356 Th~ HI 8 T 0 R Y of tbe PuRITANS. VoL. II. K. Charles I. thofe that wilbed the treaty might have no good effect, to give the army ~~time to finifh their fummer's work, and return to London. On the !aft day of the treaty, when the commilfloners preffed his maje!l:y to confider, that there was not one whole day to determine the fate of the kingdom, and that nothing could fave his majefty from the growing power of the ar– my, but giving his two houfes fatisfaction in the particular of the church, Book XI. p." then (fays lord Clarendon) his majefi:y's own council, and the divines, 227· " befought him to confider the fafety of his perfon, even for the church's .. fake, which had nu profpect of being preferved but by his life, that the "unavoidable neceility that lay upon him obliged him to do any thing " that was not fin." And why did they not do this (ooner ? 'However it feems they could not prevailfor a Jzijpe~on of the epijcopal power in point of ordination andjurijdiflion,. till he and the t~vo boujes jhould agree 'lfihat government jhould be ejlab!ijhedfor the future. · Which was the fub– fiance of all his majelly intended by his conceflions. After (upper the commijjioners took their leave, and having kiffed his majell:y's hand, began their journey next mo,ning towards London. 'Tis intrepid lan– guage that Mr. Warwick pllts into the king's mouth on this occafion: His maje!l:y faid to him one night, " I am like a captain that has defended « a place well, and his fuperiors not being able to relieve him he had leave " to fun·ender it; but though they cannot relieve me in the time let them « relieve me when they can, elfe(fays he) I will hold it out.till I make fome " ftone in this building my tornb-!l:one; and fo I will do by the church " of England." Lord Clarendon is of opinion, " that the major part of both houfes, as " well as the commijjioners, were at this time {o far from defiring the exe· " cution of all their conceilions, that if they had been able to have refill:– " ed the wild fury of the army, they would tbemfelves have been fuitors " to have declined the greateft part of them." And were not the king's councellors and div.ines fenfible of this? Why then did they trifle aw:>y a month in fruitlefs debates, when it was evident to all men that the king's condition became more defperate every day? Thus ended the famous treaty at Newport, which like all the former proved unfuccefsful, chiefly from an incurable jealoufy betwee n the contending parties, which how reafon– able it was on either fide mull: be left with the reader. King's !mer The noble hiftorian obferves, that the king f€nt the prince of Wales a. totbcpnnce. journal of the proceedings of the treaty, and an exact copy of all the pa-., pers that had paffed to the 29th of November, together with a letter of fix. ilieets of paper writ with his majefty's own hand, containing the reafons and motives of all. his conceilions. The condufion of the letW, his. lordlbip fays, deferves to be preferved in letters of gold, as it gives the bell: cha.racte.r of that excellent prince; but the copy does not in my opinion, 2. refemble:
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=