When the King set off for Hampton Court,the gentlemen and soldiers who had been with him followed him out of town as far as Kingston-upon-Thames;next day,Lord Digby came to them from the King at Hampton Court,in his coach and six,to inform them that the King accepted their protection.This,the Parliament said,was making war against the kingdom,and Lord Digby fled abroad.The Parliament then immediately applied themselves to getting hold of the military power of the country,well knowing that the King was already trying hard to use it against them,and that he had secretly sent the Earl of Newcastle to Hull,to secure a valuable magazine of arms and gunpowder that was there.In those times,every county had its own magazines of arms and powder,for its own train-bands or militia;so,the Parliament brought in a bill claiming the right (which up to this time had belonged to the King)of appointing the Lord Lieutenants of counties,who commanded these train-bands;also,of having all the forts,castles,and garrisons in the kingdom,put into the hands of such governors as they,the Parliament,could confide in.It also passed a law depriving the Bishops of their votes.The King gave his assent to that bill,but would not abandon the right of appointing the Lord Lieutenants,though he said he was willing to appoint such as might be suggested to him by the Parliament.When the Earl of Pembroke asked him whether he would not give way on that question for a time,he said,'By God!not for one hour!'and upon this he and the Parliament went to war.
His young daughter was betrothed to the Prince of Orange.On pretence of taking her to the country of her future husband,the Queen was already got safely away to Holland,there to pawn the Crown jewels for money to raise an army on the King's side.The Lord Admiral being sick,the House of Commons now named the Earl of Warwick to hold his place for a year.The King named another gentleman;the House of Commons took its own way,and the Earl of Warwick became Lord Admiral without the King's consent.The Parliament sent orders down to Hull to have that magazine removed to London;the King went down to Hull to take it himself.The citizens would not admit him into the town,and the governor would not admit him into the castle.The Parliament resolved that whatever the two Houses passed,and the King would not consent to,should be called an ORDINANCE,and should be as much a law as if he did consent to it.The King protested against this,and gave notice that these ordinances were not to be obeyed.The King,attended by the majority of the House of Peers,and by many members of the House of Commons,established himself at York.The Chancellor went to him with the Great Seal,and the Parliament made a new Great Seal.The Queen sent over a ship full of arms and ammunition,and the King issued letters to borrow money at high interest.The Parliament raised twenty regiments of foot and seventy-five troops of horse;and the people willingly aided them with their money,plate,jewellery,and trinkets-the married women even with their wedding-rings.Every member of Parliament who could raise a troop or a regiment in his own part of the country,dressed it according to his taste and in his own colours,and commanded it.Foremost among them all,OLIVER CROMWELL raised a troop of horse-thoroughly in earnest and thoroughly well armed-who were,perhaps,the best soldiers that ever were seen.
In some of their proceedings,this famous Parliament passed the bounds of previous law and custom,yielded to and favoured riotous assemblages of the people,and acted tyrannically in imprisoning some who differed from the popular leaders.But again,you are always to remember that the twelve years during which the King had had his own wilful way,had gone before;and that nothing could make the times what they might,could,would,or should have been,if those twelve years had never rolled away.
THIRD PART
I SHALL not try to relate the particulars of the great civil war between King Charles the First and the Long Parliament,which lasted nearly four years,and a full account of which would fill many large books.It was a sad thing that Englishmen should once more be fighting against Englishmen on English ground;but,it is some consolation to know that on both sides there was great humanity,forbearance,and honour.The soldiers of the Parliament were far more remarkable for these good qualities than the soldiers of the King (many of whom fought for mere pay without much caring for the cause);but those of the nobility and gentry who were on the King's side were so brave,and so faithful to him,that their conduct cannot but command our highest admiration.Among them were great numbers of Catholics,who took the royal side because the Queen was so strongly of their persuasion.
The King might have distinguished some of these gallant spirits,if he had been as generous a spirit himself,by giving them the command of his army.Instead of that,however,true to his old high notions of royalty,he entrusted it to his two nephews,PRINCE RUPERT and PRINCE MAURICE,who were of royal blood and came over from abroad to help him.It might have been better for him if they had stayed away;since Prince Rupert was an impetuous,hot-headed fellow,whose only idea was to dash into battle at all times and seasons,and lay about him.