march thither, as a guard to his person; and likewise sent a little train of artillery, which might be ready for the summons. And when his majesty was ready with his equipage for his march, the lord Digby returned again in his old mode to Hull, to make sure that all things there might correspond with the former obligation. As soon as the king, and the whole court, (for none remained at York,) came to Beverley, (where they were well accommodated, which kept them from being quickly weary,) and the trained bands were likewise come thither, and the general, the earl of Lindsey, first took possession of his office; a little troubled, and out of countenance, that he should appear the general without an army; and be engaged in an enterprise, which he could not imagine would succeed; his majesty wished him to send out some officers, of which there was a good store, to take a view of the town, and of such advantage ground, within distance, upon which he might raise a battery; as if he meant on a sudden to assault the place; which. appeared no unreasonable design, if there were a good party in the town to depend upon. And yet the general had no opinion, that his army of trained bands would frankly expose themselves to such an attack. Besides a great number of officers, and persons of quality, who were all well horsed, and had many servants as well provided, the king had his troop of guards so constituted as hath been said before; and there were few horse in Hull, without officers who understood that kind of service. So that it was no hard matter to take a very full view of the town, by riding to the very ports, and about the walls; nor, at first appearance, was there any show of hostility from the town upon their nearest approaches to it; but after they had made that visit two or three days together, they observed that the walls were better manned, and that there was every day an increase of labourers repairing the works; and then they begun to shoot, when any went within distance of the works. Sir John Hotham had tried some of his officers, in whose particular affection he had most confidence, how far they were like to be governed by him; and found them of a temper not to be relied upon. His son was grown jealous of some design, and was caballing with those who were most notorious for their disaffection to the government; and some new officers were sent down by the parliament, to assist in the defence of the town, which, they thought, might probably be attempted; and supplies of men had been taken in from the ships, and had been sent thither from Boston, a neighbour town of eminent disloyalty. So that, when the lord Digby returned thither, he found a great damp upon the spirit of the governor, and a sadness of mind, that he had proceeded so far; of which he made all the haste he could to advertise the king; but his letters must first be sent to York before they could come to Beverley; and, when they were received, they contained still somewhat of hope," that he might restore him to his former courage, and confirm his resolution:" so that the king seemed to defer any attempt, upon the hopes of the earl of Holland's message [before mentioned], and, in the end, he was compelled to give over the design, all hope from the governor growing desperate; whether from his want of courage, or want of power to execute what he desired, remains still uncertain. When he gave over further thought of it, he dismissed both the lord 66 Digby, and colonel Ashburnham, whom he had likewise detained till then, as a man of use in the execution of the design, with many professions of duty to the king; and as the concealing those two persons, and afterwards releasing them, immediately increased the jealousy of the parliament against him, so it was the principal cause, afterwards, of the loss of his head. The king, after three weeks' or a month's stay at Beverley, dismissed the trained bands, weary of their service, and returned with his court to York, in so much less credit than when he came from thence, as the entering into a war without power, or preparation to prosecute it, was like to produce. And the inconvenience was the greater, because the principal persons of quality, of court or country, and the officers, had the less reverence for the king's conduct, by seeing such an action entered upon with so little reason, and prosecuted so perfunctorily: all which reproaches his majesty thought fitter to bear, than to discover the motives of his journey; which were then known to few, nor, to this day, have been published. When the king returned to York, exceedingly troubled at the late march he had made, and all men expressing great impatience to be in action, very many persons of honour and quality, having attended long at court, did believe they might be more useful to his majesty's service in their own countries, in restraining the disaffected from any seditious attempts, and disposing the people in general to be constant in their loyalty, an accident fell out, that made it absolutely necessary for the king to declare the war, and to enter upon it, before he was in any degree ripe for action; which was, that Portsmouth had declared for the king, and refused to submit to the parliament, which had thereupon sent an army, under the command of sir William Waller, to reduce it. The relating how this came to pass, requires a large discourse, which will administer much variety, not without somewhat of pleasure and wonder, from the temper and spirit of the person who conducted that action; if it can be said to be conducted without any conduct. We have remembered before, in the last year, the discourse of the bringing up the army to London, to awe the parliament, and the unspeakable dishonour and damage the king sustained by that discourse, how groundless soever it was; all which was imputed to colonel Goring, who, by that means, grew into great reputation with the parliament, as a man so irrecoverably lost at court, that he would join with them in the most desperate designs; yet he carried himself with so great dexterity, that, within few months, he