THE PREFACE. A T length comes into the World, The First 1641, with the precedent Paffages and Actions, that Contributed thereunto, and the happy End and Conclufion thereof, by the King's bleffed Reftoration, and Return, upon the 29th of May in the Year 1660; Written by Edward Earl of Clarendon, once Lord High Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the Famous Univerfity of Oxford. The First of thefe great Dignities King Charles the Second had conferr'd on Him, whilft he was yet in Banifhment with Him; which he held, after the Reftoration, above feven Years, with the Univerfal Approbation of the whole Kingdom, and the General Applaufe of all good Men, for his Juftice, Integrity, found Judgment, and Eminent Sufficiency in the difcharge of that Office; a Praife, which none of his Enemies ever denied Him, in any Time: The Other He receiv'd from the choice of the University, who, upon the Vacancy of that Place, by the death of the Marquis of Hertford, then Duke of Somerfet, judg'd They could not better manifeft their feddiness in the a 4 Caufe Ι Caufe for which They had fuffer'd, and their Refolutions of adhering to their Old Principles, in fupport of the Church of England, and the Ancient Monarchical Government of this Kingdom, than in choofing to place the Protection of their Intereft in both, under the care of One, who had fo early diftinguifh'd Himself, even from the first Approaches of the Civil War, in afferting and maintaining the diftreffed Rights of the Church and Crown. This Hiftory was firft begun by the express Command of King Charles the First, who, having a defire, that an account of the Calamities, God was pleased to inflict on the Unhappy part of his Reign, fhould be reported to Pofterity by fome worthy, honeft, and knowing Man, thought He could not appoint any One more adorn'd with fuch Qualifications, than this Author. It is a difficult Province to write the Hiftory of the Civil Wars of a Great and Powerful Nation, where the King was engaged with one Part of his Subjects against the other, and both Sides were fufficiently inflamed: And the Neceffity of Speaking the Truth of feveral Great Men, that were engaged in the Quarrel on either Side, who may ftill have very confiderable Relations, defcended from Them, now Alive, makes the Task Invidious as well as Difficult. We are not ignorant that there are Accounts, contain'd in this following History, of fome Eminent Perfons in thofe Times, that do not agree with the relations we have met with of the fame Perfons, publifh'd in other Authors. But, befides that they who put forth this History, dare not take upon them to make any Alterations in a Work of this kind, folemnly left with them to be publish'd, whenever it should be publifh'd, as it was deliver'd to Them; they cannot but think the World will generally be of Opinion, that others may as likely have been mistaken in the grounds and informations they have gone upon, as our Author; who will be efteem'd to have bad opportunities, equal at leaft with any others, of knowing the Truth; and, by the Candor, and and Impartiality of what He relates, may be believ'd not to have made any wilful mistakes. However, all things of this Nature must be fubmitted, as this is, with great deference to the judgment of the equal Reader; who will meet, in his progress through this work with many Paffages, that, he will judge, may difoblige the Pofterity of even well meaning Men in thoje days; much more then of fuch as were crafty, cunning, and wicked enough to defign the mischiefs that enfued: But be fhall meet with none of Malice, nor any but fuch as the Author, upon his best information, took to be Impartially true. He could not be ignorant of the Rules of a good Hiftorian (which, Cicero fays, are fuch foundations, that they are known to every body)That he fhould Not dare to speak any Falsehood; and should dare to speak any Truth. And we doubt not, but through the whole progrefs of this Hiftory, he will be found to have given no occafion of fufpecting his writings guilty of partial favour, or unjust enmity; and we hope that the representing the Truth, without any mixture of private Paffion or Animofity, will be fo far from giving offence to any Ingenuous Man of this time, that it will be receiv'd rather as an Inftruction to the prefent Age, than a Reproach upon the laft. Moreover, the Tenderness that might seem due, out of Charity, good Manners, and good Nature, to our Country-Men, our Neighbours, or our Relations, hath been indulg'd a long space of time; and might poffibly be abufed, if it fhould not give way, at laft, to