No More Learning

Peard said
confidently, " that he was troubled with no other
*' stone than the stone in his heart, and therefore he
" would have him sent for wherever he was ; for he



PART
u.

1642.



appear to the king that he was
not so entirely possessed of the
hearts and affections of that
great county, as by the conflux
of the chief gentry to him he
was willing to believe : for at
a general appearance of that
country in a great field or moor
near York, his majesty riding
thither to receive the acclama-
tions of the people, who, he
was told, were ready to receive
any commands from him, sir
Thomas Fairfax, the son of the
lord Fairfax, and the same man
who was afterwards general for
the parliament, with some few
other gentlemen of less ac-
count, in the head of a great
number of substantial country
people, presented the king with
a petition that he would return
to his parliament, and not vio-
late their privileges by giving
protection to delinquents ; tak-
ing notice that he had, many



papists who attended about
him, and had listed themselves
in his troops of guards, and
some particulars of the like na-
ture ; which petition, delivered
confidently, in such a manner
and at such a time, much sur-
prised the king ; and though
most of the persons of condi-
tion expressed a public dislike
and disapprobation of the peti-
tion, and the number of the
common people, who knew no-
thing of it, was much superior
to the other, which appeared
many ways, and in particular
by the affronts which were
given to many of those who ap-
peared with the petition ; yet
it made a great noise, and gave
the parliament new courage,
and persuaded them that they
had many friends in that place,
where it was believed that the
king had most. As soon as it
was, &c. cr. v in p. HO. /. 1.



142 THE LIFE OF

PART " was most confident that he was doing them mis-

ii
___' " chief wherever he was. " But he prevailed not,

1 642 - till their committee from York sent them word that
he was come thither, and almost always with the
king. It is said before, that he stayed at Nostall, at
the house of sir John Worstenholme, from whence
he sent every day to the king, and received his ma-
jesty's commands ; and he intended to have stayed
longer there, where he could better intend and des-
patch any business he was to do ; and he was will-
ing for some time not to be seen at York, which he
knew would quickly be taken notice of at West-
minster.

When he came first thither, he found that the
king was not satisfied with the lord keeper, which
gave him much trouble ; his majesty having sent
him word, that he did not like his humours, nor
know what to make of him. Mr. Elliot, who had
brought the seal to the king, to magnify his own
service, and not imagining that the keeper intended
to follow him, had told many stories ; as if the
keeper had refused to deliver the seal, and that he
got it by force, by having locked the door upon
him, and threatened to kill him, if he would not
give it to him, which, upon such his manhood, he
did for pure fear consent unto. And this tale got
so much credit with the king, that he hardly dis-
believed it when he came himself; though it was
in the nature of it very improbable, that a single
man, by another" 1 man as strong as himself, (who
was attended by many servants in the next room,)
should be suffered to shut the door upon him, and

01 by another] from another



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 143

to extort that from him n which he had no mind to PART
part with ; and afterwards to go out of his house, _
when there were persons enough in every room to
have laid hands upon him, and to have taken that
again by force, which he had ravished away. Be-
sides that, his majesty knew he expected to be sent
for at that time ; and that if he had repented the
promise he had made, and resolved not to perform it,
he could have found several ways to have evaded it ;
and refused to have admitted Mr. Elliot to speak
with him : but the prejudice his majesty had before
contraeted against him, and the great confidence
Elliot had in the relation, which was natural in
him, had shut out all those reflections. Yet when
his majesty saw him, he received him graciously ;
and caused him to be lodged in the court, in a room
very near his majesty ; which many believed to be
rather out of jealousy and care that he should not
again return, than out of respect to him; his ma-
jesty keeping still the seal himself, and not restoring
it to his custody ; which could not but make some
impression on him, and more on others, who from
thence concluded that he would have no more to do
with the seal ; and carried themselves towards him
accordingly.

The lords who were come from the house of
peers, and had been* offended at his behaviour there,
gave him little respect now ; but rather gave credit
to Mr. Elliot's relation ; and were forward to make
relation of his carriage in the house to his disadvan-

n should be suffered to shut him, and suffer that to be ex-

the door upon him, and to ex- torted from him
tort that from him] should suf- and afterwards to go out]

fer the door to be shut upon and suffer him to go out



144 THE LIFE OF

FART tage, to the king himself; so that it was no wonder
' that the poor gentleman grew very melancholic.
1(542. And when he was sent for to attend the king, (who
was himself present when the great seal was to be
used, nor did ever suffer it to be used but in the
presence of the keeper, who signed all things, as he
ought to do by his office,) when any proclamation of
treason, as that against the earl of Essex, or against
the proceedings of the- houses, as in the business of
the militia, or the like, was brought to be sealed, he
used all delays ; and made many exceptions, and
found faults in matters of form, and otherwise,
sometimes very reasonably ; yet in such a manner
as made it evident he retained many fears about
him, as if he was not without apprehension that he
might fall again into their hands ; which was the
cause that the king had said, that he knew not what
to make of him.
Mr. Hyde Mr. Hyde, as soon as he heard this, wrote a letter

writes from i* i i . . i r> it i

Nostaii to to the king, and put him in mind of all that had
formerly passed in that affair; how absolutely the
keeper had destroyed himself in the account of
the parliament, by paying that obedience which he
ought to do to his majesty's commands ; and that if
he should be deprived of his majesty's favour, he
must be of all men the most miserable ; and that
himself should be most unfortunate, in having con-
tributed so much to his ruin ; which would call his
majesty's good nature, and even his justice into
question ; and therefore besought him to be gracious
to him, and to keep up his spirits with his counte-
nance. However, he made it his own humble suit
to his majesty, that he would not take any severe
resolution against him, before he gave him leave to



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 145

kiss his hand, and to offer him some further con- PART
siderations. Upon the receipt of this letter, the



king sent him word, that he would gratify him in 1642 '
the last part of his letter, and conclude nothing
before he spake with him : in the mean time he
wished him to send the keeper some good counsel ;
and that as soon as he should have despatched some
business he had then upon his hands, that he would
come to York, where he would find much to do;
and that he thought now there would be less reason
every day for his being concealed. And within four
or five days after, his majesty sent Mr. Ashburn-
ham to him, to let him know, that he had every ,
day so much to do with the keeper, and found him
so refractory and obstinate, that he should not be
able to keep the promise he had made to him, if he
did not make haste to York ; and therefore bade And goes
him to be with him with all convenience: where- to
upon, within two days after, for he had somewhat
to despatch that required haste, and sooner than he
intended, he waited upon his majesty at York.

When he came to the court P, being about four of
the clock in the afternoon, the king was at council,
upon the publishing his answer to the declaration
of the twenty-sixth of May ; which, though it con-
tained eight or nine sheets of paper, he brought to
the board in his own hand writing ; having kept the
promise he had made at Greenwich to that hour, in
writing out all the papers himself, which had been
sent to him ; which had been a wonderful task he

' When he came to the the petition, mentioned before,

court] It was about a day or that Mr. Hyde eame to York,

two after the appearance of the and when he came to the

people of the country, when sir court, &c.
Thomas Fairfax had delivered

VOL. I. L



146 THE LIFE OF

PART had imposed on himself: so that he always spent
more than half the day shut up by himself in his



1 642. chamber, writi-ng ; which was most of the news the
houses heard of him at London ; and which per-
plexed them very much.
His recep. jy[ r< Hyde was in the gallery when the king came

tion there ; ' J

from council ; and as soon as he saw him, he bade
him welcome to York very graciously ; and asked
some questions aloud of him, as if he thought he
had then come from London ; and then called him
into the garden, where -he walked with him above
and conver- an hour. He said at the beginning, " that they

sation with - , </

the king. " needed not now be afraid of being seen together ;
then used all the expressions of kindness to him
that can be imagined, of the service he had done
him, and" of the great benefit he had received from
it, even to the turning the hearts of the whole na-
tion towards him again, and of his gracious resolu-
tions of rewarding him with the first opportunity ;
and many expressions of that kind, which the other
received with the modesty and reverence that became
him. Then his majesty spake of his business, and
the temper of that country ; and quickly entered
upon finding fault with the keeper, and protested, if
it were not for his sake, he would turn him out of
his place that very hour ; and enlarged upon many
particulars of his obstinacy, and of his want of cou-
rage, to such a degree, as if he did really appre-
hend that the gentleman usher of the black rod
would come and take him out of his chamber.

Mr. Hyde told him, that he would discourage
many good men, who desired to serve him very
faithfully, if he were too severe for such faults, as
the infirmities of their nature and defects in their



EDWARD EARJ, OF CLARENDON. 147

education exposed them to : that if the keeper, from PART
those impressions, had committed some faults which



might provoke his majesty's displeasure, he had re- 1642>

deemed those errors by a signal service, which might

well wipe out the memory of the other. The king

said with some warmth, " that he was so far from

" another opinion, that he would hate himself, if he

" did not believe that he had made a full expiation ;

" and though he did think that he had been wrought

" upon by him to perform that part, yet he thought

" the merit of it far above any of his transgres-

" sions ; and that he was disposed, from the first

" minute of his coming to York, to have renewed

" his old kindness to him, and confidence in him ;

" and would willingly have given the seal again

" into his hands, if he had found he had desired it ;

" but that he found no serenity in his countenance,

" nor any inclination to do what necessity required :

" and whereas the parliament took advantage, that

" none of his majesty's acts, which he had caused to

" be published, were authentic, nor ought to be

" looked upon as his, because the great seal had not

" been affixed to them, which could not be done

" whilst the great seal was at Westminster ; now

" he had the seal by him, and sent proclamations to

" be sealed, the keeper was still as unwilling that

" they should pass, as if he was still under their

" power ; which made him angry, and nothing that

" he had done before. "

Mr. Hyde replied, that " the poor gentleman
" could not but think himself disobliged to the
" highest extremity, in the presumption of Mr. El-
" Hot ; and that his extravagant and insolent dis-
" courses should find credit, without his majesty's



148 THE LIFE OF

PART " reprehension and vindication, who kne\v the false-
_J_L_ " hood of them. " And so put his majesty in mind



1642. O f a n t h at k^ p ass ed; and of the other circum-
stances, which made all the other's brags impossible
to be true. For his fears and apprehensions, he be-
sought his majesty to remember, that " he had
" newly escaped out of that region where the thun-
" der and lightning is made ; and that he could
" hardly yet recover the fright he had been often in,
" and seen so many others in ; and that his majesty
" need not distrust him ; he had passed the Rubi-



he . C on, and had no hope but in his majesty. " His

reconciles



o the lord majesty concluded, that he should be sure to receive
all necessary countenance and protection from him ;
of which he bade him to assure him, and presently
to visit him ; which going to do, he met him in the
garden, and they there walked together.

