higher than ever; the Presbyterians in those fields losing nothing of their courage; having a notorious power in the city, notwithstanding the emulation of the Independents, who were more learned and rational, who, though they had not so great congregations of the common people, yet infected and were followed by the most substantial citizens, and by others of better condition. To these men Cromwell and most of the officers of the army adhered; but the divinity of the times was not to be judged by the preaching and congregations in churches, which were now thought not to be the fit and proper places of devotion and religious exercises, where the bishops had exercised such illimited tyranny, and which had been polluted by their consecrations. Liberty of conscience was now become the great charter, and men who were inspired preached and prayed when and where they would. Anabaptists grew very numerous, with whom the Independents concurred, so far as to join with them for the abolishing of tithes, as of Judaical institution -If any honest man could have been at so much ease as to have beheld the prospect with delight, never was such a scene of confusion as had spread itself at this time over the whole kingdom."* And yet it is certain, that the laws against vice and immorality were strictly executed, the Lord's day was duly observed, the churches were crowded with attentive hearers, family devotion was in repute, neither servants nor children being allowed to walk in the fields, or frequent the public houses. In a word, notwithstanding the difference of men's opinions, and political views, there was a zeal for God, and a much greater appearance of sobriety, virtue, and true religion, than before the civil war, or after the blessed Restoration.

Among the Puritan divines who died this year, was the reverend Mr. Herbert Palmer, B. D. of whom mention has been made among the Cambridge professors; his father was sir Thomas Palmer, of Wingham in Kent, his mother the eldest daughter of Herbert Pelham of Sussex, esq.† Our divine was born at Wingham, and baptized there March 29, 1601; he had a polite education in his father's house, and learned the French language almost as soon as he could speak. In the year 1615, he was admitted fellow-commoner * Clarendon, vol. 5. p. 115, 116.

+ Clarke's Lives in his Martyrology, p. 183.

in St. John's college, Cambridge. In 1622, he took the des gree of M. A. In 1623, he was chosen fellow of Queen's college in that university; the year following he was ordained to the ministry, to which he had devoted himself from his infancy: his first exercise was at a lecture in the city of Canterbury, where he preached once a week, till it was put down with the rest of the afternoon-sermons. In the year 1632, he was presented by archbishop Laud to the vicarage of Ashwell in Hertfordshire, where he preached twice every Lord's day, and catechised the children of his parishioners. The same year he was chosen one of the university-preachers of Cambridge, by which he had authority to preach, as he should have occasion, in any part of England. In the year 1640, he and Dr. Tuckney were chosen clerks of the convocation for the diocess of Lincoln. In the year 1643, he was called to be a member of the assembly of divines at Westminster, and after some time chosen one of their assessors, in which place he behaved with great wisdom and integrity. April 11, 1644, he was constituted master of Queen's college, Cambridge, by the earl of Manchester; here he set himself industriously to the promoting of religion and learning, being very solicitous that none should be admitted to a scholarship or fellowship in his college, but such as were qualified in both these respects, the good effects of which appeared in the reputation and credit of that society, beyond most others of the university in his time. Mr. Palmer was a gentleman of a low stature, and a weakly constitution, but indefatigable in business; his leisure was employed in works of devotion and charity, and as he had a competent estate, and chose a single life, he had an opportunity of doing a great deal of good; he maintained several poor scholars at his own expense in the college, and when he died left a considerable benefaction to the same purpose. His last sickness was not long, his constitution being spent; but his behaviour was uncommon; he looked the king of terrors in the face with an unshaken resolution, and resigned his life this summer with a firm expectation of the mercy of God to eternal life, in the forty-sixth year of his age, and was buried at the new church at Westminster.

Mr. Henry Wilkinson, B. D. was born in Yorkshire, and educated at Merton-college, Oxford. In the year 1586, he was chosen probationer-fellow, and proceeded in arts; after

some time he was made B. D. and in the year 1601, became pastor of Waddesdon in Bucks. He was a person of considerable learning and piety, and being an old Puritan, says Mr. Wood,* was elected one of the assembly of divines in 1643, but he spent the chief of his time and labours among his parishioners at Waddesdon, by whom he was greatly beloved; here he died in a very advanced age, March 19, 1647-8, and lies buried in his own church.

Mr. John Saltmarsh, descendant of an ancient family in Yorkshire, was educated in Magdalen-college, Cambridge, and graduated there; he was esteemed a person of a fine active fancy, no contemptible poet, and a good preacher; he was first minister at Northampton, afterward at Braisted in Kent, and at length chaplain in sir Thomas Fairfax's army, where he always preached up love and unity: he meddled not with presbytery or independency, but laboured to draw souls from sin to Christ. He published some treatises, by which it appears he was of Antinomian principles. The manner of his death was extraordinary; December the 4th, 1647, being at his house at Ilford in Essex, he told his wife he had been in a trance, and received a message from God which he must immediately deliver to the army. He went that night to London, and next day to Windsor; being come to the council of officers he told them, that the Lord had left them; that he would not prosper their consultations, but destroy them by divisions among themselves, because they had sought to destroy the people of God, those who had stood by them in their greatest difficulties. He then went to the general, and without moving his hat told him, that God was highly displeased with him for committing of saints to prison. The like message he delivered to Cromwell, requiring him to take effectual means for the enlargement of the members of the army, who were committed for not complying with the general council. He then took his leave of the officers, telling them, he had now done his errand, and must never see them any more. After which he went to London, and took leave of his friends there, telling them his work was done, and desiring some of them to be careful of his wife. Thursday December 9, he returned to Ilford in perfect health; next day he told his wife, that he had now finished his work, and must go to his Father, * Athen. Oxon. vol. 2. p. 59. 2 E

VOL. III.

