Warwickshire.

Wiltshire.
Berkshire.

The Western counties.

great Forces to seize upon the Magazines of that County. Against whom the Earl of Stamford was sent by the Parliament, as Lord-Lieutenant, with a considerable strength, who arrived there, did much curb the proceedings of Master HASTINGS, and took possession of the Town of Leicester.

Great was the Contention about that time in Warwickshire, between the Erl of Northampton for the King, and the Lord BROOK for the Parliament, not without sharp encounters, and slaughter on either side. The Earl having seized the Ordnance at Banbury, marched with great fury into Warwickshire, spoiling the Countrey as he went, though not without opposition of the people, and the Lord BROOK's Forces; against whom he could not at all prevail.

The Earl of Pembrook had settled the Militia in Wiltshire with small ado, though it continued not long so, And the Earl of Holland in Berkshire, being but faintly resisted by the Earl of Berkshire, the Lord LOVELACE, and others. For soon after the Earl of Berkshire, together with Sir JOHN CURSON, Sir ROBERT DORMER, and others for the Commission of Array, who came to Watlington in Oxfordshire, to seize the Magazine of that part of the County, which was laid-up in that Town, were there taken prisoners, and sent-up to the Parliament by Colonel HAMDEN and Colonel GOODWIN, two Members of the House of Commons, and Knights of the Shire for Buckingham.

But the further that this Discourse travels Westward, the greater and more remarkeably you shall finde such contestations; especially considering the number of Lords and Gentlemen of great rank, and many of them Members of Parliament, who sided with the King against the Parliament, and were therefore afterward voted out of the House. One great Head there was of all those Western Counties, WILLIAM, Marquesse of Hartford, whom the King, by his CommisThe Marquis of Hartford is made sion of Array, had appointed Chief, and made him Lord-Lieutenant-General of Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wilts, Southampton, Gloucester, Berks, them all by the King. Oxford, Hereford, and seven Counties within the Principality of Wales: who,

notwithstanding his high Command, was never able to atchieve any great matter for the King's side; so much were the common people of the West at that time inclined to the Parliament, and so active were those Gentlemen who stood for it; such as were the sons of Sir FRANCIS POPHAM, Master ALEXANDER POPHAM, HUGH, and EDWARD, who were more animated by the example of their aged father; Master STRODE, a Deputy-Lieutenant, and others, against all those frequent attempts which the Marquesse made.

Great was the number of considerable men in those Countries, which took part with the Marquesse against the Parliament, and very industrious in their several Stations, to put in execution the Commission of Array; as the Lord PAWLET, Sir RALPH HOPTON, and Sir JoHN STOWEL, both Members of the House of Commons, and for that reason put out of the House. Sir RICHARD SLANY, in Cornwal, another Member, put out also for the same cause; as likewise were Sir EDWARD RODNEY, and Master COVENTRY, both Parliament-men, who followed the Marquesse in some of his actions. Sir BEVILE GREENVILE, an active

~man,

man, another Member of Parliament, was very industrious for the Array, both in Cornwal and Devon, joyning himself with the Earl of Bath, came for that purpose to his house at Tastock, in Devonshire, and assisted by many Gentlemen, as Master CULINS, Sheriff of that County, M. BAMFIELD, M. ASHFORD, M. GIFFORD, M. SAITHIL, Baronet SEYMOUR, and M. COURTNEY; to whose assistance Squire ROGERS came with Forces out of Dorsetshire.

Various were the Successes which Marquesse Hartford, assisted by so many of the Gentry, found in his several Enterprises; sometimes prevailing, but more often distressed. In one Skirmish, which, about the beginning of August, himself, the Lord PAWLET, Sir RALPH HOPTON, Sir JOHN STOWEL, and M. SMITH, another Member of the House of Commons, made against the Deputy-Lieutenants in Somersetshire, he prevailed against them, and possessed himself of the Town of Shepton-Mallet: Ten men were slain, and many wounded. Going afterwards to Wells, he had been besieged by many thousands of the People, who arose against him; but that having timely notice of their coming, he escaped a back-way out of the Town. About which time, the Earl of Bedford was sent down by the Parliament against him, with three hundred Horse: by whom the Lord Marquesse, the Lord PAWLET, Sir RALPH HOPTON, Colonel LUNSFORD, and many other considerable men, were besieged in Sherburn. For great numbers out of the Sherburn is besieged Country came daily to the assistance of the Earl of Bedford. Many weeks did by the troops of the that Siege continue; many Sallies were made out, and sharp encounters on both Parliament. August, 1642. sides performed with great courage: the Parliament side being in firm hope to have taken them at last; which was conceived a thing of great moment, and advantage to their affairs, if they could have possessed the persons of so many men, considerable both in their Fortunes and Valour; and who proved afterwards very strong and cruel enemies. Yet that hope was frustrate: for about the beginning of October they all escaped out of Sherburn: the Earl neverthelesse pursued after them, and in the Chase took M. PALLART, Sir HENRY, Sir JOHN, and Sir CHARLES BARCLAY, prisoners. Within a week after, the Earl of Bath was apprehended, and brought-up a prisoner to the Parliament.

