CHA P. all the civil power, went on but slowly.

LIX.

1648.

1

The roy alists he would not as yet allow to join him, lest he might give offence to the ecclesiastical party; though he secretly promised them trust and preferment as soon as his army should advance into Eng

land.

WHILE the Scots were making preparations for the invasion of England, every part of the king-dom was agitated with tumults, insurrections, conspiracies, discontents. It is seldom that the people gain any thing by revolutions in government; because the new settlement, jealous and insecure, must commonly be supported with more expence and severity than the old: But on no occasion was the truth of this maxim more sensibly felt, than in the present situation of England. Complaints against the oppression of ship-money, against the tyranny of the star-chamber, had roused the people to arms: And having gained a complete victory over the crown, they found themselves loaded with a multiplicity of taxes, formerly unknown: and scarcely an appearance of law and liberty remained in the administration. The presbyterians, who had chiefly supported the war, were enraged to find the prize, just when it seemed within their reach, snatched by violence from them. The royalists, disappointed in their expectations, by the cruel treatment which the king now received from the army, were strongly animated to restore him to liberty, and to recover the advantages which they had unfortunately lost. All orders of men were inflamed with indignation at seeing the military prevail over the civil power, and king and parliament at once reduced to subjection by a mercenary army. Many persons of family and distinction had, from the beginning of the war, adhered to the parliament: But all these were, by the new party, deprived of authority; and every office was entrusted to the most ignoble part of the nation. A base populace exalted above

LIX.

their superiors: Hypocrites exercising iniquity un- CHAP. der the vizor of religion: These circumstances promised not much liberty or lenity to the people; and these were now found united in the same usurped and illegal administration.

THOUGH the whole nation seemed to combine in their hatred of military tyranny, the ends which the several parties pursued were so different, that little concert was observed in their insurrections. Langhorne, Poyer, and Powel, presbyterian officers, who commanded bodies of troops in Wales, were the first that declared themselves; and they drew together a considerable army in those parts, which were extremely devoted to the royal cause. An insurrection was raised in Kent by young Hales and the earl of Norwich. Lord Capel, sir Charles Lucas, sir George Lisle, excited commotions in Essex. The earl of Holland, who had several times changed sides since the commencement of the civil wars, endeavoured to assemble forces in Surrey. Pomfret castle in Yorkshire was surprised by Maurice. Langdale and Musgrave were in arms, and masters of Berwic and Carlisle in the north.

WHAT seemed the most dangerous circumstance, the general spirit of discontent had seized the fleet. Seventeen ships, lying in the mouth of the river, declared for the king; and, putting Rainsborow, their admiral, ashore, sailed over to Holland, where the prince of Wales took the command of them."

m

THE English royalists exclaimed loudly against Hamilton's delays, which they attributed to a refined policy in the Scots; as if their intentions were, that all the king's party should be first suppressed, and the victory remain solely to the presbyterians, Hamilton, with better reason, complained of the precipitate humour of the English royalists, who, by

m Clarendon, vol. v. p. 137.

their

1648.

LIX.

CHA P. their ill-timed insurrections, forced him to march his army before his levies were completed, or his 1648, preparations in any forwardness

No commotions beyond a tumult of the apprentices, which was soon suppressed, were raised in London: The terror of the army kept the citizens in subjection. The parliament was so overawed, that they declared the Scots to be enemies, and all who joined them traitors. Ninety members, however of the lower house had the courage to dissent from this vote.

CROMWEL, and the military council prepared themselves with vigour and conduct for defence. The establishment of the army was at this time 26000 men; but by enlisting supernumeraries, the regiments were greatly augmented, and commonly consisted of more than double their stated complement." Colonel Horton first attacked the revolted troops in Wales, and gave them a considerable defeat. The remnants of the vanquished threw them. selves into Pembroke, and were there closely besieged, and soon after taken, by Cromwel. Lambert was opposed to Langdale and Musgrave in the north, and gained advantages over them. Sir Michael Livesey defeated the earl of Holland at Kingston, and, pursuing his victory, took him prisoner at St. Neots. Fairfax having routed the Kentish royalists at Maidstone, followed the broken army: And when they joined the royalists of Essex, and threw themselves into Colchester, he laid siege to that place, which defended itself to the last extremity. A new fleet was manned and sent out under the command of Warwic, to oppose the revolted ships, of which the prince had taken the

command.

WHILE the forces were employed in all quarters, the parliament regained its liberty, and began to

LXI.

1648.

act with its wonted courage and spirit. The mem CHA P. bers, who had withdrawn, from terror of the army, returned; and infusing boldness into their companions, restored to the presbyterian party the ascendant which it had formerly lost. The eleven impeached members were recalled, and the vote, by which they were expelled, was reversed. The vote too of non-addresses was repealed; and commissioners, five peers, and ten commoners, were sent to Newport, in the isle of Wight, in order to treat with the king. He was allowed to summon several of his friends and old counsellors, that he might have their advice in this important transaction. The theologians, on both sides, armed with their syllogisms and quotations, attended as auxiliaries. By them the flame had first been raised; and their appearance was but a bad prognostic of its extinction. Any other instruments seemed better adapted for a treaty of pacification.

Newport.

WHEN the king presented himself to this com- 18th Sept. pany, a great and sensible alteration was remarked Treaty of in his aspect, from what it appeared the year before, when he resided at Hampton-court. The moment his servants had been removed, he had laid aside all care of his person, and had allowed his beard and hair to grow, and to hang dishevelled and neglected. His hair was become almost entirely grey; either from the decline of years, or from that load of sorrows, under which he laboured, and which, though borne with constancy, preyed inwardly on his sensible and tender mind. His friends beheld with compassion, and perhaps even his enemies, that grey and discrowned head, as he himself terms it, in a copy of verses, which the truth of the sentiment, rather than any elegance of expression, renders very pathetic. Having in vain endeavoured

by

Clarendon, vol. v. p. 180. Sir Edward Walker's perfect copies, p. 6. P Ibid. p. 8. • Ibid. p. 8. 38. Burnet's Memoirs of Hamilton.

LIX.

CHAP. by courage to defend his throne from his armed adversaries, it now behoved him, by reasoning and 1648. persuasion, to save some fragments of it from these peaceful, and no less implacable negotiators.

The vigour of the king's mind, notwithstanding the seeming decline of his body, here appeared unbroken and undecayed. The parliamentary commissioners would allow none of his counsel to be present, and refused to enter into reasoning with any but himself. He alone, during the transactions of two months, was obliged to maintain the argument against fifteen men of the greatest parts and capacity in both houses; and no advantage was ever obtained over him. This was the scene above all others, in which he was qualified to excel. A quick conception, a cultivated understanding, a chaste elocution, a dignified manner; by these accomplishments he triumphed in all discussions of cool and temperate reasoning. The king is much changed, said the earl of Salisbury to sir Philip Warwic: He is extremely improved of late. No, replied sir Philip; he was always so: But you are now at last sensible of it. Sir Henry Vane, discoursing with his fellow-commissioners, drew an argument from the king's uncommon abilities, why the terms of pacification must be rendered more strict and rigid." But Charles's capacity shone not equally in action as in reasoning.

THE first point, insisted on by the parliamentary commissioners, was the king's recalling all his proclamations and declarations against the parlia ment, and the acknowledging that they had taken arms in their own defence. He frankly offered the former concession; but long scrupled the latter. The falsehood, as well as indignity, of that acknowledgment, begat in his breast an extreme reluctance