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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30389	The memoires of the lives and actions of James and William, Dukes of Hamilton and Castleherald, &c. in which an account is given of the rise and progress of the civil wars of Scotland, with other great transactions both in England and Germany, from the year 1625, to the year 1652 : together with many letters, instructions, and other papers, written by King Charles the I : never before published : all drawn out of, or copied from the originals / by Gilbert Burnet ; in seven books.	Burnet, Gilbert, 1643-1715.; Charles I, King of England, 1600-1649. Selections. 1677.	1677 (1677)	Wing B5832; ESTC R15331	511,397	467

you is that which you must pay your King I know you need no Incitements to this Duty else I would insist longer upon it but I conceive it mine to recommend it to you as the Earthly thing which in the first place you ought to study Next unto that prefer your Duty to the preservation of the House of Hamilton to all things else in this World and make no difference in the testimonies of your kindness to it whether the Lord shall think fit to continue the memory of that House in your own or my dear Brothers Issue And I do conjure you if you have any respect to my desires not to suffer any difference or mistakes to arise betwixt you and them but remember him who prefer'd me to them and what consequently my Duty and yours is to his Next I recommend to you the care of the Education of our Children for the Lords sake study to get them acquainted with God in their young years and to imprint his fear in their tender hearts keep all light and idle company from them and labour to make them rich in Piety and Vertue Loyal to their King and dutiful to the House of Hamilton As I hope all my Friends and Kindred will be dutiful to you so I intreat you for my sake continue your respects and kindness to them Be careful to keep none but pious and discreet Servants in your Family that the Lord being served and worshipped in it according to his Will may delight to dwell in it and to bless every member of it And now Sweet Heart seeing you know that these divers years my Life hath been a burden to me receive my Removal as a Mercy from God with that moderation which he commandeth and the hope of a Ioyful meeting in our Resurrection perswadeth being confident that the Lord hath placed me in Eternal Happiness with himself in Heaven where he hath already laid up some pieces of my self little James and Diana The Lord who hath wounded you bind up your sores and pour the Balm of Gilead in your Heart even the Comforts of the Holy Spirit in the assurance of the Remission of your sins and peace with him in Iesus Christ that his Grace in you may shine to the World in a godly and vertuous Life which having finished in his fear you may hereafter enter with him into that Glory which I trust in the Mercies and Mediation of Iesus Christ my Redeemer I shall be shareing of when you shall be reading these last words and expressions from Dear Heart Your HAMILTON THe Dispositions which you made to me of your Lands in England I do here again return to you to be disposed upon by you as you shall think fit being confident that you will not wrong the House of Hamilton or your Children in the Disposal thereof The Conclusion I shall conclude this Work with these Papers which though some nice Palats may think not so fit for the Publick and better for private Closets than the World yet I could not be of that opinion for in an Age in which the sense of Piety and Religion is so much decayed I thought such testimonies to the Power of it were not to be suppressed by which it will appear that a high-spirited and Great Person who had tasted of all the Follies that bewitch the greatest part of men did in end in the vigour of his Years and Spirits abandon them with all the seriousness of a hearty and lively Repentance and found in God and true Religion such solid satisfaction and joy as did wholly overcome him and engage him into a course of strict Piety and of a holy Life I wish this may work some effect upon a loose and debauched Generation and if the World becomes either better or wiser through my pains I have gained my chief end and design in this Work THE END THE CONTENTS Lib. I. Of what happened from his Fathers Death till the Year 1638. Anno 1625. THe Marquis of Hamilton dies Pag. 1. His Son succeeds him ibid. His Father's Character ibid. King James dies p. 2. An. 1626. The Marquis goes into Scotland ibid. The King writes to him p. 3. and invites him to Court ibid. but he lives retired ibid. The Earl of Denbigh goes for him p. 4. An. 1628. He comes to Court ibid. His Preferments there ibid. The State of Germany ibid. An. 1629. The Q. of Bohemia writes to him p. 5. The K. of Sweden desires a League with the King ibid. Who appoints the Marquis to treat with him p. 6. The Marq. sends Coll. Hamilton ibid. and David Ramsay to the King of Sweden ibid. An. 