1642. Rush. V. P. 2. The King's 3d Meffage Sept. 11. Ruth. V. P. 2. The Par P. 3. "allow themselves, reprefenting likewife the whole Kingdom, to be ballanced with those who gave "evil Counfels to his Majefty. Mean while, both Houfes perceiving that the King's Aim was to keep People in fufpenfe by an uncertain Expectation of Peace, published a Declaration, protefting they would never lay down their Arms till his Majefty had left the Delinquents to the Juftice of the Parliament. The King, on his Part, failed not, pursuant to his Purpofe, to make use of the Anfwers of both Houses to his two Meffages, in a Third which he sent to them, faying, "That let all the World judge who had ufed moft Endeavours to prevent the prefent "Diftractions, either he who had condefcended to "defire and prefs it, or the two Houfes, who had "refused to enter into a Negotiation. That for the future, if they defired a Treaty of him, he fhould "remember that the Blood which was to be fpilt in "this Quarrel was that of his Subjects, and there"fore would return to his Parliament as foon as the "Caufes which had made him abfent himself from it "fhould be removed. " Both Houses finding the King's Intent was to render their Refufal to treat odious to the People, returned a more home and particular Anfwer to this Message than those they had made to the two firft. The Subftance whereof was as follows: "That at the very time his Majefty propounded "a Treaty, his Soldiers were committing numberless "Oppreffions and Rapines. "That they could not think his Majefty had done "all that in him lay to remove the prefent Diftrac"tions, as long as he would admit of no Peace, "without fecuring the Authors and Inftruments of "these Mischiefs from Juftice, Tht ... That they befought his Majefty to confider his Expreffions, That God fhould deal with him and his Pofterity, as he defired the Prefervation of the just Rights of Parliament. That nevertheless, his In"tention was to deny a Parliament the Privilege of declaring to be Delinquents those they deemed "fuch, a Privilege which belonged to the meanest "Court of Justice in the Kingdom. "That his Majefty had no Caufe to complain that "he was denied a Treaty, when they offered all that "a Treaty could produce, Security, Honour, Service, "Obedience, Support, and fought nothing but that "their Religion and Liberty might be screened from "the open Violence of a wicked Party. "That if there were any Caufe of Treaty, they "knew no competent Perfon to treat betwixt the King " and the Parliament. "That befides, The Seafon was altogether unfit, "whilft his Majefty's Standard was up, his Procla"mations and Declarations not recalled, whereby his "Parliament was charged with Treafon. "That indeed his Majefty had often protested his "Tenderness of the Miseries of Ireland, and his "Refolution to maintain the Proteftant Religion, "and the Laws of this Kingdom. But that these "Proteftations could give no Satisfaction to reaso"nable and indifferent Men, when at the fame Time "feveral of the Irish Rebels, the known Favourers "of and Agents for them, were admitted to his Majesty's Prefence with Grace and Favour; nay, fome "of them employed in his Service: When the "Cloaths, Munition, Horfe, bought by his Par"liament for the Supply of the Irish War, were violently taken away, and applied to the Maintenance "of an unnatural War against his People. 66 "That if his Majefty would be pleafed to come "back to his Parliament, they fhould be ready to "fecure his Royal Perfon, Crown and Dignity, with "their Lives and Fortunes." The 1642. 1642. The King did not let this Anfwer go without a Reply. But instead of doing it by way of Meffage, he published a Declaration to this Effect: The King's "In the first Place, he alledged the Laws in his Declarati-Favour. on. Sept. 27. "He denied that his Soldiers had committed any Rush. V. "Disorders or Violences, and affirmed, he had "never suffered them to opprefs any Perfon whatever. P. 5. "He recriminated upon the Parliament. He de"nied that there were any Irish about him, and main"tained that it was a notorious Calumny, like that "caft upon him heretofore by Mr. Pym. 66 "He faid, The Artillery-Horfes he had taken at Chefter were few in Number, and of fmall Value. "And for the Cloaths, if his Soldiers had taken any "that were defigned for the Service of Ireland, it "was done without his Order; and though he might "have feized Three Thoufand Suits which were going thither, yet he refufed to do it, and gave "order for their