. of April 1644. where we leave him to that yeare It was this year that the French were famous for the Battle of Rocroy being besieged by Don Francisco de Melo with an Army so compleat as nothing additional could be devised But ere he sets down he creates the Duke of Alburquerque General of the Horse a young Portugâ—ese and God knowes a pittiful Souldier whom the Officers did not obey But when the French fell on they need not fight for the enemy began to rout and then to run and the other to follow their execution And this service was done by the fate without fighting of the Duke of Anguien now Prince of Conde He had the glory but General Gassion did the work and was the cause of the taking of Theouville But Melo was therefore turned out of command though of himself a gallant person but ill successe must be punished to please the Fates for the King of Spain was constrained thereby to call him home and to give the Government to Castel-rodrigo till the Arch Duke Leopold came himself thither But as the French won the day here so oftentimes they lose others these Two Monarches shuffling for the Goal
Merits The Queen began her Journey this day from Oxford towards the West of England those parts the most free from the poweâ— of her Enemies and more peaceable for her quiet rather than Oxford where though she were safe yet not secure from noise and business not much though regarding their Forces nor much troubled at the falsities for which the Parliament at VVestminster had voted her a Traitour besides the vain Libells that were let loose from Press and Pulpit in much plenty against the honour and dignity of Majesty and so she was conducted by the King Prince and Duke of York waited on with the chief Nobility and Gentry the first days Journey The King in presence of his Peers before they parted from Oxford received the holy Eucharist at Christ's Church from the hands of the Arch-bishop of Armagh used these publick Expressions immediately before his receiving the blessed Elements he rose up from his knees and beckning to the Arch-bishop for a short forbearance made this Protestation My Lord I espie hâ—re many resolved Protestants who may declare to the world the Resolution I do now make I have to the utmost of my power prepared my Soul to become a worthy Receiver and may I so receive comfort by the blessed Sacrament as I do intend the Establishment of the true Reformed Protestant Religion as it stood in its beauty in the happy daies of Queen Elizabeth without any connivence at Popery I bless God that in the midst of these publick Distractions I have still liberty to communicate and may this Sacrament be my Damnation if my heart do not joyn with my lips in this Protestation The King had caused a Garison in South Wales at Swansey a Town of good note in the County of Glamorgan under command of the high Sheriff residing there in person and were summoned from a Ship-board by Captain Molton To the Mayor and Gentlemen of Swansey Gentlemen these are to will and require you in the Name of the right honourable Robert Earl of Warwick Lord high Admiral of England Wales and Ireland and his Majesties Navy Royal at Sea that you forthwith yield the Town and Garison to the King and Parliament c. And this is the advice of your Friend who endeavours to preserve you if not I shall keep you without Trade till your forced obedience bring you to the mercie of him that tendereth to you grace and favour Milford-haven from the Ship called the Lion Ro. Molton This Lion-like sawcy Paper the high Sheriff received and suddenly sends Answer To Robert Molton Subscriber unto the Paper directed to the Mayor and Gentlemen of Swansey We cannot understand how we may with any justice or loyaltie return you the name of a Gentleman in answer to your rude and rebellious Paper in the front whereof you have the boldness and presumption in the Name of the right honourable as you term him whom we account otherwise Robert Earl of Warwick by you styled high Admiral of England and his Majesties Navie Royal which he hath illegally possessed to will and require us forthwith to yield the Town and Garison of Swansey into the obedience of the King and Parliament c. In defiance of which your traiterous Summons under a spurious shew of your loyalty and subjection to his Majestie We will not yield Town nor Garison nor any the least interest we hold of Life or Fortune under protection of his sacred Majestie but will defend the same against your proud and insolent Menacingâ— wherein your proper Trade is exhibited and in the account of a Rebell and Traitour we leave you to your self May 14. Subscribed by the high Sheriff and Gentlemen of Glamorganshire Certainly this Frolick for a Ship Captain to attach a Land Garison was not with any assurance to master it by his great Guns or that he could imagine so great fear in Master Sheriff to quit his trust upon a weak Summons rather it was with an intent to answer that Knack of a Troop of Horse in the North who finding some Sailers drinking in an Ale-house seized their Ship and Goods hard by in a blinde Creek If Captain Molton could have done so by Swansey he needed the less to give warning by Summons but he left it as he found it in the Sheriffs command Latham house was sore beset with a Siege against that noble Countess of Derby for above three Moneths by these Commanders Ashton Moor and Rigby nay by the power of Sir Thomas Middleton and Sir William Fairfax addition upon whom the besieged have sallied out and killed many at several times Colonel Moor's men erected a Breast of Mutton on a Pikes point held it up to the hunger-starved Rascals within daring them to come out and dine and the Countess was called to by name a young Gentleman Captain Chisnall desired my Lady that he might sally out ere the Table should be taken away which he did ere they had dined forced into their Trenches took divers Prisoners and some Colours which instantly they carried to the back Gates of the House opened them and shewing these Colours cried out A Latham a Latham the House is taken hereupon the Enemy being ignorant of this Deceit concluded it to be taken and advancing in a Body came in speed to the Gate where they were welcomed with three Pieces of Cannon and much execution and thus this Lady held out Latham till Prince Rupert came to her Relief For on Tuesday May 21. he marched on his way towards Lancashire and the five and twentieth towards Stopwash a border Town of Cheshire seated on the Banck of the River Mersey dividing these two Counties here the Parliament had a strong Garison who drew out with three thousand Horse and Foot and faced Rupert's Horse but at the coming up of his Foot in the Evening about six a clock the other side withdrew to the Hedges and lining them shot through which he must pass and therefore he commands Colonel Washington with some Dragoons to scowre the Hedges and forced them to the Town whom the Prince followed so close that he entered with them and took the Town Cannon Army and Amunition and many Prisoners Then being so near he sends Relief to the Countess of Derby who had now opposed a strong Siege of eighteen Weeks but her Adversaries were rising and going in fear to stay for Prince Râ—pert yet not without some Farewell therefore the Garison sallied out fell upon the Enemies Rear killed some and took Prisoners and so way was given for the Earl of Derby to return home to his own house The King having drawn out all his Forces from several Garisons to meet at Goring Heath in Oxfordshire the Parliament at Westminster was much troubled ordering that their General Essex the Earl of Manchester and Lord Grey with what Forces could be raised at London with the Garisons of Windsor and Alisbury and all to meet at the general Rendezvouz Alisbury in the
manner lately to blesse our Armies in these parts with successe we do not so much joy in that blessing for any other consideration as for the hopes we have that it may be a means to make others lay to heart as we do the miseries brought and continued upon our Kingdom by this unnatural War and that it may open your â—ars and dispose your mindes to imbrace those offers of Peace and Reconciliation which have been so often and so earnestly made unto you by us from the constant and fervent endeavours of which we are resolved never to desist In pursuance whereof we do upon this occasion conjure you to take into consideration our too long neglected message of the fourth of July from Evesham which we again renew unto you And that you will speedily send us such an Answer thereunâ—â— as maâ—â—ew unâ—â—our poor Subjects some light of a deliverance from their present calamities by a happy Accommodation toward which â—â—â—do here engage the word of a King to make good all those things which we have thereiâ— promised and really to endeavour a happy conclusiâ—â— of this Treaty And so God direct you in the wayes of Peace What welcome this gracious Message wrought with the Parliament is monstrous to imagine for no sooner received it but instantly there followed a Fast at St. Laurence Church for the happy proceedings of the Councel of War the Lecturer Obadia Sedgwick telling the people that God was angry with them for not cutting off Delinquents Fifteen several times men have been raised in London by telling them that this would finish the work still exhorting them to pursue the War to put an end to these troubles Notwithstanding the Scots Army send to the Parliament to send to the King some reasonable Propositions that the Church of England may be Uniform to the Kirk of Scotland That for their service in England and Ireland there is due to them upon account eight hundred thousand pounds whereof they must have one hundred thousand pounds presently which put the Parliament to consider who as one said at the beginning of their Assemblie did they knew not what and now they know not what to do And the County of Somerset presented the King with their Petition with what comfort they apprehend his Majesties pious inclination to and endeavours for setling peace and hoped that your Majesties gracious Message to that purpose to the Parliament would have produced the desired effect c. And desire leave to wait in person upon the King to the Parliament And in case they may not obtain so just a request they shall hold their lives best spent in assisting your Majesty to compasse that by the Sword which can not otherwise be effected The King signifies his Gracious acceptance of their Loyal affections in what they desire and withall for them to Petition the Parliament Assembled at Westminster for composing the way of peace Assuring them that he will insist only upon such things as are justifiable with the Laws of the Kingdom Upon which they write at Wells and publish this Declaration to the world VVhereas we lately conceived very great hopes that those many gracious Overtures from his Majesty to those at London especially that from Evesham and that from Tavestock might have given a rise to a happy Treaty and consequently put an end to those bleeding differences but have been fruitless and uneffectual c. Therefore they resolve to wait upon the King as one man towards London to propose or receive Propositions to restore the Kingdom to peace And call the Kingdom to witness whether this Petition which they now are going to deliver to the Parliament assembled at Westminster doe not become Loyal Subjects and Lovers of the Country VVherein they desire the two Houses to joyn hands with him and them in a happy Treaty that as they have all within the same Profession so they may meet in the real performance the maintenance of the Protestant Religion the safety of the Kings person and rights the liberty and property of the Subjects and just priviledges of Parliament The County of Wilts also taking notice of those in Somersetshire certifie that the Sherif of Wiltshire and the principal Lords and Gentlemen of that County declaring their approbation of the declaration and Petition to the Parliament assembled at Westminster and that they will joyn in the same course presently You see what means are made for a Treaty of Peace The Parliament Forces from Northampton bringing with them many Colliers and Miners from Bedworth who after sundry dayes exercise under ground to mine the Castle found such continual Springs of water that they could work no more This siege hath now continued eleven weeks from the 19. of Iuly when their Horse came to Broughton Warkwoth and other places to straighten the Castle and lay there till Aug. 27. On which day Mr. Iohn Fines came with Foot and Canon into Banbury and from that time both with Batterings Mines and storming attempted upon the Castle commanded by Sir William Compton brother to the Earl of Northampton to whom he sends Summons and had this Answer That they kept the Castle for his Majesty and as long 〈◊〉 one man was left alive in it willed him not to expect to have it delivered Whereupon Fines made several batteries on three sides of the Castle but to little purpose Then they began to mine but found much water then to drain the outmost Mote which in part they effect but with great losse Then September 16. Fines sends another Summons but Compton told the Trumpeter that he formerly Answered them and wondered they would send again Upon this the Assaylants goe on fiercely with Batteries and Stormes for a week together But were answered by often sallies and losse on both sides Then two dayes together the Besiegers shot and plyed their Granadoes abundantly and made a breach upon the West wall of the out Ward of the Castle the upper part neer thirty yards in length but the inside well lined with earth This gave them incouragement to Storm it and about nine a clock that morning 23. September they began to fall on their Foot not so hardy they invited their Troopers to lead them on twelve out of each Company with their best Officers The number of the Assaylants about six hundred came on with burthens on their backs which they cast into the Mote the better to passe the Mud and so fell on in five several places at once the greatest number where the breach was and on all the other parts they brought Scaling-ladders but could not reare one but were cut off with great and small shot those at the breach were so served also but at last all the Assaylants gave off Towards evening they send a Trumpet to desire burial of their dead conditional that those which vvere fallen vvithâ—n Pistol shot of the Castle should be stript by the Garrison vvhich vvas done much losse they had many slain and vvounded
