main Army to Worcester where he made some stay The King at that time with a small Body of Horse went to Shrewsbury to which place he caused a Mint to be brought and Coined his Plate for many Gentlemen about that time had besides Money and Arms brought Plate in unto him At Shrewsbury he grew wonderful in strength so that within three weeks after his coming thither from a small inconsiderable Body of Horse he was grown into an Army consisting of about six thousand Foot and three thousand Horse and two thousand Dragoneirs From Shrewsbury the King marched along by Coventry and came to Southam being but a small distance from the Lord General Essex his Army from whence he struck a terror though so far off into the City of London it self for he was then neerer to London by a dayes march then the General was insomuch as that London made great provisions to Guard it self and the Parliament sent twelve Companies to possess and Guard Windsor-Castle The General thought it his chief work to follow the King's Army for fear he should march toward London and by reason of that haste left behinde him a great part of his Forces and great Artillery The King perceiving that and loath to lose so good an advantage of fighting before the Parliament-Forces were conjoyned turned back against General Essex who was also resolved to give battel A fair Champion Ground there is neer Keynton a Village in Warwickshire and not above twenty furlongs from that Village a great and steep hill upon which the King's Army had spread themselves and at the foot of that Hill a large Plain called The Vale of the Red-Horse here first the battel joyned the Royalists descending cheerfully down the hill and the Parliamentarians from Keynton approaching toward them The fight was begun with great courage and much slaughter on both parts on one side the Earl of Lindsey on the other the Earl of Essex manfully discharging the parts both of Generals and Souldiers But presently after the Battel was begun Prince Rupert who commanded the Horse in the King 's right Wing fell in with so furious a Charge upon the Parliaments left Wing where most of their Horse were placed that immediately he put to flight all those Parliament-Horse whose Foot likewise being left by the Horse betook themselves to flight Prince Rupert following the chase far and greedy of pillage whilest he was busie in seizing the Carriages and Baggage of his Enemies spent so much time therein that the King's Victory which was almost gotten was by that means quite lost for in the King 's left Wing the fortune was nor equal whom Sir William Balfore charged so roundly that he broke the best Foot-Regiments and seized upon the King's Artillery There was a bloody fight in that place the Kings Standard was taken but soon lost again there were slain and taken Prisoners many brave men among whom Lindsey the King's General was taken Prisoner who died within few hours of his wounds Night parted the fight and gave a safe retreat to both sides both sides challenged the Victory to themselves for which thanks were publickly given to God both by the Parliament and the King for on both sides appeared some marks of Victory as Ensigns Canons and Prisoners taken Concerning the number of the slain was no agreement both partyes reporting too falsly but it was thought that of both Armies though more of the King's side then the other were slain in that battel above five thousand General Essex marched to Coventry to refresh his Army the King to Oxford as to his Winter-Quarters Prince Rupert with a Body of Horse flew up and down the Countrey Night and Day plundering and robbing Towns and Villages and made his Excursions so far out of Oxford that he struck a terrour into the City of London it self insomuch as that they desired General Essex who had designed to follow the King that he would bring his Army neerer to London Essex on the seventh Day of November came to Westminster quartering his Forces in the adjacent Villages and was received with great Honour by both Houses of Parliament and was presented with five thousand pounds as a gratuity with a large acknowledgement of his valour and pains undergone for the Commonwealth Before the General departed from London another bloody Battel was fought about Brainford And so happened the occasion the Parliament grieved for this unnatural War desirous to save the Kingdom and recover Ireland had agreed upon a Petition for Accommodation to be presented to the King being then at Colebrook by the Earls of Northumberland and Pembrook the Lord Wainman Master Perpoint and Sir John Ipsley The King gave a fair Answer protesting before God That he was grieved for his peoples sufferings and in order to peace was willing to reside neer London and receive such Propositions as they would send and treat with them As soon as the Commissioners were gone with this Answer the King's Artillery for so all Relations agree advanced forward with the Horse thorow Colebrook after them toward London and taking advantage of a great Mist which happened that Night they marched to Brainford and fell upon the Parliaments Forces that were quartered there which was a broken Regiment of Colonel Hollis's The King's Army killed many of them and had in likelihood utterly destroyed them all if the Lord Brook's and Colonel Hamden's Regiments that were billeted not far off had not come in to their relief who maintained a great and bloody fight against the