Chap. V. The HISTORY of the PuRITANS. ations propofed do not fatisfy, they defire the matter may be fufpended K. Charles I. till after the diibanding the armies, and both king and parliament can a- ~ gree in calling a national fynod. The abovementioned conceilions would furely have been a fuf~ Remarks uP~ ficient foundation for peace, if they' bad been made twelve months anthem. ' fooner, before the }'cots had been called in, with their folemn league and co'IJenant, and fufficient fecurity had been given for their performance~ but the commiffioners hands were now tied ; the parliament apprehending themfelves obliged by the covenant to aboli!h the hierarchy; and yet if the commiilioners could have agreed about the militia, and the puni!h– meht-ef-evil counfellors, the afl'air of religion would not, in the opinion of lord Clarendon, have hindered the fuccefs of the treaty; his words are thefe; " the parliament took none of the points of controverfy lefs to C!ar. p. sSr. " heart, or were lefs united in any thing than in what concerned the " church; the fcots would have given up every thing into the hands of Ib. p. 59~ .. " the kin~ for their beloved presbytery; but many of the parliament " were for peace, provided they might have indemnity for what ~eJas pafl~ " andfecurity for time to come." And were not thefe rea.fonable requefts? why then did not the commiffioners prevail with the king to give then\ fecurity, and divide the parliament, or put an end to the war? The lafl day of the treaty the parliament continued fitting till nine of 'rmtybreah the clock at night, in hopes of bearing fomething from their commiffio- up. ners, that might encourage them to prolong the treaty ; but when an exprefs brought word, that the king's commiffioners would not yield to one of their propofitions; they broke up without doing any thing in the bufinefs. Each party laid the blame upon the other ; the king's commiffioners complained, that the parliament would not confent to prolong the treaty ; and the others, that after twenty days conference not one propofition had been yielded. All fober men, and e.ven fome of the king's commiffioners, were troubled at the event; but confidering the ftate of the king'saffairs, and his fervile attachment to the counfels of a popifh queen, it w~s eafy to forefee it could not be otherwife. Bi!hop Bunzet in the hiftory of his life and times, fays, that lord 11tJ!lis Reafans oj it. who was one of the commiffioners, told him " that the king's afi3irs " were now at a r.riGs, for the treaty of Uxbridge gave him an opportu- <' nity of making peace with the parliament, but all was undone by the " unhappy fuccefs of the marquis of Montrrfs at this time in Scotland, << which being magnified to the king far beyond what it rea\ly was, pre- " vaikd with his majefiy to pur fuch limitations on his commiilioners, as ~' made the whole defign mifcarry." A a 2 Moft
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