imprisonment on that account. He was a clever man in council, a brave man in war, and a pleasant and amiable man in private life. But his naturally ardent temperament was too much heated by the excitement of the times; and he was led into extremes by what he considered his love of liberty. At the battle of Roundway Down, he was seen riding off the field before the conclusion of the action; his head was bent down, and his hands were leaning on his horse's neck. Those who looked at him, guessed what had happened; and on the morrow, came the sad intelligence that Hampden was dangerously wounded. He lingered some days, and then died, leaving his party to lament the loss they sustained in his removal. The king himself so honoured Hampden, that he had generously intended to send his own surgeon to him to attempt his cure.

But the two most celebrated generals in the Parliament's army were Sir Thomas Fairfax and Oliver Cromwell. Fairfax appears to have been a sincere and open character, very brave, and an excellent soldier; but inferior in other respects to Cromwell by whom he was much influenced. Cromwell was a man of wonderful ability and power of mind. He could form great projects, and execute them too; and in whatever company he might happen to be, he was sure to be uppermost, and to have the

rule over others. But there were some parts of his character which quite spoilt all these great talents. Cromwell was tyrannical and domineering, artful and designing; and though he made much profession of religion, and, as we shall see hereafter, did it some good service, yet we can hardly think, from bis conduct, that he was truly a religious man; at all events he was an inconsistent upholder of the cause of truth.

You remember that we left Archbishop Laud a prisoner in the Tower. After remaining there about two years, he was condemned by the Parliament for high treason in endeavouring to subvert the laws, and was sentenced, like the Earl of Strafford, to end his life on the scaffold. He behaved, during his trial, with great presence of mind, and calmly heard the intelligence that he was to prepare for death. "No one," said he, "can be more willing to send me out of life, than I am desirous to go." This composure continued to the last. Laud had indeed done much injury to his country; and his mistaken, though no doubt sincere views, had led to a great deal of turmoil and confusion, which he little expected would result from his innovations in the church. But whatever were his faults, the accusation of treason for which he was executed was both cruel and unjust.

As the war continued, the royalist party lost ground, and Charles found himself little likely to recover his position; he therefore now came to the determination of giving himself up into the hands of the Scotch. He had made so many concessions to them, that he hoped they would receive him as loyal subjects, and become his friends and allies. Accordingly he fled to Newark, and there joined the Scottish camp. At first, he was treated with outward respect; but he soon found that he was considered as a prisoner rather than as a king; and after some deliberation, the Scotch determined to deliver him up to the English Parliament, on the payment of a sum of money which they considered to be their due. And so, the king was actually sold by his Scotch subjects to his English Parliament, for four hundred thousand pounds! He was then taken to Holdenby, in Northamptonshire, put into confinement, and treated with great severity. His relatives and friends were not allowed to visit him, and his former servants were dismissed.

But Cromwell and the army were not satisfied that the king should remain in this position. One day, a number of horsemen appeared at Holdenby, under the command of a man named Joyce. Joyce immediately demanded admittance to the king, went into his presence, armed with pistols, and desired

"Where? ""

Charles to come with him. asked the king. "To the army," said Joyce. "And by what warrant?" enquired Charles. Joyce pointed to the soldiers whom he had brought with him. The parliamentary commissioners then coming in, asked whether he had received any orders from the Parliament, or from the general; but no further answer could be obtained from Joyce. He insisted that the king should go with him; and Charles was accordingly conveyed to the army, at that time near Cambridge. All this had been arranged by Cromwell, under whom Joyce was acting, in order to get the king more entirely under his own power.

Charles was now carried about with the army in their various marches; but he was allowed more liberty that when at Holdenby, and was permitted once more to see his family and his friends. For a time, his prospects appeared brighter; but he was not really in a safer position than he had been in before. On the contrary, Cromwell was becoming less and less disposed to show him any favour; he began to object to the visits of his friends; and Charles at last received intimation that his life was no longer in safe custody. The unhappy king determined therefore, perhaps imprudently, to make his escape; and with a few attendants he secretly left Hampton Court,

where he had lately resided, and proceeded first to Titchfield, the seat of the Earl of Southampton, and from thence to the Isle of Wight. But this was no place of safety. It was under the government of a friend and ally of Cromwell, and Charles was soon in his hands, and became once more a prisoner.

While Charles was at Newport, in the Isle of Wight, an attempt was made to form a treaty with him by the Parliament, which was now a distinct party from that of the army. A number of proposals were made, to which Charles was to give his assent, if he would be re-established on the throne. To most of these he agreed; to some few he objected, though he was willing to make any concessions which he thought he could do consistently with his conscience. But the proposed treaty was very displeasing to the army and Cromwell. They drew up a remonstrance, and sent it to Parliament, requiring immediate dissolution, and demanding the punishment of the king, as the cause of so much blood-shed in the country; and then they dispatched a messenger to Newport, who seized Charles, and placed him in confinement. The king had previously heard of these intentions on the part of the army, and had been advised by his friends to escape; but he had promised the Parliament not to attempt to recover his liberty, during the for