Saturday morning, December 11, he was taken speechless, and about four in the afternoon he died.*

CHAP. X.

THE SECOND CIVIL WAR. THE CONCLUSION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF DIVINES. THE PROGRESS OF PRESBYTERY. THE TREATY OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT. DEATH AND CHARACTER OF KING CHARLES I. HIS WORKS. AND, THE AUTHORS OF HIS UNHAPPY SUFFERINGS. ANNO 1648.

THE king was all last winter a close prisoner in Carisbrook-castle, attended only by two servants of his own, and debarred of all other conversation, without the knowledge of the governor; nevertheless, by the assistance of some particular friends, he sent and received several letters from the queen, though his correspondence was discovered oftener than he was aware. His majesty made several attempts to escape, but was always prevented; captain Burley attempted to raise the island for him, but was apprehended and executed. However, in pursuance of the secret treaty with the Scots, already mentioned, an army was raising in that kingdom, to be commanded by duke Hamilton; but the English cavaliers, impatient of delay, without concerting proper measures among themselves, or with the Presbyterians, took up arms in several counties, to deliver the king from his confinement, and to restore him without any treaty with his parliament. The Welsh appeared first, under major-general Langhorn, colonel Poyer, and Powel, three officers in the parliament-army, who had privately accepted commissions from the prince of Wales. These were followed by others in Dorsetshire, Devonshire, Sussex, Surrey, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Kent, Northamptonshire, Essex, and in the city of London itself. The insurrection in the city began on Sunday April 9, in Moorfields, by a company of young fellows with clubs and staves, crying out, for God and king Charles. But after they had done some mischief * Rushworth, p. 944. + Ibid. p. 1007.

in the night and frighted the mayor into the Tower, they were dispersed next morning by the general at the head of two regiments. The Kentish men under the earl of Norwich, having plundered some houses, were defeated near Maidstone, and having a promise of pardon, the main body laid down their arms; notwithstanding which, the earl with five hundred resolute men crossed the Thames at the Isle of Dogs, and came as far as Mile-end green, expecting assistance from the city; but being disappointed, he joined the Essex cavaliers under sir Charles Lucas and lord Capel, who surprised the parliament's committee at Chelmsford, and then shut themselves up in Colchester, where they maintained themselves against general Fairfax for ten weeks, till being reduced to the last extremity, they were forced to surrender at discretion, August 28;* after which the general marched round about the country, and having quieted all insurrectious in those parts, returned to his head-quarters at St. Albans about Michaelmas. While Fairfax was in Kent and Essex, lieutenant-general Cromwell reduced the Welsh about the end of June. At the same time, the earl of Holland and duke of Buckingham appeared at the head of five hundred horse and some foot near Kingston-upon-Thames, but they were soon dispersed; the earl was taken prisoner at St. Neot's in Huntingdonshire by colonel Scroop, and the duke of Buckingham, with great difficulty, escaped into the Low Countries. About the same time several of the parliament's ships revolted to the prince of Wales, then in Holland, who went on board, and with prince Rupert, lord Hopton, and others, sailed to the coast of England, with a design to relieve Colchester; but

* Dr. Grey is displeased with Mr. Neal, that he does not inform his readers, what use general Fairfax made of the power with which this unconditional surrender invested him. He seized sir Charles Lucas and sir George Lisle, and made them instant sacrifices to military justice. All the prisoners exclaimed against this as an unusual piece of severity: and some historians have censured it as a bloody step. Mrs. Macaulay represents it as an instance of the humanity of the general, that, though he had been provoked by many irritating circumstances in the conduct of the besieged, he selected the two chief commanders only, to avenge the innocent blood they had caused to be spilt. The fact was, that these two gentlemen had shewn themselves most implacable; had prevented the soldiers from accepting terms of indemnity offered by the parliament in the beginning; that the besieged had been exposed to the utmost extremities of famine; and that the Independents regarded the engaging the kingdom in a second war as an unpardonable crime. When sir Charles Lucas urged that the sentence of the general was unprecedented, a parliament-soldier standing by told him, "that he had put to death with his own hand some of the parliament's soldiers in cold blood." At which he was dismayed. A few days after, a gentleman in mourning for sir Charles Lucas appearing in his presence, the king wept. Mrs. Macaulay's History, vol. 4. p. 362, 363. Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 328-330.-En.