King's Army till both sides at Night retreated many were slain and taken Prisoners on both sides and both reported themselves Conquerers as before it happened at Keynton Battel News of this unexpected Fight was soon at London where the General was sitting in Parliament whither also the noise of their great Artillery was easily heard he took Horse immediately to get strength together and relieve his engaged men but Night had parted them and the King was retired to his best advantages All that Night Forces came out of London thither so that on the Sunday Morning being the fourteenth of November a wonderful number of armed men were met and had so far encompast the King's Army small in comparison of them that many hoped for an end of the War but God was nor so pleased for the King escaped by reason of this error Three thousand Parliament Souldiers were then at Kingston they were commanded to leave that Town and march speedily thorow Surrey and over London-Bridge so thorow the City to Brainford to stop the Enemies passage to London A reason of that Command was afterwards given because the Lord General was not assured of strength enough to stop the Enemy from going to London nor could he be beforehand sure of so great a Force as he afterwards perceived to be come to him before morning Thus did the enclosed King escape and retreated thorow that Town of Kingston being so abandon'd by the Parliaments souldiers
for himself was that Misdemeanors though never so many and great could not make Treason put together unless some one of them in his own nature had been Treason for that was his Charge which he strove to avoid Yet many of those particulars in his accusation were put into his Bill of Attainder afterward for a Bill of Attainder was drawn up and read against him in the House of Commons April 21. where he was Voted guilty of high Treason Mr. Saint John the Kings Sollicitor and a Member of the House of Commons on the 29 of April for satisfaction of the Lords opened the Bill in Westminster-Hall where the Earl of Strafford was at the Bar and the King present in his accustomed place and made the Bill good by many precedent Statutes Upon which the Lords being somewhat satisfied were afterwards more confirmed when the Judges in their House delivered their opinions concerning it And voted him guilty of high Treason also But the King told the Lords he was not satisfied in Conscience to condemn him of high Treason But acknowledged that his misdemeanors were very great until at last wearied with Petitions for Justice the King calling a Privy Councel at White-hall commanded the Judges to deliver their opinion before him there and sent for some Bishops to resolve him in scruple of Conscience Which wrought so that he granted a Commission to four Lords to sign that Bill for execution of the Earl of Strafford which execution was done at the time and place before mentioned The death of this great Earl seemed to be the more violently sought and more hastened by reason of some Treasons against the Parliament which were at that time discovered being partly in favor of him contrived to prevent his death by an escape out of the Tower For one part of this Treason was to that purpose Souldiers were raised by Sir John Suckling and some others under pretence of service in Portugal to gratifie the Embassador of that Kingdom those Souldiers the King himself who was now found to be privy to all those Treasons against the Parliament commanded Sir William Belfore the Lieutenant to admit into the Tower but he perceiving it was a Plot for the Earls escape disobeyed the Kings Command Another part of this Treason chief of all the rest was a design to bring up the English Army which was in the North and not yet disbanded this Army they had dealt with to engage against the Parliament sitting and as they alleaged to maintain the Kings Prerogative Episcopacy and other things against the Parliament it self In this Plot were Henry Piercy brother to the Earl of Northumberland Mr. Henry Jermin Master of the Horse to the Queen Col. Goring Col. Wilmot Col. Ashburnham Pollard Suckling and others the Kings discourses to Mr. Piercy concerning these things were discovered in a Letter of Piercie's to his Brother Northumberland out of France which was read in the House upon the 14 of June for Piercy Jermine and Suckling at the beginning of May when this Treason was in some part detected fled the day before they should have been examined and passed over into France upon which reading Wilmot Ashburnham and Pollard three Members of the House mentioned in the Letter as privy to the Plot were all committed If the Earl of Strafford had escaped out of the Tower he should have Commanded in aid to this Plot that Irish Army consisting of eight thousand most of them Papists which the King would not grant to have disbanded when the Parliament on the 28 of April before had desired it of him but told them he could not disband them for reasons best known to himself Colonel Goring for some discoveries which he made was not at all committed but Oneale an Irish Papist that was deep in the Plot was apprehended and committed to the Tower from whence he afterwards escaped The Parliament finding such disturbance in their business and treasons against them and not at all assured of the Kings reality weighing besides the great charges of paying two Armies for which money must be raised by Loan upon the publick Faith moved