And it was
discernible
enough,
that Mr.
that Mr.
Edward Hyde - Earl of Clarendon
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. But there was nothing more dis-
posed his majesty to that resolution, than to be
absent from his council at Oxford, when he should
settle the differences between the princes * and the
marquis ; for as he was always swayed by his affec-
tion to his nephews k , which he did not think par-
subduing his party, had not made such wonderful haste in
power enough to hinder and recruiting the army, (to which
prevent the treaty, and there- the earl of Essex had contri-
fore satisfied themselves with buted all his endeavours, be-
limiting the commissioners to lieving that he had yet per-
such propositions and by such formed less than had been ex-
instructions as are mentioned pected from him,) that the very
before. But from that time day that the commissioners left
they met with little opposition Oxford, the earl of Essex had a
in the houses ; they who desir- rendezvous of his whole army,
ed peace, and had raised their and marched towards Reading,
hopes upon the treaty, thinking which was about the beginning
it reasonable that all prepara- of April.
tions should be made for the ll at the disunion between
"war, and they who abhorred the princes Rupert and Mau-
the thought of peace, and all rice, and the marquis of Hert-
those who affected it, using all ford] The account of this dis-
imaginable diligence in advanc- union is inserted in Appendix D
ing those preparations ; inso- of the ^. th volume of the History
much as, having by- ordinances of the Rebellion.
and seizures drawn in great ' princes] prince
supplies of money, they had k nephews] nephew
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 195
1643.
tiality; so the lords, towards whom the princes 1 did PART
not" live with any condescension, were very solicitous
that the marquis might receive no injustice or dis-
obligation. And the king, to avoid all counsel in
this particular, resolved to declare no resolution till
he should come himself to Bristol; and so went
from Oxford thither : taking with him, of the coun-
cil, the duke of Richmond, the lord Falkland, the
master of the rolls, and the chancellor of the exche-
quer. The king lodging the first night at Malms-
bury; and the lord Falkland, the master of the rolls,
and some other gentlemen lodging that night with
the chancellor of the exchequer, at his house at Pir-
ton, which lay in the way to Bristol ; where they
were the next day within an hour after the king. m
1 princes] prince
m within an hour after the
king. ] ThuscontinuedintheMS. :
The disorders at Bristol were
greater than could have been
imagined ; the factions and jea-
lousies ran through all kinds
and degrees of men, of the ar-
my, of the city, of the country;
and the loss of many officers
and common men upon the as-
saults had weakened the army
beyond imagination, and the
number of the sick and wound-
ed was very great. The natural
murmurs of the Cornish were
now turned into direct mutiny,
and they declared positively that
they would not march further
southward, but would return to
their own country to look to
their houses, their wives, and
their children, which they said
were infested by the garrison at
Plymouth. There was no mo-
ney to give them, nor were
there any officers left, who had
credit and authority over them ;
and now all men saw the infi-
nite loss the king had sustained
in the death of Greenvil, Slan-
ning, and Trevannion, who go-
verned that people absolutely.
It was evident, that if they were
compelled to march further,many
of them would run away, and
the rest be full of discontent ;
and therefore it was resolved,
that they, and all the rest who
had been officers or soldiers
formerly designed for the west-
ern services under the marquis
and prince Maurice, should re-
turn again to the west, upon a
presumption that they would
be able, with the reputation they
would carry back upon the tak-
ing of Bristol, in a short time
to subdue those maritime places,
which were possessed by small
garrisorts for the parliament; and
being recruited by good winter
o 21
196
THE LIFE OF
PART
III.
The chancellor of the exchequer had undergone
some mortification during the short abode at Bristol,
Ashburn
ham
1643.
The chan- . . . .
ceilor of the quarters, an army would be ready
exchequer's by the next spring to attend his
office invad- majesty; and all the Cornish
ed by Mr. ma( i e so lenin promises that, as
soon as Plymouth should be
reduced, they would with great
alacrity return to any service
they should be required. The
expectation was very reasonable,
and the counsel much advanced
by prince Rupert, that his bro-
ther Maurice might be in the
head of an army; for he had
prevailed with the king to re-
solve that the marquis of Hertz
ford should be no more em-
ployed as general, though it
was not discovered to him, nor
his commission taken from him.
Besides the king's inclination
to his nephew, he found that
work not so difficult, nor the
marquis so popular, as it ap-
peared in the first consultation
at Oxford. The marquis's unac-
tivity in all things relating to
the war, and his too much re-
tirement to his ease, had lost
all the reverence and devotion
of the soldiers ; and prince
Maurice's living with them so-
ciably and familiarly, and going
with them upon all parties and
in all actions, in which he had
received some hurts, had made
both his person and his com-
mand very acceptable to them.
Then the marquis's leaning too
much to the advice of his do-
mestic officers and the stewards
of his lands,. and people of that
condition, (many whereof were
thought very disaffected to the
king's service, as most of his
tenants were,) made the chief
persons of the country less so-
licitous for his command over
them than they had been, where-
of the lord Paulet was the chief,
who was then at Bristol, and
spake with great freedom to the
king of the marquis's unfitness
to exercise that command; which
advice, besides that it was very
grateful, made the more im-
pression, because he was thought
to have good affection for the
marquis, and had little know-
ledge of the prince.
This matter being thus set-
tled in the king's own thoughts
and resolutions, he discovered
it no further than by appoint-
ing those troops to be ready for
their march, and prince Maurice
to conduct them, whilst the
marquis of Hertford attended
his majesty till the business of
Bristol should be settled, and
some other affairs of the coun-
try; the marquis intending, when
those should be settled, (in do-
ing whereof he was willing to
be present,) to make haste to
the army, and his majesty, ac-
cording to his natural custom
of discovering any disobliging
resolution as late as was possi-
ble, did not at all impart his
purpose to him, and being first
to resolve what obligation to
confer upon him at the same
time, to make the other the
better digested ; and to that pur-
pose he was pleased to confer
with freedom and without re-
servation with the chancellor of
the exchequer, and bidding him
inform himself of the opinion
both the army and the country
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 197
which was the only port of trade within the king's PART
which was like to yield a considerable
quarters ;
had of the marquis, and asking
him, whether the lord Paulet
and others had not spoken to
him of the laziness of the mar-
quis, and of the credit and power
Hirton had with him; and of
some actions done by his secre-
tary, who was a fellow of an ill
reputation; and wished him to
think of it, and to dispose the
marquis to decline that employ-
ment, as less agreeable to his
nature and constitution, and to
remain about the person of the
king, in order to which he would
think upon some place, for he
knew he was weary of being
governor to the prince. The
chancellor had great reverence
for the marquis, and knew the
benefit his fidelity had brought
to the king, and the insupport-
able damage that would accrue
from his declared discontent,
and had no other esteem of the
prince's parts and conduct and
discretion, than good manners
obliged him -to ; and yet he had
with much trouble heard the
little credit the marquis had in
the army, and more of his unac-
tivity than he believed he could
have been guilty of; for though
he knew he was naturally lazy,
and did so much love his ease,
he knew too that he had a clear
courage and a very good under-
standing ; and if he had a friend
by him to put him in mind of
any thing that concerned his
honour, he would be very coun-
sellable. Whereupon he told
the king, that though he had
heard many discourses which
he had not expected, and found
1643.
that some persons had changed
their opinions of the marquis,
yet he was so apprehensive of
the ill consequence that might
probably attend his majesty's
inclination to remove him from
the command, and giving the
entire trust to his nephew, that
he could not give his counsel
for the putting it in execution ;
but that when his majesty upon
full thoughts had fixed himself,
he would use the credit he had
with the marquis to dispose him
to conform himself to his ma-
jesty's determination, and that
he could with a much better
conscience dissuade the marquis
from affecting that command,
than he could persuade his ma-
jesty to take it from him.
The other matter concerning
the government of Bristol was
of as nice a nature, but not like
to give the king so much trou-
ble; for sir Ralph Hopton had
neither set his heart upon the
command, nor would embrace
any title that might give any
umbrage to his majesty, but
laid all his pretences at the
king's feet, and himself to be
disposed of by him. By which
unconcernedness and ingenuity
the marquis was sensibly dis-
obliged, having chosen him as
a subject fit to support his au-
thority against the pretences of
the prince; and therefore this un-
warm condescension was look-
ed upon as a forsaking the mar-
quis, who was never thoroughly
reconciled to him afterwards.
But that which gave the king
trouble was, the clear and un-
o 3
198
THE LIFE OF
PART benefit to the king, if it were well managed; and
. the direction thereof belonged entirely to his office :
1643.
questionable credit and reputa-
tion of sir Ralph Hopton, who
was now the only man left, who
had out of nothing, and when
the marquis had given over all
hopes of the west and abandon-
ed it, and fled into Wales, (which
was now remembered with many
reproaches,) raised that force,
and upon the matter reduced
that part of the kingdom to his
majesty's obedience. He was
a person of one of the best
families, and one of the fairest
fortunes, of all the gentlemen
in that large, rich, and populous
county of Somerset, and inferior
to none in the love and affection
of that people. He was of a
very generous nature, a pious
and devout man, and an exact
observer of justice, which made
the city infinitely desire that he
might be their govemor, who
would not suffer them to be
made a prey to the soldier. On
the other side, by being himself
ungrievous to them by any ex-
actions, it was very probable he
would be able to persuade and
induce them cheerfully to sub-
mit to such impositions as were
necessary for their own defence ;
and that such a man should be
rejected by the king upon the
prince's pretence, who could
not reside there himself, and
must leave it to a deputy who
would never be grateful, seemed
unreasonable to the king him-
self in reference to his own
service, and to the envy which
would be increased by it towards
his nephew, prince Rupert, who
was already become very un-
popular ; but on the other side,
the granting it to him would be
generally looked upon as the
triumph of the marquis of Hert-
ford over prince Rupert, which
his majesty could not think of
with any patience. The easy
temper and disposition of sir
Ralph Hopton, and prince Ru-
pert's being willing to come off
from this matter with his honour,
gave the king an expedient to
compose this difficult affair to
his own satisfaction : prince Ru-
pert should have the name of
governor of Bristol, according to
his pretence, by a grant from
the king, and sir Ralph Hopton
should be his lieutenant gover-
nor, which he without scruple
accepted : but the prince pro-
mised to the king that he would
never in the least degree meddle
in the government, but leave it
entirely to sir Ralph Hopton ;
which being all concluded, two
were only satisfied, the king
and sir Ralph Hopton ; the
other two, the prince and the
marquis, were both offended,
the latter thinking himself in-
jured by sir Ralph's declining
his commission to be governor,
and submitting to be lieutenant
under prince Rupert, though he
had it by commission from the
king himself; and prince Ru-
pert being as angry that he had
only the title, and could not
make his own lieutenant ; and
that the same man's having the
place, who was designed to it
by the marquis, as was generally
known, would be believed to be
put in by his authority; and
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 199
but when he sent to the officers of the customs, to PART
be informed of the present state of trade, he found "
that some treaty was made, and order given in it by
Mr. Ashburnham, a groom of the bedchamber; who,
with the assistance and advice of sir John Cole-
pepper, had prevailed with the king to assign that
province to him, as a means to raise a present sum
of money for the supply of the army : which the
chancellor took very heavily; and the lord Falkland,
out of his friendship to him, more tenderly ; and ex-
postulated it with the king with some warmth ; and
more passionately with sir John Colepepper and Mr.
Ashburnham, as a violation of the friendship they
professed to the chancellor, and an invasion of his
office; which no man bears easily.
They were both ashamed of it, and made some
weak excuses, of incogitance and inadvertence ; and
the king himself, who discerned the mischief that
would ensue, if there should be an apparent schism
amongst those he so entirely trusted, was pleased to
take notice of it to the chancellor, with many gra-
cious expressions ; and said, " that Mr. Ashburnham The king
" being treasurer and paymaster of the army, he did
" believe some money might have been raised for the
" present occasion ; and only intended it for the
from that time he never favour- upon several occasions,
ed sir Ralph Hopton, but al- When the king had settled
ways discountenanced him all these particulars, which had very
he could. But the king, to much disquieted him, he consi-
publish to all the world the es- dered what he was to do now
teem he had of him, made him this success at Bristol gave him
at the same time a baron, and great reputation every where ;
created him lord Hopton of and the possessing the second
Witham, a noble seat of his city of the kingdom for trade
own in the county of Somerset, and wealth of the inhabitants
of whom there will be more much enlarged his quarters,
occasion of discourse hereafter
o 4
THE LIFE OF
PART " present, without considering it would be an inva-
" sion of his right ; and therefore directed, that an
1643. account should be given to him of all that had
" been done, and he should do n as he thought fit. "
But when he understood all that had been done, he
would make no alteration in it, that his majesty
might be convinced that his service was not looked
after in the design.
And it was discernible enough,
that Mr. Ashburnham, who usually looked very far
before him, had not so much intended to disoblige the
chancellor, as, by introducing himself this way into
the customs, to continue one of the farmers of the
customs, when the war should be at an end; of
which he got a promise from the king at the same
time ; who had great affection for him, and an ex-
traordinary opinion of his managery. If there re-
mained after this any jealousy or coldness between
the chancellor of the exchequer and the other two,
as the disparity between their natures and humours
made some believe there did, it never brake out or
appeared, to the disturbance or prejudice of the
king's service ; but all possible concurrence in the
carrying it on was observed between them.
The march of the earl of Essex from London to
n do] do in it. earl of Essex march out of Lon-
The march of the earl of don with a much better army,
Essex] This part is thus intro- and better provided for, than he
duced in the MS. : They who had yet commanded since the
had judged only of the impro- beginning of the troubles. The
bability of relieving Gloucester, city had supplied him with five
by the slow progress that seem- thousand foot of their train-
ed to be made in the parliament bands, consisting all of citizens
towards it, and the small in- of good account, who were coin-
crease that was made in the manded by their own officers ;
army by new levies, found them- and made it appear, that their
selves deceived ; and, before it city order and discipline very
was imagined possible, saw the well prepared and disposed men
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 201
Gloucester, over as large a campania as any in Eng- PART
land, when the king had an army of above eight !
thousand horse, reputed victorious, without being 16 ^ 3 *
put to strike one stroke ; the circumstances of that
siege, and the raising it ; the earl's march after he
had performed that great work, and when the king's
army watched only to engage him in a battle, and
passing over a large and open campania three days
before the king had notice that he was come out of
Gloucester ; the overtaking the army P, and the
battle by Newbury ; and his retreat afterwards to
London ; contained so many particular actions of
courage and conduct, that they all deserve a very
punctual and just relation ; and are much above the
level of this plain and foreign discourse.
In this battle of Newbury, the chancellor of the
exchequer lost the joy and comfort of his life; which
he lamented so passionately, that he could not in
many days compose himself to any thoughts of bu-
siness. His dear friend the lord Falkland, hurried The death
i 1_ / "i r> i i i f t' le l r d
by nis rate, in the morning of the battle, as he was Falkland.
naturally inquisitive after danger, put himself into
the head of sir John Byron's regiment, which he be-
lieved was like to be in the hottest service, and was
then appointed to charge a body of foot ; and in that
charge was shot with a musket bullet, so that he
fell dead from his horse. The same day that the
news came to Oxford of his death, which was the
next after he was killed, the chancellor received
a letter from him, written at the time when the army
rose from Gloucester ; but the messenger had been
employed in other service, so that he came not to
for the boldest service and en- of Essex, &c.
terprise. The march of the earl P the army] his army
202 THE LIFE OF
PART Oxford till that day. The letter was an answer to
in
. one the chancellor had then sent to him ; in which
1643. h e had told him, how much he suffered in his repu-
tation with all discreet men, by engaging himself
unnecessarily in all places of danger ; and that it
was not the office of a privy counsellor, and a secre-
tary of state, to visit the trenches, as he usually did ;
and conjured~him, out of the conscience of his duty
to the king, and to free his friends from those con-
tinual uneasy apprehensions, not to engage his per-
son to those dangers which were not incumbent to
him. His answer was, that the trenches were now
at an end ; there would be no more danger there :
that his case was different from other men's ; that
he was so much taken notice of for an impatient de-
sire of peace, that it was necessary that he should
likewise make it appear, that it was not out of fear
of the utmost hazard of war : he said some melan-
cholic things of the time ; and concluded, that in
few days they should come to a battle, the issue
whereof, he hoped, would put an end to the misery
of the kingdom.