wrought upon the king and queen to believe, that he so much repented that fault, that he would redeem it by any service; and to trust him to that degree, that the queen once resolved, when the tumults drove their majesties first from London, for her security, to put herself into Portsmouth, which was under his government; whilst his majesty betook himself to the northern parts; which design was no sooner over, (if not before,) than he again intimated so much of it to the lord Kimbolton, and that party, that they took all the trust he had from court, to proceed from the confidence their majesties had of his father's interest in him; whose affection and zeal to their service was ever most indubitable: but assured themselves he was their own, even against his own father. So that he carried the matter so, that, at the same to the whole, intermingling sharp taunts, and time, he received 3000l. from the queen, (which scorns, to what had been said of him, with pretty she raised by the sale of her plate and some jewels,) application of himself, and flattery to the men that to fortify, and victual, and reinforce his garrison, spake it: concluding, "that they well knew in against the time it should be necessary to declare "what esteem he stood with others: so that if, by for the king; and a good supply from the parlia- "his ill carriage, he should forfeit the good opinion ment, for the payment of the garrison, that it" of that house, upon which he only depended, might be kept the better devoted to them, and to " and to whose service he entirely devoted himself, their service. All which he performed with that " he were madder than his friends took him to be, admirable dissimulation, and rare confidence, that," and must be as unpitied in any misery, that when the house of commons was informed by a "could befall him, as his enemies would be glad member, whose zeal and affection to them was as "to see him." With which, as innocently and much valued as any man's, "that all his corre- unaffectedly uttered, as can be imagined, he got so "spondence in the county [was] with the most general an applause from the whole house, that, malignant persons; that of those, many frequently not without some little apology for troubling him, "resorted to, and continued with him in the garri- they desired him again to repair to his govern66 son; that he was fortifying, and raising batteries "ment, and to finish those works, which were "towards the land; and that in his discourses, espe- necessary for the safety of the place;" and gracially in the seasons of his good fellowship, he tified him with consenting to all the propositions "used to utter threats against the parliament, and he made in behalf of his garrison, and paid him a "sharp censures of their proceedings;" and upon good sum of money for their arrears; with which, such informations (the author whereof was well and being privately assured (which was indeed reknown to them, and of great reputation; and lived solved on) that he should be lieutenant-general of so near Portsmouth, that he could not be mistaken their horse in their new army, when it should be in the matter of fact) the house sent for him, most formed, he departed again to Portsmouth; in the thinking he would refuse to come; colonel Goring mean time assuring his majesty, by those who were came, upon the summons, with that undauntedness, trusted between them," that he would be speedily that all clouds of distrust immediately vanished, in- "in a posture to make any such declaration for somuch as no man presumed to whisper the least"his service, as he should be required;" which jealousy of him; which he observing, he came to he was forced to do sooner than he was provided the house of commons, of which he was a member, for, though not sooner than he had reason to and, having sat a day or two patiently, as if he ex- expect. pected some charge, in the end he stood up, with a When the levies for the parliament army were in countenance full of modesty, and yet not without a good forwardness, and he had received his commismixture of anger, (as he could help himself with all sion for lieutenant-general of the horse, he wrote to the insinuations of doubt, or fear, or shame, or sim- the lord Kimbolton, who was his most bosom friend, plicity in his face, that might gain belief, to a and a man very powerful, "that he might not be greater degree than I ever saw any man; and could "called to give his attendance upon the army, till seem the most confounded when he was best pre- "it was ready to march; because there were so pared, and the most out of countenance when he many things to be done, and perfected, for the was best resolved, and to want words, and the "safety of that important place, that he was desirhabit of speaking, when they flowed from no man ous to be present himself at the work as long as with greater power,) and told them, " that he had "was possible. In the mean time, he had given been sent for by them, upon some information "directions to his agent in London, to prepare all given against him, and that, though he believed," things for his equipage; so that he would be "the charge being so ridiculous, they might have" ready to appear, at any rendezvous, upon a day's "received, by their own particular inquiry, satisfac- warning." Though the earl of Essex did much "tion; yet the discourses that had been used, and desire his company and assistance in the council of "his being sent for in that manner, had begat some war, and preparing the articles, and forming the prejudice to him in his reputation; which if he discipline for the army, he having been more lately "could not preserve, he should be less able to do versed in the order and rule of marches, and the "them service; and therefore desired, that he provisions necessary or convenient thereunto, than might have leave (though very unskilful, and any man then in their service, and of greater com"unfit to speak, in so wise and judicious an assem- mand than any man but the general; yet the lord bly) to present to them the state and condition of Kimbolton prevailed, that he