into Order and Advancing the wind Westward which he designed to get and caused Fairfax to fall down into a large Fallow Field North-west of Naseby Flanked with a Hedge but from thence for more advantage they drew off or retreated to the side of the Hill which hastened the King the sooner to fall upon them The King in person had the main Battel his Right Wing commanded by the two Princes Rupert and Maurice his Left by Sir Marmaduke Langdale His Right Hand tertia by the Earl of Lindsie and Sir Iacob Ashley his Left by the Lord Bards and Sir George Lisle His Reserve of Horse were commanded by Colonel Howard Behind them the Kings Regiment of Foot being his Life-Guard and Ruperts Regiment of Foot on their Left Hand Cromwel had six thousand Horse and therefore gave way that Ireton should Command five Regiments of them for the Left Wing and himself with the rest the Right The King comes on apace with Gallantry and Resolution and his Right Wing charged first upon Cromwel who advances firing at a close charge they came to Blowes even to the Hilts and had the better of the King Fairfax main Battel had ill successe the Generals own Regiment only standing but all the rest gave ground nay fowlly routed run off in great disorder and without any attempt to recover fell back to their Reserves And their Colonels and Officers were forced to fight there which Reserves were commanded by Rainsborough Hamond and Pride The Kings Right Wing of Horse advanced roundly upon Fairfax his Left Wing and because these were not ready or would not quit their ground the other made a Stand a short pause and then fell on amain Some Divisions of either side Fought well charging home the middlemost of Fairfax did not for they were pressed upon and gave ground so did the Left Wing even to rout The Kings Foot had the better of one Brigade until Ireton came to their rescue with his Horse himself run through the Thigh with a Pike and into the Face with a Halbert his Horse shot under him and taken prisoner till the Battel being in disorder and his Keeper trusting him too far he escaped But whilst these fight hand to hand Prince Rupert followed the flight of the Enemies Left Wing almost to Naseby Town and returning Summoned the Train where he disputed not long ere he was fain to quit them and hasten to the Kings Army which was in distresse in several Brigades now Rallying into some Order It is confessed of all sides that the Kings Foot in some Tertia's fought with incredible courage being attempted in their Flanks Front and Rear had his other Foot fought but indifferently they might have served his turn The King kept close with his Horse himself in person Rallying them to hot encounter which was performed as men use to doe for their lives blood now near the last but Fairfax's Horse gave ground staying for his Foot which were Pillaging of their prey and others that had been routed Rallied again and so came up with a Body by these advantages their Horse were helped and the Kings overpowred by hardships impossible for valour to withstand shifted out of the Field towards Leicester and lost all being the fatal battel to the King and his party The King had the better Horse the other the more of Foot and throughout better Arms compleat in Amunition and in numbers overpowred the King both in Horse and Foot The Roll that came to the Parliament was thus Major General Skippon shot into the side Commissary General Ireton with these Colonels Cook Butler Francis wounded and many slain above a 1000. sundry Captains and Common Souldiers Of the Kings party the Earl of Lindsey Sir Iacob Ashley Colonel Russel and others hurt six hundred slain of the common Souldiers twenty Colonels Knights and Officers of note Prisoners are thus numbred in the Note 6. Colonels 8. Lieutenant Colonels 18. Majors 70. Captains 80. Lieutenants two hundred Ensignes and other inferiour Officers 4500. common Souldiers and many women 13. of the Kings Household Servants 4. of his Footmen 12. Pieces of Ordinance 8000. Armes 40. Barrels of Powder 200. Carriages all their Bagg and Baggage with store of rich pillage 200. Horse the Kings Standard and divers of Horse and Foot one of the Kings Coaches his Cabinet of Letters and Papers The King finding the Pursuit so hot leaves Leicester and hasts to Lichfield Fairfax follows and that night with his Horse surrounded Leicester and the next day his Foot comes up to the siege And with this newes to the Parliament comes other from sundry parts successe upon successe the Parliament regaining Hougham Garison near Grantham the 18. of Iune and divers Officers and men of quality prisoners Brereton from Cheshire beat a Party and took above 150. prisoners The like from a party of Shrewsbury who took 400. prisoners in a fight Another in Staffordshire a party of Captain Stone Governour of Eccleshall Castle took Major Fenningham and divers others prisoners So that the Parliament were glutted with fortunate events and much busied about the stowage of their prisoners who were driven in triumph up to London miserable spectacles of the Fate of War Convoyed by Colonel Io. Fines to be disposed of in prisons but these are full before Therefore they were crouded into the walled Military grounds where numbers of them were starved to death daily there being in all 4500. many Gentlemen among them there besides others of Note forced into several prisons whilst the City for joy sumptuously feast the Houses Nor did this satisfie untill the Parliament had filld their measure to the brim by publishing to the People in Print the Copies of the King and Queens secret and private Letters of conjugal affection to each other of which the King is sensible and indeavours to fling the shame into their faces upbraiding them for their incivility in this their inhumane action as he stiles it The taking of my Letters was an opportunity which as the malice of mine Enemies could hardly have expected it so they knew not how with honour and civility to use Nor do I think with sober and worthy mindes any thing in them could tend so much to my reproach as the odious divulging of them did to the infamy of the Divulgers The greatest experiments of Vertue and Nobleness being discovered in the greatest advantages against an enemy and the greatest obligations being those which are put upon us by them from whom we could least have expected them And such I should have esteemed the concealing of my Papers The freedom and secrecie of which commands a civility from all men not wholly barbarous nor is there any thing more inhumane then to expose them to publick view Yet since Providence will have it so I am content so much of my heart which I study to approve to Gods Omniscience should be discovered to the world without any of those dresses or popular captations
of Lemster and Ulster Novem. 1646. That the exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion be in Dublin and Drogheda and in all the Kingdom of Ireland as free as in Paris in France and Bruxells in Flanders That the Council of State called the Councel-Table be of Members true and faithful to his Majestie and such as may be no fear or suspition to go to the Parliaments party That Dublin Drogheda Team Newby Catherly Carlingford and all Protestant Garisons be manned by their Confederate Catholicks to maintain and keep the said Cities and Garisons for the use of our Soveraign Lord King Charls and his lawful Successors and for defence of the Kingdom of Ireland That the present Councel of the Confederators shall swear truly and faithfully to keep and maintain for the use of his Majesty and his Lawful Successors and for defence of the Kingdom of Ireland the abovesaid Cities and Garisons That the said Councellors and all Generals Officers and Souldiers whatsoever doe swear and protest to fight at Sea and Land against the Parliaments and all the Kings Enemies and that they will never come to any convention or agreement with the said Parliamentiers or any of the Kings Enemies to the prejudice of his Majesties Rights or of this Kingdom of Ireland That according to our Oaths of Association we will to the best of our power and cunning defend the Fundamental Lawes of this Kingdom the Kings Rights the Lives and Fortunes of the Subjects Owen O Neal Tho. Preston The Lord Lisle designed Lieutenant General of Ireland is but now this day taking leave of the Parliament to goe to Ireland Ian-28 and ere we can hope of his arrival there he writes to the Parliament he is willing to return for they had Debated his return before and so he came home again April 1. But the Parliament Vote the sending over more Forces into Ireland and with all vigour to carry on a Defensive War in that Kingdom with seven Regiments of Foot consisting of eight thousand four hundred besides Officers with three thousand Horse and one thousand two hunded Dragoons And all these to be taken out of the General Fairfax Army which was the occasion of much distemper between the Armies and the Parliament as will appear the next year But according to our former Method we may not omit the Kings affairs Military in Scotland under the Conduct of the Marquess of Montrose this year 1646. Montrose his late successe made him famous abroad which soon came to the Kings knowledg and although he were not able to send him supplies sufficient to Arm against the great power of his Enemies yet it was thought very fit to comply with him in Complements and therefore the King ot caresse him in some way sends from Oxford several Letters and Messengers to Montrose whilst he continued at Bothwel four miles East of Glascow amongst whom was Andrew Sandiland a Scotish man but bred in England a Church-Man faithful to the King and beloved of Montrose with whom he continued to the end of the War Another was Sir Robert Spotswood Son President of the Session in Scotland and now the Kings Secretary for that Kingdom The Instructions by all of them were to this effect That it was the Kings Pleasure Montrose should joyn unto himself the Earls of Roxborough and Traquair and to confide in their advice and endeavours of whose fidelity there was no question to be made That he should hasten towards the Tweed the River that runneth to Barwick and divides the Kingdoms where he should meet a party of Horse instantly sent by the King out of England with which he might safely give Battel to David Lesly if he should march that way with the Covenanters Horse as was suspected he would Each Messenger said as much and the King evermore over credulous confirmed the same by his Expresse which Montrose resolves to obey And here he receives a larger Commission from the King by Spotswood wherein he was impowered to give the honour of Knighthood which he did to Mack Donel at his departure Montrose intends the Kings commands and Journies to Calder Castle when the Earl of Albony whether Montrose would or no carries away with him his own men and all others of the Northern Forces Montrose passing by Edenburgh led his small Army through Louthian and in Straithgal joyns with Dowglasse whose forces mouldred daily In that coast Traquair himself came to him pretending faith and Loyalty to the King and the next day sends to him his Son the Lord Linton with a gallant Party of Horse as if to be under his Command that by that like pledg he might the better shadow his Villany which he intended the ungratfullest person to him and in him also to the King And now Montrose within twelve miles of Roxborough and Hume without any caresse from them and therefore mistrusting he resolves to seek them out and to bring them to reason But they cunningly send to David Lesly who by that time was come to Barwick with all the Scotish Horse out of England and willingly give him leave to pretend to the seizing of the Earls as Enemies to the Covenanters which was done the day before Montrose came to them Then comes Lesly over Tweed marching East of Lothâ—â—â— Montrose knowing their Wiles and fearing to be blocked up from passing to the North and Highlanders marches into Armindale so to Niddesdale South-westwards and the County of Ayre to raise Horse the Enemies strength being therein And from Kelsor comes to Iedburgh and Selkirk where he Quartered busied in some dispatches all night to the King and although he appointed the best of his Scouts who it seemes were false and suffered the Enemy with all their Forces to come within four miles ere he had warning Lesly that day when Montrose departed from Iedburgh mustâ—ered his Men upon Gladsmar in Lothianshire and marched straight to Serathgale to surprize Montrose upon the borders of Tweed and Linton had private Order from Traquair his treacherous Father to withdraw his party of Horse from Montrose and the Enemy within half a mile with six thousand the most Horse charged his Wing disorderly got together but Valiantly defended themselves until the third charge disranked routed the Foot after some resistance and over powered many who were all put to the sword after by Lesly's peculiar command and so to the very Women and Horse-boyes most of the Horse and some Foot shifted well and came to Montrose the next day An honest Irish Man seeing one of the Kings Standards engaged valiantly rescued it and stripping the staff wrapped it about his middle and brought it to Montrose who honoured him with the bearing thereof ever after The other Standard also born by William Hie Brother to the Earl of Kinole stript it off the staff and conveyed it with him to the borders of England and after when the coast was clear brought it to the North to his General But in
