attainting the Earl of Stafford, though with reluctancy, as believing he deferved not fuch hard measure: he took away monopolies, that had been a discouragement to trade: he expreffed himself to their contentment in the matters of loan, fhip-money, tonnage and poundage, and other unwarrantable methods that had been. ufed in raifing money; and fhewed a fettled refolution to comply with them, in every thing that might tend to the ease and fecurity of the fubject. As in the preceding parliament he had paffed the petition of right, fo in the beginning of this, he had agreed to the acts for triennial parliaments, and for abolishing the ftarchamber and high-commiffion courts, which had been great grievances; and with chearfulness paffed that act which feemed inconfiftent with his own juft prerogative, That that parliament fhould not be diffolved. but by act of parliament; nor prorogued or adjourned but by their own confent."

The King having, upon thefe conceffions, received the thanks of both houfes, and the loud applaufes of his people, took a journey to Scotland in Augu 1641, to fettle matters there, that required his prefence ; that kingdom having juft before been at war with England, on account of the grievances there introduced. He left the parliament fitting, which they continued to do for fome time, and then adjourned themselves to October following. At the King's going away, affairs had been already fettled betwixt the two kingdoms by an act of pacification, and both armies ordered to be disbanded, the Scots returning home for that purpose.

But while the King was in Scotland, the Irish rebellion broke out, which became a new bone of contention between him and the parliaments of both nations. He feemingly took measures in Scotland about fuppreffing that rebellion, and is faid to have made hafte back to England to concert with the parliament concerning it. He did not act, however, with fo much vigour, as to convince every one of his fincerity in the

affair and it appeared that the Queen, who very much governed his Majefty, kept up a correfpondence with Lord Antrim, one of the chief agents in that bloodshed. Nevertheless the King was received in London, at his return, with all demonftrations of affection. The Lord Mayor and Aldermen, the nobility, gentry, and trained-bands, met him without the city, and conducted him in great state, amid the acclamations of the people, the city companies lining the treet on each fide, to Guildhall, where he was royally feafted, and after dinner conducted with the fame pomp to Whitehall. "What man, fays Dr Wellwood, that had feen a prince thus received into his capital city, could have imagined, that, within lefs than seven weeks, he should be obliged to leave it upon the account of tumults, never to fee it again, but as a prifoner brought thither to die upon a scaffold? yet this was King Charles's hard fortune."

The Houfe of Commons had begun, fome few days before his return, to fall into heats about innovations in religion; the rebellion in Ireland; plots faid to be laid in Scotland; the difabling of the clergy to exercise temporal jurisdiction; and excluding the bishops from votes in parliament: all which matters, together with fome reports that were spread about of fome defigns against the parliament, led the houfe into that remarkable petition and remonftrance of the ftate of the nation, in which they repeated all the mifmanagements in the government fince the King's coming to the. throne, and attributed all to evil counfels and counfellors, and a malignant party about the King. The billetting of foldiers contrary to law, the diffolution and fupenfion of parliaments, the fevere imprisonment of feveral members, the raifing of money by unparlia mentary ways, violent profecutions for non-payment, arbitrary proceedings in the courts of law, the late behaviour and doctrines of the high-flown clergy, continuance of those abuses fince the late conceffions, were fome of the topics infifted on. This remonftrance

met with great oppofition in the house, the debate lasting from three o'clock in the afternoon till ten o'clock the next morning, when it paffed by a fmall majority. It was prefented to his Majefty the eighth day after his return from Scotland. This petition and remonstrance, together with the King's anfwer to them at their delivery, and the declaration which he published at large afterwards to the fame purpofe, contain the matter of almost all thofe fatal differences, that came, within a very fhort time after they were drawn up, to be decided by the fword. But they being very long, and to be met with in most histories of that time, I fhall not fwell this volume with them.

