332 . ne HIs T 0 R y of the PuRITANS, VoL. I!. K. Charles I. The a_rmy had no foonet left the neighbourhood of the city, but the ~ prrfb.ytertans refumed the ?Ja~agement of public affairs. May 5· the Which is en- parltament refolved to ma1nta111 the_ jolem11 league and co•uenant, and to tir~!y prc!by- unite with the kingdom of Scotland upon the propolitions of HamptontRcna_n. Court. The militia of the city of London was refl:ored to the lord aptn, p. d 'I h l . 504 , 50 s, mayor an common-counct ; t e e even Impeached members, and the 511, 518. feven peers were difcharged ; and in fhort all that had been done again!l: the prefbyterian greatnefs by the influence of the army la!l: winter was Ru!bw. p. reverfed ; fo that as from Augzijl 6, 1647. to the beginning of May, P· 1127· 1648. the parliament may be fuppofed to have lain under fome refl:raint from the army; from that time to the end of the treaty of the ljle of Rernads en .the confu.Jion if the times. Wight, it was at full liberty, and entirely under prefbyterian direction. Petitions came now from divers counties, and from the city of LondoJZ hfelf, for a perfonal treaty with the king; upon which the commons fet alide their votes of non-addrelfes, and at the requeft of the lords con– fented to treat with the king, without his figning any preliminary pro– pefitions, hoping as matters then flood, his majefl:y would not delay a moment to grant their derr.ands, that he might be releafed from his con– finement, and placed upon his throne, before the army lhould be at lei– fure to throw further obllacles in the way; but here was the fatal over– fight, the king and his friends would not condefcend, nor the prefbyte– rians relax, till both were driven out of the field, and the army become irrefifl ible. Let the reader paufe a little, and reflect with grief upon the miferable di!hactions of this unhappy kingdom ; in this crijis were three or four powerful parties with feparate views ftriving for mafl:ery. The KING a clofe prifoner in the ljle of Wigbt was the prize contended for; he had little or no weight to throw into either fcale, though by ligning the Jcots treaty he was reputed the author of that invalion, and of the fecond civil war; the CAVALIERS were in arms to preferve the EPISCOPAL CHURcH of England; but having concerted no meafures among them– ie!ves were eafily difperfed. The ScoTS came into England in pur[uance of the CovENANT, and the fecret treaty of the Ijle ofWight, but two mif– flakes ruined their enterprize; one was, their not communicat·ing the con~ tents of that treaty to the englijb prejb)'terians, which they might have done by their commiffioners without the knowledge of the englifb army, before they had marched into E~tgland; the other was,. dukeHamilto1ls acting ia concert with the englijb cavaliers, allowing them to march in the ~'an, which gave their enemies in the parliament at Wejtmirljier, a fair opportunit~ of engaging the whole military power of England againft them; for With– out all doubt, if the duke had prevailed, not only the independent, but the pmbyteria11 cazife had been betrayed into the hands of the cavalt:rs, 2 whKh
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