crossed into England, marched with their arms reversed, to show that they meant nothing hostile towards the people, intending only to lay their petition at the king's feet. Opposed at Newburn-uponTyne by 4500 men under Conway (August 28), they attacked them with such bravery that the English army fled, and the Scots took possession of Newcastle, without inflicting any annoyance on the inhabitants. The king, who was at York, agreed to a treaty, and sixteen English and eleven Scotch commissioners met at Ripon.

The king again saw himself obliged to summon Parliament, which met on the 3d of November. The third period of Charles's reign commenced with this Parliament. It was the celebrated Long Parliament ;" and it had no sooner met than Pym drew up articles of impeachment for high treason against the Earl of Strafford, the king's minister, whom they regarded as the prime mover in all the attempts made to subvert the ancient laws and constitution. After the impeachment was voted, a similar motion was made and carried against the Archbishop Laud, and both were thrown into the Tower. Subordinate agents in the execution of illegal acts were voted delinquents, members of the House who had profited by the revival of monopolies were expelled, and the sentence against Hampden cancelled. The Parliament, moreover, determined to allow pay to the Scotch as well as English army.

The trial of Strafford took place before the assembled peers in Westminster Hall. The Commons presented and passed a bill of attainder condemning him to death, to which the king, sorely against his inclination, gave his consent, and he was beheaded (12th May 1641). This was a violent and unworthy act. The Courts of Star-Chamber and of High Commission, so odious for their arbitrary proceedings and harsh sentences, were abolished; and, to secure the independence of judges, the king consented to their retaining their seats during good behaviour, instead of being removable at pleasure.

On the 14th August 1641 the king paid a visit to Scotland, and was then engaged in pacifying the people through concessions, when intelligence arrived of a great rebellion having broke out in

CIVIL WAR COMMENCED.

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A.D. 1642.] Ireland. The old chieftains Roger More, Lord Maguire, and Sir Phelim O'Neale, seeing the king's embarrassments at home, thought the time favourable for expelling the English Protestant settlers, odious alike as foreigners and (in their belief) heretics, and their design received encouragement from France. Maguire and More's project of seizing the castle of Dublin was betrayed. More escaped; Maguire was taken. O'Neale had already taken up arms in Ulster, and falling on the English unawares, committed a frightful massacre. More, shocked at such enormities, hastened to O'Neale's camp, but failing in his merciful endeavour, retired to Flanders in sorrow and disgust. While the Irish showed no mercy to the English settlers, they spared the Scotch planters. The old English Roman Catholic settlers also joined the aboriginal Irish against the later Protestant immigrants, and the rebellion spread over the greater part of the country,-the leaders falsely pretending they had warrants from the king and queen.

Charles, returning to London, hoped that the Parliament would at once vote all necessary means for suppressing the Irish rebellion. That event had, however, greatly exasperated their prejudices against Roman Catholics, and excited their suspicions against all supposed to favour that party. They accordingly proceeded at once to draw up a remonstrance, setting forth all the evil acts committed by Government from the beginning of the reign, a remonstrance which was carried, after a warm debate, by a majority of eleven. They attacked the bishops, whose right to sit in the House of Lords they denied. Out-of-doors also frequent encounters took place between the partisans of the Parliament, now called Roundheads, and the king's friends or Cavaliers. In the midst of this excitement the king came down to the House intending to arrest, on accusation of high treason, Lord Kimbolton, and five obnoxious members, Hollis, Sir Arthur Haselrig, Hampden, Pym, and Strode; but they, anticipating his intention, had absented themselves. This rash act completed the alienation of king and Parliament (4th January 1642): The people took part with the five members, and escorted them in triumph to the

House, when a week after they resumed their seats; while the king, apprehensive of danger to his person, retired to Hampton Court, and the queen, threatened with impeachment, prepared to leave the kingdom. Seeing the Parliament resolved upon taking all power, civil and military, into their hands, the king repaired to York, where he issued proclamations against the Parliament's usurpation. He then presented himself at Hull, which contained large military stores, but was refused admission by the governor, Sir John Hotham, whom he in consequence proclaimed a traitor. The Parliament, on the other hand, voted that the king intended to make war, and proceeded to enlist troops. The 22d August the king raised his standard at Nottingham, which was borne from the castle by 600 men on foot, and this act was regarded as a declaration of war.