might not be sent for, "that place under his command; and then he till things were riper for action. And, when that " doubted not but to give them full satisfaction in lord did afterwards write to him, "that it was time "those particulars, which possibly had made some "he should come away," he sent such new and impression in them to his disadvantage: that he reasonable excuses, that they were not unsatisfied was far from taking it ill from those, who had with his delay; till he had multiplied those excuses given any information against him; for, what he so long, that they begun to suspect; and they no "had done, and must do, might give some um- sooner inclined to suspicion, but they met with brage to well affected persons, who knew not the abundant arguments to cherish it. His behaviour grounds and reasons, that induced him so to do; and course of life was very notorious to all the "but that if any such person would at any time, neighbours, nor was he at all reserved in his mirth, "resort to him, he would clearly inform them of and public discourses, to conceal his opinion of the "whatever motives he had; and would be glad of parliament, and their proceedings. So that, at last, "their advice and assistance for the better doing the lord Kimbolton writ plainly to him," that he "thereof." Then he took notice of every particu-" could no longer excuse his absence from the lar that had been publicly said against him, or privately whispered, and gave such plausible answers 66 66 66 66 66 66 army, where he was much wanted; and that, if " he did not come to London by such a short day, pear at Nottingham, at the day when the standard was to be set up, with such a body of men, as might be, at the least, a competent guard to his person. "as he named, he found his integrity would be doubted; and that many things were laid to his charge, of which he doubted not his innocence; "and therefore conjured him, immediately, to be at Westminster." It being now to be no longer Many were then of opinion, "that it had been deferred, or put off, he writ a jolly letter to that more for his majesty's benefit and service, if the lord, "that, the truth was, his council advised him," standard had been appointed to be set up at "that the parliament did many things which were "York; and so that the king had stayed there, 'illegal; and that he might incur much danger by "without moving further south, until he could have obeying all their orders; that he had received" marched in the head of an army, and not to de"the command of that garrison from the king; " and that he durst not be absent from it, without "his leave:" and concluded with some good counsel to the lord. 66 This declaration [of the governor] of a place, which had the reputation of being the only place of strength in England, and situated upon the sea, put them into many apprehensions; and they lost no time in endeavouring to reduce [it]; but, upon the first understanding his resolution, sir William Waller was sent, with a good part of the army, so to block up the place, that neither men or provision might be able to get in; and some ships were sent from the fleet, to prevent any relief by sea and these advertisements came to the king, as soon as he returned to York. 66 "pend upon gathering an army up in his march. It gave no small reputation to his majesty's affairs, when there was so great a damp upon the spirits of men, from the misadventures at Beverley, that so notable a place as Portsmouth had declared for him, in the very beginning of the war; and that so good an officer as Goring was returned to his duty, and in the possession of the town: and the king, who was not surprised with the matter, knowing well the resolution of the colonel, made no doubt, but that he was very well supplied with all things, as he might well have been, to have given tably make that country the seat of the war:" the rebels work for three or four months, at the unskilfully imagining, that the war would be no least. However, he forthwith published a declara- where, but where the king's army was; and theretion, that had been long ready, in which he recapi- fore they facilitated all things, which might contritulated all the insolent and rebellious actions which bute to his remove from thence; undertook to prothe two houses had committed against him: and vide convoys for any arms and ammunition from declared them "to be guilty; and forbad all his Newcastle; to hasten the levies in their own "subjects to yield any obedience to them:" and, country; and to borrow of the arms of some of at the same time, published his proclamation; by the trained bands; which was the best expedient, which he "required all men, who could bear arms, that could be found out, to arm the king's troops, "to repair to him at Nottingham, by the twenty- and had its reverse in the murmurs it produced, "fifth of August following; on which day he would and in leaving the best affected men, by being dis"set up his royal standard there, which all good armed, at the mercy of their enemies; who caresubjects were obliged to attend." And at the fully kept their weapons, that they might be ready same time, he sent the marquis of Hertford to raise to fight against the king. This caused the resoluforces in the west, or, at least, to restrain those tion to be taken for Nottingham, without enough parts (where his interest and reputation was greater weighing the objections, which, upon the entrance than any man's) within the limits of their duty to into great actions, cannot be too much deliberated, the king, and from being corrupted or perverted though, in the execution, they shall be best shut by the parliament; and with him went the lord out. And it quickly appeared in those very men, Seymour, his brother; the lord Pawlet, Hopton, who prevailed most in that council; for, when the Stawel, Coventry, Berkeley, Windham, and some time drew on, in which his majesty was to depart, other gentlemen, of the prime quality, and interest and leave the country, then they remembered, in the western parts; and who were like to give as "that the garrison of Hull would be left as a thorn good examples in their persons, and to be followed "in their sides, where there were well formed and by as many men, as any such number of gentlemen" active troops, which might march over the counin England could be. And from this party, enlivened by the power and reputation of the marquis, the king was in hopes, that Portsmouth would be shortly relieved, and made the head quarter to a good army. And when all this was done, he did all that was possible to be done, without money, to hasten his levies of horse and foot, and to prepare a light train of artillery, that he might ap-. 