to those whose power and interest he stood

Long) to be too few to consult upon so weighty a business, thought fit to call all the peers here present to the consultation; which were the earl of Cleveland, lord Wentworth, lord Wilmot, lord Percy, lord Gerrard, and myself. It was generally thought fit, that the king should treat with the Scots:, the only question was, whether he should treat with them as a parliament, without which appellation they would not be treated with at all. Many reasons were alledged pro & contra; on the one side what dishonor and prejudice would follow upon the king's allowing that to be a parliament, which was not called by his authority, and presumed to sit after his fathers death, and did still proceed so vigorously against his party; on the other side, it was urged, that the calling this a parliament on the back side of a letter did not really and legally make it one, and that real advantages were not to be lost for airy words and titles; that both the king of Spain and other princes had made no difficulty to give their rebellious subjects any titles they would demand, when they were grown too powerful to be punished by them, and when they had no other means left to reap advantages from them. For my own part I was all this time a neuter, and resolved not to give my conclusive opinion till I knew the true state of Ireland, and what advice the king should receive from thence. Immediately upon this, after a most dangerous passage, Mr. Seymour arrived; by whose discourse, as well as by the letters I received both from yourself and others, I was fixed in the opinion I before wavered in; which was, that the king in the dangerous situation he was in should not stick at words to obtain a treaty with the Scots, and provided he could retrieve to himself the

in need of, he condescended to practise

a

superintendency of his affairs in England and Ireland, to condescend to any thing that concerned Scotland "" The following propositions, with his majesty's assent, will give us the best idea of the conditions agreed on between him and the commissioners of Scotland.

"We [desire] that your majestie shall sweare, subscribe, and seal the national covenant of Scotland, and the solemne league and covenant of Scotland, England, and Ireland, in the words following to be subjoined to both:

'I Charles, king of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, doe assure and declare by my solemne oath, in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of hearts, my allowance and approbation of the national covenant, and of the solemn league and covenant above written; and faithfully oblige myself to prosecute the ends thereof in my station and calling; and that I for myself and successors shall consent and agree to all acts of parliament enjoining the national covenant, and the solemne league and covenant, and fully establishing presbyteriall government, the directory of worship, confession of faith, and catechisms, in the kingdom of Scotland; as they are approven by the general assembly of this kirk and parliament of this kingdome; and that I shall give my royal assent to acts of parliament, bills, ordinances past, or to be past in the houses of parliament, `enjoyning the same in the rest of my dominions; and that I shall observe these in my own practice and family, and shall never make opposition to any of these, or endeavour any change thereof :'

"His majesty doth consent to this whole proposition

a Ormonde's Papers, vol. I. p. 338.

in terminis; and for performance thereof his majesty doth declare in verbo principis, that so soon as he shall be desyred by the parliament and the general assembly, or by their commissioners, he shall solemnly swear, subscribe and seal the national covenant of Scotland, and the solemne league and covenant of Scotland, England, and Ireland, in the words preceeding, subjoined to both.

"We desire that your majesty would acknowledge the authority of this and the former parliaments, that has been since the time of your royal father, or his commissioners were present therein; and that your majesty give such an allowance of the acts made in this and the three last immediately preceeding sessions of this current parliament since the fourth of January 1649, as your majesty's royal father gave in 1641, unto the acts made in the session of parliament 11th June 1640; and that your majesty would consent and agree, that all matters civil would be determined by this and the subsequent parliaments of this kingdome; and such as are or shall be authorized by them; and matters ecclesiastical, by the ensuing assemblies of this kirk, and such as are, or shall be authorized by them :

"His majesty doth consent to this whole proposition in terminis.

"His majesty having also received the proposition following:

"We desire, that your majesty would recall and disclaim all commissions issued forth for acting any thing by sea or land to the prejudice of the covenant, or of this kingdome; or of any, who do or shall adhere to the solemne league and covenant, and to monarchical government, in any other of your majesty's dominions, and all other declarations made by any in your majesty's name or by you warranted against the samen; and

further, that your majesty would disallow, and disclaime or declare null and void, all treaties or agreements whatsoever with the bloody rebels in Ireland; and to declare that your majesty would never allow nor permit any liberty of the popish religion in Ireland, or any other part of your majesties dominions:

"His majesty doth consent to this whole proposition in terminis.

"His majesty having received the proposition following:

"We desire, that your majesty would be resolved to swear at your coronation by and attour the oath of the covenant aforesaid, the oath appointed by the 8th act of the first parliament of your royal grandfather king James VI. and ratified thereafter by manie acts, and insert in the national covenant, to be sworne by all kings and princes of Scotland, at their coronation; and that your majesty would then declare, that you will in matters civil follow the counsel of your parliaments, and such as are or shall be authorized by them; and in matters ecclesiastical by the counsel of the general assembly, and such as are or shall be authorized by them:

"His majesty doth consent to this whole proposition in terminis?

Such were the terms on which Charles was permitted to enter Scotland and possess the throne of his ancestors! Terms hard, rigorous, and severe! which there was little reason to expect that he would observe, and therefore should neither have been demanded, nor complied with. To think that a Stuart, whose house was always averse to the covenants, the churchmen, the assemblies, and the whole government ecclesias

Thurloe's State Papers, vol. I. p. 147. fol. Lond. 1742.

the most shameful dissimulation 14 that we

tical, would indeed pay a regard to them, was weak beyond imagination. The father of the young king had them in abhorrence: his counsellors were those who had been his father's; and, had it not been for self-ends, he and they would have been glad to have rooted them out; but the government was now in a good measure under the direction of ecclesiastics, which will at once account for the absurdity of the supposition, and the intolerant spirit so very visible in the propositions. On the other hand, one cannot but stand amazed at the daring assurance of those about the king, who could advise him to consent to terms which they knew he never would observe, and which the observation of must have terminated in the ruin of themselves and their friends. But necessity, dire necessity, was the excuse. The king knew not where to go: he had no sense of the obligations of truth; and cared not whom he deceived, or who were losers, provided he might accomplish his own ends.

He met with many mortifications, and practised the most shameful dissimulation.] "The king," says Burnet," sailed home to Scotland in some Dutch men of war with which the prince of Orange furnished him, with all the stock of money and arms that his credit could raise. That indeed would not have been very great, if the prince of Orange had not joined his own to it. The duke of Hamilton and the earl of Lauderdale were suffered to go home with him: but soon after his landing an order came to put them from him. The king complained of this; but duke Hamilton at parting told him, he must prepare for things of

* He landed in Scotland June 23, 1650.