LIX. 1647. CHA P. Once allowed to visit him, and they passed a few days at Caversham, where he then resided.d He had not seen the duke of Glocester, his youngest son, and the princess Elizabeth, since he left London, at the commencement of the civil disorders; nor the duke of York, since he went to the Scottish army before Newark. No private man, unacquainted with the pleasures of a court and the tumult of a camp, more passionately loved his family, than did this good prince; and such an instance of indulgence in the army was extremely grateful to him. Cromwel, who was witness to the meeting of the royal family, confessed, that he never had been present at so tender a scene; and he extremely applauded the benignity which displayed itself in the whole disposition and behaviour of Charles. THAT artful politician, as well as the leaders of all parties, payed court to the king; and fortune, notwithstanding all his calamities, seemed again to smile upon him. The parliament, afraid of his forming some accommodation with the army, addressed him in a more respectful style than formerly; and invited him to reside at Richmond, and contribute his assistance to the settlement of the nation. The chief officers treated him with regard, and spake on all occasions of restoring him to his just powers and prerogatives. In the public declarations of the army, the settlement of his revenue and authority were insisted on The royalists, every where, entertained hopes of the restoration of monarchy; and the favour which they universally bore to the army, contributed very much to discourage the parliament, and to forward their submission. Clarendon, vol. i. p. 51, 52. 57. THE When the king applied to have his children, the parliament always told him, that they could take as much care at London, both of their bodies and souls, as could be done at Oxford. Parl. Hist. vol. xiii. p. 127. Rush. vol. vii. p. 590. LIX. 1647. The king began to feel of what consequence he was. CHA P. The more the national confusions increased, the more was he confident that all parties would, at length, have recourse to his lawful authority as the only remedy for the public disorders. You cannot be without me, said he, on several occasions: You cannot settle the nation but by my assistance. A A people without government and without liberty, a parliament without authority, an army without a legal master: Distractions every where, terrors, oppressions, convulsions: From this scene of confusion, which could not long continue, all men, he hoped, would be brought to reflect on that ancient government, under which they and their ancestors had so long enjoyed happiness and tranquillity. THOUGH Charles kept his ears open to all proposals, and expected to hold the balance between the opposite parties, he entertained more hopes of accommodation with the army. He had experienced the extreme rigour of the parliament. They pretended totally to annihilate his authority: They had confined his person. In both these particulars, the army shewed more indulgence. He had a free intercourse with his friends. And in the proposals, which the council of officers sent for the settlement of the nation, they insisted neither on the abolition of episcopacy, nor of the punishment of the royalists; the two points to which the king had the most extreme reluctance: And they demanded, that a period should be put to the present parliament; the event for which he most ardently longed. His conjunction too seemed more natural with the generals, than with that usurping assembly, who had so long assumed the entire sovereignty of the state, and who had declared their resolution still to continue masters. By gratifying a few persons with Warwick, p. 303. vol. v. p. 50. titles Parl. Hist. vol. xvi. p. 40. Clarendon, T LIX. 1647. CHA P. titles and preferments, he might draw over, he hoped, the whole military power, and, in an instant, reinstate himself in his civil authority. To Ireton he offered the lieutenancy of Ireland: To Cromwel, the garter, the title of earl of Essex, and the command of the army. Negotiations to this purpose were secretly conducted. Cromwel pretended to hearken to them; and was well pleased to keep the door open for an accommodation, if the course of events should, at any time, render it necessary. And the king, who had no suspicion that one born a private gentleman, could entertain the daring ambition of seizing a sceptre transmitted through a long line of monarchs, indulged hopes that he would, at last, embrace a measure which, by all the motives of duty, interest, and safety, seemed to be recommended to him. WHILE Cromwel allured the king by these expectations, he still continued his scheme of reducing the parliament to subjection, and depriving them of all the means of resistance. To gratify the army, the parliament invested Fairfax with the title of general in chief of all the forces in England and Ireland; and entrusted the whole military authority to a person who, though well inclined to their service, was no longer at his own disposal. THEY Voted that the troops which, in obedience to them, had inlisted for Ireland, and deserted the rebellious army, should be disbanded, or, in other words, be punished for their fidelity. The forces in the north, under Pointz, had already mutinied against their general, and had entered into an association with that body of the army which was so successfully employed in exalting the military above the civil authority." THAT no resource might remain to the parliament, it was demanded, that the militia of London should Rush. vol. vii. p. 620, LIX. 1647. should be changed, the presbyterian commissioners C HA P. displaced, and the command restored to those who, during the course of the war, had constantly exercised it. The parliament even complied with so violent a demand, and passed a vote in obedience to the army. By this unlimited patience they purposed to temporise under their present difficulties, and they hoped to find a more favourable opportunity for recovering their authority and influence: But the impatience of the city lost them all the advantage of their cautious measures. A petition against the alteration 20th July. of the militia was carried to Westminster, attended by the apprentices and seditious multitude, who besieged the door of the house of commons; and by their clamour, noise, and violence, obliged them to reverse that vote, which they had passed so lately. When gratified in this pretension, they immediately dispersed, and left the parliament at liberty.* No sooner was intelligence of this tumult conveyed to Reading, than the army was put in motion. The two houses being under restraint, they were resolved, they said, to vindicate, against the seditious citizens, the invaded privileges of parliament, and restore that assembly to its just freedom of debate and counsel. In their way to London, they were drawn up on Hounslow-heath; a formidable body, twenty thousand strong, and determined, without regard to laws or liberty, to pursue whatever measures their generals should dictate to them. Here the most favourable event happened, to quicken and encourage their advance. The speakers of the two houses, Manchester and Lenthal, attended by eight peers, and about sixty commoners, having secretly retired from the city, presented themselves with their maces, and all the ensigns of their dignity; and complaining of the violence put upon i k Rush. vol. vii. p. 629. 632. Ibid. vol. vii. p. 641. 643. Clarendon, vol. v. p. 61. Whitlocke, p. 269. Cl. Walker, p. 38: LIX. 1647. CHAP. upon them, applied to the army for defence and protection. They were received with shouts and acclamations: Respect was paid to them as to the parliament of England: And the army being provided with so plausible a pretence, which, in all public transactions, is of great consequence, advanced to chastise the rebellious city, and to reinstate the violated parliament.' NEITHER Lenthal nor Manchester were esteemed independents; and such a step in them was unexpected. But they probably foresaw, that the army must, in the end, prevail; and they were willing to pay court in time to that authority, which began to predominate in the nation. THE parliament, forced from their temporising measures, and obliged to resign, at once, or combat for their liberty and power, prepared themselves with vigour for defence, and determined to resist the violence of the army. The two houses immediately chose new speakers, Lord Hunsdon, and Henry Pelham: They renewed their former orders for enlisting troops: They appointed Massey to be commander: They ordered the train bands to man the lines: And the whole city was in a ferment, and resounded with military preparations.". WHEN any intelligence arrived, that the army stopped or retreated, the shout of One and all, ran with alacrity, from street to street, among the citizens: When news came of their advancing, the cry of Treat and capitulate, was no less loud and vehement." The terror of an universal pillage, and even massacre, had seized the timid inhabitants. As the army approached, Rainsborow, being sent by the general over the river, presented himself before Southwark, and was gladly received by some soldiers, |