the King to sign a Bill for continuation of this present Parliament which was That it should never be dissolved without the Consent of both Houses That Bill so drawn up the King signed on the 10 of May the same day that he signed the Bill for Straffords execution This Bill was a thing that former ages had not seen the like of and therefore extremely was the Kings Grace magnified by those that flattered but much condemned by others who hated Parliaments and Reformation complaining that the King had too far put the staffe out of his own hands But many men who saw the necessity of such a thing without which no money upon the publick Faith could be borrowed did not at all wonder at it saying That as no King ever granted the like before so no King had ever before made so great a necessity to require it but some men were of opinion that it was not of security enough to make the Kingdom happy unless the King were good for if he were ill-affected he had power enough still to hinder and retard them in any proceeding for the good and settlement of the Common-wealth and so by time and delayes lay a greater Odium upon the Parliament for not satisfying the peoples desires then if they had not had that seeming power to have done it Which proved in the conclusion too true when the King by such protraction of business not at all concurring with them in the main had raised a party to himself against them to cut asunder that Knot by the sword which by Law he could not unty The Parliament after this began with easing the Kingdoms Grievances and because the charge of the two Armies lay upon them and every day was considerable till they were disbanded that was the first thing intended Towards which a great quantity of Plate was appointed with more than ordinary haste to be melted and coined And for making up the sum that Bill of Poll-money was to be signed which was tendred to the King and two other Bills with it one for putting down the High-Commission Court and the other for putting down the Star-Chamber The King signed only that Bill of Poll-money and took time to consider of the other two but hearing how ill it was taken at his hands what murmurings there were in the City and thinking it not now seasonable to distaste them much three days after he came and passed those other two Bills for putting down the High Commission Court and Star-Chamber The Queen-Mother of France about that time took her leave of the King passed over the Seas into Holland the people desiring to be eased of that charge for the King had kept her for the space of three years in England at the allowance of 100. l. a day The Parliament proceeded then against the delinquent Judges about Ship-money and Charges
firm in appearance Voted with them and gave his Voice for setling of the Militia by Ordinance of Parliament But about the end of June one Master Eliot a Courtier was sent closely from York to him who having gotten privacy with the Lord Keeper so far prevailed at last that he got the Great Seal into his hands and rid away with it to the King at York The Lord Keeper Littleton after some serious thoughts with himself not being able to answer it to the Parliament rode away himself next day to the King also The reason which he gave to some friends of his afterwards for so parting with the Seal was this The King when he made him Lord Keeper gave him an Oath in private which he took That whensoever the King should send to him for the Great Seal he should forthwith deliver it This Oath he said he could not dispence with in Conscience but was sorry he had taken the Office with such an Oath The Seal was given him since this Parliament sate which made it appear what intentions the King even then had to the Parliament The King having now gotten the Great Seal issued forth many Proclamations and among other one That no man should obey the Parliaments Warrants about setling the Militia and they on the other side by Ordinances forbad any man to raise Arms by Warrant from the King without the authority of Parliament The Parliament being then intent upon setling the Militia by Land they took care also to seize the Navy into their hands for security of the Kingdom against forreign invasions To that purpose the Earl of Warwick a Nobleman of good experience in Sea-affairs and undoubted fidelity to his Countrey was by an Ordinance of both Houses chosen to be Lord Admiral But the King had chosen Sir John Penington to that place in the room of the Earl of Northumberland and sent a Command to the Earl of Warwick to resign the place to him But the Earl-chose rather to obey the Ordinance of Parliament and with great courage and policy got the Fleet into his hands though many of the Captains stood out against him alleaging they had the Kings Command to obey Sir John Penington but the Earl deprived them of their Commands and possessed himself of the Ships taking shortly after another Ship called the Lion of great import coming out of Holland and laden with Gunpowder which proved a great addition to his strength All men at this time began to despair of the Kings return to his Parliament and therefore on the 10 of June was an Order made in Parliament for bringing in money and plate to raise Arms for the Cause the publick Faith for repayment to them that brought it in was engaged by the Parliament and interest of eight in the hundred Which was accordingly brought in in great abundance by well-affected people as