posals or bills, were allowed to wait for the king's answer only four days. With them came likewise the commissioners of Scotland, who had vainly insisted to obtain the communication of these bills, and the very next day after the four bills were read to the king, they delivered a declaration and protestation on the behalf of the kingdom of Scotland, against those bills and propositions. The king's answer was in substance, that since the commissioners for Scotland solemnly protested against the bills, it was not possible for him to give such an answer as might be the foundation of a hopeful peace; that neither the desire of being freed from his present sufferings, nor the apprehension of any thing that might befall him, should ever prevail with him to consent to any act, till the conditions of the whole peace should be agreed on, which could not be better effected than by a personal treaty, either at London or any other place they would rather choose; therefore he very earnestly desired the two houses to consent to it.

The parliament commissioners were no sooner gone with this answer than Hammond caused all the king's servants, who till then had all liberty to be with him, to be immediately put out of the castle, with a prohibition of repairing thither any more, and appointed a strong guard to restrain any body from going to the king.

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This insolent behaviour put the Isle of Wight in a high mutiny. They loudly exclaimed " they would not see the king so used and made a prisoner.' captain Burley caused a drum to be presently beaten, and put himself at the head of the people, who flocked together and cryed, "he would lead them "to the castle, and rescue the king from his capti vity." But the attempt being evidently impossible, the people were quieted by the zeal and activity of the king's servants, who had been put out of the

castle. Unfortunately poor captain Burley, being taken prisoner, was indicted for high treason for levying war against the king, of which a jury sent from London found him guilty: he was accordingly immediately condemned and executed, with circumstances of the most shocking barbarity.

Ann. 1648.

At the reception of the king's answer, there appeared a new spirit and temper in the house of commons. Hitherto his majesty was never mentioned without duty and respect. Now all the members were striving to outvie one another in the impudence and bitterness of their invectives against him. But none so violently pulled off the mask as did Cromwell. "The king," said he, "was a man of great parts and great understanding; "but so great a dissembler, and so false a man, that "he was not to be trusted. That whilst he pro❝fessed with all solemnity that he referred himself "wholly to the parliament, and depended only on "their wisdom and counsel for the settlement of "the nation, he had at the same time secret treaties "with the Scottish commissioners, how he might "involve the nation in a new war, and destroy the "parliament. He concluded that they should no

further trouble themselves with sending messages, "but that they might enter upon those counsels "which were necessary towards the settlement of、 "the kingdom, without having further recourse to "the king." And after giving the highest praises to the valour and godliness of the army, "Teach "them not," added he, "by your neglecting your "own safety and that of the kingdom, in which "their's too is involved, to imagine themselves

betrayed, and their interests abandoned to an "irreconcilable enemy, whom, for your sake, they

"have dared to provoke. Beware," (and at these words he laid his hand on his sword,)" beware, "lest despair causes them to seek safety by other means than by adhering to you, who know not "how to provide for your own safety."

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Upon those arguments it was voted that no more addresses should be made to the king, nor any letters or messages received from him; and that it be treason for any one, without leave of the two houses, to have any intercourse with him. Ninety-one members had still the courage to oppose this vote, by which the king was in reality dethroned. The upper house, however, concurred in it.

Before the king had removed from Hampton Court, the commissioners of Scotland had endeavoured to persuade his majesty to enter into a private treaty, by which they engaged, under certain conditions, to restore him to his just rights, by invading England with an army equal to the undertaking, and which might be, ready at the same time when the marquis of Ormond should appear in Ireland, where the catholic party was now favourably disposed for the king's cause; but the conditions of that treaty were so derogatory to the honor and interest of the English nation, that his majesty utterly declined to consent to it. However, when he was confined in the castle of Carisbrook, the commissioners renewed their proposals, and prevailed with him in that moment of despair to sign, with some reservations, the treaty he had formerly refused.

There were at that time three parties in Scotland; the pure royalists, who insisted upon the restoration of the king's authority, without any religious sect; Montrose, though absent, was regarded as their chief. The rigid presbyterians, who hated the king, and were determined to give him no assistance till he should subscribe the covenant; these followed

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Argyle. The moderate presbyterians, who wished to reconcile the interests of religion with those of the crown, and hoped, by supporting the presbyterian party in England, to suppress the sectarian army, and to reinstate the parliament, as well as the king, in their just freedom and authority; the two brothers, Hamilton and Laneric, were the leaders of this party.

In the mean time the parliament and army were far from enjoying in tranquillity that power which they had obtained with so much violence and injustice. The resolution of making no more addresses to the king had produced in the minds of the people very different effects from what they expected; and it appeared to be so generally detested, that many who had served the parliament in several unwarrantable employments and commissions, withdrew themselves from their service. The public clamour was greatly increased by the enormity of new taxes, imposed by ordinances of parliament, as besides all custom and excise duties; and the incredible sums they raised, both upon the sale of the church and crown lands, for which they found purchasers enough among their own party, and upon compositions with delinquents, they levied a monthly contribution of one hundred thousand pounds by a land tax throughout the kingdom, which far exceeded what had ever been done before. All orders of men were inflamed with indignation at seeing the military prevail over the civil power, and king and parliament at once reduced to subjection by a mercenary army. The presbyterians, who had chiefly supported the war, were enraged to find the prize, just when it seemed within their reach, snatched by violence from them. The royalists, disappointed in their expectations by the cruel treatment which the king now received

from the army, were strongly animated to restore him to liberty, and to recover the advantages which they had unfortunately lost.

Though the great majority of the nation concurred in the hatred of military tyranny, the ends which the several parties pursued were so different that little concert was observed in their insurrections. Langhorne, Poyer, and Powell, presbyterian officers, who commanded bodies of troops in Wales, were the first that declared themselves, and they drew together a considerable army in those parts which were extremely devoted to the royal cause. Insurrections were raised in Kent, Essex, and Surrey. Pomfret castle, in Yorkshire, was surprised by Maurice; Langdale and Musgrave were in arms, and masters of Berwick and Carlisle, in the north. The general spirit of discontent had equally pervaded the fleet. Seventeen ships, lying in the mouth of the river, declared for the king, and, putting Rainsborow their admiral ashore, sailed over to Holland, where the prince of Wales took the command of them.

The English royalists exclaimed against Hamilton's remissness; Hamilton with better reason complained of their precipitate humour, which, by their ill-timed insurrections, forced him to march his army before his levies were completed, or his preparations in any forwardness. In London the terror of the army kept the citizens in subjection. The parliament was so overawed that they declared the Scots to be enemies, and all who joined them traitors. Ninety members of the lower house, however, had the courage to oppose this vote.

Amidst all these threatening storms, Cromwell, with as much prudence as vigour and activity, prepared himself for defence. The establishment of the army was at this time twenty-six thousand men ; but by enlisting supernumeraries, the regiments con