comes the Marquesse Douglasse and Sir Io. Daliel with other his friends in this Extremity with a small Party of Horse not a hundred charged through the Enemy and escaped and being pursued he made his Stand slew divers and took Bruce a Captain of Horse and two Cornets with their Colours Prisoners Traquair Triumphingly reported Montrose and the Kings party totally defeated But Montrose was well and made the best use of his evil fortune and therefore marching easily with good guard and valiant hearts he marched Northwards forded over Cluid River where met him by the way many of his Souldiers with the Earls of Crawford and Airly and now he was strong two hundred Horse and some Foot and with convenient hast he resolves to go Northward into Athole and so passing over Forth River and then Erne he comes to Perthshire And in his way he had sent Dowglasse and Airly with Angus North East and the Lord Eisken into Marria to raise their friends and dependance and sent Daliel to the Lord Carnegy with Commissions to that purpose and Letters to Mac-Donel and to Aboin to return to him with their Forces About August the Atholâ— Men furnished him with four hundred good Foot to march Northwards and when ever he returned Southward he should command the whole County only they desired to be spared now for their harvest Montrose with wonderful speed and unspeakable toil clambers over Gransbane Mountains to meet with Aboin and Mac-Donel whom he expected and so the return of other his Messengers with their New Forces then to return Southward again to meet with the Kings Horse which by sundry Letters he was promised from England Aboin was of himself faithful and forward enough but restrained Ersken was sick and Huntly was returned home but with envy and ambition crossed under hand Montrose's designs but at last Aboin meets him with fifteen hundred Foot and three hundred Horse at Druminore a Castle of the Lord Forles and that his Brother Lewes was coming with more Thus impowered he instantly returns the same uncouth wayes over Gransbane Mountains and to take up Erskins and then Murries Forces and so to march Southward Lewis was come and marching together the first dayes Journey stole away the next with such Forces aâ—s followed him And the third day after his Brother Aboin with the rest of his Men desired leave to return pretending their Fathers Command the Marquesse Huntly whose County was in danger by the Enemy now about Marre and would suddainly ransack their Country but was content his Father should be treated with To him therefore Montrose sends Donald Lord Rose and Iermin kinsmen whom he had lately releived from Imprisonment Rose was honest and ashamed of his Kinsmans refusal fell sick and could not return Iermin most noble never forsaking Montrose to the death came back with doubtful Letters fast and loose And so Aboin must go home Montrose came down through the plaines of Marre and Scarschiock into Athole and so with increase of Forces he falls into Perth Here Aboin sends him word that he had got leave to return and would be with him before the time limited by his Forlough And here also meets him two Messengers after each other Captain Thomas Ogleby of Pomie and Captain Robert Nesbet with Commands from the King That if possible he should march Southward to the borders to meet the Lord Digby Son to the Earl of Bristol who was sent to him with a Party of Horse The same Bearers he dispatches with the Letters to Huntly and Aboin but in vain expectation he trifled away much time at Strath Erne in the Perth And here dies that gallant Man the Lord Napier of Marcheston truly Noble of an Ancient Family his Father and Grand-father Philosophers and Mathematicians Famous through Christendom But indeed this man exceeded them in Civil Affairs highly heretofore esteemed by King Iames and lately by K. Charls made Lord Treasurer of Scotland and advanced into the Rank of higher Nobility his Loyalty had suffered all the effects of his Enemies malice often Imprisoned Sequestred and Plundered of all his Substance whose Elaborate Discourses of the Rights of Kings and of the Original in the Turmoyls of Great Britain I have heard of and read some Manuscripts in Parcels but heartily wish may be publick Montrose is now passed the Forth and come into the Lands and Estate of Sir Iohn Buchanan a stiff Ring-leader of the Covenanters and descended from old Buchanan ingrateful Schoolmaster to King Iames and yet for his sake he and King Charles had advanced this man to what he was Hereabouts at Leven Montrose Encamps being so near Glasco that oftimes he forces the City on purpose to deter the Convention of the Coâ—enanters here who sat in Councel to arraign their Prisoners whom Montrose endeavoured to rescue Here they had for their Guard three thousand Horse and he not more than 3. hundred and fifteen hundred Foot wasting the Countrey without resistance Notwithstanding before he came they had executed three gallant men we may not neglect their memory The first was the afore mentioned Sir William Rollock Montrose his first Friend and Companion in Arms. He was sent to the King after the Battle of Aberdine and taken prisoner and condemned but upon Arguiles offer of life he was dealt with to murder Montrose whose life he valued far above his own and to save him he accepted this offer and so got loose and instantlyâ— found out by Montrose discovering all which saved Montrose for the present and was the cause of his own suffering promising upon his word that if he did not doe it to return prisoner by such a day which he did to the grief of Montrose and paid dear for it to the death The next was the aforesaid Alexander Ogleby Eldest Son to Sir Iohn Imercarrit descended from those Famous in the Scotish Chronicles he was not yet more then youth under eighteen but of a dareing Spirit and Loyal to the King for which he was executed Unless we admit him of the Family in deadly fewd with Arguile Then comes Sir Philip Nesbit I finde him the Son of Col. Nesbit a Regiment in the Kings service in England we may adde those two Irish men that suffered at Edenburgh some dayes before Colonel O-Cahen and Colonel Laghlin the crime of them all concentred in this new Treason against the King and Covenanters Montrose having long looked for six weeks his absent Confederates out of the North Mac-donel Alboin and others the Lord Digby's Forces defeated by the way and he not able to hold out a piercing hard winter Camp He the 20. of November departs from Levin Marching Northward over the Snowy Mountains of Taich through Woods and Loghes the Strathern and over the River Tay returns into Athole where he met Captain Ogleby and Captain Nesbit whom we told you he had sent with the Kings Letters to Huntly but prevailed not Here against Montrose sends to Sir Iohn Dalyel to mediate the
that your scope is the maintenance of the Laws those Laws must be derived to us and enlivened by the onely supreme Governour the Fountain of Iustice and the Life of the Law the King The Parliaments are called by his Writs the Iudges sit by his Patents so of all Officers the Cities and Towns Corporate govern by the Kings Charters and therefore since by the Laws I cannot be by you examined I do refuse to answer David Jenkins April 10. â—1647 And forthwith he publishes a Discourse in print concerning Treason Murder and Felony that any person committing either of them hath no assurance of Life Lands or Goods without the Kings pardon 27 H. 8. cap. 24. The King is not virtually in the two Houses at Westminster whereby they can give pardon to these offences The Parliament in their Declaration November 28. last to the Scots Papers say That the King at this time is not in a condition to govern and it is impossible that they should have a virtue from the King to govern which they declare he hath not himself to give The Law of the Land is 5 Eliz. cap. 1. That no person hath a Voice in Parliament before he take Oath that the King is the onely and supreme Governour How does this Oath agree with their Declaration By the one it is sworn He is the onely supreme Governour and by the other that he is not in a condition to govern so they swear one thing and declare the contrary at the same time The Parliament say that the Parliament are the onely supreme Governours in default of the King for that he hath left his great Council and will not come to them and yet he desires to come and they will not suffer him but keep him Prisoner at Holmby That there is no point of Government but for some years past they have taken to themselves and used his Name onely to deceive the People They have sent Propositions to Oxford to Newcastle to be signed by him What needs this ado if they have the virtual power with them at Westminster To say that his virtual power is separate from his person is high Treason See Coke in Calvin's case fol. 11. And setting down the Traitours Arguments of that time they were condemned in Edw. 2. called Exilium Hugonis le Spencer and the other in 1 Edw. 3. cap. 2. That the two Bodies Natural and Politick make but one Body and not divers is resolved 4 Eliz. Plowden Com. fol. 213. by Catlin Dier Sanders Rastal Brown Corbet Weston Frevil Carve Powdrel Gerard Carel Plowden the most learned men of our Law in that Age. That no Act of Parliament bindes the Subject without the assent of the King either for Person Lands Goods or Fame The styles of the Acts in Print from 9 H. 3. to 1 H. 7. And since his time it continues thus so that alwaies the assent of the King giveth Life to all as the Soul to the Bodie He is called by our Law-books the Fountain of Iustice the Life of the Law Mercie as well as Iustice belongs onely to the King 2 H. 4. Mr. Pryn in his Treatise of the great Seal saies as much See 27 H. 8. cap. 24. Queen Elizabeth summoned her first Parliament to be held Jan. 23. 1 Eliz. and the Parliament accordingly assembled but she being sick it was prorogued till the 25. of the same and it was resolved by all the Iudges that the Parliament began not till the said 25. Day They have the King a Prisoner at Holmby and yet they govern by the virtual power of their Prisoner a meer deluding Fiction All these he will justifie with his Life and takes it for an Honour to die for the Laws of the Land David Jenkins April 29. We must confess that H. P. a Barrister of Lincolns Inn made a slight Answer to Ienkins but being ashamed to set down his Name we will not trouble the Reader with it but leave it to the Lawyers But this man endured from time to time strict Imprisonment in most of the Goals at London was arreigned at the Sessions in the Old Baily at the Kings Bench Bar and where not and is now at liberty legally answering to all the Exceptions against him We enter this year with the military affairs of the English Army for the Scots are gone modelled into less and sixty thousand pounds a Moneth setled for their pay as also for the Transport and Maintenance of these to be imployed into Ireland viz. eight thousand Foot and two thousand Horse And in these Commissioners are appointed to treat with the General at Saffron Walden in Cambridgshire and the Advance-money was borrowed of the City no less than two hundred thousand pounds The Officers met five and fourty of them and resolve That they were not resolved concerning the engaging in the Service of Ireland with those under their Command yet they shall be ready to further and advance it amongst those under their Commands But conclude in four Questions 1. Under whose Conduct in chief those who are to engage for Ireland shall go 2. What particular Forces of this Armie are to be continued in England 3. What Assurance of Subsistence and Pay to those that engage for Ireland during their stay there 4. When shall the Armie receive their Arrears and Indempnitie for past Services in England And thus heated a Petition is drawn into Heads For provision for Indempnitie the Arrears to be paid that the Foot Souldiers may not be prest out of the Kingdom nor Horsmen compelled to serve on Foot their Widows and Children to be relieved and untill the Armie be disbanded that they may receive Pay to discharge Quarters and not to burden the Countrey To this Petition were Subscribers increasing daily into Thousands and to be preferred by Lieutenant General Hamond Colonel Hamond Ireton and Rich and others who are sent for to the Parliament and ere they come the Parliament declare Their high dislike of that Petition and their approbation and esteem of their good Service who first discovered it but if the Subscribers forbear to proceed any further therein they shall be retained in the Parliaments good opinion and that those who shall continue in their distempered condition shall be proceeded against as Enemies to the State But all things were pieced for the present and not till the General was angry who sends a Letter to some Members and to this effect That there is another Petition on foot in the Countie of Essex against this Armie and which was read in several Churches yesterday by the Ministers to get Hands thereto The Souldiers specially the Horse are much troubled at this and crie out Why may not we petition as to see Petitions subscribed in an indirect manner against us and that under our Noses The Horse here about talk of drawing to a Rendezvouz to compose something of Vindication c. Walden April 5. And this Essex Petition was framed at London and sent
