Chap. XII. The HISTORY of PURITANS. 805 " ney, plate, houfhold-goods, oxen, fheep, or cattle ; or any viEtuals, K Charles L " corn, hay, or other provifions, going to or from any market, without 16L/ 42. " making fatisfadion, his majefly orders them to be proceeded again(} by. " martial law." This was as much as the king could do in his prefent circumflances ; yet it had very littleeffeEt, for his majefty having neither money or Flores for his army, the officers could maintain no difcip- line, and were forced to connive at their living at free quarter upon the people. Thus this unhappy nation was miferably harraffed, and thrown into terrible convulsions, by an unnatural civil war; the nobility and gentry with their dependants, being chiefly with the king; the mer- chants, tradefinen, fubftantial farmers, and in general the middle ranks of people Tiding with the parliament. 'Tis of little confequence to enquire, who began this unnatural and bloody The authors war. None will blame them, on whole part it wasjufl andunavoidable, ofthe civil for taking all neceffary precautions in their defence, and making ufe of"' fach advantages as providence put into their hands to defeat the defigns of the enemy, and nothing can excufe the other. His rnajefty profelfed before God to his nobles at York, that he had no intention to make war upon his parliament. And in his laut fpeech on the fcaffold he affirms, " that be did not begin a war with the two houfes of parliament, but " that they began with him upon the point of the militia; and if any " body will look upon the dates of the commiflìons (lays his majefly) " theirs and mine, they will fee clearly that they began thefe unhappy " troubles, and not I." Yet with all due fubmiluion to fo great an au- thority, were the the dates of commifions for railing the militia the be- ginning of the war ? Were not the crown jewels firll pawned in Holland, and arms ammunition and artillery, rent over to the king at York? Did not his majefly fummon the gentlemen and freeholders to attendhim as an extraordinary guard, in his progrefs in the north, and appear before Hull in a warlike manner, before the railing the militia ; were not thefe warlike preparations? Dr. Welwood fays, and I think all impartial jud- Memoirs ges mull allow, that they look very much that way. Mr. Eachard is P."6 4- furprized that the king did notput him/elf into apolluro f defencefoner ; but he would have ceafed to wonder, if he had remembered the words of lord Clarendon, the reafin why the king did not rain forces f over was, be- caufe he had neither arms nor ammunition, and till thefe couldbe procured from Holland, let his provocations and fujèrings be what they would, he was tofubmit andbear it patiently. It was therefore no want of will, but mere neceflity, that hindered the king's appearing in arms loaner than he did. Father Orleans confeffes, that it was agreed with the queen in the cabinet
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=