VI. vances toward an accommodation. "I have nothing LITTER " left but my honour," faid he; " and this laft pof"feffion I am firmly refolved to preferve, and rather to A. D. 164. "perish than yield any farther to the pretenfions of "my enemies'." But he was induced, by the earnest folicitation of his friends, to relax in his purpofe; and, in order to gain time, as well as to manifeft a pacific difpofition, to fend ambaffadors to the parliament with offers of treaty, before he began hoftilities. THE Conduct of the parliament juftified Charles's opinion. Both houfes replied, "That they could not "treat with the king until he took down his ftandard, and recalled his proclamations," in which the members supposed themselves to be declared traitors; and when, by a fecond meffage, he offered to recal thofe proclamations, they defired him to difmifs his forces, to refide with his parliament, and to give up delinquents to juftice; or, in other words, to abandon himfelf and his friends to the mercy of his enemies. HOPING that the people were now fully convinced of the infolence of the parliament, and its averfion against peace, the king made vigorous preparations for war. Aware, however, that he was not yet able to oppofe the parliamentary army, which was commanded by the earl of Effex, he left Nottingham, and retired, by flow marches, firft to Derby, and afterward to Shrewfbury. At Wellington, in that neighbourhood, he colleted his forces, and made the following declaration before the whole army: "I do promife, in the pre"fence of Almighty God, and as I hope for his bleff"ing and protection, that I will, to the utmost of my defend and maintain the true reformed Propower, 1. Clarendon, vel. iii. 2. Rushworth, vol. v. A a 2 "" teftant PART II. A. D. 1642. teftant religion, established in the church of Eng"land; and, by the grace of God, in the fame will "live and die. "I DESIRE that the laws may ever be the measure "of my government, and that the liberty and property "of the subject may be preferved by them with the "fame care as my own juft right; and if it pleafe God, "by his blessing on this army, raised for my neceffary "defence, to preserve me from the prefent rebellion, "I do folemnly and faithfully promise, in the fight of "God, to maintain the juft privileges and freedom of "parliament, and to govern, to the utmost of my "power, by the known ftatutes and cuftoms of the "kingdom; and, particularly, to obferve inviolably "the laws to which I have given my confent this par"liament. Meanwhile, if this emergency, and the "great neceflity to which I am driven, beget any vio"lation of law, I hope it will be imputed by God and "man, to the authors of this war; not to me, who "have fo earnestly laboured to preferve the peace of "the kingdom 3." THIS declaration, which was confidered as a facred engagement on the part of the king, was received with the warmest expreffions of approbation and gratitude, by the generous train of nobility and gentry by whom he was attended; and who, in the hope of his submitting to a legal and limited government, had alone been induced to take the field, with a refolution of facrificing their lives and fortunes in his defence. They were in general no lefs animated with the fpirit of liberty than of loyalty, and held in contempt the high monarchical principles. CHARLES was received at Shrewsbury with marks of duty and affection; and his army increased fo faft, 3. Clarendon, vol. iii. VI. while it lay there, that he foon found himfelf at the head of ten thousand men. With these he resolved to give battle to the army of the parliament, as he heard A. D.164. it was daily augmented with recruits from London. He accordingly directed his march toward the capital, in order to bring on an engagement. Effex was prepared to oppose him. The two armies met on Edge- oa. 23. bill, near Keinton, in Warwickshire, where a defperate battle was fought. The earl of Lindsay was general of the royal army; prince Rupert, fon of the unfortunate elector Palatine, commanded the horse; Sir Jacob Aftley the foot; Sir Arthur Afton the dragoons; Sir John Heydon the artillery; and lord Bernard Stuart was at the head of a troop of guards, whofe eftates, according to the computation of lord Clarendon, were equal in value to thofe of all the members who, at the commencement of hoftilities, voted against the king in both houfes of parliament. Effex drew up his army with judgment; but in confequence of the defertion of a troop of horfe, under Sir Faithful Fortef cue, and the furious fhock made upon them by prince Rupert, his whole left wing of cavalry immediately gave way, and was purfued two miles. Nor did better fortune attend the right wing of the parliamentary army, which was alfo broken and put to flight. THE victory muft now have been decifive in favour of the royalifts, had not the king's body of reserve, commanded by Sir John Biron heedlessly joined in the purfuit. The advantage, afforded by this imprudence, being perceived by Sir William Balfour, who com manded Effex's referve, he immediately wheeled about upon the king's infantry, now quite deftitute of horse, and made great havock among them. Lord Lindfay, the general was mortally wounded, and taken prifoner; and his fon, in endeavouring to rescue him, fell likewife A a 3 into A. D. 1642. PART II. into the enemy's hands. Sir Edward Verney, who carried the king's standard, was killed; the standard was taken, and the king himself was in danger. The ftand ard was afterward recovered by the valour of captain John Smith, but the fituation of affairs was not changed. Every thing on the return of prince Rupert wore the appearance of a defeat rather than of a complete victory, which he thought had been gained. His troops were too much fatigued to renew the charge, and the enemy did not provoke him to it, though both parties faced each other for fome time. All night they lay on their arms, and next morning drew off, by a kind of mutual confent, neither fide having spirit for a fresh action. Effex retired to Warwick caftle, and the king returned to his former quarters, near Bambury. Five thousand men were found dead on the field, and the lofs of the two armies, from comparing oppofite accounts, appears to have been nearly equal. The troops of both parties fuffered much by cold during the night after the engagement. THOUGH this first battle was fo little decifive, that the parliament claimed the victory as well as the king, it was of great fervice to the royal caufe. Charles immediately made himself mafter of Bambury; and, as foon as his army was recruited and refreshed, he advanced to Reading: the governor and garrison of which place, on the approach of a detachment of Royalifts, had fled with precipitation to London. The capital was ftruck with terror, and the parliament voted an address for a treaty ; but as no ceffation for hoftilities had been agreed on, the king continued to advance, and took poffeffion of Brentford. By this time Effex had reached London, and the declining feafon put a top to farther operations 5. May, book iii. Clarendon, vol, iii. 5. Whitlocke, p. 6c. VI. DURING the winter, the king and parliament were LETTER employed in real preparations for war, but in feeming advances towards peace. Oxford, where the king re- A.D. 1643. fided, was chosen as the place of treaty. Thither the parliament fent their requifitions by the earl of Northumberland, and four members of the lower houfe, who acted as commiffioners. They abated fomewhat of thofe extravagant demands they had formerly made; but their claims were ftill too high to admit of an amicable accommodation, unless the king had been willing to renounce the most effential branches of his prerogative. Befide other humiliating articles they required him, in exprefs terms, utterly to abolish epifcopacy; a demand which before they had only infinuated. They infifted, that he fhould fubmit to the punishment of his most faithful fervants: and they defired him to acquiefce in their fettlement of the militia, and to confer on their adherents the entire power of the fword". The negociation, as may be naturally fuppofed, ferved only for a time to amufe both parties. MEANWHIE each county, each town, and almoft each family, was divided within itself, and the most violent convulfions fhook the whole kingdom. Continual efforts were every where made, by both parties, to furmount each other, even after the feafon of action was over. The earl of Newcastle, who commanded for the king in Yorkshire, gained several advantages over the parliamentary forces, and established the royal authority in all the northern counties. Actions ftill more memorable were performed in the fouth and weft. Sir William Waller, who began now to diftinguifh himfelf among the generals of the parliament, defeated lord Herbert near Gloucester, and took the city of Hereford. On the other fide, Sir Ralph Hopton made 6. Clarendon, vol. iii. Rushworth, vol. vi. |