7'9 7'he HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. XL X. Charles I. the earFof Efex (hould be captain general, and the earl of Bedford ge 1642. Herat of the bode, who were empowered to refift and oppofe with force all fuch whom they fhould find in arms, putting in execution the king's" aómmifon ofarray. The reafons ofthis refolution arifing from the king's extraordinary preparations for war, were publifhed at the fame time ; and in their declaration of Auguft 4. they fay, " that they would have yielded " upevery thing to the king, could they have been a/ured, that by di%arming themfelves theyfhould not have been left naked, while the militaryfword "' was in the hands of tbofe evil counfellors who they had reafon tofear had .,, vowed the deftruelian of the twoh'©nfes, and through theirfides of thepro- ". teftant religion; but being well acquainted with their defigns, they ap- "'prehend that their duty to God and their country, obliges them to ha- " lard every thing for the maintenance of the true religion, the king's " perfon honour and eftate, and the liberties of England." On the 9th of .1uguft the king proclaimed the earl of Effex and all his adherents trai- Rap n;. tors, unlefs they laiddown theirarms within fix days ; and in another ma- t. 567. nfefto declared both houfes ofparliament guilty of high treafon, and for- bid all his fubjcas to yield obedience to them. The parliament alto on their part, proclaimed all who adhered to the king in this caufe traitors againft the parliament and kingdom. .4uguft rya. the king by procla- mation commanded all his fubjeas on the north of Trent, and within twenty miles f uth of it, to appear in arms for the fupprefling the rebels that were marching againft him ; and about the fame time iffued out an- other proclamation, requiring all men who could bear arms to repair to him at Nottingham, where he intended to fet up his flandardon monday Xin;'ijrsup .dvguft 22. In the mean time his majefty gave out new commiffions his /iandard to augment his forces, and marching through Lincolntook away the arms ar Nottinb -of the train-bands for the ufe of his troops. At length being arrived at ban,, the appointed place, he caufed his ftandard to be erefted in the open field, on the outfide of the caffle wall of Nottingham, but very few came to attend it ; and the weather proving ftormy and tempefruous it was blown down the fame evening, and could not be fixed again in two days. Three weeks after this [September g.], the earl of Effex the parliament's gene- ral left London, to put himfelf at the head of their army of fifteen thoufand men at St..A7ban's. The king with an army of equal flrength, marched from Nottingham to Shrewsbury, and having refrefhed his for- ces there for force time, broke up 011ober t e. in order to march direaly for London, but the earl of E.fex putting himfelf in the way, both armies engaged at Edgehill near Keinton in Warwickfhire, on funday Otiober 23. the very fame day twelvemonth after the breaking out of the itjh mafa-" ere; the battle continued from three in the afternoon till nights with al- moff`
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