general assembly piously pronounced, that as he refused to take the covenant which was pressed on him, it became not the godly to concern themselves about his fortune. The king, therefore, being delivered over to the English commissioners, was conducted under a guard to Holdenby in the county of Northampton; his ancient servants being dismissed, and he himself debarred from all visits, and communications with his family and friends.

But when the civil war was thus terminated, the parliament soon found themselves in the same situation to which they had reduced the king. The majority of he house were Presbyterians, but the majority of the army were Independents. The former, soon after the retreat of the Scots, seeing every enemy reduced, proposed to disband a considerable part of the army, and send the rest over to Ireland. This was by no means relished, and Cromwell took care to heighten the disaffection. Instead of preparing to disband, therefore, the soldiers resolved to petition; and they began by desiring an indemnity, ratified by the king, for any illegal actions which they might have committed during the war. The commons voted that this petition tended to introduce mutiny, &c.; and threatened to proceed against the promoters of it as enemies to the state. The army, therefore, began to set up for themselves. In opposition to the parliament at Westminster, a military parliament was formed. The principal officers formed a council to represent the body of peers; the soldiers elected two men out of each company to represent the commons, and thus was formed the celebrated body of agitators of the army. See AGITATORS and CROMWELL. The new parliament soon found many grievances to be redressed; and specified some of the most considerable. The commons were obliged to yield to every request, and the demands of the agitators rose in proportion. The commons accused the army of mutiny and sedition; the army retorted the charge, and alleged that the king had been deposed only to make way for their usurpations. Cromwell, in the mean time, who secretly conducted all the measures of the army, while he exclaimed against their violence, resolved to seize the king's person. Accordingly a party of 500 horse appeared at Holmby Castle, under the command of one Joyce, originally a tailor, but now a cornet; and by this man was the king conducted to the army, who were hastening to their rendezvous at Triplo Heath near Cambridge. Next day Cromwell arrived among them, where he was received with acclamations of joy, and immediately invested with the supreme command. The commons now saw the design of the army; but it was too late resistance was become vain: Cromwell advanced with precipitation, and was in a few days at St. Alban's. Even submission was now useless; the army still rose in their demands, in proportion as these demands were gratified, till at last they claimed a right of modelling the whole government, and settling the nation. Cromwell began with accusing eleven members of the house, the leaders of the presbyterian party, as guilty of high treason. The commons were willing to protect them; but

the army insisting on their dismission, they voluntarily left the house. At last the citizens of London, finding the constitution totally overturned, and a military despotism commencing, began to think seriously of repressing the insolence of the troops. The common council assembled the militia of the city; the works were manned; and a manifesto published, aggravating the hostile intentions of the army. Finding that the commons, in compliance with the request of the army, had voted that the city militia should be disbanded, the citizens besieged the door of the house, and obliged them to reverse that vote. The assembly was, of consequence, divided into two parties; the greater part siding with the citizens; but the minority, with the two speakers at their head, were for encouraging the army. Accordingly the two speakers, with sixty-two of the members, secretly retired from the house, and threw themselves under the protection of the army, then at Hounslow Heath. They were received with shouts and acclamations; their integrity was extolled; and a force of 20,000 men moved forward to reinstate them in the house. In the mean time the party which was left resolved to resist the encroachments of the army. They chose new speakers, gave orders for enlisting troops, ordered the trained bands to man the lines; and the whole city boldly resolved to resist the approaching force. But this resolution only held while the enemy was at a distance: for, when Cromwell appeared, all was obedience and submission: the gates were opened to him; the eleven impeached members were expelled; the mayor, sheriff, and three aldermen, were sent to the tower: several citizens, and officers of the militia, were committed to prison; the lines about the city levelled to the ground; and the command of the Tower given to Fairfax.

