A NNE, by the Grace of God, Queen of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all to whom these Prefents fhall come Greeting. Whereas Our Trusty and Well-beloved William Delaune, Doctor in Divinity, and Vice-Chancellor of Our Univerfity of Oxford, has humbly reprefented unto Us, in the behalf of the faid Univerfity, that They have at a Great Expence already Published One Volume of the late Earl of Clarendon's Hiftory, and intend in a fhort time to Publish the Second and Third Volumes for Compleating the Work; and the fole Right of the Copy of the faid Work being Vested in Our Univerfity of Oxford, and They having humbly befought Us to Grant Them Our Royal Privilege and Licence for the fole Printing and Publishing the fame for the Term of Fourteen Years; We being Graciously enclined to encourage the faid Undertaking, are pleafed to condescend to their Requeft; and do therefore hereby Give and Grant unto Our faid Univerfity of Oxford, Our Royal Licence and Privilege, for the fole Printing and Publishing the faid Three Volumes of the late Earl of Clarendon's Hiftory, for and during the Term of Fourteen Years, to be computed from the Day of the Date hereof; ftrictly Charging, Prohibiting, and Forbidding all Our Subjects to Reprint or Abridge the faid History, or any Part of it, or to Import, Buy, Vend, Utter, or Diftribute any Copies of the fame, or any Part thereof, Reprinted beyond the Seas, within the faid Term, without the Confent and Approbation of Our faid University first had and obtained, as They and every of them Offending herein will Anfwer the Contrary at their Peril, and fuch other Penalties as by the Laws and Statutes of this Our Realm may be inflicted; Whereof the Master, Wardens, and Company of Stationers of Our City of London, the Commiffioners and Officers of Our Customs, and all other Our Officers and Ministers whom it may Concern, are to take Notice, that due Obedience be given to Our Pleasure herein fignified. Given at Our Court at Hampton-Court the 24th day of June 1703. In the Second Year of Our Reign. By Her Majesties Command. C. Hedges. THE PREFACE. A Tlength comes into the World, The First Volume of the History of the Rebellion, and Civil Wars in England, begun in the Year 1641, with the precedent Paffages and Actions, that Contributed thereunto, and the Happy End and Conclufion thereof, by the King's bleffed Reftoration, and Return, upon the 29th of May in the Year 1660; Written by Edward Earl of Clarendon, once Lord High Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the Famous Univerfity of Oxford. The first of thefe great Dignities King Charles the Second had conferr'd on Him, whilst he was yet in Banifhment with Him; which be beld, after the Reftoration, above feven Years, with the Univerfal Approbation of the whole Kingdom, and the General Applaufe of all good Men, for his Juftice, Integrity, found Judgement, and Eminent Suf ficiency in the difcharge of that Office; a Praife, which none of his Enemies ever denied Him, in any Time: The Other He receiv'd from the choice of the Univerfity, who, upon the Vacancy of that Place, by the death of the Marquis of Hertford, then Duke of Somerset, judg'd They could not better manifest their fleddinefs in the a 4 Caufe Caufe for which They had fuffer'd, and their Refolutions of adhering to their Old Principles, in Jupport of the Church of England, and the Ancient Monarchical Government of this Kingdom, than in choofing to place the Protection of their intereft in both, under the care of One, who had fo early distinguished Himself, even from the first Approaches of the Civil War, in afferting and maintaining the diftreßßed Rights of the Church and Crown. This Hiftory was first begun by the exprefs Command of King Charles the First, who, having a defire, that an account of the Calamities, God was pleased to inflict on the Unhappy part of his Reign, fhould be reported to Posterity by fome worthy, honeft, and knowing Man, thought He could not appoint any One more adorn'd with Juch Qualifications, than this Author. It is a difficult Province to write the Hiftory of the Civil Wars of a Great and Powerful Nation, where the King was engaged with one Part of his Subjects against the other, and both Sides were fufficiently inflamed: And the Neceffity of Speaking the Truth of feveral Great Men, that were engaged in the Quarrel on either Side, who may fill have very confiderable Relations, defcended from Them, now Alive, makes the Task Invidious, as well as Difficult. We are not ignorant that there are Accounts, contained in this following History, of fome Eminent Perfons in thofe Times, that do not agree with the relations we bave met with of the fame Perfons, published in other Authors. But, befides that they who put forth this Hiftory, dare not take upon them to make any Alterations in a Work of this kind, folemnly left with them to be published, whenever it should be published, as it was delivered to Them; they cannot but think the World will generally be of Opinion, that others may as likely have been mistaken in the grounds, and informations they have gone upon, as our Author; who will be efteem'd to have had opportunities, equal at least with any others, of knowing the Truth; and, by the Candor, J and |