the demand of the two houses, who were so persuaded of his art and ablility in the choice of ambiguous expressions, capable of a different sense from what appeared at first sight, that they durst not venture to make use of them as the basis of a treaty.§ Thus the winter was wasted in fruitless messages between London and Oxford, while the unfortunate king spent his time musing over his papers in a most disconsolate manner, forsaken by some of his best friends, and rudely treated by others. Mr. Locke says, the usage the king met with from his followers at Oxford made it an hard, but almost an even choice, to be the parliament's prisoner, or their slave. In his majesty's letter to the queen he writes, "If thou knew what a life I lead in point of 'conversation, I dare say thou wouldst pity me." The chief officers quarrelled, and became insupportably insolent in the royal presence; nor was the king himself without blame; for being deprived of his oracle the queen, he was like a ship in a storm without sails or rudder. Lord Clar endon therefore draws a veil over his majesty's conduct in these words: "It is not possible to discourse of particulars with the clearness that is necessary to subject them to common understandings, without opening a door 'for such reflections upon the king himself, as seem to call both his wisdom and steadiness in question; as if he 'wanted the one to apprehend and discover, and the other 'to prevent the mischiefs that were evident and impend'ing." And yet nothing could prevail with him to submit to the times, or deal frankly with those who alone were capable of retrieving his affairs.

The king having neither money nor forces, and the queen's resources from abroad failing, his majesty could not take the field in the spring, which gave the parliament army an easy conquest over his remaining forts and garrisons. All the West was reduced pefore Midsummer, by the victorious army of sir Tho. Fairfax; the city of Exeter surrendered April 9, in which one of the king's daughters, princess Henrietta, was made prisoner, but her governess the countess of Dalkeith found means afterwards to

Rushworth, vol. vi. p. 215, 216.

↑ Vol. iv.

p. 626.

convey her privately into France. Dennington-Castle surrendered April 1, Barnstaple the 12th, and Woodstock the 26th; upon which it was resolved to strike the finishing blow, by besieging the king in his head-quarters at Oxford; upon the news of which, like a man in a fright, he left the city by night April 27, and travelled as a servant to Dr. Hudson and Mr. Ashburham, with his hair cut round to his ears, and a cloke-bag behind him to the Scots army before Newark : His majesty surrendered himself to general Levan, May 5, who received him with respect, but sent an express immediately to the two houses, who were displeased at his majesty's conduct, apprehending it calculated to prolong the war, and occasion a difference between the two nations; which was certainly intended, as appears by the king's letter from Oxford to the duke of Ormond, in which he says, he had good security, that he and all his adherents should be safe in their persons, honors, and consciences in the Scots army, and that they would join with him, aud employ their forces to obtain a happy and wellgrounded peace; whereas the Scots commissioners, in their letter to the house of peers, aver, "They had given no assurance, nor made any capitulation for joining forces with the king, or combining against the two houses, or any other private or public agreement whatsoever, between 'the king on one part, and the kingdom of Scotland, their 'army, or any in their names, and having power from them, 'on the other part ;" and they called the contrary assertion a damnable untruth; and add, "that they never ex'pect a blessing from God any longer than they continue 'faithful to their covenant." So that this must be the ar

Rapin, vol. ii. p. 523. Rushworth, vol. vi. p. 268, 273, 274, 303, 304. § Dr. Grey, to confute these declarations, which Mr. Neal bas brought forward, quotes several affidavits and assertions of Dr. Hudson; the substance of which is, that the Scots agreed to secure the person and honor of the king; to press him to nothing contrary to his conscience: to protect Mr. Ashburnham and himself; and, if the parliament refused to restore the king, upon a message from him, to his rights aud prerogatives, to declare for him, and take all his friends into their protection. But the doctor omits to observe, that Hudson spoke on the authority of the French agent, one Montreville, who negociated the business between the king and the Scots: and who, it appears, promised to the king more than he was empowered; and was recalled and dis

tifice of Montreville, the French ambassador, who undertook to negociate between the two parties, and drew the credulous and distressed king into that snare, out of which he could never escape.

His majesty surrendering his person to the Scots, and sending orders to the governors of Newark, Oxford, and all his other garrisons and forces to surrender and disband, concluded the first civil war; upon which most of the officers, with prince Rupert and Maurice, retired beyond sea; so that by the middle of August all the king's forces and castles were in the parliament's bands; Ragland-castle being the last; which was four years wanting three days, from the setting up the royal standard at Nottingham.

Some time before the king left Oxford he had commissioned the marquis of Ormond to conclude a peace with the Irish papists, in hopes of receiving succours from thence, which gave great offence to the parliament; but though his majesty upon surrendering himself to the Scots wrote to the marquis June 11, not to proceed; he ventured to put the finishing hand to the treaty, July 28, 1646, upon the following scandalous articles,† among others which surely the marquis durst not have consented to, without some private instructions from the king and queen.

1. "That the Roman catholics of that kingdom shall be 'discharged from taking the oath of supremacy.