In

It cannot be much wondered-at, that Division was found in Countrey-Towns and Villages so far remote from the Parliament, where the people were variously wrought-upon by perswasions or fears from either side: when London itself, the Seat of that great Council, and chiefest Bulwark of their defence, was not without some taste of these Distractions. Which, besides the actions of some private Citizens, too petty to be here rehearsed, may appear to the Reader in one thing, which cannot be omitted: The Lord Mayor of London was at this time a prisoner in the Tower, committed by the Parliament.

Sir RICHARD GURNEY, Lord Mayor of London for that year, was charged by The Lord Mayor of the House of Commons on the seventh of July, for being a mover of Sedition in London is imprisonthe Kingdom, in causing the King's Proclamation concerning the Commission of ed by the Parliament Array (which was declared by both Houses to be illegal) to be proclaimed in the the King against City. them. July 7, 1642.

City.. And the Charge being perfected, was sent-up to the Lords, desiring that he might forthwith be called to his Answer; which was accordingly granted.

Four days after, while the Lord Mayor was attending the Lords House upon this Charge, an additional Impeachment was read against him in the House of Commons, brought-in by the Common-Council of London, for divers breaches of his Oath in execution of his Office, for proclaiming divers illegal Proclamations, and contemning the Orders of Parliament.

and

plaints of the King against each other,

and Parliament

This Impeachment was forthwith sent up, and read in the Lords House. Upon the reading of which, it was ordered that he should be sent to the Tower, from thence to be brought to a legal Trial upon his Impeachment.

Many days, during the space of a whole month, was this Lord-Mayor brought from the Tower to Westminster, to attend the Lords of Parliament, and many times returned back without being heard, by reason of so great a multiplicity of Businesses as the Houses were then in.

At last, after some hearings, he was brought, on the twelfth of August, to the He is tried by the House of Lords, and House of Lords, to receive his Censure: The effect whereof was, that he should found guilty, and be put from his Mayorality, never bear Office in the City or Commonwealth, be condemned to a punishment. August uncapable of all Honour or Dignity to be conferred on him by the King, and stand committed prisoner to the Tower, during the pleasure of both Houses.

12, 1642.

During the time of these contentions between the Ordinance of the Militia and the Commission of Array, which is briefly touched by itself; it will not be amisse to return to the King's proceedings in his own Person, by what degrees he came to encrease in strength, and what contestations happened betwixt Himself and the Parliament: wherein, that which concerned the Pen, shall be first briefly touched, and then his other actions. But those Declarations, Petitions, and Proclamations, which, upon all occasions, were then published, are too many and too long to be recited in a Story: in the Records, and printed Books of Ordinances, they may be read. I shall onely mention some of the chief, and excerpt the most material contents of them.

The Parliament, about the end of July, had petitioned the King to forbear all preparations of War, and remove his Garrisons. To which he gave. Answer, and upbraided them with their preparations of War, for appointing the Earl of Essex to be their General, and the Earl of Warwick Admiral. In that Answer, he descants at large upon particulars, commanding his said Answer and their Petition to be read in all Churches. To which the Parliament reply, as they had done before, that they cannot lay-down their Arms, nor adjourn the Parliament to any other place, as he would have them, unlesse he leave-off those Warlike preparations, and comply with that Council, to which onely he ought to adhere by the Constitution of this Government. They likewise command the Petition, Answer, and Reply, to be read in all Churches.

But, things proceeding still higher, the King, being returned to the City of York, from thence sent-forth a Proclamation, to suppresse (as he there styleth it) the

present

present Rebellion under command of ROBERT, Earl of Essex; offering withal free pardon to him, and all such as shall within six days after the date thereof, being the ninth of August, lay down their Arms. In which Proclamation also he commanded the Marquesse Hartford to raise speedily what Forces he could, within all those Counties whereof he had made him Lieutenant-General in the Commission of Array (of which before was spoken) and to march against, destroy, or apprehend, the said Earl of Essex.

The Parliament, upon this Proclamation, make a Declaration, wherein they briefly recount all the King's former proceedings against them and the Kingdom: All which they attribute (after their usual manner) to his wicked Council; and promise still to make him great and happie, if he will return to his great Council.

