Chap. I. The HIST 0 RY of the PuRITANs. 3 jefly's friends in the city, who imagined, that if the royal army appeared K. ChariesT. in the neighbourhood of London, the parliament would accept of his ~ majefty's pardon and break up; or elfe t~e confufions wo.uld be !o gre~t, that he might enter and carry all before h1m ; but the project havwg fmled his majefty endeavoured to excufe it in the beft manner he could: he' alledged, that there being no celfation of arms agreed upon, he might jufily take all advantages againfi his enemies. He infified further upon his fears of being hemmed in by the parliament's forces about Colnbrook, to prevent which, it feems he marched feven miles nearer the city. Lord Clarendon fays, prince Rupert haYing advanced to Hounj!ow without order, his majefty at the defire of the prince marched forward, to difengage him from the danger of the forces quartered in that neighbourhood; which is fo very improbable, that in the opinion of Mr. R apin, it is need- Rapin, le(s to refute it. Upon the whole, it is extreamly probable, the king Vol. XII. came from Oxfordwith a defign of furprizing the city of L ondon before P· 3 8 · the earl of Ejfex's army could arrive; but having milfed his aim, he framed the befi pretences to perfwade the people, that his marching to Brentford was only in his own defence. Though his maje!l:y took all occafions to make offers of peace to his Remarks, parliament, in hopes the nation would compel them to an agreement, by leaving him in poifeffion of all his prerogatives, it is fufficiently evident he had no intentions to yield any thing to obtain it', for in his letter to duke Hamilton, dated December 2, I 642, he fays, " He had fet up his Hamil. M. " reft upon the jujtice if his cauft, being refolved that no extremity or Book IV· " misfortune fbould make him yield, for (fays his majefty) I will be ei- P· 203· " ther a glorious king or a patient martyr; and as yet not being the firft, "nor at this prefent apprehending the other, I think it no unfit time to " exprefs this my refolution to you," The jufiice of the caufe upon which his maje!l:y had fet up his reft, was his declaration and promije to g()'Uern for the future according to the laws if the land; but the point was, to know whether this might be relied upon. The two houfes admitted Rapin, the laws of the land to be the rule of government, and that the execu- P· 44, 45· tive power in time of peace was with the king; but his maje!t:y had fo often difpenfed with the laws by the advice of a corrupt minifi ry, aft er repeated alfurances to the contrary thereof, that they durfi not confide in his royal word, and infifled upon fame additional fecurity for themfelves, and for the confiitution. On the other hand, his majefty averred the confiitution was~n no danger f:om him, .but.from themfelves, who were aCting every day mdefiance of 1t. To wh1ch it was anfwered, that it was impoffible the laws fhould have their due cou rfe in time of war as in the height of peace, becaufe this mull: effeCtually tie up their hands. Neither party by law could raife money upon the fubject, without each others confent; the B 2 k~g
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=