2. "That all acts of parliament made against them shall 'be repealed; that they be allowed the freedom of their religion, and not be debarred from any of his majesty's graces or favors.

graced. Rapin, vol. ii. p. 523-4. It is more easy to conceive, that Montreville exceeded his commission, as according to Hudson's confession, quoted by Dr. Grey, the Scots would not give any thing under their hands. Ed.

* Lord Digby wished to have it understood, that this letter was surreptitious, or a forged one from his majesty, and most contrary to what he knew to be his free resolution and unconstrained will and pleasure. Dr. Grey. Ed.

† Mr. Neal, as Dr. Grey observes, gives only a very concise abridgment of these articles; which were thirty in number, and, as they stand in Rushworth, take up almost twelve pages in folio. But Mr. Neal's view of some of them, though the doctor calls it curtailing them, is sufficient to shew the tenor and spirit of the whole. Ed.*

3. "That all acts reflecting on the honor of the Roman catholic religion since Aug. 7, 1641, be repealed.

4. That all indictments, attainders, outlawries, &c. against them, or any of them, be vacated and made void. 5. "That all impediments that may hinder their sitting in parliament, or being chosen burgesses, or knights of the shire, be removed.

6. "That all incapacities imposed upon the nation be taken away, and that they have power to erect one or 'more inns of court in or near the city of Dublin; and that all catholics educated there be capable of taking 'their degrees without the oath of supremacy.

7. That the Roman catholics shall be empowered to ' erect one or more universities, and keep free-schools for the education of their youth, any law or statute to the 'contrary notwithstanding.

8. "That places of command, honor, profit, and trust, 'shall be conferred on the Roman catholics, without making any difference between them and protestants, both in the army and in the civil government.

9. "That an act of oblivion shall be passed in the next parliament, to extend to all the Roman catholics, and their heirs, absolving them of all treasons and offences 'whatsoever, and particularly of the massacre of 1641,† 'so that no persons shall be impeached, troubled, or mo'lested, for any thing done on one side or the other.

10. That the Roman catholics shall continue in pos'session of all those cities, forts, garrisons, and towns that they are possessed of, till things are come to a full settle'ment."*

Rushworth, part iv. vol. I. p. 402.

+ But it was provided, that such barbarities, as should be agreed on by the lord lieutenant, and the lord viscount Mountgarret, or any five or more of them, should be tried by such indifferent commissioners as they should appoint. Dr. Grey. Ed.

* Our author having called the preceeding propositions "scandalous articles," Dr. Grey appeals from his sentence to the remonstrance of the protestant archbishops, bishops, and inferior clergy of the kingdom of Ireland to the lord lieutenant, on the 11th and 13th of August, 1646, in which they express a strong and grateful sense of obligation for the peace established among them. But it will still remain a question, whether the sentiments of these prelates and clergy were disinterested and judicious. Ed.

Was this the way to establish a good understanding between the king and his two houses? or could they believe, that his majesty meant the security of the protestant religion, and the extirpation of popery in England, when his general consented to such a peace in Ireland, without any marks of his sovereign's displeasure? nay, when, after a long treaty with the parliament commissioners, he refused to deliver up the forts and garrisons into their hands, insomuch that after six weeks attendance, they were obliged to return to their ships, and carry back the supplies they had brought for the garrisons,* having only published a declaration, that the parliament of England would take all the protestants of Ireland into their protection, and send over an army to carry on the war against the papists with vigor.

The king being now in the hands of the Scots, the English presbyterians at London resumed their courage, concluding they could not fail of a full establishment of their discipline, and of bringing the parliament at Westminster to their terms of uniformity; for this purpose they framed a bold remonstrance in the name of the lord-mayor, aldermen, and common-council, and presented it to the house May 26, complaining," that the reins of discipline were let loose; that particular congregations were allowed to

* Our author incurs here the censure of Dr. Grey for not "affording us any authority in proof of this assertion." The editor confesses, that he cannot supply the omission. Dr. Grey confronts Mr. Neal with large quotations from Lord Clarendon's History of the Rebellion in Ireland, p. 53, 54, 65, 66, 73, 74, 75. But they appear not to the point for which they are produced. The purport of them is: "That the marquis of Ormond resolved not to proceed to any conjunction with the commissioners without his majesty's express directions, for which he privately dispatched several expresses: that, in consequence of this, the commissioners, not obtaining possession of the garrisons, returned with all their supplies to their ships: that the marquis received his majesty's order not to deliver up the garrisons, if it were possible to keep them under the same entire obedience to his majesty: but should there be a necessity, to put them into the hands of the English, rather than of the Irish." The rest of the quotation describes the difficulties and distresses under which the marquis labored, which drove him at last to make a disadvantageous agreement with the commissioners. The reader will judge, whether by these references Mr. Neal's assertions are not, instead of being confuted, established. See also Mrs. Macaulay, vol. iv. p. 250. Note (†). Ed.

Vol. Pamp. No. 31.