He found him full of apprehension that he should
be put out of his place, and of the ruin and con-
tempt that he should be then exposed to, which he
had brought upon himself; but when the other an-
swered him, that there was no danger of that, and told
him all that had passed between the king and him ;
and that if he would, he might have the seal in his
own custody again within an hour, he was exceed-
ingly revived, and desired him to entreat the king
to keep the great seal still himself; that he would
by no means be answerable for the safety of it, nor
would trust any servant of his own to look to it ;
which, as it was wisely considered and resolved by
him, so it increased the king's confidence in him ;
who would have been troubled if the other had ac-
cepted the grace that was offered. And from that
time, when any thing was to be done that admi-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 149

nistered any argument for doubt, Mr. Hyde always PART

prepared him by discourse ; so that there was never , !

after any unkindness from the king towards him: 1642>
but the vigour of his mind grew every day less, un-
der a great melancholy that oppressed him, from
the consideration of the time, and of his own ill
condition in his fortune ; which was much worse than
any body imagined it could be.

Before he went out of the garden, the lord How-
ard, sir Hugh Cholmely, and sir Philip Stapleton,
(who were the committee from the parliament,) had
intelligence that he was walking in the garden with
the king ; whereupon they came presently thither,
and after they had saluted him with much civility,
the,y shewed him an instruction they had from the
parliament; by which they were required, if any
member of either house came to York, they should
let them know, that it was the pleasure of the house He is sum-
that they should immediately attend the house, an
signify to them what answer they made ; and so
they desired he would excuse them for doing their
duty. He told them, he was but just then come
thither, in obedience to his majesty's commands, and
knew not yet what service he was to do ; but that
as soon as his majesty would give him leave, he
would return to the parliament.

There happened an accident, at Mr. Hyde's first
coming to York, which he used often to speak of,
and to be very merry at. One of the king's servants
had provided a lodging for him, so that, when he
alighted at the court, he sent his servants thither,
and stayed himself at the court till after supper,
and till the king went into his chamber ; and then
he had a guide, who went with him, and conducted

i- 3



150 THE LIFE OF

PART him to his chamber; which he liked very well,
and began to undress himself. One of his servants



' wished that he had any other lodging, and desired
him not to lie there : he asked why, it seemed to
him a, good chamber : his servant answered, that
the chamber was good, but the people of the house
the worst he ever saw, and such as he was confident
would do him some mischief : at which wondering,
his servant told him, that the persons of the house
seemed to be of some condition by their habit that
was very good ; and that the servants, when they
came thither, found the master and mistress in the
lower room, who received them civilly, and shewed
them the chamber where their master was to lodge,
and wished them to call for any thing they wanted,
and so left them : that shortly after, one of them
went down, and the mistress of the house being
again in the lower room, where it seems she usually
sat, she asked him what his master's name was,
which he told her : what, said she, that Hyde that is
of the house of commons? and he answering yes,
she gave a great shriek, and cried out, that he
should not lodge in her house ; cursing him with
many bitter execrations. Upon the noise, her hus-
band came in ; and when she told him who it was
that was to lodge in the chamber above, he swore a
great oath that he -should not ; and that he would
rather set his house on fire, than entertain him in it.
The servant stood amazed, knowing that his master
had never been in or near that city, and desired
to know what offence he had committed against
them ; he told them, he was confident his master
did not know them, nor could be known to them.
The man answered, after two or three curses, that



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 151

he knew him well enough, and that he had undone PART

ii
him, and his wife, and his children; and so, after 1_



repeating some new hitter curses, he concluded, that 1642 '
he would set his house on fire, as soon as the other
should set his foot in it ; and so he and his wife
went away in a great rage into an inner room, and
clapped the door to them.

When his servant had made this relation to him,
he was no less surprised ; knew not what to make
of it; asked whether the people were drunk; was
assured that they were very sober, and a'ppeared
before this passion to be well bred. He sent to de-
sire the master of the house to come to him, that
they might confer together ; and that he would im-
mediately depart his house, if he desired it. He
received no answer, but that he and his wife were
gone to bed : upon which he said no more, but that,
if they were gone to bed, he would go to bed too ;
and did accordingly. Though he was not disturbed
in the night, the morning was not at all calmer;
the master and the mistress stormed as much as
ever, and would not be persuaded to speak with
him ; but he then understood the reason : the man
of the house had been an attorney in the court of
the president and council of the north, in great re-
putation and practice there ; and thereby got a very
good livelihood ; with which he had lived in splen-
dour ; and Mr. Hyde had sat in the chair of that
committee, and had carried up the votes of the com-
mons against that court, to the house of peers ;
upon which it was dissolved : which he confessed
was a better reason for being angry with him than
many others had, who were as angry, and perse-
cuted him more. * However, he thought himself

L 4



152 THE LIFE OF

PART obliged to remove the eyesore from them, and to

! quit the lodging that had been assigned to him;

1 642. an( j h e was mu ch better accommodated by the kind-
ness of a good prebendary of the church, Dr. Hod-
He resides shon, who" sent to invite him to lodge in his house,
with Dr. as soon as he heard he was come to town ; where
he resided as long as the court stayed there.

There was now a great conflux of the members
of both houses of parliament to York ; insomuch as
there remained not in the house of commons above
a fifth part of the whole number ; and of the house
of peers so few, that there continued not at West-
minster twenty lords. Yet they proceeded with the
same spirit and presumption, as when their numbers
were full ; published new declarations against the
king ; raised soldiers for their army apace ; and exe-
cuted their ordinance for the militia in all the coun-
ties of England, the northern parts only excepted ;
forbade all persons to resort to the king ; and inter-
cepted many in their journey towards York, and
committed them to prison : notwithstanding which,
many persons of quality every day flocked thither ;
and it was no longer safe for those members to stay
in the houses of parliament, who resolved not to
concur with them in their unwarrantable designs ;
and therefore the lord Falkland and sir John Cole-
pepper shortly after repaired likewise to York. 1

v likewise to York. ] Thus given to those summons, they

continued in the MS. : The expelled those members of the

bouses quickly found the re- house of commons who were

proacb of their small numbers with the king, and gave order

was some discredit to their that new writs should issue out

transactions, and therefore re- for the electing new members

newed their summons to their in their places ; but the king

absent members to return ; and, prevented that by giving order

when they saw no obedience to the lord keeper not to seal



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 153

When the king declared that he would go to Be- PART
verley, a place within four miles of Hull, the noise



of the king's journey thither r made a great impres- } 642-
sion upon the parliament ; where, how great a con-
currence soever there was, in those unwarrantable
actions which begot the war, yet a small number of
those who voted both the raising the army and mak-
ing the general, did in truth intend, or believe, that
there would be a war : and therefore, when they
looked upon it as begun in this march of the king's
to Hull, (for they considered their own actions as
done only to prevent a war, by making the king
unable to make it, who as they thought only desired
it,) they moved presently for some overtures of an
accommodation : which that angry party that re-
solved against it, never durst absolutely reject ; but
consenting cheerfully to it, got thereby authority to

any writs which should be pre- service of the parliament ; and
pared and sent to him for any the house of peers thereupon,
new elections. Upon some in- with all formality, and in their
formation against the lord Sa- robes, passed a sentence and
vile, for some expressions he judgment upon those nine, (the
had used against the parlia- number of the judges not much
ment, when the petition that exceeding that number,) that
is mentioned before was pre- they should be fined, and dis-
sented by sir Thomas Fairfax, abled to sit in parliament dur-
that lord and eight more were ing the time that parliament
summoned by an order from should continue ; which was
the house of peers, and v re- looked upon as an act without
quired to attend that house, any foundation of law or pre-
Upon which they making a cedent, and was slighted ac-
joint answer, that they had re- cordingly by those who were
ceived an express order to at- most immediately concerned in
tend upon his majesty's person, it.

the house of commons, taking r When the king declared

notice of this answer, in a new that he would go to Beverley,

and unheard-of way carried up a place within four miles of

a charge and impeachment to Hull, the noise of the king's

the house of peers against those journey thither] The noise of

nine lords for not attending the the king's journey to Beverley



154 THE LIFE OF

PART insert such things in the address, as must inevitably
render it ineffectual. So at this time they sent the



1 642. ear j o f Holland, a person whom they knew s to be
most unacceptable to the king, with two members
of the house of commons, who came to Beverley the
day the king arrived there. The subject of their
message was, after several specious expressions and
professions of their duty, to dissuade his majesty
from making war against his parliament, by pro-
ceeding in his enterprise against Hull, which the
parliament was obliged to defend. And all the ex-
pedient they proposed for the avoiding this war was,
that he would consent to the nineteen propositions,
which they had formerly made to him at York, and
to which he had long since returned his answer;
and both the one and the other were printed.