1630. Articles signed by the K. of Sweden p. 7. The Prince of Wales is born p. 8. The Marq. made Knight of the Garter ib. Articles with the K. of Sweden signed by the Marq. p. 9. Ramsay deals with the Lord Reay p. 10. and Negotiates with the States of Holland ibid. Farensbach's Treachery ibid. The K. of Swed presses the Marq. to come to Germany ibid. And desires a League with the King p. 11. An. 1631. Reay accuses Ramsay ibid. And L. Ochiltree accuses the Marq. ib. The Marq. Innocence appears p. 12. L. Weston is his Enemy ibid. But the K. will receive no ill Impressions of him ibid. And makes him lye in his Bed-chamber that night p. 13. Ochiltreeis tried and punished for his false Accusation ibid. Reay and Ramsay desire to fight p. 14. The Kings Letter about that matter ib. The Marq. sails to Germany p. 15. And goes through the Soundt ibid. The King writes to him ibid. He lands in Germany with 6000 men which did the K. of Sweden great Service p. 16. The Marq. goes to the K. of Sweden ib. The K. of Sw. sends him to guard some Passes on the Oder ibid. The Plague breaks in upon his Army ib. He relieves Crossen p. 17. And takes Guben ibid. He is called to besiege Magdeburg ib. Sir H. Vane Ambassadour to the King of Sweden p. 18. The King's Letters to the Marq. ibid. The Marq. goes to the K. of Swed p. 19. Magdeburg is brought to a Parly ib. but is relieved by Papenheim p. 20. who draws out the Garrison and leaves it ibid. Two Letters of the King 's to the Marq. p. 20 21. An. 1632. The K. of Swed proposes unreasonable terms to the King p. 21. The Marq. Army comes to nothing ibid. The K. of Sw. will not give him a new Commission p. 22. The King writes to him about a new Imployment for him p. 23. The Treaty between the King and the K. of Sweden breaks up ibid. The passion of the K. of Swden p. 24. The Marq. returns to England upon the King's Commands ibid. The K. of Sweden's Death p. 25. An. 1633. The King is Crowned in Scotland ibid. The King assigns a Taxation to the Marq. for repaying the expence of his Army p. 26. Lib. 2. Of what passed when he was the Kings Commissioner in Scotland in

the World is in so much mis-understanding of me but now be your Lordship pleased to admit me to resort to your noble Expressions and former Friendship that I may carry forth of the ●ourt with me the belief and tokens of it It is told me that the Lords are inclinable to preserve my Life and Family for which their generous Compassions the great God of Mercy will reward them and surely should I die upon this Evidence I had much rather be the Sufferer than the Iudge All that I shall desire from your Lordship is that devested of all Publique Imployment I may be admitted to go home to my own private Fortune there to attend my own Domestick Affairs and Education of my Children with as little asperity of words or marks of Infamy as possibly the Nobleness and Iustice of my Friends can procure for me with a Liberty to follow my own occasions as I shall find best for my self This is no unreasonable thing I trust to desire all considered that may be said in my case for I vow my fault that should justly draw any heavy Sentence on me I yet do not see yet this much obtained will abundantly satisfie a Mind hasting fast to quiet and a Body broken with afflictions and infirmities And as I shall take my self highly bound to any that shall further me therein so I more particularly desire to receive an obligation therein fro● your Lordship than from others as being purposed in the truth of my former Professions to express my self Your Lordships humbly to be Commanded STRAFFORD Tower 24th of April 1641. But since all His Majesties most vigorous Intercessions were not able to preserve that Great man it is not to be imagined any good Offices done by meaner persons could succeed yet the Marquis acted in it with Great Candor and Friendship but that preserved him not from being suspected of having advised the King to consent to Strafford's Death and for his Vindication I shall only refer the Reader to his own words in the Speech he delivered the morning before he died to be inserted in its proper place The Scotish Bishops who were now at London thought themselves undone and complained of the Marquis as the cause of their Ruine Many complain of the Marquis and yet he had been careful to get them all either provided with Places or relieved with the Kings Money so that all of them in their Letters to him acknowledged him to be their only Patron about the King Traquair was worst pleased of any and complained that the Marquis had opposed the Article of Incendiaries till his own Name was dashed out and then had deserted the rest but his Name was not struck out alone Huntley's and many others being dashed out with him besides the prejudice of that Process was only to be put out of Imployment in Scotland by which the King was engaged in Honour to make up that loss another way wherein the Marquis engaged to serve him faithfully Others of the Court who hated and envied him were glad