Much hath been said of this excellent person be-
fore ; but not so much, or so well, as his wonderful
parts and virtues deserved. He died as much of the
time as of the bullet : for, from the very beginning
of the war, he contracted so deep a sadness and me-
lancholy, that his life was not pleasant to him ; and
sure he was too weary of it. Those who did not
know him very well imputed, very unjustly, much
of it to a violent passion he had for a noble lady ;
and it was the more spoken of, because she died the
same day, and, as some computed it, in the same
hour that he was killed : but they who knew either
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 203
the lord or the lady, knew well that neither of them PART
was capable of an ill imagination. She was of the-
most unspotted, unblemished virtue ; never married ;
of an extraordinary talent of mind, but of no alluring
beauty ; nor of a constitution of tolerable health, be-
ing in a deep consumption, and not like to have lived
so long by many months. It is very true, the lord
Falkland had an extraordinary esteem of her, and
exceedingly loved her conversation, as most of the
persons of eminent parts of that time did ; for she
was in her understanding, and discretion, and wit,
and modesty, above most women ; the best of which
had always a friendship with her. But he was
withal so kind to his wife, whom he knew to be an
excellent person, that, though he loved his children
with more affection and fondness than most fathers
used to do, he left by his will all he had to his wife ;
and committed his three sons, who were all the chil-
dren he had, to her sole care and bounty.
He was little more than thirty years of age when
he was killed ; in which time he was very accom-
plished in all those parts of learning and knowledge,
which most men labour to attain till they are very
old ; and in wisdom, and the practice of virtue, to a
wonderful perfection. From his age of twenty years,
he had lived in an entire friendship with the chan-
cellor, who was about six months elder; and who
never spake of him afterwards, but with a love, and
a grief, which still raised some commotion in him.
And he very often used to lament him in the words
of Cicero concerning Hortensius, " Quod magna sa-
" pientium et civium bonorum penuria, vir egregius,
" conjunctissimusque mecum consiliorum omnium
" societate, alienissimo reipublicae tempore extinctus,
FART " et auctoritatis, et prudentia? suae, triste nobis desi-
derium reliquerat. " And without doubt, it was in
1 643. a conjuncture of time, when the death of every honest
and discreet person was a very sensible and terrible
loss in the judgment of all good men.
After the unhappy death of the lord Falkland,
the king much desired that the chancellor of the
exchequer should be secretary of state in his place ;
which the queen did not oppose, though she rather
wished that the lord Digby might have it ; who had
so much kindness and friendship for the chancellor,
(which was at that time, and long after, as sincere as
could receive harbour in his breast,) that he pro-
fessed, he would not have it, if the other would re-
Tbeciian- ceive it: but the chancellor gratified his civilitv,
cellorofthe
exchequer and refused the office the second time, as he had
refuses the in AI-III i
office of once before. And he had so much more reason now,
stat? * f ^ v tne coming of a very specious embassy from
time. France, in the person of the count of Harcourt, who
was already arrived in London ; in which the chan-
cellor knew his own want of ability to act that part
the office of secretary would have obliged him to ;
and for which, as far as the perfection of the French
tongue could qualify him, the Lord Digby was very
proper ; and so he was made secretary of state ; pro-
fessing to every body, that, as he had the office by
the chancellor's refusal of it, so he would wholly ad-
vise with him in all things pertaining to it, which
he always did ; and the confidence and friendship
between them was mutual, and very notorious, until
that lord changed his religion. And he was no
sooner admitted and sworn secretary of state, and
privy counsellor, and consequently made of the junto,
which the king at that time created, consisting of
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 205
the duke of Richmond, the lord Cottington, the two PART
secretaries of state, and sir John Colepepper, but '
the chancellor of the exchequer was likewise added; 1463 -
He is add-
tO the trouble, at least the surprise, of the master of d to the
the rolls; who could have been contented that he
should have been excluded from that near trust,
where all matters were to be consulted before they
should be brought to the council-board. And this
committee was appointed to treat with the count of
Harcourt ; whom the king believed to be sent from
France, to demand any thing from the parliament
in that king's name, as his majesty should direct ;
and therefore they were appointed to consider well
what he should be directed to propose.
But the ambassador no sooner came to the town
in great state and lustre, but he quickly saved them
any further labour, by declaring, that he would treat
with nobody but the king himself; his business be-
ing only to serve the king, with reference to the dif-
ferences between his majesty and the parliament ;
and pretended, that, in his short stay at London, he
had already discovered that his majesty was betray-
ed; and that his most secret counsels were disco-
vered : and so there was never any communication
between him and the king's council ; but all matters
were transacted with the king himself, and queen,
and lord Jermyn, who was not of the council, and
the lord Digby ; the queen promising herself very
much from his negociation ; the ambassador being
then of great reputation, having been general of the
French army in two or three great actions, in which
his success had been very notable ; and the queen
looked upon him as a person particularly devoted to
her service ; and being of the house of Lorrain, (the
206 THE LIFE OF
PART younger son of the duke d'Elboeuf,) he was not
without some alliance to the king : and so he re-
* turned to London with such instructions and advice
as they thought fit to intrust him with, which were
too particular ; and with the privity only of the two
other persons mentioned before.
But it quickly appeared after, that he was not
sent with any purpose to do the king service ; but
that cardinal Mazarin (who was newly entered upon
the ministry, after the death of cardinal Richelieu)
might take such a view of the affairs of England,
as the better to judge what he was to do ; and that
an accommodation there might not break his mea-
sures, with reference to his other designs ; which the
ambassador was easily satisfied it was not like to
do. And so, after three or four months spent be-
tween Oxford and London, he returned to France ;
leaving the king's affairs so much worse than he
found them, by having communicated some instruc-
tions which had been given him at Oxford, with
overmuch confidence, and which less disposed some
persons to peace than they had been at London.
The king The king called the chancellor one day to him,
Suitor and told him, that he thought there was too much
of the ex- honour done to those rebels at Westminster in all
chequer to
prepare a hi s declarations, by his mentioning them as part of
proclama-
tion for d. s- " the parliament ; which as long as they should be
parliament 8 " thought to be, they would have more authority,
SiMtST " by their continuing their sitting in the place whi-
" ther they were first called, than all the other mem-
" bers, though so much more numerous, would have,
" when they should be convened any where else ;
" (there being a thought of convening them to Ox-
" ford :) therefore he knew no reason why he should
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 207
" not positively declare them to be dissolved ; and PART
" so forbid them to sit or meet any more there. " '
He said, " that he knew learned men of an opinion,
" that that act for the continuance of the parliament
" was void from the beginning ; and that it is not
" in the power of the king to bar himself from the
" power of dissolving it ; which is to be deprived of
" an essential part of his sovereignty : but if the act
" were good and valid in law, they had dissolved
" themselves by their force, in driving so many
" members, and even his majesty himself, who was
" their head, from the parliament ; and had forfeited
" their right of sitting there, and all that the act
" had given them, by their treason and rebellion ;
" which the very being a parliament could not sup-
" port : and therefore he wished, that a proclamation
" might be prepared, to declare them actually dis-
" solved ; and expressly forbidding them to meet, or
" any body to own them, or submit to them as a
" parliament. "
The chancellor told him, that " he perceived by His advice
* to the king
" his majesty's discourse, that he had very much n that
" considered the argument, and was well prepared *
" in it ; which for his part he was not. But he be-
" sought him to think it worth a very strict reflec-
" tion ; and to hear the opinion of learned men be-
" fore he resolved upon it. That it was of a very
" nice and delicate nature, at which ^ not only the
" people in general, but those of his own party,
" and even of his council, would take more umbrage,
" than upon any one particular that had happened
" since the beginning of the war. That he could
i at which] in which
208 THE LIFE OF
PART " not imagine that his forbidding them to meet any
_ " more at Westminster would make one man the less
1 G43. to mee t there ; but he might forbid them upon such
" grounds and reasons as might bring more to them :
" and that they who had severed themselves from
" them, upon the guilt of their actions, might return
" and be reconciled to them, upon their unity of
" opinion. That it had been the first powerful re-
" proach they had corrupted the people with to-
" wards his majesty, that he intended to dissolve
" this parliament, notwithstanding the act for con-
" tinuance thereof; and if he had power to do that,
" he might likewise, by the same power, repeal all
" the other acts made this parliament, whereof some
" were very precious to the people : and as his
" majesty had always disclaimed any such thought,
" so such a proclamation, as he now mentioned,
" would confirm all the fears and jealousies which
" had been infused into them, and would trouble
" many of his own true subjects.
" That for the invalidity of the act from the be-
" ginning, he was in his own opinion inclined to hope
" that it might be originally void, for the reasons
" and grounds his majesty had mentioned ; and
'* that the parliament itself, if this rebellion was
" suppressed, might be of the same judgment, and
" declare it accordingly ; which would enable him
" quickly to dissolve it. But till then, he thought
" all the judges together, even those who were in
" his own quarters, and of unquestionable affection
" to his majesty, would not declare any such inva-
" lidity ; and much less, that any private man, how
" learned soever, would avow that judgment : in
" which his majesty might easily satisfy himself, hav-
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 209
" ing so many of the judges, and many other excel- PART
" lent men of the robe then at Oxford. For their '
" having dissolved themselves, or forfeited their right 16 ^ 3 -
" of sitting there, by their treason and rebellion," he
said, " he could less understand it than the other
" argument of invalidity ; for that the treason and
" rebellion could only concern and be penal to the
" persons who committed them : it was possible
" many might sit there, he was sure many had a
" right to sit there, who had always opposed every
" illegal, and every rebellious act ; and therefore the
" faults of the others could never forfeit any right of
" theirs, who had committed no fault : and, upon the
" whole matter, concluded as he had begun, that his
" majesty would very throughly consult it, before
" he did so much as incline in his own wishes. "
His majesty said, he had spoken more reason
against it, than he had thought could have been
alleged : however, he bade him confer with his at-
torney general, who, he believed, was of another
opinion. The chancellor moved his majesty, that
since the ground of what should be resolved on in
this point must be expressed in the proclamation,
the attorney might put his own conceptions in writ-
ing, and then his majesty would the better judge of
them. The king said, it seemed reasonable to him,
and he had proposed it to him, but he had declined
it, and commended the pen his majesty had used to
employ, as very clear and significant; and said, if
he had an hour's conference with that person, the
business would be done. Whereupon the chancellor
went immediately to his lodging, choosing rather to
use that civility towards him, than to send for him ;
VOL. i. p
210 THE LIFE OF
PART who did not love him so well as he had done before
he was his superior officer.
After a long conference together, and many cir-
rcnces with cumlocutions, (which was his natural way of dis-
ncy g"nerai course ) an< l asking questions, Why not this? and,
thereon. \Vhy no t that ? without expressing his own opinion ;
at last he confessed, that there must be no attempt to
dissolve them, " though it might be even that might
" be lawful in many respects," but that it would be
sufficient to declare the force which had been, and
still was upon them, that rendered them not free ;
arid so they ought not to be looked upon as a parlia-
ment ; and that they might be required to adjourn
from time to time, till all the members might with
safety repair to, and sit with them : in all which the
other agreed with him, and so they parted ; the
chancellor promising, that, against the next morn-
ing, he would prepare a proclamation agreeable to
that, which he thought to be their joint meaning ;
for he did not observe any difference to be between
them. The next morning the attorney came to his
lodging, where he found the draught prepared ;
which, as soon as he had read, he said did in no de-
gree express or comprehend the sense that had been
agreed between them : and thereupon he entered
again into the same discourse he had made before,
and more perplexed than before ; being most offend-
ed with the preamble, wherein it was declared, that
the king neither could or . intended to break the par-
liament : which was so contrary to what he had in-
fused into the king, and which the chancellor thought
most necessary, to contradict that reproach which
naturally would be cast upon his majesty. In the
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 211
end, when he had wearied himself with the debate, PART
they came both again to mean the same thing ;
which was no other than was agreed before, though, 1643
as the attorney said, it was not expressed in the
draught before them : whereupon it was agreed be-
tween them, that, against the next morning, either
of them should make a draught apart; and then,
when they came together, it would easily be ad-
justed.
But the next morning they were as far asunder
as before, and the attorney had prepared no paper,
and said, it needed not, the difference being very
small, and would be rectified with changing or leav-
ing out a word or two ; which the chancellor desired
him to do, and to leave out or put in what he
pleased : which when he went about to do, twenty
other things occurred to him ; and so he entered
upon new discourses, without concluding any thing ;
and every day entertained the king with an account,
as if all were agreed ; but upon conference with the
chancellor, his majesty wondered at the delay, and
told him, he wondered at it, for the attorney spake
still as clearly to him as it was possible for any man
to do, and therefore the putting it in writing could
not be hard. The other answered him, that it would
never be done any other way, than that which he
had first proposed to him ; and therefore besought
his majesty, that he would oblige the attorney to
put his own conceptions, which he made so clear to
him, into writing; and then, his majesty having
likewise what the chancellor prepared in his hands,
he would easily conclude which should stand ; and
otherwise there would never be any conclusion.
About two days after, the chancellor came into
? 2
212 THE LIFE OF
PART the garden where the king was walking; and call-
. ing him shortly to him, in some disorder, his majesty
1643. told him, " he was never in that amazement in his
draught of " life ; that he had at last, not without a very posi-
tiontbe ma " ti ve command, obliged the attorney to bring him
king shews tt such a draught in writing, as was agreeable to his
to the chan-
cellor ot the" own sense; and that he had now done it ; but in
exchequer.
" such a manner, that he no more understood what
" the meaning of it was, than if it were in Welch,
" which was the language of the attorney's coun-
" try ; only," he said, " he was very sure it con-
" tained nothing of the sense he had ever expressed to
" him :" and so bade him follow him into a little room
at the end of the garden ; where, as soon as he was
entered, he shut the door, because there were many
people in the garden ; and then pulled a paper out
of his pocket, and bade him read it; which when
he had done, it being all in the attorney's own hand,
he said, " it deserved wonder indeed ;" and it was
so rough, perplexed, and insignificant, that no man
could judge by it, or out of it, what the writer pro-
posed to himself. And it made so great an impres-
sion upon the king, (who had before thought him a
man of a master reason, and that no man had so
clear notions,) that he never after had any esteem of
him.
character The truth is, he was a man very unlike any other
tomey^e- man ' f a verv good natural wit, improved by con-
versation with learned men, but not at all by study
and industry : and then his conversation was most
with men, though much superior to him in parts,
who rather admired than informed him ; of which
his nature (being the proudest man living) made
him not capable, because not desirous. His greatest
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 213
faculty was, and in which he was a master, to make PART
difficult matters more intricate and perplexed ; and
very easy things to seem more hard than they were. I643 -
The king considered the matter and subject of that
proclamation at the council ; where that draught the
chancellor had provided was agreed to ; and the at-
torney seemed to be satisfied in it, and was content
to have it believed that it had been consulted with
him ; though he never forgave the chancellor for
exposing him in that manner ; by which he found
he had lost much ground.
