now Generalissimo over his own, his captain general was first the Marquis of Hartford, and afterward the Earl of Lindsey; and the Earl of Essex for the Parliamentarians; the Kings forces received the first repulse at Hull by Sir John Hotham, and Sir John Meldrum, and the King takes up his quarters at Shrewsbury; Portsmouth was next surrendred to the Parliament, and presently after Sir John Byron takes Worcester for the King; in September the two Prince Palatines, Rupert and Maurice, arrived in England, who were presently entertained and put into command by the King, who having now got together a potent army, he made a solemn protestation to them of his candid intentions, and sincere meaning, to defend the Protestant Religion, the laws and liberties of the subjects, and priviledges of. Parliament, according to the former protestation at York.

September 9. The Earl of Essex in great state attended on by the Parliament set forth out of London toward St. Albans, and from thence to Northampton, where all his forces met, amounting to near fourteen thousand men, having with him the Parliament's petition, which he was to present to the King, the effect of which was,

That his loyal subjects the Lords and Commons in Parliament, cannot without tenderness of compassion behold the pressing calamities of England, and Ireland, by the practices of a prevailing party with his Majesty, to alter true religion and the ancient government of this Kingdom, introducing superstition into the Churches, and confusion in the State; exciting, encouraging, and fostering the rebellion in Ireland, and as there, so here began the like massacrees; by drawing on a War against the Parliament, leading his person against them, as if by conquest to establish an unlimited power over the people, seeking to bring over the rebels of Ireland to join with them: and all these evil councellors are defended and protected against the justice of the Parliament, who have for their just defence of religion, the Kings crown and dignity, the laws, liberties and power of Parliaments taken up arms, and authorized the Earl of Essex to be their captain general against these rebels and traitors. And pray the King to withdraw his person, and leave them to be supprest by his power, and to return to his Parliament, and that they would receive him with honour, and yield him obedience, secure his person, and establish him and his people with all the blessings of a glorious and happy reign.

This petition was never delivered, though Essex sent twice to the King for safe conduct for those who were to present it; for the King refused to receive any address from those whom he accused of high treason, of whom the Earl of Essex was one: the King then marches from Shrewsbury toward London, upon which the Parliament ordered

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the forces of the associated counties of Essex, Hertford, Middlesex and London to be ready at an hours warning; they likewise order that the lands, rents and profits of Archbishops and Bishops, shall be sequestered, as likewise the King's fines about wards.

Awhile after, Colonel Fines and Sands were routed at Worcester by Prince Rupert, while they endeavoured to take the town from Sir John Byron, who had it in posession for the King; but Essex making his approach with his army, Prince Rupert and Byron quitted the town to him; then were Glocester, Bristol and other places made garrisons for the Parliament; but in Yorkshire and Cornwal the Kings party grew got powerful, and likewise in Wales; were the Earl of Worcester had together a great number of Welchmen, so that the King seeing his army increased resolved to march toward London, and was gotten one day's journey before Essex; who perceiving his error of staying so long. at Worcester hastens after him, to the relief of his masters; the King disdaining to be pursued by a subject, turns, back to meet him, and October 23, 1642, both parties drew into the field between Keinton and Edghill in Warwickshire, where on both sides were slain between five and six thousand men that day, but night parting them, the next day both parties quit the field, the King then marches to Coventry, and thence sends a proclamation of pardon to the cities of London and Westminster, some persons only excepted. This. battle of Edghill was fought on Sunday, the same day twelve month the Irish rebellion brake out.

The King then takes in Banbury,the town and castle being surrendred without a blow, and two regiments of foot, and a troop of horse, took arms under him; from thence the King marches to Oxford, and Essex goes to London, where he was received with great honour; the Parliament to recruit their army, declare; that all apprentices who will list themselves, shall be free from their masters for that time, and shall afterward be received again into service: by which means abundance were induced to turn soldiers; they likewise invite the Scots to come in to their assistance, which the King by a letter to the Lords of the Privy Council in Scotland endeavours to prevent, but in vain: at this time several of the Lords and Commons present a petition to the King at Colebrook to desire him to appoint a place to treat in: to which he answered, he would expect them at his Castle of Windsor, and desires them to hasten the treaty.

At the same time, the King hearing that Essex had drawn his forces and ordnance out of London toward him, and that unless he gained Brainford he would be hemmed in by the Parliament's army, who possessed most of the towns round about him; the King marches thither

that night, where part of Colonel Hollis's regiment that quartered there, made a stout resistance, till the Lord Brooke's and Colonel Hamden's regiment came into their relief, who maintained the fight till night, and then retreated out of town, which the King presently took possession of, with some prisoners, arms and ammunition, eleven colours, and fifteen pieces of ordnance: Essex hearing this, soon came thither, followed with the city Militia and trained bands, which together made a formidable army, so that the King thought fit to march back again to Oxford: this action in a time of treaty, (though not without sufficient ground) was so ill resented by the Houses, that they voted to have no accommodation: yet afterward upon consideration, they again petition him to desert his army, and return to his Parliament, but with the same success as formerly,

. At this time a letter from one of the King's agents in Holland was intercepted, in which he is advertised of considerable forces ready to be sent over for his service: from Denmark likewise arms are sent for ten thousand foot, and two thousand five hundred horse, with a train of artillery, and every thing proportionable, even to the drums and halberts. In Yorkshire the Earl of Newcastle had a sharp rencounter at Tadcaster with the Lord Fairfax, and forced him to retreat: the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Hertford, Cambridge, the Isle of Ely, and the City of Norwich, are authorized by Parliament to associate under the Lord Gray of Wark, and Winchester and Chester are gained by the Parliament.