to find colours of Censure in any of his Actions and it was loudly talked that the King was now to part with his Crown of Scotland with his own hands by granting Concessions so derogatory from Kingly Authority but the King who understood his own Affairs better than any of these Censurers saw the necessity of settling with Scotland immediately For the Marquis represented to His Majesty that though those Acts did very much diminish his Authority yet the Scotish Parliament being governed but by a few Heads who influenced the rest there was no doubt but the gaining of the Leading-men might so prepare things that ere a few years went about all might be brought to a greater Temper for the King was firmly resolved to make good what he now promised and never to violate these Concessions unless he could get them rescinded in Parliament And let me once for all say freely this was the great Measure of all the Marquis his Counsels about Scotland that except when he saw at the beginning as hath been said that the Kings Interest and Honour required his utmost Resentments and that a forcible Redress seemed not improbable and promised success way should be given to the present heats for some time in hope of recovering of them by such Concessions The Earl of Rothes is gained and soon after dies and in pursuance of this design Rothes was much caressed by the King and intirely gained but as he was recovering to his Duty he was overtaken by sickness of which he died at Richmond and was much regrated both by those of the Court and the Covenant being a man of great Abilities and much Honour In Iune the Earl of Dumfermline and Lowdon were sent from London to Scotland with the Articles of the Treaty and a desire that the Parliament there might yet be prorogued for some time since the Affairs of England put a stop to the Kings present Journey They also carried down a Submission from Traquair and were to deal that the Acceptance of it might stop the further agitation of the Pursuit against him All this while there had been divers Meetings of Parliament in Scotland but by reason of the dependence of the Treaty they were still prorogued The Parliament of Scotland is oft prorogued but goes on with the Process against Incendaries Their greatest business was to prepare the Process against the Incendiaries both the President Spotswood and the Clerk of Register Hay being Prisoners in the Castle of Edinburgh since the former Winter The Covenanters required the Kings Advocate to concur with them according to his Place which obliged him to assist in the Pursuit of all Publick Crimes but Lanerick in the Kings Name commanded him to deny his concurrence and this made much ado as also in all the Kings Orders for proroguing the Parliament mention was made of my Lord Traquair as Commissioner against which they always protested But at this time the Parliament would not consent to Prorogue of new only they declared they should be preparing matters and not go on to the Determining any thing before the middle of August against which time the King purposed to be in Scotland As for Traquair's Submission it was rejected and many begun to complain aloud that whereas they signed a Bond to prosecute the Incendiaries yet many were dispensed with and much pains was taken by distinctions to satisfie their Consciences that they meant not to set up an Inquisition by that Oath and that it was only meant of those that were declared and avowed Incendiaries but others said that the words were general and tied them without respect of persons to pursue all equally The Earl of Montrose is made Prisoner for corresponding with the Court. At this time there was a Gentleman seized at Broxmouth with Letters to my Lord Montrose which discovered a new Correspondence of his with the Court for my Lord Traquair's Preservation and with this

ambiguous yet they said the Exposition of those who Signed them was to be admitted since every man was to be the Expounder of his own words and pleaded some Precedents about the Exposition of ambiguous words But the words here were plain and not ambiguous only a treacherous Equivocation was invented to break them Cook by a strange subtilty said The Articles only secured his Life during Imprisonment so that his breaking of Prison and being retaken put an end to the Obligation of the Articles Though he broke not not Prison but went out at Door and Gate which was no Crime Thus did the Counsel of the People plead against him to the conviction of all who looked on that they thirsted for his Blood and were only seeking colours of Justice for it which yet were so slight that they could serve for no Disguise but only to abuse those who were blinded with Prejudice The Court adjourned to Tuesday being the sixth of March And then the Duke was brought to the Bar and the Judges sate in Scarlet they rejected the Dukes Plea in all its Branches The last Appearance in which Sentence was given and found him guilty of the Charge whereof he was indicted But before Sentence