they were of mixed natures in each Petition so were they diverse in the contents some of which partly for the Parliament and much for the Army those of the Parliament come oft time from the well affected of such a County or Corporation and booted and spurr'd they must have answer and the Gentlemen must be called in for to receive thanks which usually was thus expressed by Mr. Speaker That though there be some things in the Petition that the House cannot so well approve of to be presented by Petition yet because in other things they express their good affections they have the thanks of the House And evermore in the tail of all they are told that the House had thoughts to such and such of their particulars expressed and for others of them the House were now in debate thereof And so the Gentlemen Commoners that came of the Errand trot home again no wiser than they were before onely with thus much honour that they have seen the Parliament sitting And according to the change of the time one of their Articles is evermore to be tender in imposing the Covenant upon any of their own Members or upon others whose consciences dare not subscribe unto it that they would provide for succouring tender consciences and not suffer them to be grieved and to be brought into bondage by rigid Impositions who live without offence and never fail to give a wipe against the King and his Prelatical party And last of all they petition that many men of competent gifts of good life and conversation who are willing to imploy their talents in the Lords work and yet are by occasion of some scruples about Ordination discountenanced from engaging in the work of the Gospel and in the things of our peace and pray that such men may receive encouragement and protection from both Houses This wrought for them for as the Protestant reformed from Romes Papacy the Presbyters from the Prelacy the Independents from them and the Libertines from all in which we sum up numberless Sectaries under the notion of godly gifted men And indeed the Members were not well pleased at the strictness of the Presbytery and forbore the House so that at this time there were absent of the Commons near two hundred Members in neglect or contempt of their proceedings so that the House make Orders and Proclamations in every County with Amerciaments by Fine of such as come not by the third of November next Octob. 9. But the gifted men fall to preaching and every Libertine began to profess himself of a tender conscience so suddenly increasing that the Parliament order That they shall have Liberty to meet for religious Duties in any place at any time and may be excused from the Churches on the Lords Day if so be they meet elsewhere to hear preaching or expounding But with this Proviso That the Indulgence as to tender consciences shall not extend to tolerate the use of the Common Prayer in any place whatsoever that was the Bug-Bear in all places Octob. 16. Upon Examinations of divers Actors Fomenters of the late Uproar of Parliament and City sundry were imprisoned Mr. Glyn the Recorder of London was charged that he had been very active in the late Actions for a new War countenanced the Cities last Declaration encouraged the riotous Petitioners had been very active with the Committee of safety and new Committee of the Militia of London c. And although he was able and did make his Defence at the Bar yet the Commons were divided as to his guilt but concluded to discharge him from being a Member and was committed to the Tower during pleasure and Mr. Steel was elected Recorder in his place Sir Iohn Mainard a petit busie Member always and in all kindes was impeached of high Treason Captain Macquire was condemned at the Old Baily for the same matters and the Murder and Ryot at Guild Hall But because he had been faithful to his Principles and but a looker on in the Crowd with his Sword drawn great means was made for him by Colonel Sanderson his best friend it seems who Petitioned the Parliament and General for the present and his very day come of Execution he got to be put off and afterwards his Reprieve and lastly his Pardon Mr. Braynton also was deeply concerned but being a Member it was considered how far such Members should be questioned And because the eleven Members were accounted rotten Summons was sent to Hollis Waller Clotworthy Massey Long and Nichols to attend the House the 16. October And by President of the Commons the Members of the Lords were also Involved and Impeachments of High Treason against the Earls of Suffolk and Lincoln and Middlesex the Lords Willoughby of Parham Hunsdon Maynard and Berkly for Levying War against the King Parliament and Kingdom And the Charge against them seat up by the Commons Not long after they fall upon some Citizens and Impeach them of high Treason those were Sir Iohn Gayer Lord Mayor â—ulham Bruce Langham and Adams Aldermen and are all committed to the Tower The Citizens of other Rank were Colonel Lawrence Colonel Hooker and Captain Iones impeached of high crimes And Captain Musgrave and about fifteen Citizens and Mr. Melton a Minister were indicted of high Treason at the Kings Bench Bar. And because their Mayor stood committed the Aldermen and Commons were to consider of a Government of the City according to their Charter These confusions brought work to the Printers in spight of all their Orders against Pamphlets as No Merling no Mercury Bellum â—ibernicale and I need not tell you how many more The Lords impeached of High Treason were the Earls of Suffolk Lincoln and Middlesex the Lords Willoughby of Parham Hunsdon Maynard and Berkley enduring nasty imprisonment to humble them to submit and so they escaped And now the City were curb'd in their former power of the Militia extending heretofore to the Lines of Communication which indeed are digged down and these their particular Militia set up for Westminster and the out Parishes for the Burrough of Southwark and for the Tower Hamlets and the last to be under the immediate command of the Constable the other of several Committee-men or any seven And an Ordinance passed also for the Citizens and Prentices to demolish the Forts and Guards and to dig down the Lines of Communication to another more doleful tune then when they were digg'd up And yet nothwithstanding the burthened City must bear more and advance fifty thousand pounds to pay the Army by two dayes time no longer delay so that upon the same sudden they must advaâ—ce a Moneths pay of the Army as a gratuity aforesaid the moneths pay of the Army besides and fifty thousand pounds also for the necessity of the Army being inforced to burthen the Countrey with free Quarter And therefore the Army declare That for what time the Cities fault and delayes have occasioned and shall further occasion the stâ—â—y of
voted to be taken in custody And because they were out of reach the punishment for the present fell upon Sir Edward Ford whose relations being in the Camp and he the Kings friend was therefore seized into custody by Vote of the House He in truth knew no more in particular but that the King some time before resolved to be gone and so he was soon released But then followed poasting to all places and Orders sent out by Sea and Land and forthwith Resolved That it should be the confiscation of his estate and loss of Life who detains the Kings person in private and reveals it not to the Parliament The Minute come the manner of the Kings Journey was thus To his Horses and company he gets by Boat shadowed by a most tempestuous dark rainy uncouth night Friday the eleventh of November in which they lost their way in Windsor Forrest till the Morning light guided them through Farnham Town and missing of their former design what ere it was the Ship fayling they were enforced to conclude That himself and Legg would lodg that night at Tedsworth the House of the Countesse dowager of Southampton near the Sea and that the other two should ferry over to the Isle of Wight and seek out Colonel Hamond the Governour there under whose assurance for his Brothers sake Dr. Hamond his Chaplian the King might hope of friendship and fidelity of which he had given some testimonies in the Camp and at the Court But the Messengers had this expresse Item that unlesse upon their Oath and Faith of Protection Secrecie and Freedom to the Kings person at all times they were not to discover any more than to signifie in general his escape from eminent danger of Assassination and that his desire leades him to cast himself and them upon Hamond's fâ—delity and that if he refuse and yet likely enough to seize their persons which by their not returning at the time perfixed the King and Legg might finde the means otherwise to shift for themselves They gone the King disguised stayes without the House whilst Legg tells the Countesse that a person of honour her dear friend desires the privacie in her House that night without discovery She will not suspect it was enough He takes his chamber with attendance of two of the servants with his Diet to the door and Legg to lodge on a Pallet by him The Messengers got over Sunday the next morning and met with Hamond by the way toward Newport After their errand he tells them plainly he wishes the Kings safety as his Soul nor will he be Inquisitive where he should be but were he in his custody his Oath and Interest to the Parliament and Army being in ballance he should be safe from violence But for this freedom and liberty of his person how could he answer it to his Superiors to leave the King at large to any after mischief that might befal him Which not appearing satisfactory enough to them and Hamond not yeilding to more they not unwilling to be taken intocustody they all together came over with a guard to the Ladys house And Ashburnham goes up and tells the King that Hamond is below in the Parâ—er at Supper with assurance of his honour for his Majesties safety but not of liberty to his person The King strikes his breast and in passion replies and is that all I am betraied T is true that Ashburnham went out and wept bitterly and calling up Berkley they made an offer of some desperate attempt which the King abhored telling them that he would alwayes humble himself to Gods good pleasure But in this extremity the King with some appearance of a willing consent casts himself on Hamonds Loyalty and Honour and then being discovered to the Countesse who with trembling and in tears took her last leave of her Soveraign Lord the King who is carried over to Carisbroke Castle It appears by these passages that Hamond was not willing to seize the King and gave Ashburnham and Berkley sufficient Items thereof had they but hazarded either of their persons his Prisoner the King might at the last hour escaped his hands for even at the House he commanded all his company to stay without Nay it hath been credibly reported that Hamond himself hath said it and more to the same purpose which I list not to mention and doth evidence that he therein acted according to the former sense of the Grandees in the Army And from the Cowes there Hamond dates his Letter that day the thirteenth of Novem. directed to the Earl of Manchester Speaker of the Lords House which was received and read two dayes after My Lords I hold it my duty to give Your Lordships an accompt of the Kings unexpected coming into this Island This Morning as I was on my way from Carisbroke Castle to Newport Mr. Ashburnham and Sir Iohn Berkley overtook me and after a short discourse told me the King was near and that he would be with me that Night and that he was come from Hampton Court upon Information that there were some who intended to destroy his person and that he could not with safety continue any longer there and that finding his case thus chose rather to put himself into my hands being a Member of the Army whom he saith he would not have left could he have had security to his person than to go to any other place Being herewith exceedingly surprised at present I knew not what course to take but weighing the great concernment that the person of the King is of I resolved to use my utmost endeavours to preserve his person from any such horrid attempts and to bring him to a place of safety Hereupon I went immediately over the Water with them and taking Captain Basket Commander of Cowes Castle with us we found the King near the water side and by his own desire I chose to bring him over into this Island where he now is My endeavours shall be as for my life to secure his person and humbly desire the pleasure of the Parliament in this weighty matter c. Your Lordships c. Ro. Hamond Cowes Novem. 13. 1647. Upon conference with the Commons it was Resolved and Voted That his Majesty shall continue at the Isle of Wight and in the Castle That none that have born Arms against the Parliament but Inhabitants that have compounded shall remain there in that Island That no Delinquent no Foreigner to be admitted to come to the King without leave of the Parliaments of England and Scotland and the Propositions to be sent five daies hence being 22. of November That five thousand pounds be advanced for his accommodation That his Houshold be dissolved and to be considered who shall attend him 16. Novem. 1647. Notwithstanding Hamond complains to the Parliament That the accommodations of the King are no waies sutable to his quality and desires that his usuall allowance be continued to him whilst he shall reside there