also Horses and Arms for that service The King at that time had received Money and Arms with Ammunition out of Holland upon the pawning of the Crown-Jewels which the Queen had carried over in February before He then sent out his Commissions of Array to Arm the people into all Counties wherein he used the Parliaments own words as in a Jeer of them For the Parliament professed that their receiving of plate and money and levying of Forces was To maintain the Protestant Religion the Kings Person dignity and authority the Laws of the Land the peace of the Kingdom and priviledge of Parliament The Kings words were the same namely To maintain the Protestant Religion his own person and authority the Laws Kingdoms Peace and priviledge of Parliament And whereas the Parliament in their Declarations both then and afterward used to say That they did arm against a malignant party by whom the Kings person was in danger he in his said the like and that for the safety of his own person and people there was an inevitable necessity of putting the Kingdom into a posture of defence using those very words in his Commission of Array which they did in their Ordinance for the Militia And invited people to bring plate and money to him in that language which the Parliament did nor did it prove less effectual for many Lords Gentlemen and others very freely brought in Money and plate to serve the King within a short space In all this heat of preparations the King before those Lords that were with him in the North made a solemn Protestation as before God that he would not engage them in any War against the Parliament but only for his necessary defence that his desire was to maintain the Protestant Religion the liberties of the Subject and priviledge of Parliament Upon which those Lords made a solemn Protestation as before God and subscribed their Names to it That they did believe the Kings intention to be as he said namely That he had no purpose to Levy War against the Parliament and that he endeavored only to maintain the Protestant Religion the Laws Liberties of the Subject and just priviledge of Parliament The King immediately after this took a progress about the Countries adjacent and at divers places made speeches to the Gentlemen and inhabitants full of gracious promises and declaring his intentions to preserve the peoples Liberties and priviledge of Parliament after which he returned to York and having raised an Army of three thousand Foot and one thousand Horse went to Beverly with an intention to besiege Hull making Proclamation beforehand That no man should presume to assist Hull against him or bring any force thither The Parliament on the other side published a Declaration for the preservation and safety of the Kingdom and of the town of Hull with assurance of satisfaction to all those who sustained any loss by their service for the safety of that Town or by overflowing of water upon the grounds there The King was within two hours march of Hull when Sir John Hotham calling a Councel of War by whom it was thought so fit drowned the Countrey about Hull drawing up the Sluce giving the Owners time to remove their Cattel and Goods the Parliament being to satisfie their damages upon the publick Faith Sir John Meldrum an old Souldier was assistant to Hotham who sallying bravely out of the Town with five hundred Townsmen made the Kings party retreat to Beverly some being slain and taken in the Chase Within a short time after when five hundred men sent from London arrived at Hull Sir John Meldrum made a fiercer Sally and forced most of the Leaguer to retire disorderly one and twenty of them being slain and fifteen taken prisoners and following his good success came to Aulby where the Kings Magazine of Arms Ammunition and Fire-balls were kept in a Barn all which he took and fired the Barn Upon which the King calling a Councel of War upon their advice broke up the siege before Hull On the twelfth of July the Parliament Voted that an Army should be raised for the
in a miserable calamity While the King persisted in these courses the Kirk of Scotland from the Synod at Edinburgh sent Letters to him containing a serious admonition which because the admonition of a National Church may seem a thing of some moment shall be set down verbatim the Preface onely omitted because long though very humble THE troubles of our hearts are enlarged and our fears encreased in your Majesties behalf perceiving that your Peoples patience is above measure tempted is like a Cart pressed down with Sheaves and ready to break while as besides many former designs and endeavours to bring desolation and destruction upon us which were and we trust all of that kind shall be by the marvellous and merciful providence of God discovered and disappointed our Countrey is now infested the bloud of divers of our brethren spilt and other acts of most barbarous and horrid cruelty exercised by the cursed crew of the Irish Rebels and their complices in this Kingdom under the conduct of such as have Commission and Warrant from your Majesty and unless we prove unfaithful both to God and your Majesty we cannot conceal another danger which is infinitely greater than your Peoples displeasure Therefore we the servants of the most high God and your Majesties most loyal Subjects in the humility and grief of our hearts fall down before your Throne and in the name of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ who shall judge the World in Righteousness both great and small and in the name of this whole Nationall Kirk which we represent we make bold to warn your Majesty freely that the guilt which cleaveth fast to your Majesty and to your Throne is such as whatsoever flattering Preachers or unfaithful Counsellors may say to the contrary if not timely repented cannot but involve your self and your posterity under the wrath of the ever living God for your being guilty of the shedding of the bloud of many thousands of your Majesties best subjects for your permitting the Mass and other Idolatry both in your own Family in your Dominions for your authorizing by the book of sports the prophanation of the Lords day for your not punishing of publike scandals and much prophaneness in and about your Court for the shutting of your ears from the humble and just desires of your faithful subjects for your complying too much with the popish party many wayes and namely by concluding the cessation of Armes in Ireland and your embracing the councels of those who have not set God nor your good before their eyes for your resisting and opposing this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God your own honour and happiness and the peace and safety of your Kingdomes and for what other causes your Majesty is most conscious and may best judge and search your own conscience nor would we have mentioned any particulars if they had not been publike and known For all which it is high time for your Majesty to fall down at the foot-stool of the King of glory to acknowledge your offences to repent timely to make your peace with God through Jesus Christ whose bloud is able to wash away your great sins and to be no longer unwilling that the Son of God reign over you and your Kingdoms in his pure Ordinances of Church-government and Worship They conclude with a profession and protestation of their constancy in so just a cause against any opposition whatsoever This admonition of the generall Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland was sent first to the Scottish Commissioners at London and by them delivered to the Kings Secretary but Ecclesiastical admonition in the heat of War little availed When the Spring began the War with great heat and courage on both sides was renewed Generall Essex had laid down his Commission and Sir Thomas Fairfax went to Windsor to his new-modelled Army a new Army indeed made up of some remainders of the old ones and other raised forces in the Countries an Army seeming no way glorious either in the dignity of Commanders or antiquity of Souldiers never hardly did any Army go forth to War with less confidence of their own side or more contempt of their enemies and did more bravely deceive both and shew how far it was possible for humane conjectures to erre For in their following action and successes they proved such as would too much pose antiquity among all the Camps of their famed Heroes to find a parallel to this Army He that will seriously weigh their atchievements in the following year against potent and gallant Enemies and consider the greatness of things the number of Victories how many battels were woon how many Towns and Garrisons were taken he can hardly think them the work of one year or fit to be called one War But whosoever considers this must take heed that he do not attribute too much to them but give it wholly to Almighty God whose providence over this Army as it did afterwards miraculously appear so it might in some measure be hoped for at the first considering the behaviour and discipline of those Souldiers For the usual vices of Camps were here restrained the discipline was strict no theft no wantonness no oaths nor any prophane words could escape without the severest castigation by which it was brought to pass that in this Camp as in a well ordered City passage was safe and commerce free The first expedition of General Fairfax as it was ordered by the Committee of both Kingdomes was into the West to releive Taunton a Town that had long with incredible manhood and constancy under Blake their Governour endured a sharp siege by Sir Richard Greenvile and seemed to emulate though with more happiness the fidelity of old Sagunthum but this work was not done by the General himself but Colonel Welden who was sent thither with seven thousand of the new Army Fairfax himself was recalled by the Committee of both Kingdoms to go upon other action But because the King had sent for Prince Rupert from Wales to come to Oxford that he might joyn forces and march into the field General Fairfax before he went from Windsor sent Cromwell with a party of Horse to hinder the Kings designs who marching speedily from Windsor with great felicity vanquished a part of the Kings forces at Islip-bridge taking divers of the Commanders prisoners the remainder of that party flying into Bletchington House were there besieged and yeilded to Cromwell with the same success at Bampton-bush he took Vaughan and Littleton and defeated their forces The King when Prince Rupert and Maurice were come to him with their forces designed his march toward the East to take possession of the Isle of Ely which he hoped would be betrayed to him by some of his party there Cromwell and Major General Brown the Governor of Abington were commanded to follow the King but soon recalled as too weak in forces to encounter the King and to assist General Fairfax in besieging of Oxford