Dec. 15. Colonel Goring, with the King's Standard, eighty old commanders, and a store of warlike provision, join with the Earl of Newcastle. About which time the City of London petitioned the King, and profess their grief for his distrust of their loyalty, with large protestations of their zealous intentions to defend him, with all the love and duty which became good subjects. The King replies, that he had a good opinion of many of them, and could freely and willingly pardon all, except Pennington the present Mayor, Vean, and some others; and concludes with declaring his high displeasure against such as shall continue acting and assisting his adversaries: many of them were startled with this answer, yet were revived again with what Mr. Pryn and the Parliament Committee told their Common Council, of the Parliaments' great love and affection to them, and resolution to live and die in their defence.

In the North, Sir Hugh Cholmly encounters with several parties of the King's horse at Malton, and Jan. 16. joining with Sir Matthew Boynton, routed a party of six hundred horse and foot under Colonel Slingsby. Sir Thomas Fairfax likewise takes Leeds with little loss on

his side, but five hundred royalists were made prisoners, (six of them commanders) four colours and much arms and ammunition were taken; the King's forces next leave Wakefield and Doncaster, which are presently garrisoned for the Parliament. The Earl of Newcastle brings his forces to York, to prepare for entertaining the Queen; and Jan. 17. he proclaims the Lord Fairfax and his son Sir Thomas, Traitors, (as the Earl of Cumberland had done before) which the Parliament resenting, proclaimed the Lord Newcastle the same.

The Parliament, Feb. 1. make these following propositions to the King at Oxford, (which were presented by the Earls of Northumberland, Salisbury, Pembrook, and Holland, with eight of the House of Commons) to disband his army, and to return home to his Parliament; to leave all delinquents to trial, and all Papists to be disarmed: to pass an act for abolishing the present Church governors, and such other bills as shall be prepared in order to a reformation; all Popish recusants to abjure and renounce Popery; all malignant Councellors to be removed, the Militia to be settled according to the Parliaments' minds; such persons to be preferred to great offices and places of judicature, as the Parliament shall name, and all such Justices of Peace as have been lately turned out of commission be again taken in; that an act pass to vindicate the Lord Kimbolton, and the five members. And an alliance be entered into with our Protestant neighbours for recovery of the Palatinate; that a general pardon pass, with exception to the Earl of Newcastle, Lord Digby, and some others; that such members of Parliament as have been displaced, be restored to offices and places, and satisfaction made them for their losses.

On the other side, the King proposed, that his own revenue, magazines, towns, ships and forts be restored: that what hath been done contrary to law and the King's rights, may be renounced, and recalled: that all illegal power claimed, or acted by any orders of Parliament, be disclaimed; and as the King will readily consent to the execution of all laws made or to be made concerning Popery and reformation, so he desires a bill for the preserving the Book of Com-. 'mon Prayer against sectaries; and that all persons excepted against in the treaty, may be tried per pares by their equals: that there be a cessation of arms and a free trade.'

This made way for a treaty of peace, but little was done in it till March 4. 1642. when Sir Benjaman Rudyard, one of the Commons, told the Parliament plainly, that the war would ruin all; whereupon they appointed commissioners, that is, the Earl of Northumberland, Mr. Pierpoint, Sir William Ermine, Sir John Holland and Mr. Whitlock, who were to attend the King at Oxford.

Feb. 23. 1642. The Queen landed at Burlington Key, with officers, ammunition and money, from Holland, from whence the Earl of Montross and the Lord Ogilby conveyed her to York, where she was honourably received by the Earls of Cumberland and Newcastle, and there she began to form her army. In the mean time Col. Massey advances against Capt. Bridges, who kept Shudley Castle in Glouces -tershire, with sixty soldiers, and all other things sufficient, for the Lord Shandois on the King's behalf; Col. Massey offers to storm the Castle, but is repulsed, yet next day he possessed the garden under the Castle, and firing some hay and straw, made so great a smother in the house, that taking the opportunity thereof, he planted his great guns so conveniently, as forced the besieged to surrender upon quarter, leaving their arms, and ingaging to pay five hundred pounds in six days for the goods in the castle, or else to lose them.

Yet had the Parliament no great cause of boasting of this victory; for soon after Prince Rupert with four thousand horse and foot, making shew to regain it, marchies to Cirencester, where the strength and great part of the magazine of the county lay, and Febuary 1. he masters the guard, and forces his passage into the town, which in two hours he gained, taking one thousand one hundred prisoners, and two thousand arms; and next day he summons Glocester, which Colonel Massey was resolved to defend, and to strengthen it, deserts Shudly Castle and other out garrisons.

The Farl of Wocefter and his son the Lord Herbert had now raised an army of near one thousand five hundred Welchmen for the King, with whom he marched to the forest of Dean, and beat Colonel Borroughs regiment out of a small town call'd Coford near Monmouth; from thence they march to Hingham within two miles of Glocester, and Colonel Bret demands the town for the King, but was answered with scorn; for Massey with assistance from Capt, Fines at Bristol, weakened them with continual skirmishes, till Sir William Waller having taken Malmsbury came to Glocester, and joyned his forces with the other, so that this Welch army spent near five weeks without doing any memorable action.

But now Colonel Massey draws out all his horse, with five hundred foot, and some ordnance, and held them play the first day; the next morning the great guns give the alarum, and both parties engage very fiercely, and the Welch were like to have routed him, and taken his ordnance, at which instant Sir William Waller comes in to Massey's assistance, who taking courage thereby they run furiously upon the - Welchmen, and drive them back to Hingham house, which they began presently to batter with their cannon; whereupon the Welch sound a parley, and surrender the place, and themselves prisoners, but the officers were to receive quarter according to their qualities;