him and the memory of his deceased Father His head on the Block he ended his life in these words Merciful Iesus gather my soul unto thy Saints and Martyrs who have run before me in this race He was learned in the Mystery of things Divine and Humane and in the knowledge of Eastern Tongues in History Law and Politiques and alike excellent for the intergrity of his life And preferred to this commendation by a neer observer of him that he loved the old fashion piety with his soul to explain his meaning he saies and yet Not a vain and Superstitious professor of it before others but to distinguish him a sound Protestant Professor and no new Fangler Hugh Scrimiger sometime his Servant had leave to bury his body and continuing sorrowful ere the Scaffold was taken away he passing by fell into a swound and being carried home dyed at his own door Then followed Andrew Gutlery Son to the deserving Bishop of Murrey and by his Judges hated the more for that Blair fell upon him also to repent for siding in the evil Cause He answered therefore came I here to suffer for a good Conscience and a good King which he embraced without fear and would dye without dread of death for his sins he trusted were satisfied by the merits of his Saviour to whom he recommends his soul. The last was William Murrey brother to the Earl of Tullibardin a youth of 19. years at the most who told them That this his day of suffering he accounted a meer honour to his House that he descended of that Ancient Family should deliver up his life for his good King and his Cause and desires that his Parents would not grieve at the shortness of his life being abundantly recompensed with the honourable death And so with his own and good mens prayers he suffered Execution also Montrose much troubled to hear of their deaths was extreamly importuned to sacrifice such Prisoners as he had being they said real Traytors indeed and for which Justice he had Warrant from Gods Vice-gerent the King But as he nere put any to death in cold blood as yet so he would never be said to break his word of Quarter by exchange or imprisonment All this time had Huntley trifled in Plundering as he Marched and gave way to the relief of Innerness and retreats to the Spye notwithstanding Montroses several Messages to him to return to the Siege or to joyn their Forces and to descend Southward and to oppose a new Enemy Major General Middleton Marching with six hundred Horse and eight hundred Foot as far as Aberdine but Huntley would not Although there came in to Montrose many friends and Tenants of the Earl of Seafort the L. Rose and from the farthest Northern Islâ—nds Sir Iames Mack-donel Mack-lins and Glengar the chief of Mac-renalds and many more And by this means before the end of March he might have Marched Southward with a greater Army then ever had been beheld in Scotland But for the present he surrounds and besieges Innerness for the commodious Haven and sent back three Troops of Horse to lodge about the Passes of Spye to have a Watch upon Middleton who was now eighty miles off And had timely warning to draw off from the Siege and from the Enemies strength of Horse and to Retreat beyond Nessa with some Skirmishes and equal loss and so passed by Benly into Rose and after through Long-Nasse Strath-glasse and Harrage into the bank of Sprey And being now not far from Huntley he takes a Troop of Horse and gallops to him twenty miles sending word before that he was coming to crave his Councel in the Kings affairs but Huntley took Horse and fled and the other returned the last of May. By whose example Seaford and others began to falter which put resolution in Montrose to force all the Northern Parts which he could easily doe having tried all the fairest means and failed therein for of late Middleton was entred into Aberdine with five hundred men whom Huntley had besieged and taken upon his own score in revenge to the Town which he plundered though the Kings friends and released all Prisoners that were of Middletons men Montrose busie about his Northern designe on the last of May comes a Herald from the King whose misfortune had as you have heard elsewhere cast himself upon the Scotish Convenanters Army at Newcastle this time twelve moneth 13. of May and commands Montrose to lay down his Arms and Disband and to pass over to France till his Majesties further pleasure The valiant man was amazed at this sad news being assured that they had forced this upon the Kings miserable condition with some secret hint to look to himself also But Montrose must obey and Summons all his Consederates whom he conceived this disbanding would concern and principally he sends Hurrey to Huntley that Montrose was willing to come to his Castle for to be present at this Consultation he Answered The K. had written to him of the same and that his Commands may not admit of second thoughts but to obey as he would They replyed that it was likely Montrose was of that opinion too however ever it might concern them all to provide for prevention of future mischiefs and the very joynt consult would advantage them even in the Enemies opinion He replyed that he had resolved for himself and would have nothing to doe with any body else Montrose sends his Answer to the King by Letters wherein he humbly presumed to be so far inquisitive of his condition with the Covenanters if safe in their hands whether his Majestie was stedfastly resolved to Disband that Army of friends who had exposed their lives and fortunes for his Cause whilst his Enemies were Armed in both Kingdoms what course should be taken for them and their safety not to be left to the mercy of murderous men and in a word whether his particular service might be acceptable in any other way To these he received no open Answer but had returned to him some Articles signed by the Covenanters which he in great regret refused as unconscionable and not vouchsafing to Treat therein he speeds the Messenger back to the King professing that as he had not taken up Arms but by the Kings Commission so he would have no Conditions prescribed him to lay them down by any mortal man but the King himself Therefore he humbly besought the King to sign the Conditions to which though perhaps very harsh he promised obediently to submit unto but disdained the Commands of any other Many of his Friends had underhand sought their peace with the Enemy and Huntley and his Party to please them resolved to force Montrose submission Antrim was arrived alone from Ireland without any Forces but sought to draw the Highlanders to himself calling Montrose in scorn the Governour of the Low lands But Montrose was to depart by the Articles before the first of September
And the advantage that each party in Ireland had of the other was to burn kill and devastate the whole nation so that it appears a very deluge of destruction to the next years actions there One word more for the foreign affairs At Munster the Treaty concluded a peace between Spain and the united Provinces the 16. of February the circumstances thus Pignoranda and Le Bran Plenipotents of Spain there for the Arch-Bishop of Cambrey is dead came and visited the States Ambassadors in the after noon where after some conference and debate both parties signed in the name of their respective Masters viz. those two for Spain and seven for the six Provinces viz. two for Holland and one for each of the rest all but Nel-shurst for Utrecht who refused at which time came in a Letter signed by Longue Ville and Servient for the French to the State Ambassadours seeking to divert or retard their Pacification but in vain the Dutch Ambassadours declaring they had hitherto waited for the complyance of France and now at last had given them upon their desire fifteen daies respite which expired they have concluded yet giving them leave to come in within two moneths which is like to be the time of Ratification and Publication for the Papers must be sent into Spain for the Kings own consent Nel-shurst pretended he cannot in conscience sign because of the States confederacy with France without leave of the French Their Treaty bindes them in making peace to go paripassus This Act hath not so much pleased Spain as vexed France and many more The French Ambassadour La Tuillâ—ry endeavours to raise men in Holland to carry on the war next summer with Swede with the greater vigour and give out that they will call their Ambassadours from Munster and break up that meeting which now Spain will not fear The very day of concluding this Treaty there came in aâ— Rotterdam one Rololledo a Spanish Ambassadour coming as he saith from Denmark and sent hither for his pass much debate there was whether he should be prisoner for the Hostility lasts till the Publication but sith he came by England and by accident of cross winds and the peace so near it was waved and he had a pass And so we go on to the next year 1648. The King is laid aside the People Act for him And although the Parliaments Declaration against him may not indure any Answer from himself in his own defence yet sundry Pamphlets perignotos are scattered abroad endeavouring to clear him by many Apologies the Preachers coldly execute the publick commands yet some speeches by others appear gratulatory to the Parliament but the most of men universally murmur and Petition for setting on foot a Treaty with the King the Parliament in vain opposing multitudes of the Counties Petitions and other places who are ill intreated Part of the Parliaments Navy revolt the Scots invade England with bad success and accordingly the Princes Fleet make a kind of defection from him The Parliament consult of Peace Repeal their Votes of Non Addresse to the King and resolve to Treat with him by Commissioners with strict propositions and do yet the King grants many things giving hopes of a good agreement for the Grandees of the Army seem to carress peace whilst the Souldiers are dissenting and demand the King to Justice and to that end Rendevouz neer London and frame a Remonstrance against Peace in the name of the whole Army which is approved in a Council of War and exhibited to both the Houses the Commons seem to consider of the Kings concessions which the Army decline and seiz the King in the Isle of Wight and with him march to London and enquarter about the Parliament whilst the Members of the Commons debate the Kings concessions and Vote them a good foundation towards the setling of a peace to which the Lords assent The Grandees of the Army beleaguer the Houses and purge the Parliament and ill intreat the Members by imprisonment and order the rest to their intentions and determine of the chief affaires of the Kingdom of punishing the King and of modelling the foundation of Government And first confirm the Votes of No Address to the King and annull those for commencing a Treaty with him Promise Votes reflecting upon his life Erect a Tribunal constitute Judgement of all sorts of the Army and of the Members The Higher House neglected yet they reject the others Votes and therefore such of them are expunged out of the number of Judges against the King and all such others as are of their opinion The Presbyterian Ministery outed of all declaim against the proceedings the Scots also protest the States of Holland interpose the Lords doe their duty and the people grumble contrariwise others of the Pulpit pray them to proceed against the King the High Court of Justice is fitted the King Arraigned condemned and is beheaded We will enter this year with a notable Reformation The University of Oxford was supposed to be in disorder For upon the Ordinance of Parliament the last year for the Visitation and Reformation thereof they Ordained certain Gentlemen of several qualities or any five of them to be Visitors Amongst whom were Sir Nath. Brent Mr. William Prin of Lincolns Inn Mr. Reynolds Mr. Cheynel Mr. Wilkinson Mr. Harris Mr. Palmer c. to inquire hear and determine all Crimes Offences c. And accordingly they send their Summons And had Answer of the Delegates Wherein their Vice-Chancellor and Proctors being the Magistrates and publick Officers of this University have beâ—n required to appear they having imparted the same to us the Delegates of this University who doe humbly conceive we cannot acknowledge any Visitors but the King or his immediate Substitutes which we are bound to defend by Legal Obligation by our late Protestation as his Majesties undoubted Rights and also are obliged by divers Statutes and Oathes to maintain also and cannot submit otherwise without manifold multiplyed perjuries And this we hope to make more evident before our proper and competent Judges and to Answer whatsoever Crimes or misdemeanour shall be laid to our charge How violently and active the Resentments of liberty and freedom are in the mindes of men this late War hath given evidence wherein the most earthy souls with earnest zeal have sacrificed their blood unto the name and empty shadow of it and if the bare shape and apparition could actuate these Icie Spirits we may wonder to think that the more free and aëriall who endeavour to restore the soul to its native priviledge and Birth-right should be senceless of their just interest where Religion addes his Tittle unto Right and private Liberty built upon publick priviledge in its fall engages his foundation and renders the neglect of a single safety a desertion to the General and Treason to succession and therefore they refuse to submit to any Viâ—itors but to the King And which they make