These nineteen propositions, which contained the
disinherison of the crown of all its choice regalities,
and left only the shadow and empty name of the
king, had been framed by the houses after Mr. Hyde
left London. And because he had so much work
then upon his hands, as they believed he would not
be able to despatch soon enough, the lord Falkland
and sir John Colepepper undertook to prepare an
answer to them themselves ; and so^divided the pro-
positions between them ; and in a short time so
finished their answer, that they sent it to the king,
and desired that Mr. Hyde might peruse it, and
then cause it to be published and printed. The an-
swer was full to all particulars, and writ with very
much wit and sharpness ; but there were some ex-
pressions in it, which he liked not, as prejudicial to

9 they knew] at that time they knew



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 155

the king, and in truth a mistake in point of right, PART
in that part which had been prepared by sir John - !
Colepepper ; who had taken it up upon credit, and, ! 642 -
without weighing the consequence, did really be-
lieve that it had been true ; which was, that in the
discourse of the constitution of the kingdom, he had
declared, that the king, and the house of peers, and
the house of commons made the three estates: and
for this reason Mr. Hyde did not advance the print-
ing it ; and told the king, that all the particulars in Mr. Hyde
those propositions had been enough answered in for- king not to



mer answers to other declarations, (which was

and therefore that this needed not be published : the P arlia ~

ruent s

with which his majesty was satisfied, without know- nineteen

. . . proposi-

ing the particular true reason ; which he thought tions.
not fit to communicate, for both the persons' sakes,
of whose affection for the church (which was prin-
cipally concerned in that mistake, since in truth
the bishops make the third estate, the king being
the head and sovereign of the whole) his majesty
was always jealous.

But they no sooner came to York, than they ap-
peared much unsatisfied, that that answer was not
printed ; and the lord Falkland finding it remained
still in Mr. Hyde's hands, he expostulated warmly
with him of the reasons ; and in some passion said,
" he therefore disliked it, because he had not writ Lord Faik-
" it himself. " Upon which, without saying more, postuiation
than that " he never expected so unkind a reproach Jhereon"
" from him," he delivered the written copy to him,
and he immediately procured the king's consent, and
sent it to the press that night, with order to lose no
time in the impression. Of which the king was
afterwards very sensible; and that excellent lord,



156 THE LIFE OF

PART who intended not the least unkindness, (nor did it
ii.

produce the least interruption in their friendship,)



was likewise much troubled when he knew the rea-
son ; and imputed it to his own inadvertency, and
to the infusion of some lawyers, who had misled sir
John Colepepper; and to the declarations which
many of the prelatical clergy frequently and igno-
rantly made, that the bishops did not sit in parlia-
ment as the representatives of the clergy, and so
could not be the third estate.

It happened that the day the earl of Holland
came to Beverley, Mr. Hyde had been riding abroad ;
and returning to Beverley, happened to be in the
same road, when the earl of Holland arid his com-
pany prosecuted their journey to the king: when
meeting together, there passed the usual salutations
which are between persons well known, to each
Mr. Hyde's other. " He hoped," the earl said, " that he should
tion wi $ th " be welcome to all honest men at the court, be-
Hoiiid. of " cause ne came to invite the king to return to his
" parliament, and to abolish all jealousies between
" them. " The other answered, " he would be very
" welcome indeed, if he brought proper expedients
" to produce either of those effects ; but then his
" errand must be of another composition than what
" the king understood it to be. " Upon which they
entered upon a warmer discourse than it may be
either of them intended ; and as the earl spake in
another style than he had used to do, of the power
and authority of the parliament, and how much
they were superior to any opposition or contradic-
tion ; so the other in the debate was less reserved,
and kept a less guard upon himself than he used to
do ; so that they seemed nothing pleased with each



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 157
other: nor did Mr. Hyde visit him after his coming PART



to Beverley, because he was informed that the earl
had, to many persons who resorted to him, repeated
with some liberty and sharpness, what had passed
between them ; and not without some menaces what
the parliament would do. And as soon as he did Ha is ex -

eiupted

return, there was a new vote passed by name against from par-
him, and two or three more, by which he was ex- V o" e of *i.
empted from pardon, in any accommodation that llouscs '
should be made between the king and parliament.

Mr. Hyde had been absent four or five days from
the court, and came into the presence when the
. king was washing his hands before dinner ; and as
soon as the king saw him, he asked him aloud,
" Ned Hyde, when did you play with my band-
" strings last ? " upon which he was exceedingly out
of countenance, not imagining the cause of the ques-
tion, and the room being full of gentlemen, who ap-
peared to be merry with what the king had asked.
But his majesty observing him to be in disorder,
and to blush very much, said pleasantly, " Be not
" troubled at it, for I have worn no band-strings
" these twenty years :" and then asked him whether
he had not seen the diurnal ; of which he had not
heard till then ; but shortly after, some of the
standers-by shewed him a diurnal, in which there
was a letter of intelligence printed, where it was
said, that Ned Hyde was grown so familiar with
the king, that he used to play with his band-strings.
Which was a method of calumniating they began
then, and shortly after prosecuted and exercised
upon much greater persons.

In the afternoon the earl of Holland came to de-
liver his message with great formality ; whom the



158 THE LIFE OF

PART king received with much coldness and manifestation
of neglect : and when the earl approached, and



1642< kneeled to kiss his hand, he turned, or withdrew
his hand in such a manner, that the earl kissed his
own. When the message was read, the king said
little more, than that they should not stay long for
an answer ; and so went to his chamber. The earl
was not without many friends there ; and some of
them moved the king, that he would give him leave
to say somewhat to him in private, which they be-
lieved would be very much for his service ; but his
majesty would by no means yield to it. By this
time his majesty had notice of the governor's irreso-
lution at Hull ; and so was glad of this opportunity
to have a fair excuse for making no attempt upon
that place : and sent the next day for the earl of
Holland to receive his answer; which being read
aloud in the king's presence, and a full room, by the
clerk of the council, was very grateful to the au-
ditors, who feared some condescension in the king,
though very mortifying to the earl. For besides
that it was thought very sharp towards the houses,
it declared his brother, the earl of Warwick, a trai-
tor, for possessing himself of the king's fleet against
his consent ; and concluded, that he would forbear
any attempt upon Hull for fourteen days ; in which
time, if the parliament would enter into a treaty for
a happy peace, they should find him very well in-
clined to it ; after the expiration of that time, he
should pursue those ways which he thought fit. In
the mean time, he made a short progress into the
adjacent counties of Nottingham and Leicester, to
see what countenance they wore, and to encourage
those who appeared to have good affections to his



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 159

service: and then returning to Beverley within the PART
limited time, and hearing no more from the parlia-.



ment, or any thing from Hull that he expected, he 1642 -
returned again to York. l

Mr. Hyde was wont often to relate a passage in
that melancholic time, when the standard was set
up at Nottingham, with which he was much af-
fected. Sir Edmund Varney, knight-marshal, who
was mentioned before as standard-bearer, with whom
he had great familiarity, who was a man of great
courage, and generally beloved, came one day to
him, and told him, " he was very glad to see him, His conver-
" in so universal a damp, under which the spirits of sf r Edmund
" most men were oppressed, retain still his natural Varney *
" vivacity and cheerfulness ; that he knew that the
" condition of the king, and the power of the par-
" liament, was not better known to 'any man than
" to him ; and therefore he hoped that he was able
" to administer some comfort to his friends, that
" might raise their spirits, as well as it supported
" his own. " He answered, " that he was, in truth,
" beholden to his constitution, which did not incline
" him to despair ; otherwise, that he had no plea-
" sant prospect before him, but thought as ill of
" affairs as most men did ; that the other was as
" far from being melancholic as he, and was known
" to be a man of great courage, (as indeed he was
" of a very cheerful and a generous nature, and con-
" fessedly valiant,) and that they could not do the
" king better service, than by making it . their busi-
" ness to raise the dejected minds of men, and root
" out those apprehensions which disturbed them, of

1 to York. ] to York, as hath been said before.



160 THE LIFE OF

PART " fear and despair, which could do no good, and did

! " really much mischief. "

He replied smiling, " I will willingly join with
" you the best I can, but I shall act it very scurvily.
" My condition," said he, " is much worse than yours,
" and different, I believe, from any other man's ; and
" will very well justify the melancholic that, I con-
" fess to you, possesses me. You have satisfaction
" in your conscience that you are in the right ; that
" the king ought not to grant what is required of
" him ; and so you do your duty and your business
" together : but for my part, I do not like the quar-
" rel, and do heartily wish that the king would
" yield and consent to what they desire ; so that
" my conscience is only concerned in honour and in
" gratitude to follow my master. I have eaten his
" bread, and served him near thirty years, and will
" not do so base a thing as to forsake him ; and
" choose rather to lose my life (which I am sure I
" shall do) to preserve and defend those things which
" are against my conscience to preserve and defend :
" for I will deal freely with you, I have no re-
" verence for the bishops, for whom this quarrel
" subsists. "" It was not a time to dispute ; and his
affection to the church had never been suspected.
He was as good as his word ; and was killed, in the
battle of Edge-hill, within two months after this
discourse. And if those who had the same and
greater obligations, had observed the same rules of
gratitude . and generosity, whatever their other af-
fections had been, that battle had never been fought,
nor any of that mischief been brought to pass that
succeeded it.

11 subsists. ] Omitted in MS.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 161

After the king came to Oxford with his army, FART
his majesty one day speaking with the lord Falk- '



land very graciously concerning Mr. Hyde, said he
had such a peculiar style, that he could know any The ki
thing written by him, if it were brought to him by toJSI
a stranger, amongst a multitude of writings by other ^"nin
men. The lord Falkland answered, he doubted his Hyde's

style.

majesty could hardly do that, because he himself,
who had so long conversation and friendship with
him, was often deceived; and often met with things
written by him, of which he could never have sus-
pected him, upon the variety of arguments. To
which the king replied, he would lay him an angel,
that, let the argument be what it would, he should
never bring him a sheet of paper (for he would not
undertake to judge of less) of his writing, but he
would discover it to be his. The lord Falkland told
him it should be a wager ; but neither the one nor
the other ever mentioned it to Mr. Hyde. Some
days after, the lord Falkland brought several packets,
which he had then received from London, to the
king, before he had opened them, as he used to do :
and after he had read his several letters of intelli-
gence, he took out the prints of diurnals, and
speeches, and the like, which were every day
printed at London, and as constantly sent to Ox-
ford : and amongst the rest there were two speeches,
the one made by the lord Pembroke for an accom-
modation, and the other by the lord Brooke against
it; and for the carrying on the war with more
vigour, and utterly to root out the cavaliers, which
were the king's party.

