125 warre was acted, except the easterne association, where :Mr. Oliver Cromwell, by his di ligence, prevented the designes of the royall party, which were so snccessful the first yeare in all other places, that the parliament's condition appear'd so desperate, as many of their members, ~f both houses, ran away to Oxford to the king, and others sate among them conspiring against them. One plott, cond ucted by Mr. Waller, and carried on among many di saffected persons, in the citie, was neere taking effect, to the utter subversion of the parliament and people; but that God, by his providence; brought it timely to light, and the authors were condemn'd, and some of them executed; but 'Valler, for being more · a· knave then the res t, and peaching his complices, was permitted to buy his life for ten thousand pounds. This summer all the west was rcdu e\1 by the king, the Earle of Siamforcl yielding up Exeter, and Coll onell F iennes Bristol!. Sir William Waller had lost all his armie, which had bene victorious in many encounters. The king was master of a ll or most part of Wales, and the parliament had no a rmie left in the field, soe that had he taken the opportunity to have gone immediately to London, that summer, he had ac;cornplisht his designe : but being denied the towne of Gloccster, and taking it in clisclaine, that that towne, in the heart of the land, should make a resistance when the greater cities were yielded to him, he stopp' cl his course to take in that place, where he stay'cl to turn the tide of his good fortune, as his general! my Lord of Newcastle did, at the siege of Hull.' My Lord Newcastle was general! of the north, and master "The impo1icy of this measure is more fully noticed nnd explaiuedJ .and. th'e cause of it set down by Sir Philip '\i\7 arwick, in his Memoirs, p. 260. H One or the like counceU u in botH quarters, north n.nd w_es t, soon blasted the prosperity in each place, for the u king pitcht upon that fatall resolution, recommended to him by Lord Culpeper, of u besieging Glocester, thinking it a good policy not to leave. a strong towne beh ind "him: but the councell proved fatall, for had the king at that time reso.lv'd in himse lf u to have struck at the proud head of" L'ondon, and had had authority enollgh at that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=