It now only remained to dispose of the king, who remained a prisoner at Hampton Court. The independent army, at the head of whom was Cromwell, on one hand, and the Presbyterians, in the name of both houses, on the other, treated with him separately in private. He had sometimes even hopes, that, in these struggles for power, he might have been chosen mediator in the dispute; and he expected that the kingdom at last, being sensible of the miseries of anarchy, would of its own accord be hushed into tranquillity. At this time he was treated with some marks of distinction; he was permitted to converse with his old servants; his chaplains were directed to attend him, and he celebrated divine service in his own way. But the most exquisite pleasure he enjoyed was in the company of his children, with whom he had several interviews. The effect of one of these interviews on the stern heart of CROMWELL, we have adverted to in that article. But these instances of respect were of no long continuance. As soon as the army had gained a complete victory over the house of commons, the king was treated not only with the greatest contumely, but was kept in continual alarms for his personal safety. The consequence of this was, that Charles at last resolved to withdraw from the kingdom. Accordingly, on the 11th of November 1647,

attended only by Sir John Berkeley, Ashburnham, and Leg, he privately left Hampton Court; and his escape was not discovered till nearly an hour after; when those who entered his chamber, found on the table some letters directed to the parliament, to the general, and to the officer who had attended him. Travelling all night he arrived next day at Tichfield, a seat of the earl of Southampton, where he knew he could entrust himself with the countess dowager. Before alighting at this place, he had gone to the seacoast; and expressed great anxiety that a ship which he looked for had not arrived. The question now was, what measure should be next embraced. In the neighbourhood was the Isle of Wight, of which one Hammond was governor, a man entirely dependent on Cromwell, but the nephew of Dr. Hammond, the king's favorite chaplain, and of good general character. It was too promptly determined to have recourse to him in the present exigence: Ashburnham and Berkely were therefore despatched to the island, with orders not to inform Hammond of the place where the king lay concealed, till they had first obtained his promise not to deliver up his majesty, but restore him to his liberty, if he could not protect him. The promise would have been but a slender security: yet, even with out exacting it, Ashburnham imprudently, if not treacherously, brought Hammond to Tich field; and the king was obliged to put himself into his hands, and to attend him to Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight; where, though he was received with great demonstrations of respect and kindness, he was in reality a prisoner.

Cromwell now found himself upon the point of losing all the fruits of his former schemes, by having his own principles turned against himself. Among the Independents, who in general were averse to ecclesiastical subordination, a set of men grew up, called Levellers, who disallowed all subordination whatsoever, and declared that they would have no other chaplain, king, or captain, but Jesus Christ. So long as this was only directed against his enemies, Cromwell could tolerate and even applaud it; but he did not approve of it when applied to himself. Having intimation that the levellers were to meet, he unexpectedly appeared before them at the head of his red regiment, which had hitherto been deemed invincible. He demanded, in the name of God, what these meetings and murmurings meant. He expostulated with them upon the danger and consequence of their precipitant schemes, and desired them immediately to depart. Instead of obeying, however, they returned an insolent answer; when, rushing on them in great anger, he laid two of them dead at his feet: several others he caused to be hanged upon the spot, his guards dispersing the rest; and thus dissipated a faction, no otherwise criminal than in having followed his own example: Cromwell's authority soon after became irresistible, in consequence of a new and unexpected addition to his successes. The Scots, ashamed of the reproach of having sold their king, raised an army in his favor, the chief command of which was given to the earl of Hamilton: while Langdale, who professed himself at the head of the more

bigoted party who had taken the covenant, marched at the head of his separate body, and both invaded the north of England. Though these two armies amounted to above 20,000 men, Cromwell hesitated not, at the head of his 8000 hardy veterans, to give them battle. He attacked them one after another; routed and dispersed them; took Hamilton prisoner; and, following the blow, entered Scotland, the government of which he settled entirely to his satisfac tion. See CROMWELL. An insurrection in Kent was quelled by Fairfax with the same ease.