After the treaty of Uxbridge, most of the com- 1645.
missioners had given so good a testimony of the
chancellor's diligence and industry, that the fcing,
shortly after his return, very graciously took notice exchequer's
of it to him; and, above all, of his affection to the in the treaty
church, of which, he said, Dr. Steward had so fully of Uxbridge '
informed him, that he looked upon him as one of
the few who was to be relied upon in that particular :
at which, he said, himself was not at all surprised,
having long known his affection and judgment in
that point ; but confessed he was surprised with the
carriage of some others, from whom he had expected
another kind of behaviour in matters of the church ;
and named sir Orlando Bridgman, upon whom, he
said, he had always looked, being the son of a bishop,
as so firm, that he could not be shaken ; and there-
fore he was the more amazed, to hear what conde-
scensions he had been willing to have made, in what
concerned religion ; and pressed the chancellor to
answer some questions he asked him about that
transaction : to the particulars whereof he excused
himself from answering, by the protestation they had
all taken before the treaty, wfth his majesty's appro-
P 3
214 THE LIFE OF
PART bation : though indeed himself had been very much
surprised with the first discovery of that temper in
1645 * that gentleman, which he had never before suspect-
ed : and ever after said, that " he was a man of ex-
" cellent parts, and honestly inclined ; and would
" choose much rather to do well than ill ; but if it
" were not safe for him to be steady in those reso-
" lutions, he was so much given to find out expedi-
" ents to satisfy unreasonable men, that he would
. " at last be drawn to yield to any thing he should
" be powerfully pressed to do. "
The king at that time having resolved to separate
the prince his son from himself, by sending him into
the west, the chancellor had a great desire to excuse
himself from attending upon the prince in that jour-
ney ; and represented to his majesty, that his office
made it more proper for him to be near his majesty's
person ; and therefore renewed his suit again to him,
that his service might be spared in that employment;
which he was the less inclined to, because he had
discovered, that neither the duke of Richmond or
the earl of Southampton did intend to wait upon
his highness in that expedition : but the king told
him positively, and with some warmth, that if he
would not go, he would not send his son : where-
upon he submitted to do any thing which his majesty
should judge fit for his service.
The chancellor speaking one day with the duke
of Richmond, who was exceedingly kind to him, of
the ill state of the king's affairs, and of the prince's
journey into the west ; the duke asked him, whether
he was well resolved to carry the prince into France,
when he should be required. He answered, that
there had been no such thing mentioned to him, nor
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 215
could he ever be made instrumental in it, but in one PART
case, which was, to prevent his falling into the
hands of the parliament ; and in that case, he did be-
lieve every honest man would rather advise his going
any whither, than being taken r by them : yet even
in that case, he should prefer many places before
France. The duke wished he might stay till then,
implying, that he doubted it was the present design ;
but there was never any thing discovered to make
it believed, that there was a design at that time
formed to such a purpose : yet the lord Digby, who
had all familiarity and confidence with the chan-
cellor, shortly after gave him occasion to apprehend
that there might even then be some such intention.
After a long discourse of the great satisfaction Lord pig-
the king had in his (the chancellor's) service, and coJrse^wit
how much he was pleased with his behaviour in the ce
treaty at Uxbridge. and that he had not a greater ce in F the
prince s
confidence in any man's affection and fidelity : he & oin g to
. . France.
said, his majesty had a great mind to confer with
him upon a point of the last importance ; but that
he was kept from it by an apprehension that he was
of a different judgment from his majesty in that
particular. The other answered, that he was very
sorry . that the king was reserved for such a reason ;
for though he knew the chancellor did never pretend
to think one thing when he did think another, and
so might take the boldness to differ from his majesty
in his judgment ; yet the king could not believe that
he would discover the secret, or refuse to do any
thing that became an honest man, upon his com-
mand, though he did not believe it counsellable.
r being taken] to be taken
p 4
16 THE LIFE OF
PART Whereupon he entered upon a very reasonable con-
sideration of the low condition of the king ; of the
1645. discontent and murmur of the court, and of the
camp ; how very difficult a thing it was like to be,
to raise such an army as would be fit to take the
field ; and how much more unfit it would be for the
king to suffer himself to be enclosed in any garrison ;
which he must be, if there were no army for him to
be in. If the first difficulty should be mastered,
and an army made ready to march, there could be
little doubt, how great soever their distractions were
at London, but that the parliament would be able
to send another more numerous, and much better
supplied than the king's could be ; and then, if the
king's army was beaten, he could have no hope ever
to raise another, his quarters already being very
strait ; and after a defeat, the victorious army would
find no opposition ; nor was there any garrison that
could oppose them any considerable time ; London
would pour out more forces ; that all the west would
be swallowed up in an instant ; and in such a case
he asked him, whether he would not think it fit,
and assist to the carrying the prince out of the
kingdom.
The chan- The chancellor told him, he would deliver his
cellor's
reply. opinion freely to him, and was willing he should let
the king know it. That such a prospect as he had
supposed, might and ought to be prudently con-
sidered ; but that it must be with great secrecy, for
that there were already, to his knowledge, some
whispers of such a purpose ; and that it was the true
end of sending the prince into the west ; which, if it
should be believed, it would never be in their power
to execute, though the occasion should be most
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 217
pressing: therefore desired there might not be the PART
least whisper of any contingency that might make 1_
it fit. For the matter itself, it must never be done 1 645 -
upon any supposition of a necessity; but when the
necessity should be real, and in view, it ought to be
resolved and executed at once ; and he would make
no scruple of carrying him rather into Turkey, than
suffering him to be made a prisoner to the par-
liament.
The lord Digby replied, that though the king
would be very well pleased with this opinion of his,
yet he would not be surprised with it ; since he knew
his affection and wisdom to be such, that in such an
extremity he could not but have that resolution :
therefore that was not the point that the king
doubted he would differ with him in. Then he con-
tinued the discourse, that he hoped there would not
such an occasion fall out, and that the divisions at
London would yet open some door for a good peace
to enter at ; but if they should unite, and should
send out a strong army, and likewise appoint the
Scots to march towards them ; how the king would
do between two such armies, was a terrible prospect :
and then the least blow would raise so general a
consternation, that the king would be more dis-
quieted by his friends and servants, than by the
enemy; that his council was so constituted, that they
would look upon the prince's leaving the kingdom,
as less advisable than giving himself up to the par-
liament ; and that many men were yet so weak a
to believe, that the best way the king could take
for his security, and preservation of his posterity,
was to deliver up both himself and all his children
into the hands of the parliament ; and that they
218 THE LIFE OF
PART would then give him better conditions than they
. had offered in their treaties, having it then in their
1645. power to keep all such persons from him as they
were dissatisfied with.
If this opinion should once spread itself, as upon
any signal defeat it would undoubtedly do, it must
be expected, that the council, and most of the lords,
who looked upon themselves as ruined for their loy-
alty, out of their natural apprehension, would ima-
gine, that the prince being then in the west, and at
liberty to do what should be thought fit, would be
directed by the king to transport himself into parts
beyond the sea ; and the queen his mother being
then in France, most probably thither ; which was
a circumstance that would likewise make his trans-
portation more universally odious. So that upon
this reflection and erroneous animadversion, the
king would be, in the first unfortunate conjuncture,
importuned by all about him to send for the prince ;
or at least to send such orders to those to whose
care he was intrusted, that they should not presume
to transport him beyond the seas, in what exigent
soever. Most men would believe, that they should
merit of the parliament by this advice, and would
prosecute it with the more earnestness and impor-
tunity ; whilst those few who discerned the mischief
and ruin that must flow from it, would not have
the courage to deliver their opinions in public, for
fear of being accused of the counsel ; and by this
means the king might be so wearied and tired with
importunity, that, against his judgment, he might
be prevailed with to sign such a direction and order
as is before mentioned; though his majesty was
clearly satisfied in his understanding, that if both
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 219
himself and the prince were in their hands together, PART
the best that could happen would be murdering him
and crowning his son ; whereas if his son were at
liberty, and out of their reach, they would get no-
thing by his death, and consequently would not at-
tempt it.
This, he said, was the fatal conjuncture the king
apprehended ; and he then asked the chancellor,
what he would do. To which he answered, without
pausing, that he hoped the king had made up a firm
resolution never to depart from his own virtue, upon
which his fate depended; and that if he forsook
himself, he had no reason to depend upon the con-
stancy of any other man, who had nothing to sup-
port that confidence but the conscience of doing
what was just : that no man could doubt the law-
fulness of obeying him, in carrying the prince out
of the kingdom, to avoid his being taken by the re-
bels ; and he was not only ready to obey in that
case, but would confidently advise it, as a thing in
policy and prudence necessary to be done. But if
the king, being at liberty, and with his own coun-
sellors and servants, should under his hand forbid
the prince to transport himself, and forbid all about
him to suffer it to be done, he would never be guilty
of disobeying that express command; though he
should be very sorry to receive it. He wished the
king would speak with him of it, that he might take
the boldness to conjure him never to put an honest
and a faithful servant to that unjust strait, to do
any thing expressly contrary to his plain and posi-
tive command, upon pretence of knowing his secret
pleasure; which is exposing him to public justice
and reproach, which can never be wiped out by the
220 THE LIFE OF
PART conscience of the other; and that the artifice was
not worthy the royal breast of a great monarch.
1645. This, he said, was still Upon the supposition of the
king's liberty; but if he were a prisoner in the
hands of his enemies, (though that should not shake
his resolution, or make him say things he doth not
intend, upon imagination that others will know his -
meaning,) the case would be different; and honest
men would pursue former resolutions, though they
should be countermanded, according to circum-
stances.
The conference ended ; and was never after re-
sumed : nor did the king ever, in the least degree,
enter upon the argument with the chancellor, though
he had many private conferences with him upon all
that occurred to him, with reference to what the
prince should do in the west ; and of all the melan-
cholic contingencies which might fall out in his own
fortune. And it was generally believed, that his ma-
jesty had a much greater confidence in the chancel-
lor than in the other, whose judgment he had no
reverence for ; and this made the chancellor after-
wards believe, that all the other discourse from the
lord Digby proceeded rather from some communi-
cation of counsels he had with the queen, than any
directions from the king. And he did upon concur-
rent circumstances ever think, that the queen did,
from the first minute of the separation of the prince
from the king, intend to draw his highness into
France, that he might be near her, and under her
tuition, before any thing in the declension of the
king's fortune required it, or made it counsellable ;
and therefore had appointed the lord Digby, her
creature, who she knew had great friendship with
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.
the chancellor, to feel his pulse, and discover, whe- PART
Hi-
ther he (in whom she had never confidence) might
be applicable to her purposes. But he often declared, l645 *
that the king himself never intimated the least
thought of the prince's leaving the kingdom, till
after the battle of Naseby ; and when Fairfax was
marched with his army into the west, and himself
was in despair of being able to raise another army ;
and even then, when he signified his pleasure to that
purpose, he left the time, and the manner, and the
place to them, who were especially trusted by him
about the prince ; as will appear by the particular
papers which are preserved of that affair; and
wherein it will likewise appear, that his majesty re-
ceived infinite satisfaction and content in the whole
management of that affair, and the happy and se-
cure transportation of the prince, in the just and
proper season, and when all the kingdom was right
glad that it was done.
As his majesty was more particularly gracious to
the chancellor from the time of the treaty at Ux-
bridge ; so there was no day passed without his con-
ferring with him in private upon his most secret
considerations and apprehensions, before his depar-
ture with the prince for the west. One day he told
him, he was very glad of what the duke of Rich-
mond had done the day before ; and indeed he had
done somewhat the day before which very much
surprised the chancellor. When his majesty arose
from council, the duke of Richmond whispered
somewhat privately to him, upon which the king
went into his bedchamber ; and the duke called the
chancellor, and told him, the king would speak with
him, and so took him by the hand, and led him into
222 THE LIFE OF
PART the bedchamber ; the privilege and dignity of which
. room was then so punctually preserved, that the
16-45. ting very rarely called any privy counsellor to con-
fer with him there, who was not of the bedcham-
ber : which maintained a just reverence to the place,
and an esteem of those who were admitted to attend
there. ^
The cimn- As soon as he came into the room, before he said
the king's any thing to the king, who was there alone, the
duke spake to the chancellor, and told him, that he
p had been brought up from his childhood by the
duke of crown, and had always paid it the obedience of a
Richmond.
child ; that as he had taken a wife with the appro-
bation and advice of the crown, so he had never
made a friendship, which he took to be a kind of
marriage, without the king's privity and particular
approbation ; that he had long had a kindness for
him, but had taken time to know him well, which
he thought he now did; and therefore had asked
his majesty's consent, that he might make a friend-
ship with him : and then said to the king, " Sir,
" have I not your approbation to this conjunction ? "
to which his majesty said, " Yes, my lord, I am
" very glad of it ; and I will pass my word to you
" for the chancellor, that you will not repent it ;"
with many gracious expressions to them both : and
so the duke led him out of the room again, saying,
f ' Now, Mr. Chancellor, it is in your power to de-
" ceive me. " And to this it was, that his majesty's
discourse related the next day, when he told him he
was glad of what had passed, &c. and said, he hoped
he would give him good counsel ; for he had not of
late lived towards him in the manner he was used
to do ; that he knew well the duke was a very ho-
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 223
nest and worthy man, and had all the kindness, as PART
well as duty for his majesty ; but that he was grown '
sullen, or discontented, and had not the same coun-
tenance he used to have ; for which he could ima-
gine no other reason, but that his man Webb gave
him ill counsel : he said, he was well contented that
he should take notice, that his majesty was not well
satisfied ; and asked him suddenly, when the duke
was at Oriel college with them ; (Oriel college was
the lodging of the lord treasurer, where that com-
mittee for secret affairs, of which the duke was one,
used to meet. ) The chancellor answered, that in-
deed the duke had not been there lately, which he
thought had proceeded from his attendance upon
his majesty, or some other necessary divertisement.
The king said, it proceeded not from thence ; and
that he might take occasion from his absence from
thence, to let himself into that discourse, and after-
wards proceed as he thought fit.
The duke was a person of a very good under- character of
standing ; and of so great perfection and punctuality
in all matters of honesty and honour, that he was
infinitely superior to any kind of temptation. He
had all the warmth and passions of a subject, and a
servant, and a friend for the king, and for his per-
son ; but he was then a man of a high spirit, and
valued his very fidelity at the rate it was worth ;
and not the less, for that it had almost stood single
for some time. The chancellor was very sorry for
this discovery ; and chose to wait upon the duke
the same day, near the hour when the meeting used
to be at Oriel college : and when he had spent a
short time with him, he said, he thought it was time
to go to Oriel college, and asked his grace, whether
224 THE LIFE OF
PART he would please to go thither ; for which he making
IIL some excuse, the other pressed him with some ear-
1645. nestness, and said, it was observed that he had a
good time declined that meeting, and if he should
not now go thither, he should be doubtful there
was some reason for it.
The duke replied, that he had indeed been absent
from thence for some time, and that he would deal
clearly with him as his friend, but desired it should
not be known ; that he was resolved to be there no
more. Then complained, that the king was not kind
to him ; at least, had not that confidence in him
which he had used to have : and then spake of many
particulars loosely ; and especially, that before the
treaty, he had advised the king to use all the means
he could to draw them to a treaty, for many advan-
tages which were like to be gotten by it ; and to
that purpose produced a letter that he had newly re-
ceived from the countess of Carlisle, and read it to
his majesty, who then seemed not to be moved with
the contents ; but afterwards, in several discourses,
reflected upon it in such a manner, as if he were
jealous that the duke held too much correspondence
with that people : which he looked upon . as such a
point of diffidence, that it was no longer fit for him
to be present when s the secret part of his affairs
was transacted ; and so he had and would forbear to
meet in that place, till iris majesty should entertain a
better opinion of him : yet he concealed the trouble
of rtiind which he sustained ; and wished that no
notice might be taken of it.
