(1) Parliamentary hiftory, vol.xvi. P. 102. and ftrong defires after peace the right of his majeftie's perfon, which might not prejudice or again endanger the publick; and, in the mean time, that his majefty fhould find all perfonal civilities and refpects from us, with all reasonable freedom that might ftand with fafety, and with the truft or charge lying upon us concerning his perfon (1).-It appears then, that the army was inclined towards the king about this time, and that he might have had from them tolerable conditions. These he refused to confent unto, till making his escape into the isle of Wight, the parliament, under the influence of the army, prefented unto him, Dec. 24, 1647, four bills, together with propofitions, which, upon paffing thefe bills, were to be treated upon. Thefe bills were entituled, I. An act concerning the raifing, fettling, and maintaining forces by fea and land, within the kingdoms of England and Ireland, &c.-This divested his majesty of the power of the militia for twenty years, and placed it in the parliament: afterwards it was not to be exercised without the authority of the houses. 2. An act for justifying the proceedings of parliament in the late war, and for declaring all oaths, declarations, proclamations, and other proceedings against it, to be void. 3. An act concerning peers lately made, and hereafter to be made. By this all peerages, granted fince the 20th) of May, 1642, were declared void; and all fuch as were for the future to be conferred, without confent of parliament, were enacted to be of no force, with respect to fitting and voting in parliament. 4. An act concerning the adjournment of both houfes of parliament. This gave them liberty to adjourn when and where they pleased, without making an end or deter(King mining any feffion of the then parliament (m).' Charles's works, P. 590. His majefty, in answer to these bills and the propofitions that accompanied them, declared, That neither the defire of being freed from this tedious and irksome "condition of life his majesty hath so long fuffered, nor the the parliament once more entered into a treaty the apprehenfion of what may befall him, in cafe his 6 two houfes fhall not afford him a perfonal treaty, fhall make him change his refolution of not confenting to any act till the whole peace be concluded; yet then he ⚫ intends not only to give juft and reafonable fatisfaction in the particulars prefented to him, but also to make good all other conceffions mentioned in his meffage of the 16th of November laft, which he thought would have produced better effects than what he finds in the bills and propofitions now prefented unto him. And. < yet his majefty cannot give over, but now again earneftly preffeth for a perfonal treaty (fo paffionately is he affected with the advantages which peace will bring to his majesty and all his fubjects); of which he will not at all despair (there being no other vifible way to obtain a well-grounded peace). However, his majefty is very • much at eafe within himfelf, for having fulfilled the ⚫ offices both of a christian and of a king; and will patiently wait the good pleasure of Almighty God, to incline the hearts of his two houfes to confider their king, and to compaffionate their fellow-fubjects miferies (n). There seems somewhat very philofophic in this reply. But the reader may poffibly be able to account for the fpirit of it, when he is informed that the king was meditating an escape from Carisbrook; had made a treaty with the Scots, who foon openly invaded England on his behalf, in which they were joined by the prefbyterians and cavaliers in England, which produced the fecond civil war, and ended fatally with refpect to most of those who excited it.-To return:-No fooner had the king's answer been read and confidered by the houses, but they fet forth the following declaration and refolutions, Jan. 15, 1647. The lords and commons affembled in parliament, after many addresses to his majefty for preventing and ending this unnatural war, raised by him against his parliament and kingdom, having lately fent four bills to his majefty, which did contain only matter of fafety and (n) King Charles's works, p. 595. (o) King Charles's works, p. 596. treaty with him. This they did with great fin and fecurity to the parliament and kingdom, referring the compofure of all other differences to a perfonal treaty with his majefty; and having received an absolute negative, do hold themfelves obliged to use their ut• termoft endeavours fpeedily to fettle the prefent government, in such a way as may bring the greateft fecurity to this kingdom, in the enjoyment of the laws and liberties thereof; and in order thereunto, and that the houfes may receive no delays nor interruptions in fo great and neceffary a work, they have taken these refolutions, and paffed thefe votes following, viz. . 