The king was very much pleased with reading
the speeches, and said, he did not think that Pem-

VOL. i. M



162 THE LIFE OF

PART broke could speak so long together ; though every
_ '. word he said was so much his own, that nobody else
542< could make it. And so after he had pleased him-
self with reading the speeches over again, and then
passed to other papers, the lord Falkland whispered
in his ear, (for there were other persons by,) desir-
ing him he would pay him the angel; which his
majesty in the instant apprehending, blushed, and
put his hand in his pocket, and gave him an angel,
saying, he had never paid a wager more willingly ;
and was very merry upon it, and would often call
upon Mr. Hyde for a speech, or a letter, which he
very often prepared upon several occasions ; and
the king always commanded them to be printed.
He laments And he was often wont to say, many years after,

the loss of , * .

many of his that he would be very glad he could make a collec-
writhigs! tion of all those papers, which he had written occa-
sionally at that time; which he could never do,
though he got many of them.
A dispute* There was at that time a pleasant story upon

caused by

one of them, those speeches. The lord Brooke had met with
them in print, and heard that he was much re-
proached for so unchristian a speech against peace,
though the language was such as he used in all op-
portunities : whereupon one morning in the house
of peers, and before the house sat, he came to the
earl of Portland, (who yet remained there with the
king's approbation, and knew well enough from
whence the speeches came, having himself caused
them to be printed,) and shewing them to him, de-
sired he would move the house, that that speech
might, by their order, be burned by the hand of the
hangman ; by which means the kingdom would be
informed, that it had never been spoken by him.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 163

The earl said, he would willingly do him the ser- PART

vice ; but he observed, that the speeches were '

printed in that manner, that where the earl of Pern- 1642 '
broke's speech ended on the one side of the leaf, his
(the lord Brooke's) speech began on the other side,
so that one could not be burned, without burning
the other too ; which he knew not how the earl of
Pembroke would like ; and therefore he durst not
move it without his consent. Whereupon they both
went to the earl, who was then likewise in the
house ; and Portland told him what the lord Brooke
; desired, and asked him whether he wished it should
be done. He, who heard he was very well spoken
of, for having spoke so honestly for peace, said, he
did not desire it. Upon which Brooke, in great
anger, asked, if he had ever made that speech ; he
was very sure he had never made the other; and
the other with equal choler replied, that he was al-
ways for peace ; and though he could not say he
had spoken all those things together, he was sure
he had spoken them all at several times ; and that
he knew as well, that he had always been against
peace, and had often used all those expressions
which were in the speech, though, it may be, not
all together. Upon which they entered into a high
combat of reproachful words against each other, to
the no small delight of the earl, who had brought

them together, and of the rest of the standers-by. x

(-:'. -"} f- '*.

x rest of the standers-by. ] to London, both the parlia-

The following account of some ment and the city was so far

of the king's movements is omit- provoked, that they laid aside

ted: Though upon the king's all thoughts of treaty; and

advance from Colebrooke, and upon his retreat, the view of

the imagination that he pur- the number and ill condition of

posed to have brought his army his army, the furious party was

M 2



164



THE LIFE OF



PART

II.
1643.



The king was no sooner settled in his winter
quarters, after his retreat from Brentford to Oxford,

much exalted, and thought of weary of the service, and dis-

nothing but of forming new ar- engaged themselves, and gave

mirs, which might subdue the up their commands ; so that the

other parts of the kingdom ; motions were again renewed for



yet when they had better col-
lected themselves, the principal



sending to the king for a peace :
and at last a message was sent



persons of the parliament, and to the king, that he would send

those of the city, who had for- a safe conduct for four lords

merly very importunately press- and eight commoners to attend

ed the message to the king for his majesty with an humble pe-

a treaty, returned to the same tition from both houses, which

temper. The parliament was they hoped might produce a

full of faction, and they who good accommodation ; which

had concurred too much in the safe conduct was immediately

entering into the war, were granted, with which the mes-

now most solicitous to get out senger returned ; and within

of it ; they said the expense few days after, the earls of
already



was already unsupportable ; Northumberland, Pembroke, Sa-
their army was wasted, so that lisbury, and Holland, together
they were upon the matter to
begin again. They had spent
very much of the money which
had been raised for Ireland, and
employed great numbers of those
soldiers which were levied for
that kingdom, which did not
only redound to the great ha-
zard of losing that kingdom,
but would exceedingly turn to his majesty would permit them
their reproach with the people to send a committee of both
of England, as soon as it should
be taken notice of, and it could



with Pierrepoint, lord Wenman,
Whitlocke, Waller, and other
members of the house of com-
mons, came to Oxford with a
petition to the king ; which
contained no more than a de-
sire from the parliament, in
terms more modest than they
had been accustomed to, that



not be long concealed. They



houses to attend him, that they
might treat about a happy peace,
and, in the first place, of a ces-

foresaw likewise that the vast sation of all acts of hostility,
sum of money, which must be There was a pleasant observa-
got for the carrying on the war,
must all be raised out of the
city, which appeared discon-
tented enough. There was like-
wise no union in the army ;
many officers gave up their



commissions ; and those who
were members of both houses,
and had carried regiments and



tion at that time, which made
the artifices appear by which
they imposed upon their friends
at London. The people there
did generally believe that the
king, and the little army he had
with him, were in so great
straits for want of provision in
Oxford, that they were corn-



troops into the field, were pelled to eat horseflesh ; and



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 165



but the parliament sent to him for a safe-conduct, PART
for commissioners to be sent from them to treat nf



that they would in a short time
be forced to return to the par-
liament, that they might avoid
the being starved ; and either
to keep up this imagination, or



place, for the better understand-
ing the unhappy temper of the
court and of the king's affairs,
to remember, that, as soon as
the commissioners were gone



1643.



that they did themselves believe out of the. town, there appeared

the scarcity to be very great, a general indisposition in court,

these commissioners brought in army, and amongst the per-

with them a great quantity of sons of quality which filled the



provisions, even of bread and
beer, as well as of beef and
mutton and fowl, sufficient to
feed the whole company that



town, to the peace, and a won-
derful apprehension that it would
be brought to pass, and there-
fore there were many cabals



came with them, during such and meetings to consult how
time as they believed they should the treaty might be prevented,
stay there; of which they were or at least made ineffectual,
ashamed as soon as they en- Though the king was in plea-
tered Oxford, and saw the great sant and plentiful quarters,
plenty in the markets, not only where he wanted no provision
of the usual common fare, but
of those choice fowl, of phea-
sants, partridge, cocks, snipes,
in that abundance, as they were
not so well furnished in Lon-
don ; besides the best fish and
wild fowl, which was brought
in every day, from the western
part, in such plenty, that it can
hardly be imagined. So that
they were quickly converted
from giving credit to that ru-
mour, and it may be by it judged

the better of the want of inte- try would long endure free-
grity in many other reports, quarters, and submit likewise
The commissioners, after three
or four days, returned with a
gracious answer from the king,
and with a safe conduct for
such persons as the two houses
should send to treat with the
king ; and men began to en-



of victuals, and out of which
(for he was possessed of most
of the countries between Oxford
and Chester, and of the greatest
part of Wales) he might rea-
sonably hope to recruit his ar-
my ; yet there was no hope of
procuring money to pay them ;.
and though the soldiers yet be-
haved themselves modestly in
their quarters, so that there
were no complaints, it could
not be imagined that the coun-



tertain good hope of a peace,
and fair accommodation of all
differences.

It may not be unfit in this



to pay contributions in money,
which was assigned to the horse.
The battle of Edge-hill, and
the supplying the few garrisons
which were made with very
slender proportions of ammu-
nition, had already so exhausted
the stores, that there were not
left at this time in Oxford above
forty barrels of powder, and
match and bullet proportion-

M 3



166



THE LIFE OF



1643.



