This great leader of the Parliamentary forces, in his "Recollections," pays the following tribute of regard to the exertions and tenderness of his wife:

"I have been," fays he, " in prifons frequent; feized upon by the army, as I was going to discharge my duty in the House of Commons, "and, contrary to priviledg of Parliament, made "a prifoner in the Queen's Court; from thence "carried ignominioufly to a place under the Exchequer called Hell, and the next day to "the King's Head in the Strand; after, fingled "out, (as a fheep to the flaughter,) and removed "to St. James's; then fent to Windsor Castle, "and remanded to St. James's againe; laftly "toffed, like a ball, into a strange country, to "Denbigh Castle in North Wales, remote from "my relations and interefts. After above three years imprisonment, and thus being changed " as itt were from veffel to veffel, itt pleased the "Lord to turne my captivity, and to restore me "to the comforts of my poore family again. "And here let me call to mind how much rea"fon I had to be thankful to Him who chasteneth "those whom he loveth, for the great confola"tion experienced in the dear partner of my captivity. She came to me disguised in mean "apparel, when I had groaned in my bonds seven "months, thinking it the duty of a wife to rifke

'

"all

"all things for the fatisfaction of her husband. "Much difficulty had fhe in comming, and was frequent on the brink of being discovered; " but at length, over mountains and unknown "roads, sometimes with a guide and sometimes "with none, fhe arrived att my prifon; and "the feemed, when the difcovered herself to me, "to be like the Angell who appeared unto Peter "in like circumstances. She did not, indeed, “bid my prison-gates fly open, but by her sweete "converse and behaviour she made those things "feem light which were before heavy, and scarce "to be borne. I muft ever acknowledg itt alfo "a very great mercy, that being fo long fubject "to fo great a malice, armed with fo great power< "I was not given as a prey to their teeth; and " that after all the indeavours that were used to "finde out matter of charge against me, I came "off with an intire innocency, not only uncon"demned, but unaccused.”

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL JOYCE.

LILLY, in the Hiftory of his Life and Times, fays, "The next Sunday after Charles the First "was beheaded, Robert Spavin, Secretary to

"Oliver

"Oliver Cromwell, invited himself to dine with

me, and brought Anthony Peirfon, and feveral others, along with him to dinner; and that the principal discourse at dinner was only, Who it " was that beheaded the King? One faid it was "the common hangman; another, Hugh Peters; "others alfo were nominated, but none concluded. "Robert Spavin, so foon as dinner was done, " took me by the hand, and carried me to the "fouth window. These are all mistaken, faith "he; they have not named the man that did the «fact. It was Lieutenant-Colonel Joyce. I

was in the room when he fitted himself for the "work, ftood behind him when he did it, when "done went in again with him. There is no man "knows this but my mafter Cromwell, Commif

fary Ireton, and myfelf.-Doth not Mr. Rufh"worth know it? quoth I. No; he did not "know it, faid Spavin. The fame thing," adds Lilly,, Spavin fince had often related unto me "when we were alone."

Colonel, then Cornet Joyce feized upon the perfon of the King at Holmby; and when his Majefty required him to fhew him his commission, Joyce pointed to the foldiers that attended him. "Believe me, Sir," replied Charles, "your in

ftructions are written in a very legible charac"ter." The King feeing Lord Fairfax and Cromwell foon afterwards, afked them, Whether they

they had commiffioned Joyce to remove him to Royston, where the quarters of the army then were? They affected to deny it. "I will not "believe you," replied Charles, "unless you hang up Joyce immediately."

68

SIR HENRY SLINGSBY, BART.

THIS Gentleman, who was a most decided Royalift, wrote "Commentaries of the Civil Wars, "from 1638 to 1648." They are still in MS. and by the kindness of a learned and ingenious friend, JAMES PETIT ANDREWS, Efq. a few curious extracts from them are permitted to have a place in these Volumes.

The beginning of the Civil Wars is thus pathetically defcribed by Sir Henry:

"The third of January 1639, I went to Bram"ham House, out of curiofity, to see the training "of the Light Horfe, for which fervice I had fent "two horses by commandment of the Lieute "nant and Sir Jacob Afhley, who is lately come down, with special commiffion from the King,

་་ t༠

Sir Henry was one of the Deputy Lieutenants of the County of York, and Member of Parliament for Knaref borough.

"to train and exercise them. Thefe are ftrange "fpectacles to this Nation in this age, that has "lived thus long peaceably, without noife of "drum or of shot, and after we have stood neuter, "and in peace, when all the world befides hath "been in arms. Our fears proceed from the "Scots, who at this time are become most war"like, being too long experienced in the Swedish " and German wars. The cause of grievance they "pretend is matter of religion.

"I had but a fhort time," adds Sir Henry, "of being a foldier; it did not laft above fix "weeks. I like it, as a commendable way of

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breeding for a Gentleman, if they confort them"felves with fuch as are civil, and if the quarrel "is lawfull. For as idlenefs is the nurfe of all evil, enfeebling the parts both of body and mind, this employment of a foldier is contrary "unto it, and fhall greatly improve them, by enabling the body for labour, and the mind for "watchfulness; and fo by a contempt of all things (but that employment they are in,) they "shall not much care how hard they lie, or how "hardly they fare."

At the defeat of the King's troops near Chester, which Charles faw from one of the towers of that city, Sir Henry exclaims:

"Here I do wonder at the admirable temper of "the King, whofe conftancy was fuch, that no

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"perils

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