provision be made for the education of the Children of Papists in the faith and Religion of Protestants for the imposing of Mulcts on Papists and disposing the benefit thereof at the discretion of the Parliament That provision be made for suppressing the practises of Papists against the Common-wealth for the executing the Laws against them without fraud and for the stricter forbidding of administring and frequenting Mass whether in the Court or whatsoever place within England and Ireland 3. That the power of the Militia by Land and Sea throughout England and Ireland reside in the Parliament solely to raise train as many Souldiers as they please to lead them whither they please to levy what monies they think fit for their pay whereby they may encounter intestine troubles and invasions foreign and that the King and his successors shall not claim any right therein for the space of twenty years after the expiration whereof if the Parliam shall think the safety of the Commonwealth to be concerned that an Army whether for Land or Sea service be raised and pay alotted them and exact the same by their Authority that such Votes shall have the force of a Law or Statute even though the King refuse If persons of what quality soever to the number of thirty be gathered together in Arms and at the command of the Lords and Commons shall not lay down Arms they shall be accounted guilty of high Treason without hope of pardon from the King To these by way of Corollarie were added some provisions touching the City of London Priviledges and ordinary power of Ministers of Iustice in executing sentence given 4. That by an Act the Cessation of Ireland and all Treaties and Articles there made without the consent of Parliament be voided That the right of prosecuting the Irish War depend upon the discretion of Parliament That the Deputy and all Ministers whether of the Martial or â—ivil Government be nominated by Parliament the Chancellor of Ireland Keep of the great Seal Treasurer all Officers of the Kingdom all the Judges the places offices honours 〈◊〉 Donations of Lands grâ—nted by the King since the Cessation made be â—ulled 5. That all Honours and Titles since the second of May 1642. at which time the 〈◊〉 of the great Seal carried away the Seal with himself from the Parliâ—ment be declared Null No man likewise 〈◊〉 chosen into the Order of Peeâ—age shall sit in the House of Lords without the consent of both Houses 6. That the Parliament raise what moneys they please for payment of the publick debts and dammages and for whatsoever publick uses they shall see hereafter needfull 7. In the first tank of Delinquents be reckoned to whom no hope of pardon shall be left either for life or fortune with the Kings Kings consent The two Princes Palatine of the Rhine Rupert and Maâ—ricâ— three Earls five Lords two Bishops two Judges of the Kingdom twenty two Knights whose names to remember were too large but these persons were those who had done the King the most acceptable service All Papists which had been in Arms namely the Marquess of Winchester with two Earls two Lords and six Knights as also all that raised or fomented the Rebellion in Ireland In the 2. Rank were placed fifty Noblemen and Knights all Memberâ— of the lower House who deserting the Parliament passed over to the Kings Party as also all the Judges Lawyers Clergy-men be banished from the Kings Court and abstain from publick Offices and that under penalty of Treason loss of life and fortunes that the Judges and Lawyers be proscribed from Courts and their practice the Clergy interdicted their Benefices and liberty of Preaching Such fell upon the third Rank as had committed or councelled ought against the Parliament none whereof shall obtain in future the Office of Justice of Peace or Judge or Sheriff or publick Officer To the fourth Rank are reckoned the Common Souldier and all persons of baser rank whose fortunes were narrower then two hundred pounds All the Lands and goods of those of the first Rank be publickly sold to pay publick debts but of the Members which in the new Parliament held at Oxford pronounced those guilty of High Treason which adhered to Westminster two parts in three of their lands and goods The Moity of others of the Judges Lawyers Clergy-men the third part and the sixth of all the third Rank be sold for the foresaid points The rest be let goe without Câ—nsure Provided they have ingaged themselves in the National Covenant All in the second and third Rank after the payment of their Fines the pardon of Parliament being sued granted be entirely restored 8. That all Offices of the Kingdom and chief Magistracies for â—wenty years next ensuing be collated and constituted according to the pleasure of Parliament 9. That the new Seal framed aâ— the Houses appointment pass by the King into the Seal of England and that no other hereafter be used That all Grants and Commissions sealed by this new one remain firm all under the old Seal which was with the King be voided from such time as the Keeper Littleton conveyed it away from the Parliament 10. That all Priviledges Grants Charters and Immunities of the City of London be confirmed with itâ—rated Acts That the Tower of London and Militia be ordered at the discretion of the Mayor of the City Members and Common Council therein That no Citizen be compelled to Military service out of the Liberties of the City unless at the Parliaments appointment and the last was 11. That the Court of Wards with all Offices and Employments thereto belonging be exterminated That all services likewise on that accompt imposed cease all inheritances which formerly were held of the King in Capite c. namely by Knights service being freed from burden and charges fifty thousand pounds notwithstanding being paid the King yearly in compensation These were the conditions of peace propounded by the Parliament for the Argument or Matter of the Treaty to be commenced so vehemently sought after by the desires of all men and by the Arms of many Nothing changed from those which being formerly sent to the King whilst he remained at Hampton Court were not only rejected by the King but also of the Army as being somewhat too unequal In this one thing they differed that in these last the Scots are unconsidered The Parliament Commissioners are vested with no other Authority then to reply to the Kings Arguments rejoyn Reasons to force his assent having no power to sweeten or alter a word nay not to pass over the Preface but are forthwith to adverâ—ise the Parliament touching the Kings Concessions to transact all in writing and to debate the Propositions one by one in order not to descend to another before agreement touching the precedent and the time limited to dispatch within fourty dayes The Treaty goes on for a good while when suddenly advice comes to the Parliament that
Ormond was arrived in Irelaâ—d with the Kings Commission and dignified with the Title of Deputy to establish a common peace on the best terms he might and so might raise Arms and deliver the King out of Prison The Commissioners therefore are directed to require the King to recall Ormonds Commission and annull his Authority And this is Answered also amongst the Propositions hereafter This while the transactions are reported to the Parliament by piece-meal where such as were averse to peace carp at all particulars unless they were assented to in their own terms yet at last the King unlookt for grants many things And first to the Preamble he hardly and not without caution assents with this That nothing in the Treaty should be taken for granted unless upon a full agreement in all things 1. The King assents to the first Proposition for the calling in of Declarations 3. To the third touching the Militia 4. Touching the Government of Ireland 5. Touching publick payments provided that those debts be audited and ascertained within two years 6. For nulling all Titles of Honour 8. Touching the chief Magistrates of the Kingdom 9. Touching the great Seal 10. Touching the Priviledges of London 11. Touching the Court of Wards Provided that one hundred thousand pounds be yearly paid by way of compensation Secondly He assents to all the Articles of the second Proposition except only one touching Bishops and their Revenues yet not altogether wanting to the desires of the Parliament for whatsoever did appear not to have clearly proceeded from divine Institution he gives way to be totally abolished and so the dignity of Arch-Bishops to fall Episcopal Jurisdiction also viz. of exercizing Ecclesiastical Discipline or Gubernation he suffers to be taken away but not likewise the power of Ordination standing in the right of ordaining Priests and Deacons as being Apostolical But at length hoping the Members would agree to him in other things he condescends that the Office of Ordination for three years should not be exercised by the Bishops without the assent of the Presbytery yet to be suspended untill by twenty Divines of his own nomination consulting with the Synod some thing of certainty should be determined touching Ecclesiastical Government whereto together with the Parliament he promiseth to consent In the mean time that Presbytery be setled for experiment sake he doth not much gain-stand The Bishops Lands and Revenues he affrighted with the horrour of Sacriledge would not suffer to be sold and alienated from the Church yet he would permit them to be let out for 99 years paying a small price yearly in testimony of their hereditary right and for maintenance of the Bishops Provided that after this term be expired they return to the right of the Crown to be imployed or to the use of the Church In the interim determining with himself being redeemed by their own Revenues to return thence for Ecclesiastical uses The seventh Proposition touching Delinquents in his own dangers not unmindful of his friends he could not confirm but condescends 1. That moderate pecuniary fines be imposed on them 2. That they be prohibited access to the King and Court that some of them be banished the Kingdom but not under the brand of Treason nor with loss of life and possessions but with a pecuniary Mulct to be awarded in case they should do otherwise 3. That they be deprived for three years of their right of sitting in the Parliament 4. That they be brought to trial if the Parliament think fit and if they have committed ought against the established Laws of England that they suffer according to their deserts Nevertheless he was contented to grant the other Articles of the same Proposition with this salvo if so be such of the Clergy as were honest learned and free from scandal might enjoy the third part of their Benefices And that such might not be wholly put by the Office Preaching The Authority committed to Ormond in that instant when he was delivered into custody the King cannot recall unless the Houses and he agree in other matters if this come to pass then according to his Concessions to the fourth Proposition he will be conâ—ent the Irish affairs be managed according to the discretion of thâ— Houses only In the mean time he writes Letters to Ormond to act nothing in the execution of that power as long as the Treaty or any hopes of peace lasted During the Treaty that the King might feel the pulse of the Members how they stood affected to him He exhibits Proposals equal he conceived in Conscience and for the publick good to be transmitted to the Parliament 〈◊〉 That he may have liberty to reside in London or in whatsoever of his own Houses and act at a nearer distance with the Parliament with Freedom Honour and safety The which demand the Propositions conceded the Parliament engage should be granted him but having first tasted the palate of the Citizens and been encouraged by the subscriptions of many the ablest Citizens but of worst affections Secondly The King demands He may receive all the Revenues and Emoluments of the Crown Thirdly That he may receive a compensation for the lawful Rights which the Parliament shall think fit to abolish These likewise the Houses consented unto Fourthly That an Act of Amneâ—ie or Oblivion be passed the very means of all traverses which happened in the heat of War may be utterly deleted This Demand they liked not but with cautely and limitations by the benefit whereof the Parliament might persecute many of the Royallists In fine most things were accommodated beyond expectation the Commissioners promised the King also the peace which they fancied supposing belike that the Houses would something recede from their rigid demands for indeed the King upon the matter of his Concessions had almost quitted the Rule of both his Kingdoms England and Ireland And in truth the hopes of almost all good men were thereto had not Factious persons choaked the wished fruit of that Treaty and given a check to peace ready to cement For concerning the Church the Kings Concessions had brought things into so narrow a compass that the chief visible obstruction is that wherein really in conscience he is not satisfied and yet hopes that time and debate may happily reconcile these small differences And if his Parliament shall not think fit to recede from the strictness of their demands in these particulars He can with more comfort cast himself upon his Saviours goodness to support and defend him from all afflictions that may befall him rather 〈◊〉 for any politick consideration which may seem to be a means â—o restore him to deprive himself of the inward tranquillity of a quiet mind wherefore as to these and others before mentioned particulars he adheres to his former Answers and hopes that his Reasonâ— will sufficiently satisfie 20. Novem. These Reasons were referred to the Ministers Assistants 〈◊〉 Commissioners Mr. Marshal Mr. Vines Mr. Carrol and Mr