66 try without control, and come into York itself "without resistance; that there were many dis"affected persons of quality and interest in the country, who, as soon as the king should be gone, would appear amongst their neighbours, "and find a concurrence from them in their worst designs; and that there were some places, some "whole corporations, so notoriously disaffected, 66 66 66 66 of any quality, in that large county, who were actively or factiously disaffected to his majesty; and of those the lord Fairfax, and his son, sir Thomas Fairfax, were the chief; who were governed by two or three of inferior quality, more conversant with the people; who were as well known as they. All these were in the county, at their houses, within few miles of York; and the king resolved, at his going away, to have taken them all prisoners, and to have put them in safe custody; by which, it was very probable, those mischiefs, that shortly after broke out, might have been prevented. But the gentlemen of the county, who were met together to consult for their own security, hearing of this design, besought his majesty "not to do it;" alleging, "that he would, thereby, leave them in a worse condition, by an act so ungracious and unpopular; and that the disaffected would be so far from being weakened, "that their party would be increased thereby:" many really believing, that neither father or son were transported with over-vehement inclinations to the parliament; but would willingly sit still, without being active on either side; which, no doubt, was a policy, that many of those, who wished well, desired and intended to be safe by. And so his majesty left York, taking with him only two or three of inferior rank, (whereof one Stapleton was one,) who were known to have been very active in stirring the people to sedition; and yet, upon some specious pretences, some very good men were persuaded, within few days, to procure the liberty and enlargement even of those from his majesty. So ticklish were those times, and so wary were all men to advise the king should do any thing, which, upon the strictest inquisition, might seem to swerve from the strict rule of the law; believing, unreasonably, that the softest and gentlest remedies might be most wholesomely applied to those rough and violent diseases. These, and the like reflections, made too late impressions upon them; and now, too much, they magnified this man's power, whom before they contemned; and doubted that man's affection, of which they were before secure; and made a thousand propositions to the king this day, whereof they rejected the greatest part to-morrow; and, as the day approached nearer for the king's departure, their apprehensions and irresolutions increased. In the end, they were united in two requests to the king; that he would commit the supreme com"mand of the country, with reference to all military affairs, to the earl of Cumberland; and qualify him, with an ample commission, to that purpose. The other," that his majesty would "command sir Thomas Glemham to remain with" "them, to govern and command such forces, as "the earl of Cumberland should find necessary for "their defence." And this provision being made by the king, they obliged themselves to concur in making any preparations, and forming any forces the earl should require. And his majesty, as willingly, gratified them in both their desires. The earl of Cumberland was a man of great honour and integrity, who had all his estate in that country, and had lived most amongst them, with very much acceptation and affection from the gentlemen, and the common people: but he was not, in any degree, active, or of a martial temper; and rather a man more like not to have any enemies, than to oblige any to be firmly and resolutely his friends, or to pursue his interest: the great fortune of the family was divided, and the greater part of it carried away by an heir female; and his father had so wasted the remainder, that the earl could not live with that lustre, nor draw so great a dependence upon him, as his ancestors had done. In a word, he was a man of honour, and popular enough in peace, but not endued with those parts whlch were necessary for such a season. Sir Thomas Glemham was a gentleman of a noble extraction, and a fair fortune, though he had much impaired it; he had spent many years, in armies, beyond the seas; and he had been an officer of very good esteem in the king's armies, and of courage and integrity unquestionable; but he was not of so stirring and active a nature, as to be able to infuse fire enough into the phlegmatic constitutions of that people, who did rather wish to be spectators of the war, than parties in it; and believed, if they did not provoke the other party, they might all live quietly together; until sir John Hotham, by his excursions and depredations out of Hull, and their seditious neighbours, by their insurrections, awakened them out of that pleasant dream. And then the greatest part of the gentry of that populous country, and very many of the common people, did behave themselves with signal fidelity and courage in the king's service: of all which particulars, which deserve well to be remembered, and transmitted to posterity, there will be occasion to make mention in the following discourse. Yet I cannot leave York without the mention of one particular; which, in truth, is so lively an instance of the spirit and temper of that time, and was a sad presage of all the misfortunes which followed. There