Bradshaw the President resumed all and spoke long for aggravating of every particular justifying every thing their Counsel had pleaded as if it had been all both good Law and good Reason then he caused read the Earl of Essex his Commission to shew how little Power was given him But spoke nothing of Fairfax or Lambert their Commissions which had been more pertinent but the reason was they were ampler and yet the Parliament had never refused to ratifie any Articles Essex gave He confessed the Dukes Articles were fuller than any others therefore he would insist the more to invalidate them He said It was true if there had been a War proclaimed and prosecuted betwixt a Forreign Nation and Enemy and England then by the Law of Nations to which their Law was consonant Articles signed by the Commissioners of both Parties should have been kept inviolable but the Prisoner was no Enemy for when the ordinary Course of Justice was obstructed by the late Kings prevailing Party so that neither Constables nor Sheriffs nor other Civil Officers could lay hold on such Delinquents as he was or bring them to Punishment the Parliament was forced to raise an Army Commissionating their Generals to bring such to condign Punishment This being the end and substance of their Commission it was not in their Power who were but the Sword of Justice in the Parliaments hand to give Articles for securing any from the Justice of the Parliament since it was never intended their Acts should limit that Power that gave bounds to them He added also that the Court was fully satisfied that the Duke was naturalized The President laid out also the Case of the other Prisoners then at the Bar and spoke many hours at last Sentence was given against them all That their Heads should be severed from their Bodies on Friday next being the ninth Instant yet it was remitted to the Parliaments Consideration what Mercy should be shewed to any of them and so the Duke was carried back The rest of that day and the next day the Duke was earnestly solicited to preserve himself by making Discoveries And Mr. Peters who appeared concerned for him during his Tryal did now insinuate himself on him to draw somewhat from him but all was in vain there being no choice to be made betwixt a Glorious Death and an Infamous Life On the Eighth of that Month it being put to the Vote of the House whether he should be Reprieved or not it was carried in the Negative The Duke prepares for Death That day the Duke spent in fitting himself for Death by Prayers and Spiritual Conferences and that he might discharge himself of all worldly Cares he wrote the following Letter to his Brother Dear Brother SInce it hath pleased God so to dispose of me and writes to his Brother that I am to be in this World but a few hours you cannot expect that I can say much to you nor indeed is it necessary for I know you will do undesired as far as is in your Power what I now briefly mention First That you will be a Father to my poor Children and that they be not forced to marry against their Wills The Debts I owe are great and some Friends are bound for them but the Estate I leave you is such as will satisfie what I owe and free my Cautioners from Ruin You are Iust and I doubt not of your performing this I cannot forget to recommend my faithful Servants to you who have never had any thing from me in particular Cole Lewis and James Hamilton I have given something to them during their Lives which I hope you will see payed to them I shall say no more but the Lord of his Mercy preserve you and give you Grace to apply your self aright to him in whom there is only fulness of Ioy. Dote not upon the World all is but vanity and vexation of spirit grieve not for what is befallen me for it is by the appointment of him that rules in Earth and Heaven thither the Lord Iesus be pleased to carry the sinful Soul of Your most loving Brother HAMILTON March 8th 1649. At night the Duke the Earl of Norwich the Lord Capel and Sir Iohn Owen were all brought to one Room where they lay all night it was very late before they went to Bed every one having his Friends to wait on him The Duke's Servants ask'd leave to stay all night in the next Room and it was granted the Duke ordered Mr. Cole to come to him about three a clock in the morning which he did but he with the rest were all fast asleep and Mr. Cole returning after half an hour found him awake He made him sit down and gave him many Directions to be carried to his Brother with an extraordinary composure as Mr. Cole vouched to the Writer About five a clock all of them were ready and spent the time very devoutly in secret Prayers and pious Conferences and other holy Exercises all of them expressing great Joy in their present Condition and absolute Submission to the Will of God The Duke expressed his more particularly in the following Letter he wrote to his Daughters My most dear Children IT hath pleased God so to dispose of me as I am immediately to part with this miserable Life for a better and to his Children so that I cannot take that care of you which I both ought and would if it had pleased my Gracious Creator to have given me longer days but his will be done and I with alacrity submit to it desiring you to do so and that above all things you apply your Hearts to seek him to fear serve and love him and then doubt not but he will be a loving Father to you