things fitted for to morrow Saturday 20. of Ian. the King is brought from St. Iames's through the Park in a Sedan to White-hall thence by water with Guards to Sir Iohn Cottons House at the back end of Westminster Hall The Judges met in the Painted Chamber attending the President Bradshaw in his Scarlet Robe the Sword born before him by Colonel Humphrey the Mace by Serjeant Denby the younger and twenty men for his Guard with Partizans Himself sits down in a Crimson Velvet Chair of State fixed in the midst of the Court with a Desk before him and thereon a Cushion of Crimson Velvet The seats of each side Benches covered with Scarlet cloth all of bloudy colours for the Tryers the Partizans divided themselves on each side O yes and silence made the great Gate of the Hall was set open for any to enter Col. Thomson was commanded to bring forth the prisoner who was with twenty Partizans and other Guards The Serjeant with his Mace receives him to the Bar where was placed a red Velvet Chair The King looks sternly upon the Court and up to the Galleries and then sits down not shewing the least regard to the Court but presently rises up and looks downâ—ards on the guards and on the multitude of people spectators The Act of Parliament for the Trying of Charls Stuart King of England was read over by the Clerk one Phelps who â—at on the right side of the Table covered with a Turkey Carpet placed at the feet of the President upon which lay the Sword and Mace The several names in the Roll of the Tryers were called over and 80. answered to their names In the charge the King is accused in the name of the people of England of Treason Tyranny of all the murders and rapines that had happened in the war many things being added for aggravation they repose all the vveight of the accusation on this That he raised war against the Parliament A vast number of people looking on vvith groans and sighs deploring the miserable condition of their good King The President stood up and said Sir You have heard your Charge containing such matters as appears in it and in the close it is prayed that you Answer to your Charge which this Court expects The King vvhilst he heard the Charge vvith countenance of Majesty and at some passages vvith a brovv of scornefull smile and novv in ansvver to the President asks these nevv Judges By what Authority they did bring to Tryal a King their most rightful Sovereign against the publick Faith so lately given him when he commenced Treaty with the Members of both Houses By what saies he emphatically Lawful Authority for said he I am not ignorant that there are on foot every where very many unlawful powers as of Theeves and Robbers in the High way he bids them only declare by what Authority they had arrogated this what-soever-power to themselves and he would willingly answer to the things objected Which if they could not he adviseth them to avert the grievous crimes from their own heads and the Kingdom Whatsoever they did he was resolved not to betray the Charge committed by God and confirmed by ancient descent The President rejoyns That he was called to account by Authority of the people of England by whose Election he was admitted King The King replyes The Kingdom descended to him in no wise Elective but Hereditary for above a thousand years That he stood more apparantly for the Liberties of the people of England by refusing an unlawful and urbitrary Authority then the Iudges or any other whosoever by asserting it That the Authority and power of the people was shewed in Parliamentary Assemblies but that here appeared none of the Lords who to the constituting of a Parl ought to be there and which is more some King ought to be there present but that neither the one nor the other nor both the Parliament Houses nor any other Iudicature on earth had any Authority to call the King of England to account much less some certain Iudges chosen only by his accusers masked with the Authority of the Lower House and the same proculcated Howbeit he wills them again they would at least-wise produce this their Authority and he would not be wanting to his defence forasmuch as it was the same offence with him to acknowledge a Tyrannical power as to resist a lawful one The President often interrupting the Kings speech told him That they were satisfied with their Authority as it is upon Gods Authority and the Kingdoms in doing of Iustice this their present work To which the King replyed That it was not his own apprehension nor theirs neither that ought to decide it And so the President commanded the prisoner to be taken into custody and so the Court adjourned till Munday next 22. Ianu. to the Painted Chamber and from thence to the same place again and the King returned in the manner as before to St. Iames's Munday the Court met in the Painted Chamber and considering the Kings Resolution to deny ther Jurisdiction and Judicature They resolve that he should not be suffered to argue either the Courts Jurisdiction or that which did constitute it of which debate they had no proper Cognizance nor could they being a derivative power which made them Judges from which there was no appeal And therefore with that distinction they Order That if the King offer to dispute the same again the President shall tell him that the Commons of England assembled in Parliament have constituted this Court whose power may not be permitted to be disputed by him That if he refuse to answer it shall be recounted a contumacie to the Court That if he answer with a salvo his pretended Prerogative above the Court He shall be required to answer positive yea or no. That he shall not have a Copy of his Charge till he own the Court and declare his intentions to answer This concluded they assemble in Westminster Hall and the King called for and brought to the Bar in the same manner and with much contumacy as the other day when the Sollicitor Cook moves that the Prisoner may make a positive answer or that the Charge may be taken pro confesso and the Court to proceed to Justice The President repeats in brief the passages of the last day and commands the King to Answer to the Articles of his Charge unless he had rather hear the Capital Sentence against him The King persists to interrogate concerning their Authority and saies That he less regards his Life then his Honour his Conscience the Laws the Liberties of the people all which that they should not perish together there were weighty Reasons why he could not prosecute his defence before the Iudges and acknowledge a new form of Iudicature for what power had ever any Iudges to erect a Iudicature against their King or by what Laws was it granted surely not by Gods Laws
required to give his Answer but he refused so to doe and so exprest several passages at his Tryall in refusing to Answer For all which Treasons and Crimes this Court doth adjudge that the said Charls Stuart as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and publick Enemy shall be put to death by the severing his head from his body This Sentence saies the President now read and published is the Act Sentence Iudgement and Resolution of the whole Court To which the Members of the Court stood up and assented to what he said by holding up their hands The King offered to speak but he was instantly commanded to be taken away and the Court broke up The number of the Judges at the Kings Sentence of Death were 78. and their names Serjeant Io. Bradshaw President Lieutenant General O. Cromwel Com. Gen. Ireton Ma. Gen. Skippon Colonels Thomas Harrison Edward Whaley Thomas Pride Isaac Ewer Richard Ingolsby Rowland Wilson Henry Martin William Purfrey Godfrey Boswel Iohn Barkstead Harbotle Morley Mathew Tomlins Hewson Edward Ludlow Iohn Hutchinson Robert Titchburn Owen Row Robert Lilburn Adrian Scroope Richard Dean Iohn Okey Iohn Harison Iohn Desborough William Goffe Iohn More Francis Lasseley Edmund Harvey Iohn Venn Anthony Stapeley Iohn Downs Thomas Hamâ—nd George Fleetwood Iames Temple Thomas Wait. Esquires that did sit Will. Hemington Isaac Penington Alderman Tho. Atkins Alderman Iohn Blaxtone Gilbert Millington Cornelius Holland Iohn Carme Iohn Iones Miles Corbet Francis Allen Peregrine Popham Iohn Gowden Francis Thorpe Serjeant Thomas Chaloner William Say Iohn Aldred Henry Smith Iames Chaloner Dennis Bond Humphrey Edward Gregory Clement Iohn Fry Thomas Wogan Iohn Fowkes Alderman Thomas Scot Alderman Thomas Andrews Alderman William Cowley Abraham Burrel Iohn Lisle Nicholas Love Vincent Potter Iohn Corbet Thomas Blunt Tho. Boon Augustine Carlanel Iohn Dukswell Simon Maine Daniel Blagrave Iohn Downe Iohn Lownes Officers attending the Court Doctor Doarislaus Mr. Ashbie Councellors Mr. Cooke Sollicitor Colonel Humfrey Sword-bearer Mr. Dendy Jun. Serjeant at Arms Mr. Phâ—lps Mr. Broughton Clerks to the Court Messengers Wolfred Payne Radley Powell Isall King the Cryer The Lords that did sit Thomas Lord Gray of Grooby Philip Lord Lisle And here we may insert the Kings Reasons against the Jurisdiction of the Court which he intended to have declared in writing on Munday Ianu. 22. but was not permitted Having already made my protestations not only against the illegality of this pretended Court but also that no earthly power can justly call me who amyour KING in question as a Delinquent I would not any more open my mouth upon this occasion more than to refer my self to what I have spoken were I alone in this case alone concerned But the duty I owe to God in the preservation of the true liberty of my people will not â—ufâ—er me at this time to be silent For how can any free-born Subject of England call life or any thing he posseseth his own if power without right daily make new and abrogate the old fundamental Law of the Land which I now take to be the present case Wherefore when I came hither I expected that you would have endeavoured to have satisfied me concerning these grounds which hinder me to answer to your pretended impeachment but since I see that nothing I can say will move you to it â—though Negatives are not so naturally proved as Affirmatives yet I will shew you the Reason why I am confident you cannot judge me nor indeed the meanest man in England for I will not like you without shewing a reason seek to impose a belief upon my Subjects There is no proceeding just against any man but what is warranted either by Gods Laws or the municipall Laws of the Countrey where he lives Now I am most confident that this daies proceeding cannot be warranted by Gods Law for on the contrary the Authority of obedience unto Kings is clearly warranted and strictly commanded both in the old and new Testament which if denied I am ready instantly to prove and for the question now in hand there it is said That where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what doest thou Eccles. 8. 4. Then for the Laws of this Land I am no less confident that no Learned Lawyer will affirm that an impeachment can lye against the King they all going in his name and one of their Maximes is That the King can do no wrong Besides the Law upon which you ground your proceedings must either be old or new if old shew it if new tell what Authority warranted by the Fundamental Laws of the Land had made it and when But how the House of Commons can erect a Court of Iudicature which was never one it self as is well known to all Lawyers I leave to God and the World to judge and it were full as strange that they should pretend to make Laws without King or Lords-House to any that have heard speak of the Laws of England And admitting but not granting that the people of Englands Commission could grant your pretended power I see nothing you can shew for that for certainly you never asked the Question of the tenth man of the Kingdom and in this way you manifestly wrong even the poorest Ploughman if you demand not his free consent nor can you pretend any colour for this your pretended Commission without the consent at least of the major part of every man in England of whatsoever quality or condition which I am sure you never went about to seek so far are you from having it Thus you see that I speak not for my own right alone as I am your King but also for the true Liberty of all my Subjects which consists not in sharing the power of Government but in living under such Laws such a Government as may give themselves the best assurance of their lives and propriety of their goods Nor in this must or doe I forget the priviledges of both Houses of Parliament which this daies proceeding doth not only violate but likewise occasion the greatest breach of their publick Faith that I believe ever was heard of with which I am far from charging the two Houses for all the pretened crimes laid against me bear date long before this late Treaty at NEWPORT in which I having concluded as much as in me lay and hopefully expecting the two Houses agreement thereto I was suddenly surprized and hurried from thence as a prisoner upon which account I am against my will brought hither where since I am come I cannot but to my power defend the ancient Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom together with my own just right Then for any thing I can see the higher House is totally excluded And for the House of Commons it is too well known that the major part of them are deteined or deterred from sitting â—o as if I had no other this were sufficient for me to protest against the lawfulness of your pretended