PART peace; which was sent to them. And at this time
there was a change in Mr. Hyde's fortune, by a pre-
ferment the king conferred upon him. Every body
knew that he was trusted by the king in his most
secret transactions ; but he was under no character
in his service. When the commissioners who were
sent for the safe-conduct came to Oxford, some who
came in their company, amongst other matters of
intelligence, brought the king a letter of his own to
the queen, printed, that had been intercepted, and
printed by the license, if not order, of the parlia-



able ; and though there was set
up there a mill to make pow-
der, newly erected, yet the un-
dertakers in it would not pro-
mise to provide above twenty
barrels in a week, which could
produce no provision suitable
to the necessity. It is true
there was a reasonable supply
of arms and ammunition ar-
rived at Newcastle, the only
port in the king's obedience ;
but, besides the great use there
was to be of it in those parts,
where the earl of Newcastle
had been left to raise an army,
and had now Yorkshire added
to his commission, which stood
in great need of his protection,
the distance was so great be-
tween that and Oxford, that
there was little hope of getting
any of it with a less convoy
than an army. Above all this,
it was apparent to all men, who
could discern at any distance,
that the good humour of the
lords and persons of quality,
which kept up the humour every
where else, would decay, and
turn into murmuring and dis-



content, as soon as that money
should be spent which they had
brought with them from Lon-
don, and which alone had made
some show of plenty in the
court ; and therefore it was
looked upon by wise men as a
judgment from Heaven, that
now, when that seemed to be
in view which men of all con-
ditions had prayed for since the
setting up the standard at Not-
tingham, there should be even
a conspiracy amongst those very
persons to drive that blessing
from them. And it was the
more wonderful, that even the
king himself was not without
apprehension that he might suf-
fer by making peace, and coun-
tenanced those who spake most
against it, and laboured to pre-
vent it ; of which there will be
occasion anon to speak more at
large, and in that place to men-
tion the true reason which pro-
duced that aversion. At this
time there was a change in Mr.
Hyde's fortune, &c. as in page
1C6, line 1.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 167

ment. In this letter, of the safe conveyance whereof PART
his majesty had no apprehension, the king had la-



mented the uneasiness of his own condition, in re-
spect of the daily importunity which was made to
him by the lords and others, for honours, offices,
and preferments ; and named several lords, who were
solicitous by themselves, or their friends, for this
and that place ; in all which he desired to receive
the queen's advice, being resolved to do nothing
with reference to those pretences, till he should re-
ceive it. But he said there were some places which
he must dispose of without staying for her answer,
the necessity of his service requiring it ; which were
the mastership of the wards ; applications being still
made to the lord Say in those affairs, and so that
revenue was diverted from him : and therefore, as
he had revoked his patent, so he was resolved to
make secretary Nicholas master of the wards ; " and
" then," (these were his majesty's own words,) " I
" must make Ned Hyde secretary of state, for the
" truth is, I can trust nobody else. " Which was a
very envious expression, and extended by the ill in-
terpretation of some men, to a more general corn-
prehension than could be intended. This was quick-
ly made public, for there were several prints of it
in many hands ; and some men had reason to be
troubled to find their names mentioned in that man-
ner, and others were glad that theirs were there, as
having the pretence to pursue their importunities
the more vehemently, being, as the phrase was,
brought upon the stage, and should suffer much in
their honour, if they should be now rejected ; which
kind of argumentation was very unagreeable and
grievous to the king.

M 4



168 THE LIFE OF

PART One morning, when the king was walking in the
! garden, as he used to do, Mr. Hyde being then in



. , '^ 3 ,' his view, his majesty called him, and discoursed of

Mr. Hyde J J

declines the the trouble he was in at the intercepting that letter ;

office of se- i / i i j

cretaryof and finding by his countenance that he understood
not the meaning, he asked him, " whether he had
" not heard a letter of his, which he writ to the
" queen, had been intercepted and printed. " And
he answering, " that he had not heard of it," as in
truth he had not, the king gave him the printed
letter to read, and then said, that "he wished it
" were as much in his power to make every body
" else amends as he could him ; for," he said, " he
" was resolved that afternoon to swear him secretary
" of state, in the place of Nicholas, whom he would
" likewise then make master of the wards. " Mr.
Hyde told him, " he was indeed much surprised
" with the sight of the letter ; which he wished had
" not been communicated in that manner : but that
" he was much more surprised to find his own name
" in it, and his majesty's resolution upon it, which
" he besought him to change ; for as he never had
" the ambition to hope or wish for that place, so he
" knew he was very unfit for it, and unable to dis-
" charge it. " To which the king with a little anger
replied, that " he did the greatest part of the busi-
" ness now :" and he answered, that " what he did
" now would be no part of the business, if the rebel-
" lion were ended ; and that his unskilfulness in lan-
" guages, and his not understanding foreign affairs,
" rendered him very incapable of that trust. " The
king said, " he would learn as much as was neces-
" sary of that kind very quickly. " He continued
his desire, that his majesty would lay aside that



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 169

thought; and said, "that he had great friendship PART
" for secretary Nicholas, who would be undone by.



" the change ; for he would find that his majesty J 643 *
" would receive very little, and he nothing, by that
" office, till the troubles were composed. " The king
said, " Nicholas was an honest man, and that his
" change was by his desire ;" and bade him speak
with him of it ; which he went presently to do, leav-
ing his majesty unsatisfied with the scruples he had
made.

When he came to the secretary's lodging, he
found him with a cheerful countenance, and em-
bracing him, called him his son. Mr. Hyde an-
swered him, that " it was not the part of a good son
" to undo his father, or to become his son that he
" might undo him :" and so they entered upon the
discourse; the one telling him what the king had
resolved, and how grateful the resolution was to
him ; and the other informing him of the conference
he had then had with the king, and that for his
sake, as well as his own, he would not submit to
the king's pleasure in it. And so he debated the
whole matter with him, and made it evident to him,
that he would be disappointed in any expectation
he should entertain of profit from the wards, as the
state of affairs then stood : so that he should relin-
quish an honourable employment, which he was well
acquainted with, for an empty title, with which he
would have nothing to do : and so advised him to
consider well of it, and of all the consequences of it,
before he exposed himself to such an inconvenience.

Whilst this was in suspense, sir Charles Caesar,
who, with great prejudice to the king, and more re-
proach to the archbishop of Canterbury, Laud, had



170 THE LIFE OF

PART been made master of the rolls, died: and sir John
. Colepepper had long had a promise from the king



of that place, when it should become void, and now
pressed the performance of it : which was violently
opposed by many, partly out of ill-will to him, (for
he had not the faculty of getting himself much
loved,) and as much out of good husbandry, and to
supply the king's necessities with a good sum of
money, which Dr. Duck was ready to lay down for
the office. And the king was so far wrought upon,
that he paid down three thousand pounds in part of
what he was to give ; but his majesty caused the
money to be repaid, and resolved to make good his
promise to sir John Colepepper, who would by no
means release him. This was no sooner declared,
than the lord Falkland (who was much more soli-
citous to have Mr. Hyde of the council, than he was
himself for the honour) took an opportunity to tell
the king, that he had now a good opportunity to
prefer Mr. Hyde, by making him chancellor of the
exchequer, in the place of sir John Colepepper;
which the king said he had resolved to do, and bid
him take no notice of it, until he had told him so'
himself: and shortly after sent for him, and said,
But accepts that he had now found an office for him, which

that of

chancellor " he hoped he would not refuse : that the chancel-
" " lorship of the exchequer was void by the promo-
" tion of Colepepper, and that he resolved to confer
" it upon him ;" with many gracious expressions of
the satisfaction he had in his service. The other
answered, " that though it was an office much above
" his merit, yet he did not despair of enabling hiin-
" self by industry to execute it, which he would do
" with all fidelity. "



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 171

As soon as this was known, no man was so much PART
troubled at it as sir John Colepepper, who had in



truth an intention to have kept both places, until 1643 '
he should get into the quiet possession of the rolls.
And though he professed much friendship to the
other, he had no mind he should be upon the same
level with him ; and believed he would have too
much credit in the council. And so delayed, after
his patent for the rolls was passed, to surrender that
of the chancellorship of the exchequer, until the
lord Falkland and the lord Digby expostulated very
warmly with him upon it, and until the king took
notice of it ; and then, seeming very much troubled
that any body should doubt the integrity of his
friendship to Mr. Hyde, to whom he made all the
professions imaginable, he surrendered his office of
chancellor of the exchequer : and the next day Mr. He 5s swom

TT J X-. LU -1 J 1 ' 1. J fthe P rh 7-

Hyde was sworn 01 the privy-council, and knighted, council, and
and had his patents sealed for that office. And the kmg **
king, after he rose from the council, and after many
expressions of the content he took himself in the
obligation he had laid upon him, with much grace,
that was not natural in him upon such occasions,
told him, that " he was very fortunate, because he
" verily believed nobody was angry at his prefer-
" ment; for besides that the earl of Dorset and
" others, who he knew loved him, had expressed
" much satisfaction in the king's purpose," he said,
" the lord Maltrevers, and the lord Dunsmore, who
" he did not think had any acquaintance with him,
" seemed very much pleased with him ; and there-
" fore he thought nobody would envy him ; which
" was a rare felicity. " But his majesty was therein
mistaken ; for he had great enviers, of many who



172 THE LIFE OF

PART thought he had run too fast; especially of those of
his own profession, who looked upon themselves as



1643. his superiors in all respects, and did not think that
his age, (which was not then above thirty-three,) or
his other parts, did entitle him to such a preference
before them. And the news of it at Westminster
exceedingly offended those who governed in the par-
liament; to see the man whom they most hated,
and whom they had voted to be incapable of pardon,
to be now preferred to an office the chief of them
looked for. Besides, there was another unusual cir-
cumstance accompanied his preferment, that it was
without the interposition or privity of the queen,
which was not like to make it the more easy and
advantageous ; and it was not the more unwelcome
to him from that circumstance.

Notwithstanding all the discourse of, and inclina-
tion to a treaty, the armies were not quiet on either
side. The king's quarters were enlarged by the
taking of Marlborough in Wiltshire, and of Ciren-
cester in Gloucestershire; which, though untenable
by their situation and weak fortifications, were gar-
risoned by the parliament with great numbers of
men ; who were all killed, or taken prisoners. And
the parliament forces were not without success too ;
and, after the loss of Marlborough, surprised the re-
giment of horse, that was commanded by the lord
Grandison, a gallant gentleman, who, if not be-
trayed, was unhappily invited to Winchester, with
promise of forces ready to defend the place ; which
being in no degree performed, he was, the next day
after he came, enclosed in the castle of Winchester,
and compelled to become, all, officers and soldiers,
prisoners of war : though he and some other of the



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 173

f

principal officers, by the negligence or corruption of PART
their guard, made their escape in the night, and re-.



turned to Oxford. 1643 -

This was the state of the kingdom, of the king,
and of the parliament, in the beginning of the year
1643, at the time when Mr. Hyde was made of the
privy-council, and chancellor of the exchequer :
which was between the return of the commissioners,
who had been sent to the king to propose a treaty,
and the coming of those commissioners to Oxford,
who were afterwards sent from the parliament to
treat with the king ; which being about the end of
the year 1642, this part shall be closed here,

) the %4ith of July ^ 1669.