my Master to the Preservation of whose Person I was by Obligation and Natural Affections as passionately tied as I could be by Duty and Allegeance And now I confess I am void of all rancour or displeasure against any though I am within few hours to die adjudged by a lawless and arbitrary Court of purpose erected as is said to destroy my Master and some of his Servants and for a great pa●t composed of men Mechanick and unfit to be Judges my Death being decree'd right or wrong as is reported before ever the Trial begun And though my Death is no less than Murder yet I forgive all and pray to God to do it and that my Blood be not laid to their Charge or to some powerful and eminent mens who as is thought upon some sinistrous Ends have many Months since contrived my Destruction which now is ready to take effect And though I have answered to that Cou●t in regard of the Justness of my Defence which I thought would have weighed with them yet I never thought nor do I acknowledge any Jurisdiction or lawful Authority in the same notwithstanding I do with all Christian Humility submit to the Punishment which for my other Personal Sins the Lord hath justly brought upon me I should have spoken more yet would not have said so much but for fear lest either my Memory might slip it on the Scaffold or that the rudeness of some People by noise or otherwise might have interrupted me speaking on this Subject So I thank God I am well prepared God bless you remember me to all my Faiends I know I have been a great Sinner yet through Faith I have an assurance that God will forgive me and have Mercy upon me through the alone Suffering and Intercession of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen About nine a clock the Officers called to them to prepare themselves to go they were to be carried in Sedans and great Guards of Horse and Foot to attend them to Sir Robert Cotton's House The Duke is led out to the Execution But after the Duke had gone through two Rooms he reflecting on the faithful Services of Mr. Cole and judging they deserved a more particular Resentment than was in the Letter he had written to his Brother the day before called for Pen Ink and Paper and wrote the following Note to his Brother Brother THere is nothing more certain than that a faithful Servant is an humble Friend this Bearer I have found such and therefore recommend him to you in that quality I need say no more for him nor can I of worldly business being so near par●ing out of it but as I have loved you all my life so I do now at the end of it The Lord of his mercy preserve you from dangers of Soul and Body Yours H. This will more clearly discover the serene and composed Temper he was then in than can be done by any Testimony of Spectators who could only see the out-side which as many of them have witnessed to the Writer was very calm and resolute When he came to Sir Robert Cotton's three or four Officers were sent from Cromwel to him desiring that he would discover what had been oft askt of him and he should not only be preserved but be made a Great man but he rejected their Offers with the same language he had formerly used on the like occasions and said if he had as many Lives as hairs in his Head he would lay them all down rather than redeem them by so base means which an Ear-witness vouched to the Writer Then all went to Prayers and they had some excellent good Preachers waiting on them and praying with them Some Wine was brought and they all drunk one to another and did embrace and kiss each other with much tenderness The Duke was first led away to the Scaffold on the way other Officers came from Cromwel Continued offers of Life if he would make Discoveries but they are rejected renewing the former Offers if he would make Discoveries but all to no purpose he rejecting them with scorn Those many Offers as they were great temptations which would have shaken any man whose Soul was not fully at Peace with God and well-prepared for Death so they discovered the baseness of those mens Designs But as malice did ever pursue the Duke with the unjustest Slanders so his Enemies hearing that Messengers came often to him did strangely misrepresent it as if he had been even then in some Treaty for his Life Being come to the Scaffold the Earl of Denbigh desired to speak with one of his Servants and Mr. Lewis was sent to him the Duke asked Mr. Cole what might the matter be who answered he judged it was to know what Order he had given about his Children the Duke answered he might satisfie him if that were the matter The Duke was during his stay at St. Iames's visited sometimes by Doctor Sibbald Doctor Sibbald