Court Besides all this the peace of the Kingdom is not the least in my thoughts and what hopes of settlement is there so long as power reigns without rule of Law changing the whole frame of that Government under which this Kingdom hath flourished for many hundred years nor will I say what will fall out in case this lawless unjust proceeding against me go on and believe it the Commons of England will not thank you for this change for they will remember how happy they have been of late years under the Reign of Queen Elizabeth the King my Father and my self untill the beginning of these unhappy troubles and will have cause to doubt that they shall never be so happy under any new And by this time it will be too sensibly evident that the Arms I took up were only to defend the fundamental Laws of this Kingdom against those who have supposed my power hath totally changed the ancient Government Thus having shewed you briefly the Reasons why I cannot submit to your pretended Authority without violating the trust which I have from God for the welfare and liberty of my people I expect from you either clear reasons to convince my judgement shewing me that I am in an errour and then truly I will readily answer or that you will withdraw your proceedings After Sentence the King being hurried away was mocked of the Souldiers suffering many things like to Christ they laying aside all reverence to Soveraignty acted Triumph on the Prisoner crying out justice justice That one defiled his venerable face with spittle I abhor to say it was wittingly done but we are assured he wiped it off with his Handkerchief they puft Tobacco fume no smell to him more offensive and cast their Tobacco pipes at his feet And such as salute him they Bastinado One that did but sigh out God have mercy had his Pasport They intrude almost into his Closet hardly permitting him private devotion with his own Chaplain the Bishop of London In their devotions interrupted and himself disturbed whilst he prayed and prepared for this bitter cup. But he with Majesty of minde when they cryed out for justice Poor souls saies he for a piece of money they would do so for their Commanders and at these Rebels he said Christ suffered more for my sake such as dissembled irreverence he with easie contempt eâ—â—ded by neglecting it Yet that little time was lent him he betakes himself to confessions of his sins pardon of his Enemies receiving the Eucharist reading the Scriptures godly conferences doing all the duties of piety And thus holily he seeks to overcome the terrors of death ere they assail him Whilst he prayes they prepare for his execution Sir Hardress Waller Colonel Harrison Colonel Doan Com. Gen. Ireton and Col. Okes are to consider of the time and place for execution And in the Painted Chamber Munday the 29. of Ianu. the President and Judges meet and with the â—â—mmittee resolve That the open street before White-Hall is the fittest place that the King be there executed tomorrow Tuesday between ten and two a clock upon a Scaffold covered with black near the Banquetting House where he was wont to ascend his Throne and shew the pomp of Majesty due to Princes there must he pass to his Funeral Pulpit and lay aside the spoiles of Majesty where he had put on the Insigns thereof It was supposed that the King would not submit his neck to his enemies Axe and therefore it was so provided with Staples and Cords that he could not resist And the Commons house considered that in case of execution they ordered a Proclamation to be made throughout the Kingdom To declare it high Treason to Proclaim any King of England without consent of the present Parliament for so the House is stiled And that none upon paines of imprisonment preach or speak any thing contrary to the present proceeding of the Supream Authority of the Nation the Commons of England assembled in Parliament A Member of the Army gave in the desires of the King That in respect Sentence of death was past upon him and the time of execution might be nigh That he might see his Children and to receive the Sacrament and to prepare himself for death and that the Bishop of London might pray with him in private in his Chamber This night Saturday 27. Ian. the King lodged at White-hall and the next day Sunday the Bishop preached there before the King in his Chamber and this Sunday the President and all the Members of the High Court of Justice fasted in the Chappel of Whitehall and Mr. prayed for them On Sunday means was made to deliver a Letter to him from his son the Prince of Wales which the King read and burnt it and then he was conveyed to St. Iames's the next morning being Munday While the Dutch Ambassadour had audience of the House read their â—â—structions and Letters of Credence in French their desires was to intercede for the Kings life and to keep and preserve a fair correspondence betwixt this Nation and the Estates of the Netherlands This day his Children had leave to visit him but stayed not long His Children being come to meet him he first gave his blessing to the Lady Elizabeth and bad her remember to tell her brother Iames when ever she should see him that it was his Fathers last command that he should no more look upon Charls as his eldest brother only but be obedient unto him as his Soveraign and that they should love one another and forgive their Fathers Enemies Then said the King to her Sweet-heart you 'l forget this no said she I shall never forget it while I live and pouring forth abundance of tears promised him to write down the Particulars Then the King taking the Duke of Gloucester upon his knee said sweet-heart now they will cut off thy Fathers head upon which words the child looked very stedfastly on him mark child what I say they will cut off my head and perhaps mak thee a King but mark what I say you must not be a King so long as your brothers Charles and Iames do live For they will cut off your Brothers heads when they can catch them and cut off thy head too at last and therefore I charge you do not be made a King by them At which the child sighing said I will be torn in pieces first which falling so unexpectedly from one so young it made the King rejoyce exceedingly Another Relation from the Lady Elizabeths own hand What the King said to me the 29. of Ian. 1648. being the last time I had the happiness to see him he told me he was glad I was come and although he had not time to say much yet somewhat he had to say to me which he had not to another or leave in writing because he feared their cruelty was such as that they would not have permitted him to write to me He
according to the prescript of his word which hath long since been miserably convulst and disjoynted And this a National Synod duly called and freely debating will best effectuate To the King namely my Successor you will render full right if you restore those things which by the clear letter of the Law stands expressed Lastly you will put the people in their rights and due Liberties not by listing them in the consort of the Throne and sway of the Scepter but by recovering unto the Laws their Authority and the peoples observance to the abrogating of which by the enormous power of the Sword when as by no means I could be induced I was brought hither to undergoe a Martyrdom for my people So his last breath gently dissolving into a most meek prayer the Bishop of London promps him â—hat if his most excellent Majesty pleased he would openly profess what he thought touching his Religion not that any one alive could suspect it of which himself at all times throughout the whole space of his life had given manifest testimony but for custom and the peoples satisfaction Hereupon saies the King That he deposited the testimony of his faith with that holy man meaning the Bishop or else expected defence on this behalf of all men who well knew his Life and profession Namely That I dye saith he in the Christian faith according to the profession of the Church of England as the same was left me by my Father of most blessed memory Then looking about upon the Officers Having saies he a most gracious God and most just Cause that I shall by and by â—â—â—ange this corruptible Crown for an Immarcessible one I both trust and exult and that I shall depart hence into another Kingdom altogether exempt and free from all manner of disturbance Then preparing towards the Circumstances the Bishop put on his night-cap and unclothed him to his Sky-colour Satten Wastecoat He said I have a good Cause and a gracious God and gave his George Order to the Bishop bidding him remember to give it to the Prince There is but one Stage more Sir saies the Bishop this is turbulent and troublesome and but a short one but it will soon dismiss you to a way further even from Earth to Heaven there you are assured of joy and comfort I go saies the King from a Corruptible to an Incorruptible Crown where no disturbance can be but peace and joy for evermore Then lifting up his eyes and hands to Heaven mildly praying to himself he stooped down to the Block as to a Prayer Desk and most humbly bowed down his generous neck to God to be cut off by the vizarded Executioner which was suddenly done at one blow Thus fell Charles and thus all Britain with him Tuesday 30. of Ianuary about the minute of two a clock afternoon There are those persons who have seriously observed some passasages afterwards against the Corps which they stile barbarous in relation to his blood shed thereabouts nay to the Block and to the Sand distained therewith and to his Hair the ground whereof was 〈◊〉 those things were procured by the Royal party well-affected even for a price Certainly there were very many such that coveted any thing as a Relique which evidenced his Martyrdom as they esteemed it And to this day there are divers Devoters that affirm the effects of Cure by application of those things distained with his bloud we need not go farre to finde out the truth hereof if we take the Narrative of the Woman-patient at Dedford near the City of London being thereby cured of her blindness and many others of like infirmities His Head and Trunk was instantly put into a Coffin covered with black Velvet and conveyed into the Lodgings at Whitehall There it was imbowelled by Chirurgions of their own but a Physitian privately thrusting himself into the dissection of the body relates that Nature had designed him above the most of Mortal men for a long life And all sides manifested by those that beheld the admirable temperature almost all ad pondus of his body and mind Then they bear it to St. Iames's House and Coffin it there in Lead About a fortnight after some of the Kings Friends the greatest of Nobility and Honour the Duke of Lenox Marquess of Hartford the Earl of Southampton and the Bishop of London begged the Body to bury it which they conducted to Windsor Chappel Royal and interred it there in the Vault of King Henry the eighth having only this Inscription upon the Coffin Charls King of England From the Bishop of London long time kept Prisoner they take away all the Kings Papers ransack his Coffers and clothes for Scripts and Scroles but Almighty God in his providence hath preserved a Volume of the Kings own a Posthume work of which if any man or Broughton shall impartially weigh the matter the Elegancy of the Stile the nerves of Reason the ardour of Piety even envy it self will confess he deserved the Kingdom amongst Writers and though his own is wrested from him the mercy of his Lord and Saviour hath given 〈◊〉 Crown of Erernal Glory He was a King worthy to be numbred amongst the best of Princes in al-beading ages a strength of will but of more and greater Endowments of vertue of a most strict temperature in the natural disposition of flesh and blood and by the effects of Divine grace the most exact observer of Conjugal Rites and therein for his continency much admired His personage comely of an even well timber'd tallness which assisted him to be excellent in all exercises and therein to be indefatigable for the minde or body None of the Kings no not one not of Britain only but also all as many as any where sat on Throne ever left the world with more sorrow for his his luck women miscarried men fell into melancholly some with Consternations expired men women and children then and yet unborn suffering in him and for him The Pulpit places of all Sects and Opinions lamented even the same men in vain bewailing the losse of him whom they strove heretofore who should first undoe now they extoll and compare to Iob for patience to David for piety to Solomon for prudence most worthy he was of Government if otherwise it had not been his due to Govern herein he performed that great piece to Act one man in every place with the same Tenor of Vertue and condition The same Mean in the most different fortunes without any mutation of the temperature of the mind He addulced as with Charms his Enemies to be made his adorers Reproaches he converted into Praises He in a word excelled in goodness of whom this world was not worthy and therefore the Heavens have him there He had his failings of perfection in the first years of his Reign not so well versed in the affairs of State but that he being put to it trusted too much to others