6 • Refolved upon the queftion, That the lords and commons do declare, that they will make no further addreffes, or applications to the king. • Refolved upon the queftion, That no application or addrefs. be made to the king by any perfon whatfoever, without the leave of both • houses. • Refolved upon the question, That the perfon or perfons that fhall make breach of this order, fhall incur the penalties of high treason. Refolved upon the question, That the lords and commons do declare, that they • will receive no more any meffage from the king; and, do enjoin, that no person whatsoever do prefume to receive or bring any meffage from the king to both or either of the houses of parliament, or to any other perfon (0)," This was the fruit of Charles's ftiff behaviour! He did not confider times and circumstances, nor could he bring himself into fuch a temper as was requifite to regain his throne, and re-establish his affairs.-The house of commons was so provoked at his majesty's refufal to fign the four bills, that they printed a declaration, expreffing their reafons and grounds of paffing the resolutions, touching no farther addrefs or application to the king." 6 1 In fincerity, and were not without hopes of In this Charles's behaviour from the beginning of his reign is brought to remembrance, his infincerity in his treaties expofed, and his dealings with regard to the parliament and Ireland laid open, with great acrimony of ftyle (p). His majesty replied hereunto in a declaration, (p) See par dated Carisbrook-castle, 18 Jan. 1647, and infifted ftill on hiftory, vol. liamentary it, that he could not in confcience, honor, or prudence xvii. p. 2-pafs the four bills (4); and thereby made the matter ftill 24. worse in the eyes of his opponents, who paid but little (2) King regard to thefe his proteftations. For they imagined that Charles's works, P. it was not confcience, honor, or prudence that prompted 597. him to this and his former denials to yield to the terms propofed, but an inflexible ftiffnefs, and the hopes of availing himself of their divifions. • When treaties from the parliament, fays Milton, fought out him, nò less than seven times, (oft enough to teftify the willing'nefs of their obedience, and too oft for the majesty of a parliament to court their subjection) he, in the confidence of his own ftrength, or of our divifions, re' turned us nothing back but denials, or delays, to their "moft neceffary demands; and being at loweft, kept up ftill and fuftained his almoft famifhed hopes with the hourly expectation of raising up himfelf the higher, by the greater heap which he fat promifing himfelf of our fudden ruin through diffention.'-And again, fays the fame writer, The parliament-when he was their vanquished and their captive, his forces utterly broken and difbanded, yet offered him, three feveral times, no worse propofals or demands, than when he stood "fair to be their conqueror. But that imprudent furmife, that his lowest ebb could not fet him " below a fight," was a prefumption that ruined him (r).' < . (*) Icono claftes, 2d edit. p. 68, (cccc) 70. proceed upon, for the fettlement of the peace of the kingdom (cccc). (cccc) The king's answers were voted to be a ground to proceed upon, for the fettlement of the peace of the kingdom.] Charles, notwithstanding the votes of no more addreffes, we have obferved, was not without hopes of regaining his power. Nor were his hopes wholly without foun dation for the nation, weary of war, and fearing the great power of the army, was much difpofed to bring things to an accommodation with him. Petitions from various parts were fent up for this purpose to the houses : the city of London was greatly defirous of it, as well as many of the most confiderable men in parliament; and mobs and tumults arofe every where, in order to bring it about. Nor was this all. The friends of Charles raifed forces in different parts of the kingdom, and the Scots invaded England, in order to affift them in reftoring him to. his former condition. The parliament indeed liked not thefe proceedings, as tending to render their cares and toils of no effect. For if by force he was refettled on his throne, they well enough knew what was likely to befall themfelves, and the nation in general.. They ordered therefore the army to quell the tumults, to advance against the royalifts, and repel the Scots; which was at length effectually done by men ufed to victory, and infpired with a belief of the justness of the cause they were engaged in. Mean while the parliament, to manifelt to the world that they indeed defired peace upon terms that were juft and fafe, refolved, That a treaty fhould be had in the ifle of Wight, with the king in perfon, by a committee appointed by both houfes (s).' Accordingly commiffioners were appointed; the votes for no more addreffes were revoked, and the town of xvii. p. 348. Newport, named by the king, was agreed to for the place of treaty. Charles now had once more an opportunity of regaining his honor, freedom, and fafety. The opportunity he laid hold of, though he did not proceed with that openness, quickness, and difpatch which the critical fituation of his affairs feemed to require.-The treaty (s) Parlia mentary bil tory, vol. began |