2 Tbe HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. U. K. Charles I.tuity of five thoufand pounds, and to ftrengthen his army paffed an or– ~ dinance, that fuch apprentices as would lift in t-heir fervice fhould be en– titled to a freedom of the city at the expiration of their apprenticeihip, equally with thofe who continued with their mafters. In the beginning of November, the king took poffeffion of Reading without the leaft re– lifl:ance, the parliament garrifon haviqg abandoned it, which alarmed both houfes, and made them fend an exprcls to de fire a fafe conduct for a comRu!hw. Vol. V. P· ss. mittee of lords and commons, to attend his majefty with a petition for peace; the committee waited on his majefl:y at Colnbrook, fifteen miles fromLondon, and having received a favourable anfwer, reported it to the two houfes, who– immediately gave orders to forbear all acts of ho!l:ility, and fent a mef– fenger to the king, to defire the like forbearance on his part; but the committee had no fooner left Colnbrook, than his majefty taking the adWhitlock, vantage of a thick mill:, advanced to Brentford about feven miles from P· 62. London, which he attacked with his whole army, Nov. 13. ami after a fierce and bloody rencounter with the parliament garrifon, wherein con– fiderable numbers were driven into the Thames and ilain, he got poffef– fion of the town, and took a great many prifoners. The conflernation of the citizens on this occaGon was inexpreffible, imagining the king would be next morning at their gates; upon which the lord mayor ordered the trained bands immediately to join the earl of E/Jex's forces which were ju!l: arrived at 'Iurnham-Green, under the command of major general ' Skippon; and there being no further thoughts of peace, every one fpirited up his neighbour, and all refolved as one man to live and die together. Major Skippon went from regiment to regiment, and encouraged his troops with fuch fhort foldier-like fpeeches as thefe; come my boys! my brave boys ! I will run the jame hazards with ;·ou; remember the caufe is for God and the diftnce of yourfelves, your wives and children. Come my honffi brave boys! let us pray heartily, and fight heartily, and God will hlefs us. When they were drawn up they made a body of about twenty four thoufand men eager for battle, but their orders were only to be on the Ru!hw. VoL V. P• 93· defenGve, and prevent the king's breaking through to the city. The two armies having faced each other all day, his maje!l:y retreated in the night to King/ton, and from thence to Reading, where h aving left a garrifon, he returned to Oxford about the beginning of December with his Brmt– fird prifoners, the chief of whom were condemned to die, and had been executed for high treafon, if the two houfes had not threatened to make reprifals. The parliament, to prevent a like fm·prize of the city for the future, impowered the lord-mayor to caufe lines of circumval– lation to be drawn around it, and all the avenues fortified. Motives of it It was not without reafon that the two houfes complained of the king's extraordinary conduct on this occaGon, which was owing to the violent counfels of prince Rupert and lord Dighy, animated by fome of his ma– jell:y's
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=