The royal army mustered 10,000 men. Earl Lindsay was general; Prince Rupert, Charles's nephew, son of the unfortunate Palatine, commanded the horse, Sir Jacob Astley the foot, Sir Arthur Aston the dragoons, Sir John Heydon the artillery, Lord Bernard Stuart the guards, all of whom were gentlemen, whose servants formed a separate troop under Sir William Killigran. With this army the king left Shrewsbury, and advanced towards the capital. Essex, the parliamentary general, marching from Worcester, the two armies were within six miles of each other before either knew of the other's approach. The king having resolved to attack, the first battle (Edge Hill) was fought 23d October 1642. It was not decisive, although bloody. Five thousand lay dead on the field, among whom was Lord Lindsay. All night each army remained under arms, and next morning Essex drew off to Warwick. A few days after, the king took Banbury, and proceeding to Oxford, entered that city, which was at his devotion. Not long after this he took Reading, and the Parliament, alarmed at his approach, made offers to treat, to which the king responding, named Windsor for negotiation; but as no cessation of hostilities took place, Charles attacked Brentford, 13th November, where he made 500 prisoners, afterwards retiring to Oxford, whither the

A.D. 1643.]

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Parliamentary Commissioners repaired. The attempts to arrange a treaty of peace completely failed.

Essex renewing hostilities with the spring, sat down before Reading, which capitulated 11th April (1643). In the north the king's authority was established by Lord Newcastle, after a combat with Lord Fairfax at Tadcaster. Sir William Waller, on the other hand, commanding for the Parliament, successively took Winchester and Chichester; obliged the king's troops, under Herbert, to raise the siege of Gloucester; took Hereford and Tewkesbury, and then joined the army of the Earl of Essex. In Cornwall the king's friends obtained the upper hand. They had overrun Devonshire, and were preparing to reduce Somersetshire, when the Parliament despatched Waller against them, and the two armies met 5th July at Lansdown, near Bath, where a battle was fought with great loss on both sides, but with no decisive result. Waller subsequently was totally defeated near Devizes. It was on the 18th June, that, in a skirmish with Prince Rupert, who was retreating to Oxford, Hampden fell mortally wounded (1643). Even the king shared in the regret felt for this illustrious patriot, whose integrity of character was adorned by affable manners, and whose sound judgment was graced by the admirable eloquence of his language.

The queen arrived (13th July) at Oxford from the north, with a reinforcement of 3000 foot and 1500 horse. In a few days after, Prince Rupert stormed and took Bristol, and the king joined the Prince, when they resolved upon laying siege to Gloucester. The Parliament, strengthening the hands of Essex, enabled that general to force the Royalists to raise the siege. Proceeding afterwards towards London, he was met by the royal army, 20th September, at Newbury, when a battle was obstinately fought, which was put an end to only by the approach of night. Next day Essex marched to London, and the king took possession of Reading.

At Newbury fell Lord Falkland, the accomplished minister of the king, whose constant effort it had been to restore peace. His country's woes so deeply affected his mind, that he is said to have wished for death. In the north, success had attended the Parlia

mentary forces; Sir Thomas Fairfax had, on the 21st May, overcome the Royalists at Wakefield, and Oliver Cromwell had gained a victory at Gainsborough ; but Lord Fairfax was, on the other hand, beaten (30th June) at Atherton Moor. The Royalists were

obliged, the 19th October, to raise the siege of Hull, and, about the same time, Cromwell and young Fairfax gained a victory at Horncastle. To strengthen their hands the Parliament sent Commissioners to Edinburgh, who formed with the Scotch the Solemn League and Covenant for mutual defence, and for the extirpation of "popery, prelacy, superstition, and profaneness."

Engagements in different parts of the kingdom were fought with varying success, until the entry of the Scotch army into England, and its junction with that of the Parliament at Marston Moor. There was fought (2d July 1644) a great battle under Oliver Cromwell, in which victory declared for the Parliamentarians. York immediately fell. The Scotch stormed Newcastle. More fortunate in the south, the king, about the same time, defeated Waller at Banbury, and then facing westward, pursued Essex's army into Cornwall, and forced it to surrender at Leshthiel. To repair these losses, the Parliament ordered up their different armies under Manchester, Cromwell, Waller, and Middleton, and giving fresh troops to Essex, the united forces encountered the king at Newbury, where a second battle was fought 27th October 1644, to the disadvantage of the Royalists, who were only saved from complete overthrow by night coming on. The king repaired to Oxford. Negotiations for peace followed these events, but they led to no result. The Parliament meanwhile had turned its attention to Archbishop Laud, who was brought up on a charge of high treason, comprised in attempts to subvert the fundamental laws, and being declared guilty, was executed 12th July 1644. This was a useless and cruel sacrifice of a powerless old man.

There appeared in Scotland, about this time, an extraordinary hero, in the person of the Marquis of Montrose, who, with an army of 1100 Irish, and about as many Scotch, unprovided with horse, and ill supplied, performed prodigies of valour in the king's