The chancellor told him, it was too late for that
* when] where
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.
caution ; that the lords themselves could not but ob- PART
in.
serve his long absence, who before used to be the
most punctual ; and confessed to him, that the king Whom h ' e
himself had spoken to him of it with a sense of won- endeavour*
to reconcile
der and dislike; which, he said, he was to blame to the king;
himself for; since the honour he had done him to the
king, had likewise disposed his majesty to trust him
so far, as to express some dissatisfaction he had in
his grace's late carriage and behaviour. The duke
seemed not displeased with the communication, but
thereupon entered into a fuller and warmer dis-
course than before ; how much the king had with-
drawn his confidence from him, and trusted others
much more than him. In sum, it was easy to dis-
cern, that the thing that troubled him was the
power and credit that John Ashburnham had with
the king ; which his vanity made him own to that
degree, that he was not content to enjoy the benefit
of it, except he made it public, and to be taken
notice of by all men ; which could not but reflect
upon his honour : and when the chancellor seemed
to think it impossible, that himself could believe
that the king could prefer a man of Mr. Ashburn-
ham's talent before his grace, he proceeded with
many instances, and insisted with most indignation
upon one.
That about a year before, sir John Lucas, who
was well known to his grace, having met him abroad
in his travels, and ever after paid a particular re-
spect to him, had applied himself to him, and de-
sired his favour ; that when there should be any
opportunity offered, he would recommend him to
the king, to whom he was not unknown : that his
affection to his majesty's service was notorious
VOL. i. a
THE LIFE OF
PART enough, and that his sufferings were so likewise, his
house being the first that was plundered in the be-
1 645. ginning of the war ; by which, the loss he sustained in
furniture, plate, money, and stock, was very consider-
able ; so that he might modestly hope, that when his
majesty scattered his favours upon others of his own
rank, his poor service might likewise be remembered :
but he had seen men raised to dignities, who he was
sure had not the advantage over him in their suffer-
ings, whatever they might have in their actings ; and
he desired no more, but (since it was too ^evident
that his majesty's wants were great, and that money
would do him some service) that he might receive
that degree of honour which others had, and he
would make such a present to him as should mani-
fest his gratitude ; and he desired to owe the obli-
gation to his grace, and to receive it only by his me-
diation.
He said, he had moved this matter, with the
relation of all the circumstances, to his majesty,
who spake very graciously of the gentleman, as a
person of merit, but said, he was resolved to make
no more lords ; which he received as a very good an-
swer, and looked upon as a good resolution, and
commended it; desiring only, that if at any time
his majesty found it necessary to vary from that re-
solution, he would remember his proposition, and
gratify that gentleman ; which he promised to do ;
and with all which he acquainted the person con-
cerned ; thinking it could not but well satisfy him.
But he told him, that he was sorry that he could
not receive the honour by his grace's recommenda-
tion ; but for the thing itself, he could have it when
he would ; and shortly after it was despatched by
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 227
Mr. Ashburnham : he asked, whether this was not PART
preferring Mr. Ashburnham very much before him.
1 f* A t\
The chancellor told him, he was preferred as the
better market man ; and that he ought not to be-
lieve that the king's affection swayed him to that
preference, but an opinion that the other would
make the better bargain. He replied, his majesty
was deceived in that, for he had told him what the
other meant to give, without the least thought of re-
serving any thing for himself; whereas his majesty
had now received five hundred pounds less, and his
market man had gotten so much for his pains.
In conclusion, he prevailed so far with him, that
they went that afternoon together to the committee
to Oriel college ; and the next day the chancellor
spake with the king again, and told him, that the
duke had been in the afternoon with the committee,
where many things had been consulted ; and that he And the
found all his trouble proceeded from an apprehen- duke of
sion, that his majesty had withdrawn his affection
from him ; at least, that he, the duke, had not the
same credit with his majesty which he had formerly
had ; and that the sense and fear of that, could not but
make an impression upon a good servant, who loved
his master as well as he did. His majesty said, they
two should not live as well together as they had done,
as long as the duke kept his man Webb ; who made
him believe that the king was wholly governed by
Ashburnham, and cared not for any body else. He
said, nobody who knew him could believe he could
be governed by Ashburnham ; who, though an honest
man, and one that he believed loved him well, no man
thought was of an understanding superior to his ma-
jesty ; and enlarged himself upon this argument so
Q 2
228 THE LIFE OF
PART much, that he seemed as it were glad of the oppor-
tunity to clear himself from that aspersion or impu-
1645 - tation.
It is a very great misfortune for any prince to be
suspected to be governed by any man ; for as the
reproach is of all others the most grievous, so they
think the trusting weak men, who are much short
of their own vigour of wit and understanding, is a
sufficient vindication from that calumny ; and so,
before they are aware of it, they decline wiser men,
who are fit to advise them, and give themselves to
weaker, upon an imagination, that nobody will ever
But with- suspect they can be governed by them. In fine, he
5S> found the work too hard for him ; the king being
so much incensed against Webb, that he expected
the duke should turn him away : and the duke him-
self looked upon the king's prejudice as infused into
him by Ashburnham, upon particular malice ; hav-
ing often desired, that some accuser might charge
Webb, and he be heard to answer for himself;
which the king not being willing to admit, the
other was unwilling to dismiss a servant, his secre-
tary, who had served him long, and was very useful
to him ; and who indeed was never suspected for any
infidelity or want of affection to his master : and so
the chancellor, to his great trouble, was not able to
remove that cloudiness that remained in both their
countenances ; which never produced the least ill
effect in the view or observation of any ; the duke's
duty being never in any degree diminished ; and the
king's kindness to him continuing with many gra-
cious evidences to his death.
The king's The last conference his majesty had with the
last confer-
ence with chancellor was the very day the prince began his
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 229
journey towards the west, and indeed after he had PART
received his blessing ; when his majesty sent for
HI.
him into his bedchamber, and repeated some things I6 i 4o<
v the chan-
he had mentioned before. He told him, " there had ceiior of the
" been many things which had troubled him, with
" reference to his son's absence from him ; for all
" which, but one, he had satisfied himself: the one
" was, the inconvenience which might arise from
" the weakness and folly of his governor ; against
" which he had provided, as well as he could, by
" obliging the prince to follow the advice of his
" council in all things ; which he was well assured
" he would do ; and he had given them as much au-
" thority as they could wish : another was, that
" there was one servant about the prince, who he
" thought had too much credit with him, which was
" Elliot ; who he did not intend should be with him
" in the journey ; and had therefore sent him into
" France to the queen, with direction to her majesty,
" to keep him there ; and if he should return whilst
" the prince remained in the west, that he should be
" sent to his majesty, and not suffered to stay with
" his highness ; and that was all the care he could
" take in those two particulars : but there was a
" third, in which he knew not what to do, and that
" troubled him much more than the other two. "
When the chancellor seemed full of expectation to
know what that might be, the king said, " I have
" observed of late some kind of sharpness, upon
" many occasions, between Colepepper and you ; and
" though you are joined with other honest men, yet
" my great confidence is upon you two : I know not
" that the fault is in you ; nay, I must confess, that
" it is very often in him ; but let it be where it will,
Q3
230 THE LIFE OF
PART " any difference and unkindness between you two
" must be at my charge ; and I must tell you, the
1645. t ( f ear j have o f ft gi ves me much trouble: I have
" spoken very plainly to him my apprehension in
" this point, within this hour ; and he hath made as
" fair promises to me as I can wish ; and upon my
" conscience I think he loves you, though he may
" sometimes provoke you to be angry. "
The king here making a pause, the chancellor,
out of countenance, said, " he was very sorry that he
" had ever given his majesty any occasion for such
" an apprehension, but very glad that he had vouch-
" safed to inform him of it ; because he believed he
" should give his majesty such assurance in that
" particular as would fully satisfy him : he assured
" his majesty, that he had a great esteem of the lord
" Colepepper; and though he might have at some
" times passions which were inconvenient, he was
" so confident of himself, that they should not pro-
" voke or disturb him, that he was well content that
" his majesty should condemn, and think him in the
" fault, if any thing should fall out, of prejudice to
" his service, from a difference between them two. "
With which his majesty appeared abundantly satis-
fied and pleased ; and embracing him, gave him his
hand to kiss ; and he immediately went to horse,
and followed the prince : and this was the last time
the chancellor ever saw that gracious and excellent
king.
The cban- It was upon the fourth of March, in the year
cellor at- - /> . , > . -, 11* i /
tends the lt>44, that the prince parted from the king his ta-
thTwest 1 ; ther. He lodged that night at Farringdon, having
first aLauit- mac ' e ^ s j ournev thither in one continued storm of
ed by the ra j n from the minute he left Oxford ; and from
gout.
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 231
thence went the next day to the garrison of the De- FART
vizes ; and the third to the city of Bath ; which be-
ing a safe place, and within seven or eight miles of 1645 -
Bristol, he stayed there two or three days. And in
this journey the chancellor was first assaulted with
the gout, having never had the least apprehension
of it before ; but from his coming to Bath, he was
not able to stand, and so went by coach to Bristol ;
where in few days he recovered that first lameness,
which ever after afflicted him too often. And so the
year 1644 ended, which shall conclude this part.
^ November 6, 1669-
Q 4
THE LIFE
OF
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON;
FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY IN THE YEAR 1660.
PART IV.
A VERY particular memorial 'of all material af- PART
IV
fairs in the west, during the subsequent year of.
1645, during the prince's residence in the west 1645 -
The state and temper of that country, after the de-
feat of his majesty's army at Naseby The several
plots and devices of the lord Goring, to get the
prince into his power The debauchery of that army
and amongst the officers of it, and the defeats it
suffered from the enemy through that debauchery
Goring's departure out of the kingdom, and the pos-
ture he left his army in The beating up of their
quarters afterwards- The entering of Fairfax into
the west with his army ; and his sudden taking the
towns there The mutinous behaviour of sir Richard
Greenvil, and the quarrels and conflicts between the
troops under his command with those under the
lord Goring The prince's retreat by degrees back-
ward into Cornwall, as Fairfax advanced The seve-
ral messages and orders from the king, for the trans-
234, THE LIFE OF
PART porting the prince out of England, and all the di-
rections and resolutions thereupon; and the several
messages from the queen and the earl of St. Alban's;
with the assurance of a supply of six thousand foot,
under the command of Ruvignie, promised confi-
dently to be landed in Cornwall within- one month,
when there was not any such thing in nature, nor
one company raised, or ship in readiness, or in view
1646. for such an expedition, &c. The king's obliging
the lord Hopton to take charge of those broken and
dissolute troops The commitment of sir Richard
Greenvil, for not submitting to be commanded by
him, and for endeavouring to raise a party in the
country to treat with the enemy for the security
and neutrality of Cornwall, and the routing the lord
Hopton's troops at Torrington The prince's retreat
thereupon to Pendennis; and the factions and con-
spiracies between some of his own servants, and
some gentlemen of the country, to hinder the prince
from going out of the kingdom ; and the departure
of his highness from Pendennis, in the end of that
year 1645 % and his arrival in the island of Scilly, is
contained in papers, orderly and methodically set
down ; which papers and relation are not now
at hand, but are safe, and will be easily found;
together with his highness's stay in the island of
Scilly: from whence, the next day, the lord Cole-
pepper was despatched with letters to the queen to
Paris, to give notice of his highness's being in that
island ; and to desire money, arms, and ammunition
for the defence thereof: and at the same time an-
other vessel was sent into Ireland, to give the mar-
a in the end of that year 1645] Namely, Old Style.
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 235
quis of Ormond likewise information of it, and to PART
desire that two companies of foot might be sent thi- '
ther, to increase that garrison, and to defend it, in
case the enemy should attack it His highness's stay
in Scilly near six weeks, until the lords Capel and
Hopton came thither, after they had made condi-
tions for the disbanding their troops with Fairfax ;
which Goring's troops made it necessary to do ; they
not only refusing to obey all orders, but mingling
every day with the troops of the enemy, and re-
maining quietly together in the same quarters,
drinking and making merry with each other The
report of a fleet designed from the parliament for
Scilly, and those lords viewing the island, and not
looking upon it as tenable, caused a new consulta-
tion to be held, whether it were fit for his highness
to remain there, till the return of the lord Colepep-
per, or to remove sooner ; and whither he should
remove ; the frigate which brought the prince from
Pendennis being still kept in readiness at Scilly,
upon the foresight that his remove might come to
be necessary That upon this consultation it was
resolved, that it would not be safe for his highness
to remain there, but that he should transport him-
self from thence into the island of Jersey ; which
was done accordingly And his highness's arrival
there about the beginning of April, 1645 The
prince's reception in Jersey, by sir George Carteret ;
and the universal joy of the island for his arrival ;
with the situation and strength of the island The
lord Digby's arrival in Jersey, with two frigates
from Ireland, and with two hundred soldiers ; hav-
ing been at Scilly, and there heard of his highness's
departure for Jersey His earnest advice for the
236 THE LIFE OF
PART prince's going for Ireland; and when he could not
! obtain his highness's consent, till the return of the
C46 ' lord Colepepper, his going to Paris, to persuade the
queen, and to protest against the prince's going for
France ; against which he inveighed with more pas-
sion than any man The arrival of Mr. Thomas
Jermyn from Paris, with very positive orders for
the prince's repair thither, from the queen And
shortly after, the lord Colepepper's arrival, who
had been despatched from her majesty -to return to
Scilly, before she knew of his highness's remove
from thence; which advertisement overtook the
lord Colepepper at Havre de Grace, after he was
embarked; and so he bent his course thither, and
had the same orders for the prince's going to Paris,
as Mr. Jermyn had likewise brought.
There was none of the council inclined that his
highness, being in a place of unquestionable safety,
should suddenly depart from thence, till the state
and condition in which his majesty was, and his
pleasure might be known : it was then understood
that his majesty had left Oxford, and was with the
Scottish army before Newark ; which he had caused
to be rendered, that the army might retire ; which
it presently did, and the king in it, to Newcastle :
the prince was yet in his father's -dominions ; some
places in England still holding out, as Oxford, Wor-
cester, Pendennis, and other places ; that it would
be easy, in a short time, to understand the king's
pleasure, and that there could be no inconvenience
in expecting it, the prince's person being in no pos-
sible danger; but that the mischief might be very
great, if, without the king's direction, it were done,
whether his majesty should be well or ill treated by
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 237
the Scots; and that the parliament might make it PART
a new matter of reproach against the king, that iie
had sent the heir apparent of the crown out of the
kingdom ; which could be no otherwise excused, at
least by those who attended him, than by evident
and apparent necessity : those reasons appeared of
so much weight to the prince himself, (who had not
a natural inclination to go into France,) and to all
the council, that the lord Capel and the lord Cole-
pepper were desired to go to Paris, to satisfy the
queen why the prince had deferred yielding a pre-
sent obedience to her command.
The treatment they received at Paris, and their
return again to Jersey, together with the lord Jer-
myn and lord Digby, and some other persons of
quality: the lord Digby being to return to Ireland
with eight thousand pistoles, which the cardinal sent
towards the supply of the king's service there ; and
being by it and the cardinal so throughly convinced
of the necessity of the prince's going for France, that
he was more positive for it than any of the rest ; and
had promised the queen that he would convert the
chancellor, and make him consent to it ; with whom
he had a great friendship The debate at Jersey
upon their coming back The lord Capel adhering
to his former opinion, that we might first know the
king's opinion ; towards the receiving of which he
had offered the queen, and now offered again, to go
himself to Newcastle, where the king still was ; no-
body knowing what would be the issue of the con-
troversy between the Scots and the parliament ; and
if the king should direct it, every man would will-
ingly attend his highness, and punctually observe
whatsoever the king commanded ; and because the
238 THE LIFE OF EDWARD &c.
PART objection might be removed, of his being taken pri-
. soner by the parliament, or his being not suffered
1646.