encourages the Duke on the Scaffold Him he chose now to accompany him in his last minutes who encouraged him to look to that fountain of the Blood of Christ in which he must be purged from all his Iniquities the effusion whereof was for the Salvation of all who by a true and lively Faith rested on him he was the only Rock on which he was to build his Hopes and though the waters of Jordan did run an impetuous Current he was the Ark of the Covenant that was to lead him through them to that sure Refuge against which neither the Powers on Earth nor the Gates of Hell could prevail He desired him to lift up the eyes of firm Confidence to the Crucified Christ and with St. Stephen to behold him sitting at his Father's right hand ready to receive his Soul adding who would be in love with Life if they could but before-hand consider what it would prove all being a heap of Cares Anxieties and Miseries with which every rank of Men and state of Life was beset it was therefore a Happiness to be with much Ioy welcomed when we found a quick and easie Passage for escaping these swelling Billows and getting into that blessed harbour of eternal Happiness We must pass through a Sea but a Sea of our Saviour's Blood in which never any Shipwrackt and through which we are carried by the soft winds of the Divine Spirit which can scatter all contrary blasts When the Doctor had thus ended his Discourse the Duke perceiving a greater silence than he expected though he had resolved to make no Publick Speech and therefore had as was already told expressed himself in private yet being invited by the Attention he observed he spoke to the People but as he had not premeditated it so no Copy of it remains except what was printed from the Notes of the Hearers and therefore I shall only set down the Heads of it He addressed himself to the Sheriff The Duke's last Speech and told him he judged it not

diffident of success or fearful that lawless Rebellion how strong soever should prosper That their Enemies joyning with Cromwel and his Army of Sectaries would make them the more hated and quickly discover that it was not Religion and Reformation they intended as they always gave out but that they sought the Government and Worldly ends whereupon many of both Nations would fall from them That the Kings Safety and the Preservation of their Friends then Prisoners in England depended much upon them and their Continuing in Arms That they were bound to continue in their Duty and wait for what Change God would bring about and that suppose good Conditions were granted what assurance could be given for the performance of them Those who opposed the Treaty were the Earl of Lanerick and most of the Irish Officers In end Lanerick was prevailed with to give way to it which he did not only then declare was against his Heart and done meerly to prevent a Rupture that had otherwise followed among themselves but he continued to his Death condemning it whatever seeming colours of reason might be given for it The Officers of the Army brought from Ireland seeing they would be infallibly ruined if they were deprived of the Authority of the Committee of Estates were likewise forced to give way to a Treaty so the following Articles were agreed on and sent to the Whiggamores WE being Servants to the State Articles offered for a Treaty and unwilling to engage in a Civil War do conceive our selves obliged to remit the ways of prosecuting of all Duties to Religion and to our King to the determination of Church and State and let them move in it as they will be answerable to God our Lives shall ever be ready to be exposed to all hazards for the good of both and if all duties for them and for our friends Release in England shall now be deserted let the blame before God and Men lye upon the obstructers of it And if no further use be made of our Service we do demand That Security be given to all who are or have been engaged in this Service for their Persons Honours and Estates whereby they may be free from all Dangers Prejudices and Censures whatsoever whether Ecclesiastical or Civil for their accession to the late Engagement or any thing done by them relating thereunto or to this present Service for our own Defence and this to be confirmed by Act of Parliament or the lawful Authority of the Kingdom That in regard of our extraordinary Charges and Loss one Months Pay be instantly delivered us for payment of the Irish Forces and that Boats and Ships be presently provided for their Transportation to Ireland and for preventing all Disorders upon their March through the West Country by free Quartering we do desire that a regular Course may be taken for their Entertainment during their abode which shall be no longer than Wind and Weather shall serve and Boats be provided to transport them That one Months Pay be provided for the Scotish Forces and that they be not disbanded until the Irish Forces be transported or that sufficient Pledges be delivered for performance of what is desired and that their