fpeedy Transportation. "That the Parliament made no Scruple to em"ploy in the War against their King a Hundred "Thoufand Pounds, particularly appointed for the "Relief of Ireland. "That of near Five Hundred Members, of which "the Lower-Houfe confifted, there remained not a"bove Three Hundred, the reft having been driven "away by Tumults and Threats, or withdrawn. "themselves out of Confcience from their defperate "Confultations. That of above a Hundred Peers "there remained but Fifteen or Sixteen in the Upper"House. "That it was not the Body of the Parliament, but only the violent leading Members that were "the Authors of the War." I omit feveral general Affertions which might then be neceffary to the King's Defigns, but which have been already feen in the foregoing Papers. Army. During these Paper-Skirmishes, both Sides prepared 1642. for War. The Earl of Effex having ordered his The Earl Forces to affemble at Northampton, fet out from heads the London the 9th of September to go and head the Army; Parlia and having reviewed them, he found about Sixteen ment's Thousand Men well armed, and well appointed with a good Train of Artillery. Then the King, perceiving The King he could ftay no longer at Nottingham with fafety, marches marched towards the Borders of Wales with his from Nottingham Troops, which were yet fo few in Number, that towards they did not deferve the Name of an Army. He Wales. C was not refolved in what Place to stay and expect the Sept. 16. Forces that were to come to him from feveral Parts: But his Defign was to fecure, if poffible, Shrewsbury or Chefter, without knowing however whether either. of these Towns would receive him, the Parliament's Party having been very active and vigilant in those Parts. For this Reason the King did not march very far in a Day. When he came to Wellington, about seven Miles from Shrewsbury, he drew his little Army together, and caufed his Military Orders for the Difcipline thereof to be read before them; which done, he took Occafion to make a Speech to his Soldiers, and the better to fatisfy them of his good Intentions towards the Publick, he made the following Proteftation. 1 1 I do promife in the Prefence of Almighty God, and as I The King's I defire to govern by the known Laws of the Land, * The Author fays. juft by Derby. As there are Abundance of thefe little Geographical Miftakes in the French, care will be taken to correa them all in the Tranflation, without troubling the Reader every time with a Note. 1642. Rights. And if it pleafe God, by a Bleffing upon this Army raised for my neceffary Defence, to preferve me from this Rebellion; I do folemnly and faithfully promife, in the Sight of God, to maintain the juft Privileges and Freedom of Parliament, and to govern by the known Laws of the Land to my utmoft Power, and particularly to obferve inviolably the Laws confented to by me this Parliament. He is re Shrewsbu ry. In the mean while, if this Time of War, and the great Neceffity and Straits I am now driven to, beget any Violation of thofe, I hope it all be imputed by God and Man to the Authors of this War, and not to me, who have fo earnestly laboured for the Prefervation of the Peace of this Kingdom. When I willingly fail in thefe Particulars, I will expet no Aid or Relief from any Man, or Protection from Heaven: But in this Refolution I hope for the chearful Affiftance of all good Men, and am confident of God's Bleffing. The King was not contented with making this Proteftation to his Army, but moreover in all the confiderable Places he paffed through, he affembled the Inhabitants, and ftrove to convince them of the Sincerity of his Intentions. Thefe were neceffary Precautions, at a time when the Bufinefs was to gain the People to his Side: for on them it was that the Strength of both Parties depended. From Wellington the King marched to Shrewsbury, cived at having received the agreeable News that the Town had declared in his Favour, and the Inhabitants would give him a joyful Reception. Here he refolved to fix his Head-Quarters, and appoint the Rendezvous of his Army. This was a very convenient Place to expect the Troops which were levying for him in Wales, He feizes Yorkshire and Lancashire, and to fend for his Ordnance, Some Draught which had not been able to follow him to Nottingham Horfes de- for want of Horfes. This had forced him to make figned for ufe of a Hundred Draught-Horfes which the ParliaRufh. V. ment had fent to Chester to be tranfported into Ireland. P. 13. Ireland. |