f8 The HrSTORY oj the PuRITANs. VoL. n. !K. Charles I. caufe ofGod, and that they fought for the prottjlant religion, and magna ~44· charta; however there were among them men of diffolute lives, who ~ fought .only for pay and plunder; ftrange complaints being fent up from Be4fordfhire, Buckinghamfoire, and Su/Jcx, of the diforders of the com– mon' foldiers, the parliament appointed a committee to enquire into the facts, and make examples of the offenders, which put an effectual ilop to the growing mifchief. And as the parliament were enabled, by the in– exhaull:ible treafure -of the city of London, to give their foldiers regular pay, they had them under fuch ftrict government, that they were little or State of af– fairs at tbe end of the _year, no burden to 'the towns and .villages where they were quartered, Upon the whole, the parliament affairs were low at the end of this year, and their counfels divided, by reafon of the length of the war, and the king's were much worfe ; for though he had triumphed over the Earl of EJ!ex in Cornwal, and was mafter of the open country in the well:, hrt had no accefTion of real ftrength, nor had taken any confidera– ble garrifons: the entrance of the Scots broke his army in the north, and loll: him that part of the kingdom, whereby the parliament were enabled to draw off their forces to the 7vifl; and the worll: circumftance of all was, that his m ajefty having exhaufted his treafure, had no way of raif- 'Clar. Vol I!. ing a fupply, which obliged him to connive at his foldiers living at free P· 389, 39 J. quarter ; his officers being poor, quarrcled in the royal prefence, and car– ried their refentments to fuch an height, that the king himfelf could not reconcile them, which had a very ill afpect on the fucceeding campaign. The parliament generals alfo were cenfuring each others conduct in the houfe, on occa!ion of the efcape of the king's artillery from Denningt~n ·caflle. The Earl of £:/]ex's party were charged with a defign of protract– ing the war, in order to an accommodation, while others being weary, were for putting it to a deciiive iffue. In lbort, both parties were in confu lion and difl:refs; they were divided amongll: themfelves, fome be– ing for peace, and others for carrying on the war to the !aft extremity; All property was in a manner loft, the farmers paying no rent to their landlords; nor could any man be fecure of what he poifeifed, except he buried it under ground. The fpirits of the contending parties were as much exafperated as ever, and there was no feeing to the end of their troubles. 4!fairs of the To return to the church. The !late of the controverfy about eccleiiaf– ,·hurc·h. tical difcip!ine was now changed ; for whereas before the entrance of the Scots, the parliament in filled on!y upon a rejormatio11ifthehierarchy, now they were engaged to attempt the total extirpation ifit, and to efl: ablin1 another fcheme for both kingdoms in its room; tho' it was a confidera– ble time before this could be perfected. In the mean while, thr:y refolv– .ed to.purge the univer~ty of Cambridge, which was the head qua rters of I their
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