It is said that, when the intention of the Scots to deliver him up was communicated to Charles, he was engaged in a game of chess; and that, such was the native composure of his mind, he continued it, unruffled by the intelligence. It has been well remarked of him, that, like his progenitors, he appeared to most advantage in adversity, which we may remark, in passing, is far more easily borne than prosperity; but the anecdote is not entitled to much credit, and the intelligence could not be very unexpected. Long had he been warned of the event; and his hope of a different issue had been founded entirely on the prospects held out by the Hamiltons, of raising a party in Scotland, which, contrary to all their former principles, should attempt his unconditional restoration. Without that, he was not only not averse to change his keepers, but really desired it, as he flattered himself that he might obtain that success with the English officers which he was inflexibly denied by the Scots, whose interest indeed accorded with their principles. He was conducted to Holdenby, where he continued a considerable time *.

"That if he were a prisoner, it was the opinion of many divines, that the promises made by a prisoner did not oblige, though he did not assert that to be his own sense." But he did not deny it to be so. Such was the use he made of divinity. "The king," says Baillie, in a letter dated 1st December, 1646, "all his life has loved trinketing naturally, and is thought to be much in that action now with all parties, for the imminent hazard of all." Vol. ii. p. 245. Yet the imputation of insincerity, according to Hume, was of a later growth than his own age! See Scots Acts, lately published, vol. vi. p. 239. Declaration concerning the king's person. Hailes' Let. p. 185, et seq.

* Burnet's Mem. of the Hamiltons, p. 307. Hailes' Let. p. 190-91.

abolished by

Sept. 1646.

During this summer (1646) an ordinance was Episcopacy passed for abolishing Episcopacy, and sequestering ordinance, the lands of the church for the use of the state, &c. 6th and the beneficed clergy were thus deprived of their livings. The impeachment of the bishops had been allowed to drop, but in this measure they suffered the punishment. Whatever the bigoted, whether in religion or politics, may think, it surely cannot fairly be questioned, that when a political change-deprives a body of men of their livings, they are entitled to compensation; and the English parliament cannot be justified in departing from such a project which had formerly been contemplated. But, on the other hand, the high clergy, though some of them were men of profound erudition and great capacity, did not merit much sympathy, since they had been at least accessory to the innovations that had led to the change under which they smarted, and since the inferior clergy had been mercilessly driven by them from their livings, because they would not comply with audacious novelties *.

Old. Parl. Hist. vol. xv. p. 158. Cob. vol. iii. p. 528. Rush. vol. vi. p. 373, et seq.

80

CHAP. XI.

State of the Army and Mutiny.—The King seized by Joyce.

-The Army brought up to London,—and the Effect on the Parliament.-The King flies to the Isle of Wight.Second Civil War and Invasion from Scotland.-The Treaty of Newport.-The Invaders from Scotland overcome, and the Civil War terminated.-King seized a second time by the Army.-The House of Commons purged.-The King's Trial and Execution.

HAD the parliament been united in interest and principles, and been still supported by the people, they could not have had much cause to fear from the army they had raised; but as it was divided into factions, while each regarded the military as the instrument of ascendency in the state, intrigues were engendered in the army, and its ruin attempted by one party, as well as the great body encouraged by the other. Cromwell, Vane, and their party, had now gained the ascendency; and Hollis, with his party, irritated at success which had been so fatal to their own ambition, determined to break the army. But, as another must

have been necessary under existing circumstances, we may safely conclude, that the object was merely to recover the sword into their own hands, and by new arrangements crush their opponents. Their violence and injustice, particularly of Hollis, exposed their scheme to unavoidable failure. The principle on which they proposed to reduce the army-that there was no occasion for a military force now that the war was closed, was palpably uncandid. The king's adherents were ready on the first opportunity to take the field. Without regularly embodying and exercising the train bands throughout the country, till they were reduced to perfect order, the dissolution of the military could only give rise to a new war, to the most imminent hazard of the parliament. It was evident, therefore, that the object was merely to disgrace and dissolve the present army that they might raise another. But it may appear so extraordinary that the independent party, which had been so successful, should now be outvoted in the two houses, after the success that had procured them the support of the people, that it will be necessary in this place to explain the cause. We may easily conclude, that many who had voted for the new model, out of fear that the royalists would otherwise prevail in the struggle, were not now unwilling to see a fresh change in the military establishment. But this would not have been sufficient to counterbalance the increasing weight of Vane, Cromwell, and their friends. The real cause was, the addition of a great number of new members. Of these,

many, no doubt, supported the independent party; but, as in the western districts, from the state of property, a limited number of individuals led the country, and were devoted to the royal interest, so now, from the same causes, that quarter returned members who, though hostile to both parties, yet threw their weight into the presbyterian scale as the lightest, and the number particularly from Cornwall being great, they enabled the presbyterians in the lower house to carry the measures against the army, contrary to the wishes of the community. Many peers too were allowed to compound with two years rent for their pardon, and having resumed their seats, gave their preponderance also in the upper house; but the majority of both houses forgot that they were not in a situation to pay up the arrears of the army, and the resentment of Hollis seems not to have been averse to the injustice. Upwards of twelve months' pay was due, and it was proposed to allow only that of seven weeks, and reserve the remainder to be Disagree settled after their disbanding. The soldiers, who tween the probably believed that the object was to preserve parliament funds for the payment of another army, naturally conceived this to be gross injustice: they could not be ignorant of the difficulties with which individuals should contend for wages, after having laid down arms; and as an act of indemnity was refused, they saw themselves exposed to prosecution from the civil power for what they had performed as soldiers: but it was intended to send a large proportion of them for the reduction of Ire

ment be

and army.