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. But there was nothing more dis-
posed his majesty to that resolution, than to be
absent from his council at Oxford, when he should
settle the differences between the princes * and the
marquis ; for as he was always swayed by his affec-
tion to his nephews k , which he did not think par-
subduing his party, had not made such wonderful haste in
power enough to hinder and recruiting the army, (to which
prevent the treaty, and there- the earl of Essex had contri-
fore satisfied themselves with buted all his endeavours, be-
limiting the commissioners to lieving that he had yet per-
such propositions and by such formed less than had been ex-
instructions as are mentioned pected from him,) that the very
before. But from that time day that the commissioners left
they met with little opposition Oxford, the earl of Essex had a
in the houses ; they who desir- rendezvous of his whole army,
ed peace, and had raised their and marched towards Reading,
hopes upon the treaty, thinking which was about the beginning
it reasonable that all prepara- of April.
tions should be made for the ll at the disunion between
"war, and they who abhorred the princes Rupert and Mau-
the thought of peace, and all rice, and the marquis of Hert-
those who affected it, using all ford] The account of this dis-
imaginable diligence in advanc- union is inserted in Appendix D
ing those preparations ; inso- of the ^. th volume of the History
much as, having by- ordinances of the Rebellion.
and seizures drawn in great ' princes] prince
supplies of money, they had k nephews] nephew
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 195
1643.
tiality; so the lords, towards whom the princes 1 did PART
not" live with any condescension, were very solicitous
that the marquis might receive no injustice or dis-
obligation. And the king, to avoid all counsel in
this particular, resolved to declare no resolution till
he should come himself to Bristol; and so went
from Oxford thither : taking with him, of the coun-
cil, the duke of Richmond, the lord Falkland, the
master of the rolls, and the chancellor of the exche-
quer. The king lodging the first night at Malms-
bury; and the lord Falkland, the master of the rolls,
and some other gentlemen lodging that night with
the chancellor of the exchequer, at his house at Pir-
ton, which lay in the way to Bristol ; where they
were the next day within an hour after the king. m
1 princes] prince
m within an hour after the
king. ] ThuscontinuedintheMS. :
The disorders at Bristol were
greater than could have been
imagined ; the factions and jea-
lousies ran through all kinds
and degrees of men, of the ar-
my, of the city, of the country;
and the loss of many officers
and common men upon the as-
saults had weakened the army
beyond imagination, and the
number of the sick and wound-
ed was very great. The natural
murmurs of the Cornish were
now turned into direct mutiny,
and they declared positively that
they would not march further
southward, but would return to
their own country to look to
their houses, their wives, and
their children, which they said
were infested by the garrison at
Plymouth. There was no mo-
ney to give them, nor were
there any officers left, who had
credit and authority over them ;
and now all men saw the infi-
nite loss the king had sustained
in the death of Greenvil, Slan-
ning, and Trevannion, who go-
verned that people absolutely.
It was evident, that if they were
compelled to march further,many
of them would run away, and
the rest be full of discontent ;
and therefore it was resolved,
that they, and all the rest who
had been officers or soldiers
formerly designed for the west-
ern services under the marquis
and prince Maurice, should re-
turn again to the west, upon a
presumption that they would
be able, with the reputation they
would carry back upon the tak-
ing of Bristol, in a short time
to subdue those maritime places,
which were possessed by small
garrisorts for the parliament; and
being recruited by good winter
o 21
196
THE LIFE OF
PART
III.
The chancellor of the exchequer had undergone
some mortification during the short abode at Bristol,
Ashburn
ham
1643.
The chan- . . . .
ceilor of the quarters, an army would be ready
exchequer's by the next spring to attend his
office invad- majesty; and all the Cornish
ed by Mr. ma( i e so lenin promises that, as
soon as Plymouth should be
reduced, they would with great
alacrity return to any service
they should be required. The
expectation was very reasonable,
and the counsel much advanced
by prince Rupert, that his bro-
ther Maurice might be in the
head of an army; for he had
prevailed with the king to re-
solve that the marquis of Hertz
ford should be no more em-
ployed as general, though it
was not discovered to him, nor
his commission taken from him.
Besides the king's inclination
to his nephew, he found that
work not so difficult, nor the
marquis so popular, as it ap-
peared in the first consultation
at Oxford. The marquis's unac-
tivity in all things relating to
the war, and his too much re-
tirement to his ease, had lost
all the reverence and devotion
of the soldiers ; and prince
Maurice's living with them so-
ciably and familiarly, and going
with them upon all parties and
in all actions, in which he had
received some hurts, had made
both his person and his com-
mand very acceptable to them.
Then the marquis's leaning too
much to the advice of his do-
mestic officers and the stewards
of his lands,. and people of that
condition, (many whereof were
thought very disaffected to the
king's service, as most of his
tenants were,) made the chief
persons of the country less so-
licitous for his command over
them than they had been, where-
of the lord Paulet was the chief,
who was then at Bristol, and
spake with great freedom to the
king of the marquis's unfitness
to exercise that command; which
advice, besides that it was very
grateful, made the more im-
pression, because he was thought
to have good affection for the
marquis, and had little know-
ledge of the prince.
This matter being thus set-
tled in the king's own thoughts
and resolutions, he discovered
it no further than by appoint-
ing those troops to be ready for
their march, and prince Maurice
to conduct them, whilst the
marquis of Hertford attended
his majesty till the business of
Bristol should be settled, and
some other affairs of the coun-
try; the marquis intending, when
those should be settled, (in do-
ing whereof he was willing to
be present,) to make haste to
the army, and his majesty, ac-
cording to his natural custom
of discovering any disobliging
resolution as late as was possi-
ble, did not at all impart his
purpose to him, and being first
to resolve what obligation to
confer upon him at the same
time, to make the other the
better digested ; and to that pur-
pose he was pleased to confer
with freedom and without re-
servation with the chancellor of
the exchequer, and bidding him
inform himself of the opinion
both the army and the country
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 197
which was the only port of trade within the king's PART
which was like to yield a considerable
quarters ;
had of the marquis, and asking
him, whether the lord Paulet
and others had not spoken to
him of the laziness of the mar-
quis, and of the credit and power
Hirton had with him; and of
some actions done by his secre-
tary, who was a fellow of an ill
reputation; and wished him to
think of it, and to dispose the
marquis to decline that employ-
ment, as less agreeable to his
nature and constitution, and to
remain about the person of the
king, in order to which he would
think upon some place, for he
knew he was weary of being
governor to the prince. The
chancellor had great reverence
for the marquis, and knew the
benefit his fidelity had brought
to the king, and the insupport-
able damage that would accrue
from his declared discontent,
and had no other esteem of the
prince's parts and conduct and
discretion, than good manners
obliged him -to ; and yet he had
with much trouble heard the
little credit the marquis had in
the army, and more of his unac-
tivity than he believed he could
have been guilty of; for though
he knew he was naturally lazy,
and did so much love his ease,
he knew too that he had a clear
courage and a very good under-
standing ; and if he had a friend
by him to put him in mind of
any thing that concerned his
honour, he would be very coun-
sellable. Whereupon he told
the king, that though he had
heard many discourses which
he had not expected, and found
1643.
that some persons had changed
their opinions of the marquis,
yet he was so apprehensive of
the ill consequence that might
probably attend his majesty's
inclination to remove him from
the command, and giving the
entire trust to his nephew, that
he could not give his counsel
for the putting it in execution ;
but that when his majesty upon
full thoughts had fixed himself,
he would use the credit he had
with the marquis to dispose him
to conform himself to his ma-
jesty's determination, and that
he could with a much better
conscience dissuade the marquis
from affecting that command,
than he could persuade his ma-
jesty to take it from him.
The other matter concerning
the government of Bristol was
of as nice a nature, but not like
to give the king so much trou-
ble; for sir Ralph Hopton had
neither set his heart upon the
command, nor would embrace
any title that might give any
umbrage to his majesty, but
laid all his pretences at the
king's feet, and himself to be
disposed of by him. By which
unconcernedness and ingenuity
the marquis was sensibly dis-
obliged, having chosen him as
a subject fit to support his au-
thority against the pretences of
the prince; and therefore this un-
warm condescension was look-
ed upon as a forsaking the mar-
quis, who was never thoroughly
reconciled to him afterwards.
But that which gave the king
trouble was, the clear and un-
o 3
198
THE LIFE OF
PART benefit to the king, if it were well managed; and
. the direction thereof belonged entirely to his office :
1643.
questionable credit and reputa-
tion of sir Ralph Hopton, who
was now the only man left, who
had out of nothing, and when
the marquis had given over all
hopes of the west and abandon-
ed it, and fled into Wales, (which
was now remembered with many
reproaches,) raised that force,
and upon the matter reduced
that part of the kingdom to his
majesty's obedience. He was
a person of one of the best
families, and one of the fairest
fortunes, of all the gentlemen
in that large, rich, and populous
county of Somerset, and inferior
to none in the love and affection
of that people. He was of a
very generous nature, a pious
and devout man, and an exact
observer of justice, which made
the city infinitely desire that he
might be their govemor, who
would not suffer them to be
made a prey to the soldier. On
the other side, by being himself
ungrievous to them by any ex-
actions, it was very probable he
would be able to persuade and
induce them cheerfully to sub-
mit to such impositions as were
necessary for their own defence ;
and that such a man should be
rejected by the king upon the
prince's pretence, who could
not reside there himself, and
must leave it to a deputy who
would never be grateful, seemed
unreasonable to the king him-
self in reference to his own
service, and to the envy which
would be increased by it towards
his nephew, prince Rupert, who
was already become very un-
popular ; but on the other side,
the granting it to him would be
generally looked upon as the
triumph of the marquis of Hert-
ford over prince Rupert, which
his majesty could not think of
with any patience. The easy
temper and disposition of sir
Ralph Hopton, and prince Ru-
pert's being willing to come off
from this matter with his honour,
gave the king an expedient to
compose this difficult affair to
his own satisfaction : prince Ru-
pert should have the name of
governor of Bristol, according to
his pretence, by a grant from
the king, and sir Ralph Hopton
should be his lieutenant gover-
nor, which he without scruple
accepted : but the prince pro-
mised to the king that he would
never in the least degree meddle
in the government, but leave it
entirely to sir Ralph Hopton ;
which being all concluded, two
were only satisfied, the king
and sir Ralph Hopton ; the
other two, the prince and the
marquis, were both offended,
the latter thinking himself in-
jured by sir Ralph's declining
his commission to be governor,
and submitting to be lieutenant
under prince Rupert, though he
had it by commission from the
king himself; and prince Ru-
pert being as angry that he had
only the title, and could not
make his own lieutenant ; and
that the same man's having the
place, who was designed to it
by the marquis, as was generally
known, would be believed to be
put in by his authority; and
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 199
but when he sent to the officers of the customs, to PART
be informed of the present state of trade, he found "
that some treaty was made, and order given in it by
Mr. Ashburnham, a groom of the bedchamber; who,
with the assistance and advice of sir John Cole-
pepper, had prevailed with the king to assign that
province to him, as a means to raise a present sum
of money for the supply of the army : which the
chancellor took very heavily; and the lord Falkland,
out of his friendship to him, more tenderly ; and ex-
postulated it with the king with some warmth ; and
more passionately with sir John Colepepper and Mr.
Ashburnham, as a violation of the friendship they
professed to the chancellor, and an invasion of his
office; which no man bears easily.
They were both ashamed of it, and made some
weak excuses, of incogitance and inadvertence ; and
the king himself, who discerned the mischief that
would ensue, if there should be an apparent schism
amongst those he so entirely trusted, was pleased to
take notice of it to the chancellor, with many gra-
cious expressions ; and said, " that Mr. Ashburnham The king
" being treasurer and paymaster of the army, he did
" believe some money might have been raised for the
" present occasion ; and only intended it for the
from that time he never favour- upon several occasions,
ed sir Ralph Hopton, but al- When the king had settled
ways discountenanced him all these particulars, which had very
he could. But the king, to much disquieted him, he consi-
publish to all the world the es- dered what he was to do now
teem he had of him, made him this success at Bristol gave him
at the same time a baron, and great reputation every where ;
created him lord Hopton of and the possessing the second
Witham, a noble seat of his city of the kingdom for trade
own in the county of Somerset, and wealth of the inhabitants
of whom there will be more much enlarged his quarters,
occasion of discourse hereafter
o 4
THE LIFE OF
PART " present, without considering it would be an inva-
" sion of his right ; and therefore directed, that an
1643. account should be given to him of all that had
" been done, and he should do n as he thought fit. "
But when he understood all that had been done, he
would make no alteration in it, that his majesty
might be convinced that his service was not looked
after in the design.
And it was discernible enough,
that Mr. Ashburnham, who usually looked very far
before him, had not so much intended to disoblige the
chancellor, as, by introducing himself this way into
the customs, to continue one of the farmers of the
customs, when the war should be at an end; of
which he got a promise from the king at the same
time ; who had great affection for him, and an ex-
traordinary opinion of his managery. If there re-
mained after this any jealousy or coldness between
the chancellor of the exchequer and the other two,
as the disparity between their natures and humours
made some believe there did, it never brake out or
appeared, to the disturbance or prejudice of the
king's service ; but all possible concurrence in the
carrying it on was observed between them.
The march of the earl of Essex from London to
n do] do in it. earl of Essex march out of Lon-
The march of the earl of don with a much better army,
Essex] This part is thus intro- and better provided for, than he
duced in the MS. : They who had yet commanded since the
had judged only of the impro- beginning of the troubles. The
bability of relieving Gloucester, city had supplied him with five
by the slow progress that seem- thousand foot of their train-
ed to be made in the parliament bands, consisting all of citizens
towards it, and the small in- of good account, who were coin-
crease that was made in the manded by their own officers ;
army by new levies, found them- and made it appear, that their
selves deceived ; and, before it city order and discipline very
was imagined possible, saw the well prepared and disposed men
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 201
Gloucester, over as large a campania as any in Eng- PART
land, when the king had an army of above eight !
thousand horse, reputed victorious, without being 16 ^ 3 *
put to strike one stroke ; the circumstances of that
siege, and the raising it ; the earl's march after he
had performed that great work, and when the king's
army watched only to engage him in a battle, and
passing over a large and open campania three days
before the king had notice that he was come out of
Gloucester ; the overtaking the army P, and the
battle by Newbury ; and his retreat afterwards to
London ; contained so many particular actions of
courage and conduct, that they all deserve a very
punctual and just relation ; and are much above the
level of this plain and foreign discourse.
In this battle of Newbury, the chancellor of the
exchequer lost the joy and comfort of his life; which
he lamented so passionately, that he could not in
many days compose himself to any thoughts of bu-
siness. His dear friend the lord Falkland, hurried The death
i 1_ / "i r> i i i f t' le l r d
by nis rate, in the morning of the battle, as he was Falkland.
naturally inquisitive after danger, put himself into
the head of sir John Byron's regiment, which he be-
lieved was like to be in the hottest service, and was
then appointed to charge a body of foot ; and in that
charge was shot with a musket bullet, so that he
fell dead from his horse. The same day that the
news came to Oxford of his death, which was the
next after he was killed, the chancellor received
a letter from him, written at the time when the army
rose from Gloucester ; but the messenger had been
employed in other service, so that he came not to
for the boldest service and en- of Essex, &c.
terprise. The march of the earl P the army] his army
202 THE LIFE OF
PART Oxford till that day. The letter was an answer to
in
. one the chancellor had then sent to him ; in which
1643. h e had told him, how much he suffered in his repu-
tation with all discreet men, by engaging himself
unnecessarily in all places of danger ; and that it
was not the office of a privy counsellor, and a secre-
tary of state, to visit the trenches, as he usually did ;
and conjured~him, out of the conscience of his duty
to the king, and to free his friends from those con-
tinual uneasy apprehensions, not to engage his per-
son to those dangers which were not incumbent to
him. His answer was, that the trenches were now
at an end ; there would be no more danger there :
that his case was different from other men's ; that
he was so much taken notice of for an impatient de-
sire of peace, that it was necessary that he should
likewise make it appear, that it was not out of fear
of the utmost hazard of war : he said some melan-
cholic things of the time ; and concluded, that in
few days they should come to a battle, the issue
whereof, he hoped, would put an end to the misery
of the kingdom.
