fully kept their Weapons, that they might be ready to fight against the King. This caufed the refolution to be taken for Nottingham, without enough weighing the objections, which, upon the Entrance into great Actions, cannot be too much deliberated, though, in the Execution, they were best shut out. And it quickly appear'd in thofe very Men, who prevailed moft in that Council; for, when the time drew on, in which his Majesty was to depart, and leave the Country, Then they remember'd, "that the Garrison of Hull would be left as a "thorn in their fides, where there were well form'd, and "active Troops, which might march over the Country withcc out control, and come into Tork it felf without refiftance: "That there were many difaffected Perfons of Quality, and "Interest in the Country, who, as foon as the King should be gone, would appear amongst their Neighbours, and find a cc concurrence from them in their worft defigns; and that there "were fome places, fome whole Corporations, fo notoriously "difaffected, especially in matters relating to the Church, "that they wanted only Conductors to carry them into Rebel«lion.

THESE, and the like reflections, made too late impreffions upon them; and Now, too much, they magnified this Man's power, whom before they contemn'd; and doubted that Man's Affection, of which they were before fecure; and made a thoufand Propofitions to the King this day, whereof they rejected the greatest part to morrow; and, as the day approached nearer for the King's departure, their apprehenfions and irrefolutions increased. In the end, they were united in two Requefts to the King; that "he would commit the supreme Command of the Country, with reference to all Military Affairs, to the Earl of Cumberland; and qualify him, with an "ample Commiffion, to that purpose. The other, "that his "Majefty would command St Thomas Glembam to remain "with them, to govern and command fuch Forces, as the Earl "of Cumberland Thould find neceffary for their defence. And this Provifion being made by the King, they obliged themfelves to concur in making any preparations, and forming any Forces the Earl fhould require. His Majefty, as willingly, gratified them in both their defires. The Earl of Cumberland was a Man of great Honour and Integrity, who had all his Eftate in that Country, and had lived most amongst them, with very much acceptation, and affection from the Gentlemen, and the Common People: but he was not, in any degree, active, or of a Martial temper; and rather a Man more like not to have any Enemies, than to oblige any to be firmly, and refolutely his Friends, or to purfue his Intereft: The great Fortune of the Family was divided, and the greater part of it carried away

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Book V. by an Heir Female; and his Father had fo wafted the remainder, that the Earl could not live with that luftre, nor draw fo great a dependence upon him, as his Ancestors had done. In a word, he was a Man of Honour, and Popular enough in Peace, but not endued with thofe parts which were neceflary for Such a Seafon. St Thomas Glembam was a Gentleman of a noble extraction, and a fair Fortune, though he had much impaired it; he had spent many years, in Armies, beyond the Seas; and he had been an Officer of very good esteem in the King's Armies, and of courage, and Integrity unqueftionable; but was not of fo ftirring and active a nature, as to be able to infuse Fire enough into the Flegmatick constitutions of that People, who did rather wish to be Spectators of the War, than Parties in it; and believed, if they did not provoke the other Party, they might all live quietly together; until St John Hotham, by his excurfions, and depredations out of Hull, and their feditious Neighbours, by their Infurrections, awaken'd them out of that Pleasant Dream. And then the greatest part of the Gentry of that Populous Country, and very many of the Common People, did behave themselves with fignal Fidelity, and Courage in the King's Service: Of all which Particulars, which deferve well to be remember'd, and tranfmitted to Pofterity, there will be occafion to make mention, in the following Difcourfe.

YET I cannot leave Tork without the mention of one Particular; which, in truth, is a lively Inftance of the Spirit and Temper of that time, and was a fad Prefage of all the misfortunes which follow'd. There were very few Gentlemen, or Men of any Quality, in that large County, who were actively or factioufly difaffected to his Majefty; and of those the Lord Fairfax, and his Son, Sr Thomas Fairfax, were the chief; who were govern'd by two or three, of inferiour Quality, more converfant with the People; who were as well known as They. All these were in the Country, at their Houses, within few miles of York; and the King refolved, at his going away, to have taken them all Prisoners, and to have put them in fafe Cuftody; by which, it was very probable, those mischiefs, that shortly after broke out, might have been prevented. But the Gentlemen of the County, who were met together to confult for their own fecurity, hearing of this Defign, befought his Majefty "Not to do it; alledging, "that he would, there"by, leave them in a worfe condition, by an Act fo ungracious, and unpopular; and that the difaffected would be fo "far from being weaken'd, that their Party would be increaf"ed thereby many really believing, that neither Father nor Son were tranfported with over-vehement inclinations to the Parliament; but would willingly fit ftill, without being Active