THE LIFE



OF



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON;

FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY IN THE YEAR 1660.



PART III.



J. T was about the beginning of March (which by PART
that account was about the end of the year 1642,.



and about the beginning of the year 1643) that the 1643 -
commissioners of the parliament came to Oxford, to
treat with his majesty; and were received graciously
by him ; and by his order lodged conveniently, and
well accommodated in all respects.

The parliament had bound up their commissioners 11

a The parliament had bound treat with his majesty himself,
up their commissioners] Thus and not with any other persons;
in the MS. : The persons were whereupon his majesty gave
the earl of Northumberland, them admission whenever they
(the rest appointed by the house desired it, and received what
of peers were dispensed with,) they had to propose in writing,
and of the commons the lord and then consulted and debated
Wenman, Mr. Pierrepoint, Mr. it at his council, and delivered
Whitlocke, and the his answer again in writing, the
king intended to have appointed chancellor of the exchequer be-
some of his council to have ing always appointed to prepare
treated with them ; but they those answers. The commis-
discovered at their first audience, sioners had very sincere desires
that they had authority only to to have made a peace, none of



176



THE LIFE OF



1643.



P nJ lT ^ ^ e IBti " c * est tetter of their propositions ; nor did
their instructions at this time (which they presented
to the king) admit the least latitude to them, to
interpret a word or expression, that admitted a
doubtful interpretation. Insomuch as the king told
them, " that he was sorry that they had no more
" trust reposed in them ; and that the parliament
" might as well have sent their demands to him by
" the common carrier, as by commissioners so re-
" strained. " They had only twenty days allowed



them having ever had inclina-
tion to alter the government,
and the short experience they
had, made it manifest to them
that others were possessed with
contrary resolutions ; but their
instructions were very strict, and
nothing left to their own discre-
tions ; they who sent them well
knowing how their affections
stood, and though they had not
power to hinder a treaty, which
all the kingdom called for, and
to refuse it had been to declare
that they would continue the
war that was universally abo-
minated ; yet they knew well
how to elude it, which they
were the less suspected to in-
cline to, because they were still
willing that such persons should
be employed to treat who were
known to be most solicitous for
peace. When the propositions
were formed in the house, upon
the debate of them, when ob-
jections were made of their un-
reasonableness : that the king
had already refused those very
overtures when his condition
was much lower, and therefore
that it was not probable he
would yield to the same when



he was in the head of a good
army: it was answered by those
who resolved it should come to
nothing, that it was. the course
and rule in all treaties iniquum
peter e ut cequum feras ; that they
did not expect that the king
would yield to all they desired,
or indeed that a peace would
ever be made upon what they
did or could propose ; but that
thereupon the king would be
wrought upon to make his pro-
positions, which must be the
ground of the peace; and that
theyjnust first know what the
king would grant before they
abated any thing of their de-
mands ; and hereby (which
seemed to have somewhat of
-eason) they still prevailed to
keep up their propositions to
the utmost they had insisted
upon, in their proudest and
most insolent conjuncture, but
still implied that they would be
glad to depart from any thing
of it, when they should see any
approach made towards peace
by any concessions from the
king that would, make it safe
and valid: yet they bound up
their commissioners, &c.



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 177

them to finish the whole treaty: whereof they might PART
employ six days 'in adjusting a cessation, if they -
found it probable to effect it in that time; other- 1643t
wise they were to decline the cessation, and enter
upon the conditions of the peace ; which, if not con-
cluded before the end of the twenty days, they were
to give it over, and to return to the parliament.

These propositions and restrictions much abated
the hopes of a good issue of the treaty. Yet every
body believed, and the commissioners themselves
did not doubt, that if such a progress should be
made in the treaty, that a peace was like to ensue,
there would be no difficulty in the enlargement of
the time ; and therefore the articles for a cessation
were the sooner declined, that they might proceed
in the main business. For though what was pro-
posed by them in order to it was agreeable enough
to the nature of such an affair; yet the time allowed
for it was so short, that it was impossible to make
it practicable : nor could notice be timely given to
all the quarters on either side to observe it.

Besides that, there were many particulars in it,
which the officers on the king's side (who had no
mind to a cessation) formalized much upon ; and (I
know not from what unhappy root, but) there was
sprung up a wonderful aversion in the town against
a cessation. Insomuch as many persons of quality
of several counties, whereof the town was full, ap-
plied themselves in a body to the king, not to con-
sent to a cessation till a peace might be concluded ;
alleging, that they had several agitations in their
countries, for his majesty's and their own conveni-
ences, which would be interrupted by the cessation ;
and if a peace should not afterwards ensue, would

VOL. I. N



178 THE LIFE OF

PART be very mischievous. Which suggestion, if it had
. been well weighed, would not have been found to



1643. k e o f importance. But the truth is, the king him-
self had no mind to the cessation, for a reason which
shall be mentioned anon, though it was never owned:
and so they waved all further mention of the cessa-
tion, and betook themselves to the treaty ; it being
reasonable enough to believe, that if both sides were
heartily disposed to it; a peace might as soon have
been agreed upon as a cessation could be. All the
transactions of that treaty having been long since
published, and being fit only to be digested into the
The secret history of that time, are to be omitted here. Only

transactions

in the treaty what passed in secret, and was never communicated,

of Oxford. -I'll

nor can otherwise be known, since at this time no
man else is living who was privy to that negociation
but the chancellor of the exchequer, will have a
proper place in this discourse.

The propositions brought by the commissioners b
in the treaty were so unreasonable, that they well
knew that the king would never consent to them :
but some persons amongst them, who were known to

b The propositions brought by to that, and that guilt was in

the commissioners] The follow- truth the foundation of their

ing portion is here omitted : the union. On the other side, if

commissioners, who had all good the parliament insisted on all

fortunes and estates, had all a that they had demanded, all the

great desire of peaee, but knew power of the crown and inonar-

well that there must be a reced- cby itself would be thrown off

ing mutually on both sides from the hinges, which as they could

what they demanded ; for if the never imagine the king would

king insisted on justice, and on ever consent to, so they saw

the satisfaction and reparation well enough their own concern-

the law would give him, the ment in it, and that themselves

lives and the fortunes of all should be as much involved in

who had opposed him would be the confusion as those they call-

at his mercy ; and there were ed their enemies,
too many concerned to submit



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 179

wish well to the king, endeavoured underhand to PART

in

bring it to pass. And they did therefore, whilst,



they publicly pursued their instructions, and deli- 164 3.
vered and received papers upon their propositions,
privately use all the means they could, especially in
conferences with the lord Falkland and the chancel-
lor of the exchequer, that the king might be pre-
vailed with in some degree to comply with their
unreasonable demands.

In all matters which related to the church, they
did not only despair of the king's concurrence, but
did not ~in their own judgments wish it; and be-
lieved, that the strength of the party which desired
the continuance of the war, was made up of those
who were very indifferent in that point ; and that,
if they might return with satisfaction in other parti-
culars, they should have power enough in the two
houses, to oblige the more violent people to accept
or submit to the conditions. They wished therefore
that the king would make some condescensions in
tne point of the militia ; which they looked upon as
the only substantial security they could have, not to
be called in question for what they had done amiss.
And when they saw nothing could be digested of
that kind, which would not reflect both upon the
king's authority and his honour, they gave over in-
sisting upon the general ; and then Mr. Pierrepoint Mr.
(who was of the best parts, and most intimate with posit
the earl of Northumberland) rather desired than
proposed, that the king would offer to grant his
commission to the earl of Northumberland, to be
lord high admiral of England. By which conde-
scension he would be restored to his office, which he
had lost for their sakes ; and so their honour would

N 2



180 THE LIFE OF

PART be likewise repaired, without any signal prejudice to
. the king; since he should hold it only by his ma-



1643. jesty's commission, and not by any ordinance of
parliament : and he said, if the king would be in-
duced to gratify them in this particular, he could
not be confident that they should be able to prevail
with both houses to be satisfied therewith, so Jhat a
peace might suddenly be concluded ; but, as he did
not despair even of that, he did believe, that so
many would be satisfied with it, that they would
from thence take the occasion to separate themselves
from them, as men who would rather destroy their
country than restore it to peace.

And the earl of Northumberland himself took so
much notice of this discourse to secretary Nicholas,
(with whom he had as much freedom as his reserved
nature was capable of,) as to protest to him, that he
desired only to receive that honour and trust from
the king, that he might be able to do him service ;
and thereby to recover the credit he had unhappily
lost with him. In which he used very decent ex-
pressions towards his majesty ; not without such re-
flections upon his own behaviour, as implied that he
was not proud of it : and concluded, that if his ma-
jesty would do him that honour, as to make that
offer to the houses, upon the proposition of the
militia, he would do all he could that it might be
effectual towards a peace ; and if it had not success,
he would pass his word and honour to the king,
that as soon, or whensoever his majesty would please
to require it, he would deliver up his commission
again into his hands ; he having no other ambition
or desire, than by this means to redeliyer up the
royal navy to his majesty's as absolute disposal, as



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 181

it was when his majesty first put it into his hands; PART
and which he doubted would hardly be done by any _



other expedient, at least not so soon. ]G43.

When this proposition (which, from the interest
and persons who proposed it, seemed to carry with
it some probability of success, if it should be ac-
cepted) was communicated with those who were
like with most secrecy to consult it ; secretary Ni-
cholas having already made some approach towards
the king upon the subject, and found his majesty
without inclination to hear more of it ; it was agreed
and resolved by them, that the chancellor of the ex-
chequer should presume to make the proposition
plainly to the king, and to persuade his majesty to
hear it debated in his presence ; at least, if that
might not be, to enlarge upon it himself as much
as the argument required : and he was not unwill-
ing to embark himself in the affair.