Disbanding and Transportation be done by Authority of the Committee of Estates These reasonable Demands being performed we the Irish are ready instantly to march towards any part of the West-coast which shall be thought most fit for our Transportation into Ireland and we the Scots instantly to disband otherwise rather than expose our Lives and Fortunes to the mercy of any by the want of fitting Assurances for what is past or the loss of our Honours by deserting the Interest of those commanded by us or who joyn with us we are resolved to sacrifice our selves at the dearest rates we can and take God to witness how free we are of the Guilt and Consequences that may follow thereupon We have appointed our Commissioners to stay no longer than six a clock at night to morrow the 19th and that the Treaty shall then end and the Cessation to expire eight hours thereafter unless the Desires above-mentioned be fully granted Signed by the Warrant and at the Command of the Officers and others now in Arms by Authority of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland IO. SPALDING Sterlin 18th September 1648. To these they had the following Answer returned them WE have considered the Desires of the Officers and Souldiers at Sterlin The Answer sent to these offers and do return this Answer That the Imputation of neglecting all Duties to Religion and to the King mentioned in the Preface to the Articles cannot be charged upon us who have never been wanting in the use of all lawful Means to prosecute the Ends of our Solemn League and Covenant but upon those who joined in the prosecution of the late unlawful Engagement against our Neighbour-Nation of England which hath been destructive to all those Ends. Touching the first Article we refer you to the Answer given in our former Papers and do here again declare that we shall not challenge any of your number for their Lives and Estates but shall endeavour to secure them so far as we can without approbation of their Actions or breach of the Covenant and Treaties And for that which concerns Exemption from Church-Censures we cannot meddle therein without breach of Covenant but must refer you to the Iudicatories of the Kirk to whom you may make your own Address and receive Answer Concerning the second and third Article we refer you to the Answer given by our Commissioners to the Commissioners on your side which was that we held it unreasonable that they should desire any thing from us or any other who adhere to us for satisfaction of their Officers and Souldiers because we will not involve our Selves in any thing which may import any accession to the late Engagement or may be the ground of a Quarrel to England against this Kingdom but if they had real inclinations to Peace they and their Adherents might without our accession thereunto take course amongst themselves for giving satisfaction to their Officers and Souldiers and therefore we did desire and do now again renew the same that all their Forces and the Forces of those who adhere unto them may be disbanded betwixt this and the 25th at furthest the 28th of this Month September and that none of them be found together after that time in Troops Companies or Regiments and we shall betwixt this and the said day disband all our Forces and none of them after that time shall be found in Troops Companies or Regiments for the punctual observance whereof on both sides mutual Pledges are to be given and further we cannot say in answer to these Articles If you shall not agree to the Desires made in our last Paper of the 16th of this Instant and not rest satisfied with these Answers but shall continue in Arms to the disturbance of the Peace of this Kingdom

The shortning of our days is an Evil wholly depending on Opinion for if men did now naturally live but Twenty years then we should be satisfied if they died about 16 or 18. We call not that Death immature in any who live to Seventy and yet this Age is as far short of the old Period before and since the Flood as he who now dies of eighteen is of Seventy Let us still be ready for it and it cannot come too soon for let us die young or old still we have an Immortal Soul and do lay down our Bodies for a time as that which was the Instrument of our Sorrow and Trouble and the Scene of Sickness and Diseases let us not then fear that which rids us of all these for by fearing it we shall never the more avoid it but make it the more miserable to us Fanius who killed himself for fear of Death died as certainly as Porcia who eat burning Coals or Cato who tore out his own Bowels To die is necessary and natural and may be honourable but to die poorly basely and sinfully that alone is that which can make a man miserable for no man can be a Slave but he that fears pain or fears to die to such a man nothing but peaceable times can secure his Quiet for he depends upon things without him for his Felicity and so is well but during the Pleasure of his Enemy a Thief or a Tyrant but blessed is he who willingly resigns