Much hath been said of this excellent person be-
fore ; but not so much, or so well, as his wonderful
parts and virtues deserved. He died as much of the
time as of the bullet : for, from the very beginning
of the war, he contracted so deep a sadness and me-
lancholy, that his life was not pleasant to him ; and
sure he was too weary of it. Those who did not
know him very well imputed, very unjustly, much
of it to a violent passion he had for a noble lady ;
and it was the more spoken of, because she died the
same day, and, as some computed it, in the same
hour that he was killed : but they who knew either
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 203
the lord or the lady, knew well that neither of them PART
was capable of an ill imagination. She was of the-
most unspotted, unblemished virtue ; never married ;
of an extraordinary talent of mind, but of no alluring
beauty ; nor of a constitution of tolerable health, be-
ing in a deep consumption, and not like to have lived
so long by many months. It is very true, the lord
Falkland had an extraordinary esteem of her, and
exceedingly loved her conversation, as most of the
persons of eminent parts of that time did ; for she
was in her understanding, and discretion, and wit,
and modesty, above most women ; the best of which
had always a friendship with her. But he was
withal so kind to his wife, whom he knew to be an
excellent person, that, though he loved his children
with more affection and fondness than most fathers
used to do, he left by his will all he had to his wife ;
and committed his three sons, who were all the chil-
dren he had, to her sole care and bounty.
He was little more than thirty years of age when
he was killed ; in which time he was very accom-
plished in all those parts of learning and knowledge,
which most men labour to attain till they are very
old ; and in wisdom, and the practice of virtue, to a
wonderful perfection. From his age of twenty years,
he had lived in an entire friendship with the chan-
cellor, who was about six months elder; and who
never spake of him afterwards, but with a love, and
a grief, which still raised some commotion in him.
And he very often used to lament him in the words
of Cicero concerning Hortensius, " Quod magna sa-
" pientium et civium bonorum penuria, vir egregius,
" conjunctissimusque mecum consiliorum omnium
" societate, alienissimo reipublicae tempore extinctus,
FART " et auctoritatis, et prudentia? suae, triste nobis desi-
derium reliquerat. " And without doubt, it was in
1 643. a conjuncture of time, when the death of every honest
and discreet person was a very sensible and terrible
loss in the judgment of all good men.
After the unhappy death of the lord Falkland,
the king much desired that the chancellor of the
exchequer should be secretary of state in his place ;
which the queen did not oppose, though she rather
wished that the lord Digby might have it ; who had
so much kindness and friendship for the chancellor,
(which was at that time, and long after, as sincere as
could receive harbour in his breast,) that he pro-
fessed, he would not have it, if the other would re-
Tbeciian- ceive it: but the chancellor gratified his civilitv,
cellorofthe
exchequer and refused the office the second time, as he had
refuses the in AI-III i
office of once before. And he had so much more reason now,
stat? * f ^ v tne coming of a very specious embassy from
time. France, in the person of the count of Harcourt, who
was already arrived in London ; in which the chan-
cellor knew his own want of ability to act that part
the office of secretary would have obliged him to ;
and for which, as far as the perfection of the French
tongue could qualify him, the Lord Digby was very
proper ; and so he was made secretary of state ; pro-
fessing to every body, that, as he had the office by
the chancellor's refusal of it, so he would wholly ad-
vise with him in all things pertaining to it, which
he always did ; and the confidence and friendship
between them was mutual, and very notorious, until
that lord changed his religion. And he was no
sooner admitted and sworn secretary of state, and
privy counsellor, and consequently made of the junto,
which the king at that time created, consisting of
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 205
the duke of Richmond, the lord Cottington, the two PART
secretaries of state, and sir John Colepepper, but '
the chancellor of the exchequer was likewise added; 1463 -
He is add-
tO the trouble, at least the surprise, of the master of d to the
the rolls; who could have been contented that he
should have been excluded from that near trust,
where all matters were to be consulted before they
should be brought to the council-board. And this
committee was appointed to treat with the count of
Harcourt ; whom the king believed to be sent from
France, to demand any thing from the parliament
in that king's name, as his majesty should direct ;
and therefore they were appointed to consider well
what he should be directed to propose.
But the ambassador no sooner came to the town
in great state and lustre, but he quickly saved them
any further labour, by declaring, that he would treat
with nobody but the king himself; his business be-
ing only to serve the king, with reference to the dif-
ferences between his majesty and the parliament ;
and pretended, that, in his short stay at London, he
had already discovered that his majesty was betray-
ed; and that his most secret counsels were disco-
vered : and so there was never any communication
between him and the king's council ; but all matters
were transacted with the king himself, and queen,
and lord Jermyn, who was not of the council, and
the lord Digby ; the queen promising herself very
much from his negociation ; the ambassador being
then of great reputation, having been general of the
French army in two or three great actions, in which
his success had been very notable ; and the queen
looked upon him as a person particularly devoted to
her service ; and being of the house of Lorrain, (the
206 THE LIFE OF
PART younger son of the duke d'Elboeuf,) he was not
without some alliance to the king : and so he re-
* turned to London with such instructions and advice
as they thought fit to intrust him with, which were
too particular ; and with the privity only of the two
other persons mentioned before.
But it quickly appeared after, that he was not
sent with any purpose to do the king service ; but
that cardinal Mazarin (who was newly entered upon
the ministry, after the death of cardinal Richelieu)
might take such a view of the affairs of England,
as the better to judge what he was to do ; and that
an accommodation there might not break his mea-
sures, with reference to his other designs ; which the
ambassador was easily satisfied it was not like to
do. And so, after three or four months spent be-
tween Oxford and London, he returned to France ;
leaving the king's affairs so much worse than he
found them, by having communicated some instruc-
tions which had been given him at Oxford, with
overmuch confidence, and which less disposed some
persons to peace than they had been at London.
The king The king called the chancellor one day to him,
Suitor and told him, that he thought there was too much
of the ex- honour done to those rebels at Westminster in all
chequer to
prepare a hi s declarations, by his mentioning them as part of
proclama-
tion for d. s- " the parliament ; which as long as they should be
parliament 8 " thought to be, they would have more authority,
SiMtST " by their continuing their sitting in the place whi-
" ther they were first called, than all the other mem-
" bers, though so much more numerous, would have,
" when they should be convened any where else ;
" (there being a thought of convening them to Ox-
" ford :) therefore he knew no reason why he should
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 207
" not positively declare them to be dissolved ; and PART
" so forbid them to sit or meet any more there. " '
He said, " that he knew learned men of an opinion,
" that that act for the continuance of the parliament
" was void from the beginning ; and that it is not
" in the power of the king to bar himself from the
" power of dissolving it ; which is to be deprived of
" an essential part of his sovereignty : but if the act
" were good and valid in law, they had dissolved
" themselves by their force, in driving so many
" members, and even his majesty himself, who was
" their head, from the parliament ; and had forfeited
" their right of sitting there, and all that the act
" had given them, by their treason and rebellion ;
" which the very being a parliament could not sup-
" port : and therefore he wished, that a proclamation
" might be prepared, to declare them actually dis-
" solved ; and expressly forbidding them to meet, or
" any body to own them, or submit to them as a
" parliament. "
The chancellor told him, that " he perceived by His advice
* to the king
" his majesty's discourse, that he had very much n that
" considered the argument, and was well prepared *
" in it ; which for his part he was not. But he be-
" sought him to think it worth a very strict reflec-
" tion ; and to hear the opinion of learned men be-
" fore he resolved upon it. That it was of a very
" nice and delicate nature, at which ^ not only the
" people in general, but those of his own party,
" and even of his council, would take more umbrage,
" than upon any one particular that had happened
" since the beginning of the war. That he could
i at which] in which
208 THE LIFE OF
PART " not imagine that his forbidding them to meet any
_ " more at Westminster would make one man the less
1 G43. to mee t there ; but he might forbid them upon such
" grounds and reasons as might bring more to them :
" and that they who had severed themselves from
" them, upon the guilt of their actions, might return
" and be reconciled to them, upon their unity of
" opinion. That it had been the first powerful re-
" proach they had corrupted the people with to-
" wards his majesty, that he intended to dissolve
" this parliament, notwithstanding the act for con-
" tinuance thereof; and if he had power to do that,
" he might likewise, by the same power, repeal all
" the other acts made this parliament, whereof some
" were very precious to the people : and as his
" majesty had always disclaimed any such thought,
" so such a proclamation, as he now mentioned,
" would confirm all the fears and jealousies which
" had been infused into them, and would trouble
" many of his own true subjects.
" That for the invalidity of the act from the be-
" ginning, he was in his own opinion inclined to hope
" that it might be originally void, for the reasons
" and grounds his majesty had mentioned ; and
'* that the parliament itself, if this rebellion was
" suppressed, might be of the same judgment, and
" declare it accordingly ; which would enable him
" quickly to dissolve it. But till then, he thought
" all the judges together, even those who were in
" his own quarters, and of unquestionable affection
" to his majesty, would not declare any such inva-
" lidity ; and much less, that any private man, how
" learned soever, would avow that judgment : in
" which his majesty might easily satisfy himself, hav-
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 209
" ing so many of the judges, and many other excel- PART
" lent men of the robe then at Oxford. For their '
" having dissolved themselves, or forfeited their right 16 ^ 3 -
" of sitting there, by their treason and rebellion," he
said, " he could less understand it than the other
" argument of invalidity ; for that the treason and
" rebellion could only concern and be penal to the
" persons who committed them : it was possible
" many might sit there, he was sure many had a
" right to sit there, who had always opposed every
" illegal, and every rebellious act ; and therefore the
" faults of the others could never forfeit any right of
" theirs, who had committed no fault : and, upon the
" whole matter, concluded as he had begun, that his
" majesty would very throughly consult it, before
" he did so much as incline in his own wishes. "
His majesty said, he had spoken more reason
against it, than he had thought could have been
alleged : however, he bade him confer with his at-
torney general, who, he believed, was of another
opinion. The chancellor moved his majesty, that
since the ground of what should be resolved on in
this point must be expressed in the proclamation,
the attorney might put his own conceptions in writ-
ing, and then his majesty would the better judge of
them. The king said, it seemed reasonable to him,
and he had proposed it to him, but he had declined
it, and commended the pen his majesty had used to
employ, as very clear and significant; and said, if
he had an hour's conference with that person, the
business would be done. Whereupon the chancellor
went immediately to his lodging, choosing rather to
use that civility towards him, than to send for him ;
VOL. i. p
210 THE LIFE OF
PART who did not love him so well as he had done before
he was his superior officer.
After a long conference together, and many cir-
rcnces with cumlocutions, (which was his natural way of dis-
ncy g"nerai course ) an< l asking questions, Why not this? and,
thereon. \Vhy no t that ? without expressing his own opinion ;
at last he confessed, that there must be no attempt to
dissolve them, " though it might be even that might
" be lawful in many respects," but that it would be
sufficient to declare the force which had been, and
still was upon them, that rendered them not free ;
arid so they ought not to be looked upon as a parlia-
ment ; and that they might be required to adjourn
from time to time, till all the members might with
safety repair to, and sit with them : in all which the
other agreed with him, and so they parted ; the
chancellor promising, that, against the next morn-
ing, he would prepare a proclamation agreeable to
that, which he thought to be their joint meaning ;
for he did not observe any difference to be between
them. The next morning the attorney came to his
lodging, where he found the draught prepared ;
which, as soon as he had read, he said did in no de-
gree express or comprehend the sense that had been
agreed between them : and thereupon he entered
again into the same discourse he had made before,
and more perplexed than before ; being most offend-
ed with the preamble, wherein it was declared, that
the king neither could or . intended to break the par-
liament : which was so contrary to what he had in-
fused into the king, and which the chancellor thought
most necessary, to contradict that reproach which
naturally would be cast upon his majesty. In the
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 211
end, when he had wearied himself with the debate, PART
they came both again to mean the same thing ;
which was no other than was agreed before, though, 1643
as the attorney said, it was not expressed in the
draught before them : whereupon it was agreed be-
tween them, that, against the next morning, either
of them should make a draught apart; and then,
when they came together, it would easily be ad-
justed.
But the next morning they were as far asunder
as before, and the attorney had prepared no paper,
and said, it needed not, the difference being very
small, and would be rectified with changing or leav-
ing out a word or two ; which the chancellor desired
him to do, and to leave out or put in what he
pleased : which when he went about to do, twenty
other things occurred to him ; and so he entered
upon new discourses, without concluding any thing ;
and every day entertained the king with an account,
as if all were agreed ; but upon conference with the
chancellor, his majesty wondered at the delay, and
told him, he wondered at it, for the attorney spake
still as clearly to him as it was possible for any man
to do, and therefore the putting it in writing could
not be hard. The other answered him, that it would
never be done any other way, than that which he
had first proposed to him ; and therefore besought
his majesty, that he would oblige the attorney to
put his own conceptions, which he made so clear to
him, into writing; and then, his majesty having
likewise what the chancellor prepared in his hands,
he would easily conclude which should stand ; and
otherwise there would never be any conclusion.
About two days after, the chancellor came into
? 2
212 THE LIFE OF
PART the garden where the king was walking; and call-
. ing him shortly to him, in some disorder, his majesty
1643. told him, " he was never in that amazement in his
draught of " life ; that he had at last, not without a very posi-
tiontbe ma " ti ve command, obliged the attorney to bring him
king shews tt such a draught in writing, as was agreeable to his
to the chan-
cellor ot the" own sense; and that he had now done it ; but in
exchequer.
" such a manner, that he no more understood what
" the meaning of it was, than if it were in Welch,
" which was the language of the attorney's coun-
" try ; only," he said, " he was very sure it con-
" tained nothing of the sense he had ever expressed to
" him :" and so bade him follow him into a little room
at the end of the garden ; where, as soon as he was
entered, he shut the door, because there were many
people in the garden ; and then pulled a paper out
of his pocket, and bade him read it; which when
he had done, it being all in the attorney's own hand,
he said, " it deserved wonder indeed ;" and it was
so rough, perplexed, and insignificant, that no man
could judge by it, or out of it, what the writer pro-
posed to himself. And it made so great an impres-
sion upon the king, (who had before thought him a
man of a master reason, and that no man had so
clear notions,) that he never after had any esteem of
him.
character The truth is, he was a man very unlike any other
tomey^e- man ' f a verv good natural wit, improved by con-
versation with learned men, but not at all by study
and industry : and then his conversation was most
with men, though much superior to him in parts,
who rather admired than informed him ; of which
his nature (being the proudest man living) made
him not capable, because not desirous. His greatest
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 213
faculty was, and in which he was a master, to make PART
difficult matters more intricate and perplexed ; and
very easy things to seem more hard than they were. I643 -
The king considered the matter and subject of that
proclamation at the council ; where that draught the
chancellor had provided was agreed to ; and the at-
torney seemed to be satisfied in it, and was content
to have it believed that it had been consulted with
him ; though he never forgave the chancellor for
exposing him in that manner ; by which he found
he had lost much ground.
