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that kingdom". Here he met with very

his father, and abundance more of those kinds of promises which distress dictates, and prosperity erases: promises which fools believe, and wise men laugh at.

-The declaration is dated at Castle Elizabeth, in the isle of Jersey, Oct. 31, 1649. The doctrine here laid down in the name of the king, was a very hopeful one, it must be confessed; and well fitted to conciliate the minds of men, who understood liberty (as many then admirably did), to his person and government! But such were not the subjects Charles wished for.

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Submitting to terms, he embarked for Scotland.] The Scots seem to have been much addicted to families. Oppression they disliked; but the oppressors they loved. Nothing could reconcile them to the former, or alienate them from the latter. The Stuart race had made sad work from time to time among them; but it never entered into their heads to shake off the yoke, by changing families, or establishing a commonwealth, which would have been, in the circumstances of their country, most beneficial; though it deprived the great men of the power of oppressing their vassals. They had got little benefit from Charles I. yet for him they involved themselves in broils with their best benefactors, the English parliament. From Charles II. they reasonably could expect less; and yet they must have him for king, though war with a superior nation, and an all-victorious army, was the known consequence.

I have already observed, that the prince of Wales was proclaimed king by the Scottish parliament, and that they resolved to send a committee to invite him thither on certain conditions. The king was then at the Hague. Commissioners were appointed in consequence of the above resolution; who attended on

many mortifications, and was obliged to

his majesty, but could not bring about what they were sent for. Take their transactions and success in their own words." According to our additional instructions of the fifteenth of March," say they, "finding that James Grahame [Montrose] was about the king, we did, by a paper of the twenty seventh of March, desire that he might be removed from his person and court, as one who had been deservedly forefaulted by the parliament, and excommunicate by the kirk of this kingdom; which when we had pressed once and again, his majesty returned this answer, that he was resolved to consider the whole that we had to propose, before he declared his resolution upon any part. Although we were sorry to receive this answer, yet being loath upon this ground to break, off (laying that desire aside for the time) we did proceed, and in three propositions offerr'd to his majesty the substance of these things which we were warranted by your lordships to demand. The first whereof was, That his majesty would, by his oath under his hand and seal, allow the covenant, and the solemne league and covenant, and oblige himself to prosecute the enemies thereof in his royal station. Secondly, that he would ratifie all acts of parliament enjoining the solemn league and covenant, and for settling presbyterial government, directors of worship, confession of faith, and catechism, as they are already approven by the general assembly and parliament of Scotland, and would assent to acts of parliament, enjoining the same in England, and observe the same in his own practice and family, and never make opposition thereto. Thirdly, That his majesty would agree that matters civil should be determined by this and subsequent parliaments of this

submit to many restraints, and do many

kingdome, and matters ecclesiastical by the general assemblies of this church, as his royal father did formerly grant. These propositions were pressed with the best reasons we could, both from the justice and necessity of the matter, and from the advantage that would arise to his majesty's affairs upon satisfaction given thereto, which for brevity we forbear to repeat. Instead of an answer, his majesty returned a paper, containing these three queries, First, whether the papers already presented, did contain all that we had to propose? Secondly, whether we had any power to recede from any thing therein, or were bound to insist thereupon in terms as they stood? Thirdly, whether we had any propositions to make towards the advancement of his service, for his restitution to his other kingdoms, and bringing the murderers of his father to justice? And considering that these queries were moved of purpose to obstruct all agreement, and to cause and increase jealousies and differences betwixt his majesty and us, we offered by conference to shew that these queries were materially answered in our paper of April 20, and therefore intreated his majesty not to insist in these or the like, for the moving of them tended greatly to the prejudice of his own affairs at this time. But his majesty finding that conference could not be so well transmitted to his counsell, he insisted on the same, so that we were necessitated to make it appear by writ, that they had been answered in that our former paper. As to the first we answered, that we were not to propose any further unless we were commanded by the parliament or their committee; to the second, our desires proposed were so just and necessary, for securing of religion and the peace of this

things, much contrary to his real inclina

kingdom, that we could not in reason recede from the matter contained in them, which being retained, we were not to stand with his majesty upon words or terms. And to the third we replyed, that the granting of these desires, would make his majesty's good people do all for him as could be expected of faithful and loyal subjects to their gracious king; and particularly would make them contribute their utmost endeavours, that his majesty might be restored to the possession of his just right of government of his other dominions. And when as yet his majesty seemed not satisfied, and did especially resent, that in these answers nothing was exprest of our sense of the murder of his father, nor was any thing offered to bring the actors thereof to justice; we did by another paper cleer our former answers, and did much regret, that our sense of that horrid fact against the life of our late sovereign, should be called in question; since the parliament, by their commissioners at London, had declared to the world, how much they did abominate and detest the very design thereof: all which, with unanimous consent, was allowed, and approven in parliament. And finding that his majesty did all this while defer to give a direct or positive answer to the propositions, we did by another paper of May 11, with all the freedom and faithfulness we could, press his answer, and did represent to him the great danger and disadvantage, which would inevitably ensue upon his delaying, or refusing, to give the satisfaction desired by that kingdom. Whereupon his majesty gave us this paper of May 29. After consideration whereof, we did represent to his majesty how grievous that answer was to us, and how unsatisfactory it would be to your lord

tions; which, after all, being but too visible

ships, and therefore forbearing to insist upon particulars, we entreated his majesty to take the same again into consideration, to which his majesty was pleased only to return this general answer, by which your lordships may perceive his majesty's purpose of sending an express hither for your further satisfaction "."

The indifference shewn by his majesty to Scotland, and the refusal to comply with its demands, arose, as I before observed, from his hopes of Ireland; and I now add, from his expectations from Montrose, to whom a commission soon after was granted to wage war in that kingdom on the covenanters, and bring them into a more compliable temper. But Charles was out of luck in all his projects from these quarters; and therefore at Breda complied with what he had refused at the Hague, and even with much more, to the no small mortification of many of his followers. Lord Byron, in a letter to major general Daniel O'Neile, dated, Jersey, Feb. 7, 1649, O. S. will explain the reason. "One Windram was sent from Scotland," says he, "with commission to offer the king a solemn address from that kingdom of persons authorised to treat and conclude with him of some course for his restoration in England, and punishment of his fathers murderers; in case he would acknowledge this present convention to be a parliament: which at the Hague he had refused to do. Hereupon the king, finding the council he had here (which consisted but of three persons, my lord Hopton, and the two secretaries, Nicholas and

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Proceedings of the Commissioners of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland, with his Majesty at the Hague. Edinburgh, printed by Evan Tyler, 1649.

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