his Soul and Body into Gods hands as unto the hands of a blessed Creator and Redeemer O Blessed Iesus thou didst die for me grant that I may with Ioy submit unto thy Summons when thou shalt call me to Death for thou art my Advocate as well as my Iudge and camest into the World to save sinners whereof O Lord I acknowledg I am the greatest but thy Mercies are infinite O God of Mercy and God of all Comfort with much mercy look upon the sadness and sorrow of thy Servant my Sins lie heavy upon me and press me sore by reason of thy hot displeasure my Miseries are without comfort because they are the punishments of my Sins my Sin hath caused my sorrow and my sorrow doth not cure my Sin and unless thou for thy own sake and meerly because thou art good pity me I am as much without Remedy as without Comfort Lord pity me let thy Grace refresh my spirit let thy Comfort support me thy Mercies pardon me and let not my portion be among helpless and accursed Spirits for thou art good and gracious and I throw my self upon thy Mercy suffer me never to let my hold go anddo then with me what seems good in thy own eyes I cannot suffer more than I have deserved and yet I can need no Relief so great as thy Mercy is for thou art infinitely more merciful than I can be miserable Lord make me the object of thy Mercy both in my Life and in my Death if even this day thou shalt think fit to remove me from this valley of miseries either by the violent hand of this merciless Enemy or any other way which in thy Providence thou hast ordained when my Soul shall go out from the Prison of this Body may it be received by Angels and preserved from the horrour and amazements and the surprize of Evil Spirits and be laid up in the Bosom of our Lord till at the day of thy second Coming it shall be reunited to the Body which is now to be laid in the dust yet I hope shall be raised up in Ioy to live for ever and behold the Face of God in the Glories of our Lord Iesus who is our Hope our Resurrection and our Life our Blessed and ever-Glorious Redeemer to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen In these Exercises he continued till it was almost morning and then he threw himself down on the Bed where he did not lie above two hours when he was called on to make ready and assoon as he was Dressed and Armed he waited on the King into the Field The Dukes Regiment charges gallantly at Worcester-Fight The Account of that Engagement is not here to be offered since nothing belongs to this Work but that wherein the Duke was concerned His Regiment was commanded to charge a Body of Horse and Foot that stood near two peece of Cannon not far from the Severn but there were two great Bodies of Foot standing on each side of the Lane through which they were to go and these firing on them as they pas●ed they received great Loss but having got through the Lane there was no coming to the Enemy who stood in a close Ground but through aGap in the Hedge through which theLieutenant Collonel with a very inconsiderable Number Charged and the Enemy gave ground and left the Cannon in their hands the Horse retiring to Hacker's Regiment who came up and Charged and was gallantly received by the Lieutenant Collonel and the Dukes Regiment but some Foot brought to line the Hedges on their Flanks Fired so on them that they were forced to retire The Duke being near the Kings Person and observing all that passed inquired who they were and being told it was his own Regiment His great Valour he thought it unworthy of him to be too far from Danger when they were so put to it and galloped all alone from the King to the place where they were where he found them retiring and did all he could either by words or threatnings to make them keep their Ground But the Enemy did still bring up more Foot and Fired uncessantly on them and most of the Officers were either wounded or had their Horses killed under them particularly the Lieutenant Collonel who had all the while Charged very gallantly had his Horse shot under him and so they were beaten back The Duke himself keeped in the Reer with such as were in a Condition to wait on him to the great hazard of his Person and gave signal demonstrations of a high Courage but the Enemy following him close in great Bodies he commanded some Foot to make good the Hedge against them and rode up and down among them and encouraged them to stand and die for the Service of their King and the Honour of their Country An. 1652. and did several times Charge down to the Hedges so that all were astonished at such daring and unusual Valour But the Enemy pressing on he rode again with his Pistol in his hand to the Hedge where he received the fatal Shot that quite disabled him He is wounded His Majesty hearing of the extreme Danger he exposed himself to in these Charges and knowing well how great a loss he would suffer if so brave a Commander and such a wise and faithful Counsellor were killed sent once again to call him away from that Hazard he was in but he choosed to prefer