After the treaty of Uxbridge, most of the com- 1645.
missioners had given so good a testimony of the
chancellor's diligence and industry, that the fcing,
shortly after his return, very graciously took notice exchequer's
of it to him; and, above all, of his affection to the in the treaty
church, of which, he said, Dr. Steward had so fully of Uxbridge '
informed him, that he looked upon him as one of
the few who was to be relied upon in that particular :
at which, he said, himself was not at all surprised,
having long known his affection and judgment in
that point ; but confessed he was surprised with the
carriage of some others, from whom he had expected
another kind of behaviour in matters of the church ;
and named sir Orlando Bridgman, upon whom, he
said, he had always looked, being the son of a bishop,
as so firm, that he could not be shaken ; and there-
fore he was the more amazed, to hear what conde-
scensions he had been willing to have made, in what
concerned religion ; and pressed the chancellor to
answer some questions he asked him about that
transaction : to the particulars whereof he excused
himself from answering, by the protestation they had
all taken before the treaty, wfth his majesty's appro-
P 3
214 THE LIFE OF
PART bation : though indeed himself had been very much
surprised with the first discovery of that temper in
1645 * that gentleman, which he had never before suspect-
ed : and ever after said, that " he was a man of ex-
" cellent parts, and honestly inclined ; and would
" choose much rather to do well than ill ; but if it
" were not safe for him to be steady in those reso-
" lutions, he was so much given to find out expedi-
" ents to satisfy unreasonable men, that he would
. " at last be drawn to yield to any thing he should
" be powerfully pressed to do. "
The king at that time having resolved to separate
the prince his son from himself, by sending him into
the west, the chancellor had a great desire to excuse
himself from attending upon the prince in that jour-
ney ; and represented to his majesty, that his office
made it more proper for him to be near his majesty's
person ; and therefore renewed his suit again to him,
that his service might be spared in that employment;
which he was the less inclined to, because he had
discovered, that neither the duke of Richmond or
the earl of Southampton did intend to wait upon
his highness in that expedition : but the king told
him positively, and with some warmth, that if he
would not go, he would not send his son : where-
upon he submitted to do any thing which his majesty
should judge fit for his service.
The chancellor speaking one day with the duke
of Richmond, who was exceedingly kind to him, of
the ill state of the king's affairs, and of the prince's
journey into the west ; the duke asked him, whether
he was well resolved to carry the prince into France,
when he should be required. He answered, that
there had been no such thing mentioned to him, nor
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 215
could he ever be made instrumental in it, but in one PART
case, which was, to prevent his falling into the
hands of the parliament ; and in that case, he did be-
lieve every honest man would rather advise his going
any whither, than being taken r by them : yet even
in that case, he should prefer many places before
France. The duke wished he might stay till then,
implying, that he doubted it was the present design ;
but there was never any thing discovered to make
it believed, that there was a design at that time
formed to such a purpose : yet the lord Digby, who
had all familiarity and confidence with the chan-
cellor, shortly after gave him occasion to apprehend
that there might even then be some such intention.
After a long discourse of the great satisfaction Lord pig-
the king had in his (the chancellor's) service, and coJrse^wit
how much he was pleased with his behaviour in the ce
treaty at Uxbridge. and that he had not a greater ce in F the
prince s
confidence in any man's affection and fidelity : he & oin g to
. . France.
said, his majesty had a great mind to confer with
him upon a point of the last importance ; but that
he was kept from it by an apprehension that he was
of a different judgment from his majesty in that
particular. The other answered, that he was very
sorry . that the king was reserved for such a reason ;
for though he knew the chancellor did never pretend
to think one thing when he did think another, and
so might take the boldness to differ from his majesty
in his judgment ; yet the king could not believe that
he would discover the secret, or refuse to do any
thing that became an honest man, upon his com-
mand, though he did not believe it counsellable.
r being taken] to be taken
p 4
16 THE LIFE OF
PART Whereupon he entered upon a very reasonable con-
sideration of the low condition of the king ; of the
1645. discontent and murmur of the court, and of the
camp ; how very difficult a thing it was like to be,
to raise such an army as would be fit to take the
field ; and how much more unfit it would be for the
king to suffer himself to be enclosed in any garrison ;
which he must be, if there were no army for him to
be in. If the first difficulty should be mastered,
and an army made ready to march, there could be
little doubt, how great soever their distractions were
at London, but that the parliament would be able
to send another more numerous, and much better
supplied than the king's could be ; and then, if the
king's army was beaten, he could have no hope ever
to raise another, his quarters already being very
strait ; and after a defeat, the victorious army would
find no opposition ; nor was there any garrison that
could oppose them any considerable time ; London
would pour out more forces ; that all the west would
be swallowed up in an instant ; and in such a case
he asked him, whether he would not think it fit,
and assist to the carrying the prince out of the
kingdom.
The chan- The chancellor told him, he would deliver his
cellor's
reply. opinion freely to him, and was willing he should let
the king know it. That such a prospect as he had
supposed, might and ought to be prudently con-
sidered ; but that it must be with great secrecy, for
that there were already, to his knowledge, some
whispers of such a purpose ; and that it was the true
end of sending the prince into the west ; which, if it
should be believed, it would never be in their power
to execute, though the occasion should be most
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 217
pressing: therefore desired there might not be the PART
least whisper of any contingency that might make 1_
it fit. For the matter itself, it must never be done 1 645 -
upon any supposition of a necessity; but when the
necessity should be real, and in view, it ought to be
resolved and executed at once ; and he would make
no scruple of carrying him rather into Turkey, than
suffering him to be made a prisoner to the par-
liament.
The lord Digby replied, that though the king
would be very well pleased with this opinion of his,
yet he would not be surprised with it ; since he knew
his affection and wisdom to be such, that in such an
extremity he could not but have that resolution :
therefore that was not the point that the king
doubted he would differ with him in. Then he con-
tinued the discourse, that he hoped there would not
such an occasion fall out, and that the divisions at
London would yet open some door for a good peace
to enter at ; but if they should unite, and should
send out a strong army, and likewise appoint the
Scots to march towards them ; how the king would
do between two such armies, was a terrible prospect :
and then the least blow would raise so general a
consternation, that the king would be more dis-
quieted by his friends and servants, than by the
enemy; that his council was so constituted, that they
would look upon the prince's leaving the kingdom,
as less advisable than giving himself up to the par-
liament ; and that many men were yet so weak a
to believe, that the best way the king could take
for his security, and preservation of his posterity,
was to deliver up both himself and all his children
into the hands of the parliament ; and that they
218 THE LIFE OF
PART would then give him better conditions than they
. had offered in their treaties, having it then in their
1645. power to keep all such persons from him as they
were dissatisfied with.
If this opinion should once spread itself, as upon
any signal defeat it would undoubtedly do, it must
be expected, that the council, and most of the lords,
who looked upon themselves as ruined for their loy-
alty, out of their natural apprehension, would ima-
gine, that the prince being then in the west, and at
liberty to do what should be thought fit, would be
directed by the king to transport himself into parts
beyond the sea ; and the queen his mother being
then in France, most probably thither ; which was
a circumstance that would likewise make his trans-
portation more universally odious. So that upon
this reflection and erroneous animadversion, the
king would be, in the first unfortunate conjuncture,
importuned by all about him to send for the prince ;
or at least to send such orders to those to whose
care he was intrusted, that they should not presume
to transport him beyond the seas, in what exigent
soever. Most men would believe, that they should
merit of the parliament by this advice, and would
prosecute it with the more earnestness and impor-
tunity ; whilst those few who discerned the mischief
and ruin that must flow from it, would not have
the courage to deliver their opinions in public, for
fear of being accused of the counsel ; and by this
means the king might be so wearied and tired with
importunity, that, against his judgment, he might
be prevailed with to sign such a direction and order
as is before mentioned; though his majesty was
clearly satisfied in his understanding, that if both
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 219
himself and the prince were in their hands together, PART
the best that could happen would be murdering him
and crowning his son ; whereas if his son were at
liberty, and out of their reach, they would get no-
thing by his death, and consequently would not at-
tempt it.
This, he said, was the fatal conjuncture the king
apprehended ; and he then asked the chancellor,
what he would do. To which he answered, without
pausing, that he hoped the king had made up a firm
resolution never to depart from his own virtue, upon
which his fate depended; and that if he forsook
himself, he had no reason to depend upon the con-
stancy of any other man, who had nothing to sup-
port that confidence but the conscience of doing
what was just : that no man could doubt the law-
fulness of obeying him, in carrying the prince out
of the kingdom, to avoid his being taken by the re-
bels ; and he was not only ready to obey in that
case, but would confidently advise it, as a thing in
policy and prudence necessary to be done. But if
the king, being at liberty, and with his own coun-
sellors and servants, should under his hand forbid
the prince to transport himself, and forbid all about
him to suffer it to be done, he would never be guilty
of disobeying that express command; though he
should be very sorry to receive it. He wished the
king would speak with him of it, that he might take
the boldness to conjure him never to put an honest
and a faithful servant to that unjust strait, to do
any thing expressly contrary to his plain and posi-
tive command, upon pretence of knowing his secret
pleasure; which is exposing him to public justice
and reproach, which can never be wiped out by the
220 THE LIFE OF
PART conscience of the other; and that the artifice was
not worthy the royal breast of a great monarch.
1645. This, he said, was still Upon the supposition of the
king's liberty; but if he were a prisoner in the
hands of his enemies, (though that should not shake
his resolution, or make him say things he doth not
intend, upon imagination that others will know his -
meaning,) the case would be different; and honest
men would pursue former resolutions, though they
should be countermanded, according to circum-
stances.
The conference ended ; and was never after re-
sumed : nor did the king ever, in the least degree,
enter upon the argument with the chancellor, though
he had many private conferences with him upon all
that occurred to him, with reference to what the
prince should do in the west ; and of all the melan-
cholic contingencies which might fall out in his own
fortune. And it was generally believed, that his ma-
jesty had a much greater confidence in the chancel-
lor than in the other, whose judgment he had no
reverence for ; and this made the chancellor after-
wards believe, that all the other discourse from the
lord Digby proceeded rather from some communi-
cation of counsels he had with the queen, than any
directions from the king. And he did upon concur-
rent circumstances ever think, that the queen did,
from the first minute of the separation of the prince
from the king, intend to draw his highness into
France, that he might be near her, and under her
tuition, before any thing in the declension of the
king's fortune required it, or made it counsellable ;
and therefore had appointed the lord Digby, her
creature, who she knew had great friendship with
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.
the chancellor, to feel his pulse, and discover, whe- PART
Hi-
ther he (in whom she had never confidence) might
be applicable to her purposes. But he often declared, l645 *
that the king himself never intimated the least
thought of the prince's leaving the kingdom, till
after the battle of Naseby ; and when Fairfax was
marched with his army into the west, and himself
was in despair of being able to raise another army ;
and even then, when he signified his pleasure to that
purpose, he left the time, and the manner, and the
place to them, who were especially trusted by him
about the prince ; as will appear by the particular
papers which are preserved of that affair; and
wherein it will likewise appear, that his majesty re-
ceived infinite satisfaction and content in the whole
management of that affair, and the happy and se-
cure transportation of the prince, in the just and
proper season, and when all the kingdom was right
glad that it was done.
As his majesty was more particularly gracious to
the chancellor from the time of the treaty at Ux-
bridge ; so there was no day passed without his con-
ferring with him in private upon his most secret
considerations and apprehensions, before his depar-
ture with the prince for the west. One day he told
him, he was very glad of what the duke of Rich-
mond had done the day before ; and indeed he had
done somewhat the day before which very much
surprised the chancellor. When his majesty arose
from council, the duke of Richmond whispered
somewhat privately to him, upon which the king
went into his bedchamber ; and the duke called the
chancellor, and told him, the king would speak with
him, and so took him by the hand, and led him into
222 THE LIFE OF
PART the bedchamber ; the privilege and dignity of which
. room was then so punctually preserved, that the
16-45. ting very rarely called any privy counsellor to con-
fer with him there, who was not of the bedcham-
ber : which maintained a just reverence to the place,
and an esteem of those who were admitted to attend
there. ^
The cimn- As soon as he came into the room, before he said
the king's any thing to the king, who was there alone, the
duke spake to the chancellor, and told him, that he
p had been brought up from his childhood by the
duke of crown, and had always paid it the obedience of a
Richmond.
child ; that as he had taken a wife with the appro-
bation and advice of the crown, so he had never
made a friendship, which he took to be a kind of
marriage, without the king's privity and particular
approbation ; that he had long had a kindness for
him, but had taken time to know him well, which
he thought he now did; and therefore had asked
his majesty's consent, that he might make a friend-
ship with him : and then said to the king, " Sir,
" have I not your approbation to this conjunction ? "
to which his majesty said, " Yes, my lord, I am
" very glad of it ; and I will pass my word to you
" for the chancellor, that you will not repent it ;"
with many gracious expressions to them both : and
so the duke led him out of the room again, saying,
f ' Now, Mr. Chancellor, it is in your power to de-
" ceive me. " And to this it was, that his majesty's
discourse related the next day, when he told him he
was glad of what had passed, &c. and said, he hoped
he would give him good counsel ; for he had not of
late lived towards him in the manner he was used
to do ; that he knew well the duke was a very ho-
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 223
nest and worthy man, and had all the kindness, as PART
well as duty for his majesty ; but that he was grown '
sullen, or discontented, and had not the same coun-
tenance he used to have ; for which he could ima-
gine no other reason, but that his man Webb gave
him ill counsel : he said, he was well contented that
he should take notice, that his majesty was not well
satisfied ; and asked him suddenly, when the duke
was at Oriel college with them ; (Oriel college was
the lodging of the lord treasurer, where that com-
mittee for secret affairs, of which the duke was one,
used to meet. ) The chancellor answered, that in-
deed the duke had not been there lately, which he
thought had proceeded from his attendance upon
his majesty, or some other necessary divertisement.
The king said, it proceeded not from thence ; and
that he might take occasion from his absence from
thence, to let himself into that discourse, and after-
wards proceed as he thought fit.
The duke was a person of a very good under- character of
standing ; and of so great perfection and punctuality
in all matters of honesty and honour, that he was
infinitely superior to any kind of temptation. He
had all the warmth and passions of a subject, and a
servant, and a friend for the king, and for his per-
son ; but he was then a man of a high spirit, and
valued his very fidelity at the rate it was worth ;
and not the less, for that it had almost stood single
for some time. The chancellor was very sorry for
this discovery ; and chose to wait upon the duke
the same day, near the hour when the meeting used
to be at Oriel college : and when he had spent a
short time with him, he said, he thought it was time
to go to Oriel college, and asked his grace, whether
224 THE LIFE OF
PART he would please to go thither ; for which he making
IIL some excuse, the other pressed him with some ear-
1645. nestness, and said, it was observed that he had a
good time declined that meeting, and if he should
not now go thither, he should be doubtful there
was some reason for it.
The duke replied, that he had indeed been absent
from thence for some time, and that he would deal
clearly with him as his friend, but desired it should
not be known ; that he was resolved to be there no
more. Then complained, that the king was not kind
to him ; at least, had not that confidence in him
which he had used to have : and then spake of many
particulars loosely ; and especially, that before the
treaty, he had advised the king to use all the means
he could to draw them to a treaty, for many advan-
tages which were like to be gotten by it ; and to
that purpose produced a letter that he had newly re-
ceived from the countess of Carlisle, and read it to
his majesty, who then seemed not to be moved with
the contents ; but afterwards, in several discourses,
reflected upon it in such a manner, as if he were
jealous that the duke held too much correspondence
with that people : which he looked upon . as such a
point of diffidence, that it was no longer fit for him
to be present when s the secret part of his affairs
was transacted ; and so he had and would forbear to
meet in that place, till iris majesty should entertain a
better opinion of him : yet he concealed the trouble
of rtiind which he sustained ; and wished that no
notice might be taken of it.