"A

Cromwell was a great promoter of this remonstrance; and we have this remarkable paffage concerning him, while it was in agitation. A day having been appointed for retaking it into confideration, upon its not being called for till late, the matter was put off till next morning. Cromwell, hereupon, afked the Lord Falkland why he was for deferring it, fince that day would have put an end to the bufinefs. His Lordship anfwered, "There will not be time enough; for fure it will take up fome debate." To which the other replied, very forry one :" concluding it would be oppofed by very few. But the day after it was over, when upon fo hard a fruggle it paffed only by a majority of nine, Lord Falkland afked Mr Cromwell if there had been a debate. "Yes, faid he, and I will take your word another time." Then whifpering in the Lord Falkland's ear, he added, "If the remonstrance had not paffed, I would have fold all I had the next morning, and have never feen England more; and 1 know many other honeft men that were of the fame refolution."

Some years before this, indeed, on account of the fevere proceedings of Archbishop Laud against the Pu

This is Wellwood's account: others fay, from nine one morning till three the next, which feems moft probable by what follows.

ritans, Cromwell had formed a defign, together with feveral other gentlemen of fortune and worth, to go to the American plantations; which defign they were very near putting in execution, being only prevented by a proclamation and order of council, when they were actually embarked, in order to tranfport themfelves. This fhews, that Cromwell, at that time, as well as the other * excellent perfons before-mentioned, acted entirely from a principle of confcience in his oppofition against the court, which, without difpute, had been guilty of numberless oppreffions: and by these means his reputation increased, both in the house and without, as a fteady and zealous patriot.

+ Things were now going faft on towards leffening the confidence betwixt the King and parliament: and yet there were not wanting endeavours, on both fides, to accommodate matters by foft and healing methods, when the King's coming to the Houfe of Commons in perfon, to demand five of their members, whom he had ordered the day before to be impeached of high treafon, put all into a combuftion, and gave occafion to the houfe to affert their privileges with a greater warmth than ever. This was the most unlucky tep King Charles could have made at this juncture and the indifcretion of fome that attended the King to the lobby of the houfe, was infified upon as an argument that the King was refolved to ufe violence upon the parliament. These five members had hardly time to make their efcape, juft when the King was entering ; and upon his going away, the houte adjourned in a flame for fome days, ordering a committee to fit at Guildhall in the mean time, as if they were not fafe at Weftminster.

B

*The famous Mr John Hampden was one of that number. + Wellwood.

Thefe five members were, Mr Pym, Mr Hampden, Mr Hollis, afterwards Lord Hollis, Sir Arthur Heflerig, and Mr Strode: Lord Kimbolton was alfo accused by his Majefty of the fame crimes.

Whoever they were that advised the King to this rafh attempt, are justly chargeable with all the blood that was afterwards fpilt; for this fudden action was the first and visible ground of all our following miferies. It was believed, that if the King had found the five members in the house, and had called in his guards to feize them, the houfe would have endeavoured their defence, and oppofed force to force; which might have endangered the King's perfon. But the confequences were bad enough without this; for immediately upon it there was nothing but confufion and tumults, fears and jealoufies every where, which fpread themselves to Whitehall in the rudeft manner: fo that his Majefty, thinking himself not safe there, retired with his family to Hampton-court.

The King leaving his parliament in this manner,. there were scarce any hopes of a thorough reconciliation. But when, after a great many removes from place to place, his Majefty came to fet up his ftandard at Nottingham, there enfued a fatal and bloody war, which, it is reafonable to believe, was never defigned at firft by either fide.

*

י,

I fhall not give a particular account of this war, but take notice only of fuch facts in which Cromwell was perfonally concerned, as help to fet his character in a clear light. But having faid thus much concerning the motives and beginning of it, I fhall add a few reflections of the great Mr. Locke, in defence of subjects taking arms against the prince; and leave it to the reader's determination, how far they regard the prefent cafe, and may be urged in vindication of Cromwell, and the other members of this famous par liament.

"Wherefoever law ends, fays this excellent reafoner, tyranny begins, if the law be tranfgreffed to another's harm. And whoever in authority exceeds the power given him by law, and makes use of the force he has under his command, to compafs that upon ** In his fecond effay on government, ch. xviii.