on either fide; which, no doubt, was a Policy, that many, of thofe, who wifhed well, defired and intended to be fafe by. And fo his Majefty left York, taking with him only two or three of inferior rank (whereof one Stapleton was one) who were known to have been very active in ftirring the People to Sedition; and yet, upon some specious pretences, some very good Men were perfwaded, within few days, to procure the Liberty and Enlargement even of those from his Majefty. So ticklish were thofe times, and fo wary were all Men to advise, the King fhould do any thing, which, upon the stricteft inquifition, might feem to fwerve from the strict rule of the Law; believing, unreasonably, that the foftest and gentleft Remedies might be moft wholefomely applied to those rough, and violent Diseases.

THE King came to Nottingham two or three days before the day he had appointed to fet up the Standard; having taken Lincoln in his way, and drawn fome Armes from the Train'd-bands of that Country with him to Nottingham; from whence, the next day, he went to take a view of his Horfe; whereof there were feveral Troops well arm'd, and under good Officers, to the number of feven or eight hundred Men with which, being inform'd, "that there were fome Regi"ments of Foot marching towards Coventry, by the Earl of "Effex his Orders, he made haft thither; making little doubt, but that he should be able to get thither before them, and fo to poffefs himself of that City; and he did get thither the day before they came; but found, not only the Gates fhut against him, but fome of his Servants fhot, and wounded from the Walls: Nor could all his Meffages, and Summons prevail with the Mayor and Magiftrates, before there was any Garrison there, to fuffer the King to enter into the City. So great an Intereft, and Reputation the Parliament had gotten over the Affections of that People, whose hearts were alienated from any reverence to the Government.

THE King could not remedy the Affront, but went that night to Stonely, the Houfe then of St Thomas Lee; where he was well receiv'd; and, the next day, his Body of Horse, having a clear view, upon an open Campania, for five or fix miles together, of the Enemies fmall Body of Foot, which confifted not of above twelve hundred Men with one Troop of Horfe, which Marched with them over that plain, retired before them, without giving them one Charge; which was imputed to the ill conduct of Wilmot, who Commanded; and had a colder Courage, than many who were under him, and who were of opinion, that they might have eafily defeated that Body of Foot: Which would have been a very fealonable Victory; would have put Coventry unquestionably into

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Book V. the King's hands, and fent him with a good Omen to the fetting up of his Standard. Whereas, that unhappy Retreat. which looked like a Defeat, and the Rebellious behaviour of Coventry, made his Majesty's return to Nottingham very Melancholy; whither he return'd the very day the Standard was appointed to be fet up.

The King's ACCORDING to the Proclamation, upon the twenty fifth Standard fet day of Auguft, the Standard was erected, about fix of the at Not Clock in the evening of a very ftormy, and tempeftuous day. tingham, The King himself, with a fmall train, rode to the top of the Aug. 25. 164.2. Castle Hill, Varney the Knight-Marfhal, who was Standard Bearer, carrying the Standard, which was then erected, in that place, with little other Ceremony than the found of Drums, and Trumpets: Melancholy Men obferv'd many ill Prefages about that time. There was not one Regiment of Foot yet brought thither, fo that the Train'd-banas, which the Sheriff had drawn together, were all the ftrength the King had for his Perfon, and the Guard of the Standard. There appear'd no Conflux of Men in obedience to the Proclamation; the Armes, and Ammunition were not yet come from York, and a General Sadness cover'd the whole Town. The Standard was blown down, the fame night it had been set up, by a very strong and unruly wind, and could not be fixed again in a day or two, till the tempeft was allayed. This was the Melancholy State of the King's Affairs, when the Standard was fet up.