But the next day after his former Proclamation, the King, continuing still at York, sent-forth another, declaring that no Papist should serve him in his Army, and that his Souldiers should commit no rapine upon the people. And within two The King publishes days after that, he published a Discourse, called A Declaration to all his loving a long Declaration against the proceedSubjects, concerning the proceedings of this present Parliament. This Declaration ings of the Parliawas of a great length, containing fifty pages in a large Quarto. In which was com- ment, on the 10th prised a kinde of History, touching all former passages betwixt himself and them, of August, 1642. from the beginning of these divisions: which is to be read in the printed Book of Parliament-Ordinances. Toward the end of that Declaration, he protesteth a wonderful love to Parliaments, and to the peace and happinesse of the Kingdom: but he requires that some persons (as disturbers of the publike peace) may be delivered into the hands of Justice, to be tried by their Peers, naming the Lord of Kymbolton, and those five Members of the House of Commons. whom before he came to surprise in that House, Master HOLLIS, Sir ARTHUR HASLERIG, M. PYM, M. HAMBDEN, and M. STRODE; as likewise M. HENRY MARTIN, and Sir HENRY LUDLOW, two Members also of the House of Commons, for speaking some bold Speeches in that House. He also desires to have delivered-up to him Alderman PENINGTON, who succeeded in the Mayorality to the fore-named Sir RICHARD GURNEY, and Captain VENN, one of the City-Captains: those two last he accuses of bringing tumults from the City, to terrifie the Parliament at Westminster. Another desire of the King's is, that Inditements of High Treason upon the Statute of the 23d yeer of King EDWARD the Third, may be drawn against the Earls of Essex, Warwick, and Stamford, the Lord BROOK, Sir JOHN HOTHAM, and Serjeant Major-General SKIPPON, an expert and religious Souldier, a man of high action in the succeeding War, whom the City had employed in exercising of their Militia; as likewise against all those who shall hereafter exercise the Militia by vertue of the Ordinance of Parliament.

The Pen was very quick upon all occasions: and the King, the next day after the publication of this long fore-mentioned Declaration, sent a Message to the Parliament, upbraiding both Houses with an Order which they had then made, for the borrowing of an hundred thousand pounds out of that money which the Adventurers had raised for reducing of Ireland, and subduing the Rebels there;

affirming,

The Parliament

actions tending to

charges the King with defeat the vigorous measures taken by

the Parliament for the suppression of the rebellion of the Papists in Ireland.

affirming, that, out of his Princely care and piety toward distressed Ireland, he cannot but take notice of it; commanding them immediately to retract that mischievous and unjust Order (for so he calls it) as they would answer the contrary to Almighty God, himself, and those that have trusted them: Wherein he expecteth their speedie Answer and Obedience; and the rather, that he may thereby be secured, that such part of the four hundred thousand pounds as is, or shall be, collected from his good Subjects of England, by vertue of the late Act of Parliament, whereby the same is granted, may not likewise (under false pretences) be diverted from the proper use to which it was intended, and misemployed to the disturbance of the Kingdom's peace, in a War against him.

The Lords and Commons in Parliament make Answer to this Message, express ing what caution there was in the very Order (which, upon that very occasion, was printed) for speedie repayment of that Sum, and disposing of it to the right use. But, first, they tell the King, that this very Message of his to them, is an high breach of the Priviledge of Parliament: and, upon that occasion, they call to remembrance, and declare many particulars of their care for the relief of Ireland, and the King's hindering of it. Those particulars there expressed, are as followeth. They declare, that this bloodie Rebellion was first raised by the same Counsels that had before brought two Armies within the bowels of this Kingdom, and two Protestant Nations ready to welter in each other's blood, which were both defrayed a long time at the charge of the poor Commons of England, and quietly, at last, disbanded; by God's blessing upon the Parliament's endeavours. That, this designe failing, the same wicked Counsels which had caused that impious War, raised this barbarous Rebellion in Ireland; and recommended the suppressing thereof (for the better colour) to the Parliament's care: who, out of a fellow-feeling of the unspeakable miseries of their Protestant Brethren there (not suspecting this horrid Plot, now too apparent) did cheerfully undertake that great work, and do really intend and endeavour to settle the Protestant Religion and a permanent Peace in that Realm, to the glory of God, the honour and profit of his Majestie, and security of his three Kingdoms. But how they have been discouraged, retarded, and diverted, in and from this pious and glorious Work, by those traiterous Counsels about his Majestie, will appear by many particulars.

They there mention the sending-over at first of twenty thousand pounds by the Parliament, and that good way found-out to reduce Ireland by the Adventure of private men, without charging the Subject in general, which would probably have brought in a Million of money, had the King continued in, or neer, London, and not, by leaving his Parliament, and making War upon it, so intimidated and discouraged the Adventurers, and others who would have adventured, that that good Bill is rendered in a manner ineffectual.

They mention, that when, at the sole charge of the Adventurers, five thousand Foot, and five hundred Horse were designed for the relief of Munster, under the command of the Lord WHARTON, and nothing was wanting but a Commission to enable that Lord for the Service, such was the power of wicked Counsel, that no

Commission