the usefulness of making this work publick, in an Age, when jo many Memoirs, Narratives, and pieces of Hiftory come out, as it were on purpose to justify the taking up Armes against that King, and to blacken, revile, and ridicule the facred Majesty of an Anointed head in diftrefs; and when fo much of the Senfe of Religion to God, and of Allegiance and Duty to the Crown, is fo defaced, that it is already, within a little more than fifty Years fince the Murder committed on that Pious Prince, by Jome Men made a Mystery to judge, on whofe fide was the into very dangerous mistakes in their Government; and bow many Tears have paffed almost in one perpetual Strife, and unfortunate Contention between the Prince and the People, in Points of the highest confequence; and efpecially thofe which have brought the Prince, Jometimes, under the disadvantageous fufpicion of being inclind to the love of Arbitrary Power, and favouring the Popish Religion; than which the most mortal Enemies to the Crown of England cannot poffibly contrive, or wish, more miferable circumftances for it to be involv'd in. But We are rather defirous to draw a Veil over all the Calamities, that have proceeded from this Caufe; as well because the impreffions thofe mistakes have made, and the marks they have left behind them, will not easily be worn out; as that it might look like infulting over Their Misfortunes, who have been the Chief Lofers by them; which We have, in no kind, the Inclination, or the Heart to do: Neither would we be thought to give Countenance, by what We write, to the Opinions of thofe, who would Juftify the Rifing up in Arms of Subjects, to do themfelves Right in any Controversy between them and their King Non hæc in foedera The Nature of our excellent Government hath provided, in the Conftitution of it, other remedies, in a Parliamentary way; wherein both the Prerogative of the Crown, and the Rights of the People may be better fecur'd. And befides, We know to whom Vengeance pecuharly belongs, and that He who challenges that Power to Himself, will not suffer it to be Communicated to any other. But We fhould think our felves very fortunate, if, in the Reflections we have been making on this Subject, We have reprefented the Truth, on both fides, with that Fairness and Impartiality, in the perplexed condition of our Own Affairs, that all Princes may fee and judge, that it can never turn to their Advantage, to be in an Intereft contrary to that of their People, nor to give their Subjects Subjects unreasonable Provocations. For (as in other Cafes, where the Laws both of God and Man are too often broken, though very strict and positive, fo in this point too) the People may not always be restrain'd from attempting by force to do themselves Right, though they Ought not. And we hope no less, that the People will be convinced, that it were wifer and better for them, to obtain the Redress of their Grievances by fuch ways, as the Ancient Laws of this Kingdom have provided: and that the Conftitution of King, Lords, and Commons, is the bape pieft Compofition of Government in the World; and fo fuited to the Nature of English Men generally, that though it be expelled for a Time, yet it will return. We would therefore beartily with both for Prince and People, if either of them should be guilty of any irregular Deviations from their own Channels, that they whe are injured would content themselves with gentle Ap plications, and moderate Remedies, left the last error be worfe than the first: And above all, that whosoever may have a thought of Ruling in this Land, may be throughly convinced in his own judgement, that it is a Crown of Briers and Thorns that must be fet on his Head, withput he can fatisfy all reafonable Men, that it is his fixed Principle and Refolution, inviolably to defend our Religion, and preferve our Laws." Upon the whole matter, We have often wonder'd, and reft ftill amazed, that any Prince should care to Govern a People against their Nature, their Inclinations, and their Laws. What Glory can it be to a Prince of a great Spirit, to fubdue, and break the Hearts of his own Subjects, with whom he should live properly as a Shep herd with his Flock? if two Lovers, who should pass their time in renewing, repeating, and returning all the Offices of Friendship, Kindness, Tenderness, and Love, were, inflead of that, unluckily contriving always to Cross, Oppofe, and Torment one another, what could be the effect of fuch a Converfation, but Vexation and Anguish in the beginning, a fhort liv'd Correspondence and Hatred, and Contempt in the conclufion? Our |