When he found a fit opportunity for the repre- Which the
sentation, and his majesty at good leisure, in



morning's walk, when he was always most willing chequer

vises the

to be entertained ; the chancellor related ingenu- king to
ously to him the whole discourse, which had been^j y
made by Mr. Pierrepoint, and to whom ; and what
the earl himself had said to secretary Nicholas ; and
what conference they, to whom his majesty gave
leave to consult together upon his affairs, had be-
tween themselves upon the argument, and what
occurred to them upon it : in which he mentioned
the earl's demerit towards his majesty with severity
enough, and what reason he had not to be willing
to restore a man to his favour, who had forfeited it
so unworthily. Yet he desired him to consider his
own ill condition ; and how unlike it was that it

N 3



182 THE LIFE OF

PART should be improved by the continuance of the war;

! and whether he could ever imagine a possibility of

643 ' getting out of it upon more easy conditions than
what was now proposed ; the offer of which to the
parliament could do him no signal prejudice, and
could -not but bring him very notable advantages :
for if the peace did not ensue upon it, such a rup-
' ture infallibly would, as might in a little time facili-
tate the other. And then he said as much to lessen
the malignity of the earl as he could, by remember-
ing, how dutifully he had resigned his commission
of admiral upon his majesty's demand, and his re-
fusal to accept the commission the parliament would
have given him ; and observed some vices in his na-
ture, which would stand in the place of virtues, to-
wards the support of his fidelity to his majesty, and
his animosity against the parliament, if he were
once reingratiated to his majesty's trust.

The king heard him very quietly without the
least interruption, which he used not to do upon
subjects which were not grateful to him ; for he
knew well that he was not swayed by any affection
to the man, to whom he was more a stranger than
he was to most of that condition ; and he, upon oc-
casions, had often made sharp reflections upon his
ingratitude to the king. His majesty seemed at the
first to insist upon the improbability that any such
concession by him would be attended with any suc-
cess ; that not only the earl had not interest in the
houses to lead them into a resolution that was only
for his particular benefit, but that the parliament
itself was not able to make a peace, without such
conditions as the army would require ; and then he
should suffer exceedingly in his honour, for having



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 183

shewn an inclination to a person who had requited PART

his former graces so unworthily : and this led him

into more warmth than he used to be affected with. 4t> *
He said, " indeed he had been very unfortunate in Thekin s' s

answer.

" conferring his favours upon many very ungrateful
" persons ; but no man was so inexcusable as the
'* earl of Northumberland. " He said, " he knew that
" the earl of Holland was generally looked lipon
" as the man of the greatest ingratitude ; but," he
said, " he could better excuse him than the other :
" that it was true, he owed all he had to his
" father's and his bounties, and that himself had
" conferred great favours upon him ; but that it was
" as true, he had frequently given him many mor-
" tifications, which, though he had deserved, he knew
" had troubled him very much ; that he had oftener
" denied him, than any other man of his condition ;
" and that he had but lately refused to gratify him
" in a suit he had made to him, of which he had been
" very confident ; and so might have some excuse
" (how ill soever) for being out of humour, which
" led him from one ill to another : but that he had
"lived always without intermission with the earl
" of Northumberland as his friend, and courted him
" as his mistress ; that he had never denied any
" thing he had ever asked ; and therefore his carriage
" -to him was never to be forgotten. "

And this discourse he continued with more com-
motion, and in a more pathetical style than ever he
used upon any other argument. And though at
that time it was not fit to press the niatter further,
it was afterwards resumed by the same person more
than once ; but without any other effect, than that
his majesty was contented that the earl should not

N 4



184 THE LIFE OF

PART despair of being restored to that office, when the



peace should be made; or upon any eminent service
performed by him, when the peace should be de-
spaired of. The king was very willing and desirous
that the treaty should be drawn out in length ; to
which purpose a proposition was made to the com-
missioners for an addition of ten days, which they
sent to the parliament, without the least apprehen-
sion that it would be denied. But they were de-
ceived ; and for answer, received an order upon the
last day but one of the time before limited, by which
they were expressly required to leave Oxford the
next day. From that time all intercourse and com-
merce between Oxford and London, which had
been permitted before, was absolutely interdicted
under the highest penalties by the parliament.

If this secret underhand proposition had succeed-
ed, and received that encouragement from the king
that was desired, and more application of the same
remedies had been then made to other persons, (for
alone it could never have proved effectual,) it is pro-
bable, that those violent and abominable counsels,
which were but then in projection between very few
men of any interest, and which were afterwards mi-
serably put in practice, had been prevented. And
it was exceedingly wondered at, by those who were
then privy to this overture, and by all who after-
wards came to hear of it, that the king should in
that conjuncture decline so advantageous a propo-
sition ; since he did already discern many ill humours
and factions. , growing and nourished, both in his court
and army, which would every day be uneasy to him;
and did with all his soul desire an end of the war.
And there was nothing more suitable and agreeable



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 185

to his magnanimous nature, than to forgive those, PART
who had in the highest degree offended him : which



temper was notorious throughout his whole life. It
will not be therefore amiss, in this discourse, to en-
large upon this fatal rejection, and the true cause
and ground thereof.

The king's affection to the queen was of a very The true
extraordinary alloy; a composition of conscience, and the king's
love, and generosity, and gratitude, and all those re J ectu) s '*
noble affections which raise the passion to the great-
est height ; insomuch as he saw with her eyes, and
determined by her judgment ; and did not only pay
her this adoration, but desired that all men should
know that he was swayed by her : which was not good
for either of them. ,,The queen was a lady of great
beauty, excellent wit and humour, and made him a
just return of noblest affections ; so that they were
the true idea of conjugal affection, in the age in
which they lived. When she was admitted to the
knowledge and participation of the most secret af-
fairs, (from which she had been carefully restrained
by the duke of Buckingham whilst he lived,) she
took delight in the examining and discussing them,
and from thence in making judgment of them; in
which her passions were always strong.

She had felt so much pain in knowing nothing,
and meddling with nothing, during the time of that
great favourite, that now she took pleasure in no-
thing but knowing all things, and disposing all
things ; and thought it but just, that she should dis-
pose of all favours and preferments, as he had done ;
at least, that nothing of that kind might be done

c this discourse,] MS. adds : so can reflect upon nobody's
which is never to see light, and character with prejudice,



186 THE LIFE OF

PART without her privity: not considering that the uni-
. versal prejudice that great man had undergone, was



1643. no t w jth reference to his person, but his power; and
that the same power would be equally obnoxious to
murmur and complaint, if it resided in any other
person than the king himself. And she so far con-
curred with the king's inclination, that she did not
more desire to be possessed of this unlimited power,
than that all the world should take notice that she
' was the entire mistress of it : which in truth (what
other unhappy circumstances soever concurred in
the mischief) was the foundation upon which the
first and the utmost prejudices to the king and his
government were raised and prosecuted. And it
was her majesty's and the kingdom's misfortune,
that she had not any person about her, who had
either ability or affection, to inform and advise lir
of the temper of the kingdom, or humour of the
people ; or who thought either worth the caring
for.

When the disturbances grew so rude as to inter-
rupt this harmony, and the queen's fears, and indis-
position, which proceeded from those fears, disposed
her to leave the kingdom, which the king, to comply
with her, consented to ; (and if that fear had not
been predominant in her, her jealousy and appre-
hension, that the king would at some time be pre-
vailed with to yield to some unreasonable conditions,
would have dissuaded her from that voyage ;) to
make all things therefore as sure as might be, that
her absence should not be attended with any such
inconvenience, his majesty made a solemn promise
to her at parting, that he would receive no person
into any favour or trust, who had disserved him,



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 187

without her privity and consent; and that, as she PART
had undergone so many reproaches and calumnies at



the entrance into the war, so he would never make
any peace, but by her interposition and mediation,
that the kingdom might receive that blessing only
from her.

This promise (of which his majesty was too reli-
gious an observer) was the cause of his majesty's re-
jection, or not entertaining this last overture ; and
this was the reason that he had that aversion to the
cessation, which he thought would inevitably oblige
him to consent to the peace, as it should be pro-
posed; and therefore he had countenanced an ad-
dress, that had been made to him against it, by the
gentlemen of several counties attending the court :
and in truth they were put upon that address by
the king's own private direction. Upon which the
chancellor of the exchequer told him, when the bu-
siness was over, that he had raised a spirit he would
not be able to conjure down ; and that those peti-
tioners had now appeared in a business that pleased
him, but would be as ready to appear, at another
time, to cross what he desired ; which proved true.
For he was afterwards more troubled with applica-
tion and importunity of that kind, and the mur-
murs that arose from that liberty, when all men
would be counsellors, and censure all that the coun-
cil did, than with the power of the enemy.

About the time that the treaty began, the queen
landed in the north d ; and she resolved, with a good

d the queen landed in the after her landing, that she was

north] MS. adds: having been glad to resort for shelter to

chased by the parliament ships some banks in the field, where

into Burlington bay, their ships she spent most part of the

discharging all their cannon upon night, and was the next day re-

a small village where she lodged ceived by the earl of Newcastle,



188 THE LIFE OF

PART quantity of ammunition and arms, to make what
. haste she could to the king; having at her first



1643. landing expressed, by a letter to his majesty, her
apprehension of an ill peace by that treaty ; and de-
clared, that she would never live in England, if she
might not have a guard for the security of her per-
son : which letter came accidentally afterwards into
the hands of the parliament ; of which they made
use to the queen's disadvantage. And the expecta-
tion of her majesty's arrival at Oxford, was the rea-
son that the king so much desired the prolongation
of the treaty. And if it had pleased God that she
had come thither time enough, as she did shortly
after, she would have probably condescended to many
propositions for the gratifying particular persons, as
appeared afterwards, if thereby a reasonable peace
might have been obtained.