were very few gentlemen, or men The king came to Nottingham two or three days before the day he had appointed to set up the standard; having taken Lincoln in his way, and drawn some arms from the trained bands of that country with him to Nottingham; from whence, the next day, he went to take a view of his horse; whereof there were several troops well armed, and under good officers, to the number of seven or eight hundred men; with which, being informed, "that there were some regiments of "foot marching towards Coventry, by the earl of "Essex's orders," he made haste thither; making little doubt, but that he should be able to get thither before them, and so to possess himself of that city; and he did get thither the day before they came; but found not only the gates shut against him, but some of his servants shot and wounded from the walls: nor could all his messages and summons prevail with the mayor and magistrates, before there was any garrison there, to suffer the king to enter into the city. So great an interest and reputation the parliament had gotten over the affections of the people, whose hearts were alienated from any reverence to the government. The king could not remedy the affront, but went that night to Stonely, the house then of sir Thomas Lee; where he was well received; and, the next day, his body of horse, having a clear view, upon an open campania, for five or six miles together, of the [enemy's] small body of foot, which consisted not of above twelve hundred men, with one troop of horse, which marched with them over that plain, retired before them, without giving them one charge; which was imputed to the lashty [ill conduct] of Wilmot, who commanded; and had a colder courage than many who were under him, and who were of opinion, that they might have easily defeated that body of foot: which would have been a very seasonable victory; would have put Coventry unquestionably into the king's hands, and sent him with a good omen to the setting up of his standard. Whereas, that unhappy retreat, which looked like a defeat, and the rebellious behaviour of Coventry, made his majesty's return to Nottingham very melancholy; and he returned thither the very day the standard was appointed to be set up. According to the proclamation, upon the twentyfifth day of August, the standard was erected, about six of the clock in the evening of a very stormy and tempestuous day. The king himself, with a small train, rode to the top of the castlehill, Varney the knight-marshal, who was standardbearer, carrying the standard, which was then erected in that place, with little other ceremony than the sound of drums and trumpets: melancholy men observed many ill presages about that time. There was not one regiment of foot yet levied and brought thither; so that the trained bands, which the sheriff had drawn together, was all the strength the king had for his person, and the guard of the standard. There appeared no conflux of men in obedience to the proclamation; the arms and ammunition were not yet come from York, and a general sadness covered the whole town, and the king himself appeared more melancholic than he used to be. The standard itself was blown down, the same night it had been set up, by a very strong and unruly wind, and could not be fixed again in a day or two, till the tempest was allayed. This was the melancholy state of the king's affairs, when the standard was set up. END OF THE FIFTH BOOK. THE HISTORY OF THE REBELLION, &c. BOOK VI. Wham, which was the 25th of August, as is HEN the king set up his standard at Notting-of his intended army, told him, "that he could not before remembered, he found the place much emptier than he thought the fame of his standard would have suffered it to be; and received intelligence the next day, that the rebels' army, for such now he had declared them, was horse, foot, and cannon, at Northampton; besides that great party which, in the end of the [fifth] book, we left at Coventry: whereas his few cannon and ammunition were still at York, being neither yet in an equipage to march, though sir John Heydon, his majesty's faithful lieutenant general of the ordnance, used all possible diligence to form and prepare it; neither were there foot enough levied to guard it: and at Nottingham, besides some few of the trained bands, which sir John Digby, the active sheriff of that county, drew into the old ruinous castle there, there were not of foot levied for the service yet three hundred men. So that they who were not overmuch given to fear, finding very many places in that great river, which was looked upon as the only strength and security of the town, to be easily fordable, and nothing towards an army for defence but the standard set up, began sadly to apprehend the danger of the king's own person. Insomuch that sir Jacob Ashley, his sergeant-major-general 66 give any assurance against his majesty's being "taken out of his bed, if the rebels should make a brisk attempt to that purpose." And it was evident, all the strength he had to depend upon was his horse, which were under the command of prince Rupert at Leicester, and were not at that time in number above eight hundred, few better armed than with swords; whilst the enemy had, within less than twenty miles of that place, double the number of horse excellently armed and appointed, and a body of five thousand foot well trained and disciplined; so that, no doubt, if they had advanced, they might at least have dispersed those few troops of the king's, and driven his majesty to a greater distance, and exposed him to notable hazards and inconveniences. When men were almost confounded with this prospect, his majesty received intelligence, that Portsmouth was so straitly besieged by sea and land, that it would be reduced in very few days, except it were relieved. For the truth is, colonel Goring, though he had sufficient warning, and sufficient supplies of money to put that place into a posture, had relied too much upon probable and casual assistance, and neglected to do that himself, [which] a vigilant officer would have done: and |