The chancellor told him, it was too late for that
* when] where
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.
caution ; that the lords themselves could not but ob- PART
in.
serve his long absence, who before used to be the
most punctual ; and confessed to him, that the king Whom h ' e
himself had spoken to him of it with a sense of won- endeavour*
to reconcile
der and dislike; which, he said, he was to blame to the king;
himself for; since the honour he had done him to the
king, had likewise disposed his majesty to trust him
so far, as to express some dissatisfaction he had in
his grace's late carriage and behaviour. The duke
seemed not displeased with the communication, but
thereupon entered into a fuller and warmer dis-
course than before ; how much the king had with-
drawn his confidence from him, and trusted others
much more than him. In sum, it was easy to dis-
cern, that the thing that troubled him was the
power and credit that John Ashburnham had with
the king ; which his vanity made him own to that
degree, that he was not content to enjoy the benefit
of it, except he made it public, and to be taken
notice of by all men ; which could not but reflect
upon his honour : and when the chancellor seemed
to think it impossible, that himself could believe
that the king could prefer a man of Mr. Ashburn-
ham's talent before his grace, he proceeded with
many instances, and insisted with most indignation
upon one.
That about a year before, sir John Lucas, who
was well known to his grace, having met him abroad
in his travels, and ever after paid a particular re-
spect to him, had applied himself to him, and de-
sired his favour ; that when there should be any
opportunity offered, he would recommend him to
the king, to whom he was not unknown : that his
affection to his majesty's service was notorious
VOL. i. a
THE LIFE OF
PART enough, and that his sufferings were so likewise, his
house being the first that was plundered in the be-
1 645. ginning of the war ; by which, the loss he sustained in
furniture, plate, money, and stock, was very consider-
able ; so that he might modestly hope, that when his
majesty scattered his favours upon others of his own
rank, his poor service might likewise be remembered :
but he had seen men raised to dignities, who he was
sure had not the advantage over him in their suffer-
ings, whatever they might have in their actings ; and
he desired no more, but (since it was too ^evident
that his majesty's wants were great, and that money
would do him some service) that he might receive
that degree of honour which others had, and he
would make such a present to him as should mani-
fest his gratitude ; and he desired to owe the obli-
gation to his grace, and to receive it only by his me-
diation.
He said, he had moved this matter, with the
relation of all the circumstances, to his majesty,
who spake very graciously of the gentleman, as a
person of merit, but said, he was resolved to make
no more lords ; which he received as a very good an-
swer, and looked upon as a good resolution, and
commended it; desiring only, that if at any time
his majesty found it necessary to vary from that re-
solution, he would remember his proposition, and
gratify that gentleman ; which he promised to do ;
and with all which he acquainted the person con-
cerned ; thinking it could not but well satisfy him.
But he told him, that he was sorry that he could
not receive the honour by his grace's recommenda-
tion ; but for the thing itself, he could have it when
he would ; and shortly after it was despatched by
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 227
Mr. Ashburnham : he asked, whether this was not PART
preferring Mr. Ashburnham very much before him.
1 f* A t\
The chancellor told him, he was preferred as the
better market man ; and that he ought not to be-
lieve that the king's affection swayed him to that
preference, but an opinion that the other would
make the better bargain. He replied, his majesty
was deceived in that, for he had told him what the
other meant to give, without the least thought of re-
serving any thing for himself; whereas his majesty
had now received five hundred pounds less, and his
market man had gotten so much for his pains.
In conclusion, he prevailed so far with him, that
they went that afternoon together to the committee
to Oriel college ; and the next day the chancellor
spake with the king again, and told him, that the
duke had been in the afternoon with the committee,
where many things had been consulted ; and that he And the
found all his trouble proceeded from an apprehen- duke of
sion, that his majesty had withdrawn his affection
from him ; at least, that he, the duke, had not the
same credit with his majesty which he had formerly
had ; and that the sense and fear of that, could not but
make an impression upon a good servant, who loved
his master as well as he did. His majesty said, they
two should not live as well together as they had done,
as long as the duke kept his man Webb ; who made
him believe that the king was wholly governed by
Ashburnham, and cared not for any body else. He
said, nobody who knew him could believe he could
be governed by Ashburnham ; who, though an honest
man, and one that he believed loved him well, no man
thought was of an understanding superior to his ma-
jesty ; and enlarged himself upon this argument so
Q 2
228 THE LIFE OF
PART much, that he seemed as it were glad of the oppor-
tunity to clear himself from that aspersion or impu-
1645 - tation.
It is a very great misfortune for any prince to be
suspected to be governed by any man ; for as the
reproach is of all others the most grievous, so they
think the trusting weak men, who are much short
of their own vigour of wit and understanding, is a
sufficient vindication from that calumny ; and so,
before they are aware of it, they decline wiser men,
who are fit to advise them, and give themselves to
weaker, upon an imagination, that nobody will ever
But with- suspect they can be governed by them. In fine, he
5S> found the work too hard for him ; the king being
so much incensed against Webb, that he expected
the duke should turn him away : and the duke him-
self looked upon the king's prejudice as infused into
him by Ashburnham, upon particular malice ; hav-
ing often desired, that some accuser might charge
Webb, and he be heard to answer for himself;
which the king not being willing to admit, the
other was unwilling to dismiss a servant, his secre-
tary, who had served him long, and was very useful
to him ; and who indeed was never suspected for any
infidelity or want of affection to his master : and so
the chancellor, to his great trouble, was not able to
remove that cloudiness that remained in both their
countenances ; which never produced the least ill
effect in the view or observation of any ; the duke's
duty being never in any degree diminished ; and the
king's kindness to him continuing with many gra-
cious evidences to his death.
The king's The last conference his majesty had with the
last confer-
ence with chancellor was the very day the prince began his
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 229
journey towards the west, and indeed after he had PART
received his blessing ; when his majesty sent for
HI.
him into his bedchamber, and repeated some things I6 i 4o<
v the chan-
he had mentioned before. He told him, " there had ceiior of the
" been many things which had troubled him, with
" reference to his son's absence from him ; for all
" which, but one, he had satisfied himself: the one
" was, the inconvenience which might arise from
" the weakness and folly of his governor ; against
" which he had provided, as well as he could, by
" obliging the prince to follow the advice of his
" council in all things ; which he was well assured
" he would do ; and he had given them as much au-
" thority as they could wish : another was, that
" there was one servant about the prince, who he
" thought had too much credit with him, which was
" Elliot ; who he did not intend should be with him
" in the journey ; and had therefore sent him into
" France to the queen, with direction to her majesty,
" to keep him there ; and if he should return whilst
" the prince remained in the west, that he should be
" sent to his majesty, and not suffered to stay with
" his highness ; and that was all the care he could
" take in those two particulars : but there was a
" third, in which he knew not what to do, and that
" troubled him much more than the other two. "
When the chancellor seemed full of expectation to
know what that might be, the king said, " I have
" observed of late some kind of sharpness, upon
" many occasions, between Colepepper and you ; and
" though you are joined with other honest men, yet
" my great confidence is upon you two : I know not
" that the fault is in you ; nay, I must confess, that
" it is very often in him ; but let it be where it will,
Q3
230 THE LIFE OF
PART " any difference and unkindness between you two
" must be at my charge ; and I must tell you, the
1645. t ( f ear j have o f ft gi ves me much trouble: I have
" spoken very plainly to him my apprehension in
" this point, within this hour ; and he hath made as
" fair promises to me as I can wish ; and upon my
" conscience I think he loves you, though he may
" sometimes provoke you to be angry. "
The king here making a pause, the chancellor,
out of countenance, said, " he was very sorry that he
" had ever given his majesty any occasion for such
" an apprehension, but very glad that he had vouch-
" safed to inform him of it ; because he believed he
" should give his majesty such assurance in that
" particular as would fully satisfy him : he assured
" his majesty, that he had a great esteem of the lord
" Colepepper; and though he might have at some
" times passions which were inconvenient, he was
" so confident of himself, that they should not pro-
" voke or disturb him, that he was well content that
" his majesty should condemn, and think him in the
" fault, if any thing should fall out, of prejudice to
" his service, from a difference between them two. "
With which his majesty appeared abundantly satis-
fied and pleased ; and embracing him, gave him his
hand to kiss ; and he immediately went to horse,
and followed the prince : and this was the last time
the chancellor ever saw that gracious and excellent
king.
The cban- It was upon the fourth of March, in the year
cellor at- - /> . , > . -, 11* i /
tends the lt>44, that the prince parted from the king his ta-
thTwest 1 ; ther. He lodged that night at Farringdon, having
first aLauit- mac ' e ^ s j ournev thither in one continued storm of
ed by the ra j n from the minute he left Oxford ; and from
gout.
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 231
thence went the next day to the garrison of the De- FART
vizes ; and the third to the city of Bath ; which be-
ing a safe place, and within seven or eight miles of 1645 -
Bristol, he stayed there two or three days. And in
this journey the chancellor was first assaulted with
the gout, having never had the least apprehension
of it before ; but from his coming to Bath, he was
not able to stand, and so went by coach to Bristol ;
where in few days he recovered that first lameness,
which ever after afflicted him too often. And so the
year 1644 ended, which shall conclude this part.
^ November 6, 1669-
Q 4
THE LIFE
OF
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON;
FROM HIS BIRTH TO THE RESTORATION OF THE
ROYAL FAMILY IN THE YEAR 1660.
PART IV.
A VERY particular memorial 'of all material af- PART
IV
fairs in the west, during the subsequent year of.
1645, during the prince's residence in the west 1645 -
The state and temper of that country, after the de-
feat of his majesty's army at Naseby The several
plots and devices of the lord Goring, to get the
prince into his power The debauchery of that army
and amongst the officers of it, and the defeats it
suffered from the enemy through that debauchery
Goring's departure out of the kingdom, and the pos-
ture he left his army in The beating up of their
quarters afterwards- The entering of Fairfax into
the west with his army ; and his sudden taking the
towns there The mutinous behaviour of sir Richard
Greenvil, and the quarrels and conflicts between the
troops under his command with those under the
lord Goring The prince's retreat by degrees back-
ward into Cornwall, as Fairfax advanced The seve-
ral messages and orders from the king, for the trans-
234, THE LIFE OF
PART porting the prince out of England, and all the di-
rections and resolutions thereupon; and the several
messages from the queen and the earl of St. Alban's;
with the assurance of a supply of six thousand foot,
under the command of Ruvignie, promised confi-
dently to be landed in Cornwall within- one month,
when there was not any such thing in nature, nor
one company raised, or ship in readiness, or in view
1646. for such an expedition, &c. The king's obliging
the lord Hopton to take charge of those broken and
dissolute troops The commitment of sir Richard
Greenvil, for not submitting to be commanded by
him, and for endeavouring to raise a party in the
country to treat with the enemy for the security
and neutrality of Cornwall, and the routing the lord
Hopton's troops at Torrington The prince's retreat
thereupon to Pendennis; and the factions and con-
spiracies between some of his own servants, and
some gentlemen of the country, to hinder the prince
from going out of the kingdom ; and the departure
of his highness from Pendennis, in the end of that
year 1645 % and his arrival in the island of Scilly, is
contained in papers, orderly and methodically set
down ; which papers and relation are not now
at hand, but are safe, and will be easily found;
together with his highness's stay in the island of
Scilly: from whence, the next day, the lord Cole-
pepper was despatched with letters to the queen to
Paris, to give notice of his highness's being in that
island ; and to desire money, arms, and ammunition
for the defence thereof: and at the same time an-
other vessel was sent into Ireland, to give the mar-
a in the end of that year 1645] Namely, Old Style.
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 235
quis of Ormond likewise information of it, and to PART
desire that two companies of foot might be sent thi- '
ther, to increase that garrison, and to defend it, in
case the enemy should attack it His highness's stay
in Scilly near six weeks, until the lords Capel and
Hopton came thither, after they had made condi-
tions for the disbanding their troops with Fairfax ;
which Goring's troops made it necessary to do ; they
not only refusing to obey all orders, but mingling
every day with the troops of the enemy, and re-
maining quietly together in the same quarters,
drinking and making merry with each other The
report of a fleet designed from the parliament for
Scilly, and those lords viewing the island, and not
looking upon it as tenable, caused a new consulta-
tion to be held, whether it were fit for his highness
to remain there, till the return of the lord Colepep-
per, or to remove sooner ; and whither he should
remove ; the frigate which brought the prince from
Pendennis being still kept in readiness at Scilly,
upon the foresight that his remove might come to
be necessary That upon this consultation it was
resolved, that it would not be safe for his highness
to remain there, but that he should transport him-
self from thence into the island of Jersey ; which
was done accordingly And his highness's arrival
there about the beginning of April, 1645 The
prince's reception in Jersey, by sir George Carteret ;
and the universal joy of the island for his arrival ;
with the situation and strength of the island The
lord Digby's arrival in Jersey, with two frigates
from Ireland, and with two hundred soldiers ; hav-
ing been at Scilly, and there heard of his highness's
departure for Jersey His earnest advice for the
236 THE LIFE OF
PART prince's going for Ireland; and when he could not
! obtain his highness's consent, till the return of the
C46 ' lord Colepepper, his going to Paris, to persuade the
queen, and to protest against the prince's going for
France ; against which he inveighed with more pas-
sion than any man The arrival of Mr. Thomas
Jermyn from Paris, with very positive orders for
the prince's repair thither, from the queen And
shortly after, the lord Colepepper's arrival, who
had been despatched from her majesty -to return to
Scilly, before she knew of his highness's remove
from thence; which advertisement overtook the
lord Colepepper at Havre de Grace, after he was
embarked; and so he bent his course thither, and
had the same orders for the prince's going to Paris,
as Mr. Jermyn had likewise brought.
There was none of the council inclined that his
highness, being in a place of unquestionable safety,
should suddenly depart from thence, till the state
and condition in which his majesty was, and his
pleasure might be known : it was then understood
that his majesty had left Oxford, and was with the
Scottish army before Newark ; which he had caused
to be rendered, that the army might retire ; which
it presently did, and the king in it, to Newcastle :
the prince was yet in his father's -dominions ; some
places in England still holding out, as Oxford, Wor-
cester, Pendennis, and other places ; that it would
be easy, in a short time, to understand the king's
pleasure, and that there could be no inconvenience
in expecting it, the prince's person being in no pos-
sible danger; but that the mischief might be very
great, if, without the king's direction, it were done,
whether his majesty should be well or ill treated by
EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON. 237
the Scots; and that the parliament might make it PART
a new matter of reproach against the king, that iie
had sent the heir apparent of the crown out of the
kingdom ; which could be no otherwise excused, at
least by those who attended him, than by evident
and apparent necessity : those reasons appeared of
so much weight to the prince himself, (who had not
a natural inclination to go into France,) and to all
the council, that the lord Capel and the lord Cole-
pepper were desired to go to Paris, to satisfy the
queen why the prince had deferred yielding a pre-
sent obedience to her command.
The treatment they received at Paris, and their
return again to Jersey, together with the lord Jer-
myn and lord Digby, and some other persons of
quality: the lord Digby being to return to Ireland
with eight thousand pistoles, which the cardinal sent
towards the supply of the king's service there ; and
being by it and the cardinal so throughly convinced
of the necessity of the prince's going for France, that
he was more positive for it than any of the rest ; and
had promised the queen that he would convert the
chancellor, and make him consent to it ; with whom
he had a great friendship The debate at Jersey
upon their coming back The lord Capel adhering
to his former opinion, that we might first know the
king's opinion ; towards the receiving of which he
had offered the queen, and now offered again, to go
himself to Newcastle, where the king still was ; no-
body knowing what would be the issue of the con-
troversy between the Scots and the parliament ; and
if the king should direct it, every man would will-
ingly attend his highness, and punctually observe
whatsoever the king commanded ; and because the
238 THE LIFE OF EDWARD &c.
PART objection might be removed, of his being taken pri-
. soner by the parliament, or his being not suffered
1646.