The Scot- e^y nen ^he Scottish commissioners attended the

tish com-

missioners king at Oxford, and desired . his leave that there
the king might be a parliament called in Scotland, which his
quest "for majesty denied them, (well knowing that they
i- wou ld, against all the protestations and oaths they
na( j made to him at his being in that country, join
with those at Westminster,) they presented a long
paper to the king 6 , containing a bitter invective

with some troops of his army, parliament came to Oxford to

and was by him conveyed to treat, that some commissioners

York. Her majesty had brought from Scotland came likewise to

with her a good supply of arms the king ; and, having taken

and ammunition, which was ex- London in their way, had con-

ceedingly wanted in the king's certed with their old friends

quarters ; and she resolved, &c. how to behave themselves, and

e When the Scottish commis- how they might be able, by be-

sioners they presented a long ing present there, to advance

paper to the king] This is their pretences. They were sent

stated more at large in the MS. : by the council and kingdom of

It was some few days before Scotland, and they pretended

the commissioners from the to desire his majesty to issue



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 189



against bishops, and the whole government of the PART
church ; as being contrary to the word of God, and



1643.



out his letters of summons for
the convening a parliament in
that kingdom, which they said
the affairs of that nation re-
quired ; the rather, because of
the present distractions in Eng-
land. The earl of Loudon, so
often mentioned before, who
had been so deeply engaged in
the beginning, and throughout
the rebellion of Scotland, and
had been gratified upon the
pacification, (in treaty whereof
he had been a principal com-
missioner,) at the king's late
being in Edinburgh, with being
made an earl and chancellor
of Scotland, was the principal
commissioner now sent to Ox-
ford, together with Alexander
Henderson, their high priest,
who had modelled the church
government there, after he had
inflamed the people against the
bishops there. In that parlia-
ment, when his majesty had
been lately present, and they
had obtained all those conces-
sions from his majesty which
gave them power to keep all
they had got, and left the
empty name of king to his ma-
jesty, there was an act passed
for the dissolving that parlia-
ment, with a provision in it,
that if the king should not call
another parliament within three
years after the dissolution of
that, that then, upon such day,
in such a year, summons should
be sent out by the several offi-
cers, so that infallibly, on such
a Tuesday, in such a year, an-
other parliament should meet at
Edinburgh according to such a
model as they had carried with



them from London. Now when
these commissioners came to
Oxford to demand a parlia-
ment, there were above two
years to come to the day upon
which that act of parliament
would authorize them to meet ;
but it is true the king might,
if he thought fit, convene one
sooner. His majesty knew well,
that, with reference to Scotland
itself, there was no occasion for
a parliament to meet, and knew
as well, that it was desired only
in order the better to support
the rebellion in England ; and,
without a parliament, he did
not believe that the disaffected
party in that kingdom would
have power enough to do him
any notable disservice ; his ma-
jesty always unhappily overva-
luing the authority of those
there, who he believed true to
him ; and therefore he gave for
answer to those commissioners,
that he would send out his sum-
mons time enough for a parlia-
ment to meet before that time :
nor could all the importunity
they could use, which was very
great, nor the professions and
promises which they could
make, which were very many,
how great benefit and service
his majesty should receive by
speedily calling a parliament,
prevail with him to give them
any other answer. "

\Vhen they despaired of hav-
ing his majesty's leave to have
a parliament, which would have
served their turn, and suspended
all other propositions, they dealt
more ingenuously and openly ;
and taking notice of the present



190 THE LIFE OF

PART to the advancement of true religion: and con-
iii

. eluded with a very passionate desire for the altera-



1643. tj on of that government, as the only means to settle
peace throughout his majesty's dominions. In all
their other demands, concerning the kingdom of
Scotland, and calling a parliament there, the king
had only conferred with two or three of those he
most trusted, whereof the chancellor of the exche-
quer was always one, and drew the answers he
gave : but this last paper, which only concerned
England, he brought to the council-board, and re-
quired their advice, what answer he should give to
it. The king himself was very desirous to take this
occasion, to shew his affection and zeal for the
church ; and that other men's mouths might be
hereafter stopped in that argument, and that no-
body might ever make the same proposition to him
again, he had a great mind to have made an answer
to every expression in their paper, and to have set
out the divine right of episcopacy ; and how impos-
sible it was ever for him in conscience to consent to
any thing, to the prejudice of that order and func-
tion, or to the alienating their lands ; enlarging
himself more in the debate, than he used to do
upon any other argument; mentioning those rea-
sons which the ablest prelate could do upon that oc-
casion ; and wished that all those, and such others
as might occur, should be contained in his answer.

Many of the lords were of opinion that a short
answer would be best, that should contain nothing
but -a rejection of the proposition, without giving
any reason ; no man seeming to concur with his

treaty, and desiring such an nient of the true religion, they

end thereof as might establish presented a long paper to the

peace and quiet to the nation, king, &c. as in p. 188. I. 25.
to the glory of God, and settle-



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 191

majesty; with which he was not satisfied; and re- PART
plied with some sharpness upon what had been said. .



Upon which the lord Falkland replied, having been
before of that mind, desiring that no reasons might
be given ; and upon that occasion answered many
of those reasons the king had urged, as not valid to
support the subject, with a little quickness of wit,
(as his notions were always sharp, and expressed
with notable vivacity,) which made the king warmer
than he used to be; reproaching all who were of
that mind with, want of affection, for the church ;
and declaring, that he would have the substance of
what he had said, or of the like nature, digested
into his answer : with which reprehension all sat
very silent, having never undergone the like before.
Whereupon the king recollecting himself, and ob- The king
serving that the chancellor of the exchequer had
not yet spoke, called upon him to deliver his opinion, iJj
adding, that he was sure he was of his majesty's q er to de

i f i iii liver his

mmd, with reference to religion and the church. opinion

The chancellor stood up, and said, that he would
have been glad to have said nothing that day, hav-
ing observed more warmth than had ever been at
that board, since he had the honour to sit here,
(which was not many days before ;) that in truth
he was not of the opinion of any one who had
spoken ; he did not think that the answer ought to
be very short, or without any reasons ; and he did
as little think that the reasons mentioned by his
majesty ought to be applied to the paper, which the
Scots had been so bold as to present to the king.
He said, all those reasons were fit to be offered in a
synod, or in any other place, where that subject
could be lawfully ventilated ; and he believed them
all to be of that weight, that Mr. Henderson and all



192 THE LIFE OF

PART his assembly of divines could never answer; but he
' should be very sorry that his majesty should so far
6 "* 3 - condescend to their presumption, as to give those
reasons ; as if he admitted the matter to be dis-
puted. He asked his majesty, what answer he would
give to the king of France, if he should send to him
to alter the government of the city of London, or
any other city, and that he would substitute other
magistrates in the place of those who are ; which,
as a king, he might more reasonably demand, than
these gentlemen of Scotland could do what they
propose ; whether his majesty would think it more
agreeable to his honour, to make a reasonable dis-
course of the antiquity of the lord mayor of London,
and of the dependence the present magistrates had
upon the law, and the frame of the government ; or
whether he would only send him word, that he
should meddle with what he had to do. He did
think, that it was very fit that his majesty's answer
to this paper should contain a very severe and sharp
reprehension for their presumption ; and take no-
tice, how solicitous they were for the preservation
of what they called the right and privilege of their
country, that his majesty might not bring any thing
into debate at his council-board here, that concerned
the kingdom of Scotland ; though it had often too
much relation to the affairs and government of Eng-
land : yet that they would take upon them to de-
mand from his majesty, at least to advise him to
make, an alteration in the government of England,
which would quite alter the frame of it, and make
such a confusion in the laws, which they could no
more comprehend than they could any f of the same
kind that related to any other foreign kingdom ;

f any] any thing



EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 193

and therefore, that for the future they should not PART
practise the like presumption.



The king discovered himself to be very well ,J ^ 43 t : ,

* With which

pleased all the time he was speaking ; and when he the king is

. x . f well satisfi-

had done, his majesty said again, he was sure theed.
chancellor was entirely of his mind, with reference
to the church ; and that he had satisfied him that
this was not the season, nor the occasion, in which
those arguments which he had used were to be in-
sisted on ; and that he was willing to depart from
his own sense; and was in truth so well pleased,
that he vouchsafed to make some kind of excuse for
the passion he had spoken with : and all the lords
were very well satisfied with the expedient proposed;
and all commended the chancellor : and the answer
was given to the Scottish commissioners accordingly ;
who had too good intelligence not to know all that
had passed : and upon their long discourses with the
king, (who was always forward to enlarge upon that
subject, in which he was so well versed,) expected
such an answer as might give them opportunity to
bring the whole matter of episcopacy upon the stage,
and into public disputation. And so they returned
to London, with manifest dissatisfaction, before the
commissioners of the parliament ; and with avowed
detestation of a person, against whom they were
known always to have an inveterate and an impla-
cable displeasure. B

s an implacable displeasure. ] day was expired that was as-

Thus continued in the MS. : It signed for the treaty. They

appeared quickly that the parlia- who intended nothing but the

ment had refused to enlarge the carrying on of the war, and be-

time of the treaty, and so posi- lieved there could be no security

tively commanded the commis- for them but by an entire vic-

sioners to return before the List tory of the king, and a total

VOL. I. O



194 THE LIFE OF

PART The king was much troubled at the disunion be-
in.

-tween the princes Rupert and Maurice, and the

marquis of Hertford h , after the taking of Bristol;
which he knew must exceedingly disorder and di-
vide that army : for composing whereof, his majesty
resolved, the next day after the news, to go himself
to Bristol ; which was very necessary in many re-
spects. The settlement of the port, which was of
infinite importance to the king in point of trade,
and his customs, and with reference to Ireland, and
the applying the army to some new enterprise, with-
out loss of time, could not be done without his ma-
jesty's presence.