During these events, the king, who was kept a prisoner at Carisbrooke Castle, continued to negociate with the parliament, who now saw no other method of destroying the military power, but to bring into conflict again with that of the king. Frequent proposals for accommodation passed between them; but the great obstacle which stood in the way was the king's refusal to abolish episcopacy, though he consented to alter the liturgy. However, the treaty was still carried on with vigor, and the parliament for the first time seemed in earnest to conclude their negociations amicably. The army saw through their designs, and began to demand vengeance on the king. The unhappy monarch had been lately sent under confinement to Windsor; whence he was now conveyed to Hurst Castle in Hampshire. The parliament in the mean time began to issue ordinances for an effectual opposition to certain military encroachments, when they were astonished by a message from Cromwell, that he intended paying them a visit next day with his whole army; and in the mean time ordering them to raise him £40,000 on the city of London. The commons, though destitute of all hopes of prevailing, had still the courage to resist, and to attempt, in the face of the whole army, to finish the treaty they had begun with the king. They had taken into consideration the whole of his concessions; and, though they had formerly voted them unsatisfactory, they now renewed the consultation with great vigor. After a violent debate, which lasted three days, it was carried by a majority of 129 against eighty-three, that his concessions were a foundation for the houses to proceed upon in settling the affairs of the nation. This was the last attempt in his favor; for the next day colonel Pride, at the head of two regiments, blockaded the house; and seizing in the passage forty-one members, of the presbyterian party, sent them to a low room belonging to the house, that passed by the denomination of Hell. Above 160 members more were excluded; and none were allowed to enter but the most furious and determined of the Independents, in all not exceeding sixty. This atrocious invasion of parliamentary rights commonly passed by the name of Pride's purge, and the remaining members were called the Rump. These soon voted, that the transactions of the house a few days before were entirely illegal, and that their general's conduct was just and necessary. Nothing remained, to complete the wickedness of this Rump parliament, but to murder the king.

In this assembly, therefore, composed of the most obscure citizens, and officers of the army, a committee was appointed to bring in the

W

charges against the unhappy monarch; and, on their report, a vote passed declaring it treason in a king to leyy war against his parliament. It was resolved, that a high court of justice should be appointed, to try the king on the charge of this newly invented treason. For form's sake, they desired the concurrence of the few remaining lords in the upper house; but there was virtue enough left in that body unanimously to reject the proposal. The commons, however, were not to be stopped by so small an obstacle. They voted that the concurrence of the house of lords was unnecessary, and that the people were the origin of all just power. To add to their zeal, a woman of Herefordshire, illuminated by prophetical visions, desired admittance, and comnunicated a revelation she pretended to have eceived from heaven. She assured them, that heir measures were consecrated from above, and atified by the sanction of the Holy Ghost; intelgence which gave them, it is said, great comfort. Colonel Harrison, the son of a butcher, was ommanded to conduct the king from Hurst Castle to Windsor, and thence to London. elany who saw him on this journey were greatly ffected at the change that appeared in his face nd person. He had permitted his beard to row; his hair was become venerably gray, rather y the pressure of anxiety than the hand of time; hile the rest of his apparel bore the marks of pisfortune and decay. All the exterior symbols If sovereignty were now withdrawn, and his at

endants had orders to serve him without cereony. He could not, however, be persuaded at his adversaries would bring him to a formal ial; but he every moment expected to be desitched by private assassination. From the 6th the 20th of January was spent in making preurations for this extraordinary trial.

The court consisted of 133 persons named by e commons; but of these never above seventy et upon the trial. The members were chiefly mposed of the principal officers of the army, ost of them of very mean birth, together with me of the lower house, and a few citizens of ndon. Bradshaw, a lawyer, was chosen prelent; Coke was appointed solicitor for the ople of England; Dorislaus, Steele, and Aske, re named assistants. The court sat in Westaster Hall. When the king was brought for rd he was conducted by the mace-bearer to a ur placed within the bar. Though long deed a prisoner, and now produced as a crimihe still maintained the dignity of a king. The rges being read by the solicitor, accusing of having been the cause of all the bloodd since the commencement of the war, Bradw told him that the court expected his answer, en the king began his defence with declining authority of the court. He stated, that, havbeen engaged in treaty with his two houses arliament, and having finished almost every cle, he expected a different treatment from at he had now received. He perceived, he 1, no appearance of an upper house, which necessary to constitute a just tribunal. He sted that he was himself the king and founof law, and consequently could not be tried laws to which he had never given his assent;

that, having been intrusted with the liberties of the people, he would not now betray them by recognising a power founded in usurpation; that he was willing, before a proper tribunal, to enter into the particulars of his defence; but that before them he must decline any apology for his innocence, lest he should be considered as the betrayer of, and not a martyr for, the constitution. Bradshaw, in order to support the authority of the court, insisted that they had received their authority from the people, the source of all right. He pressed the king not to decline the authority of a court that was delegated by the commons of England, and interrupted and overruled him in his attempts to reply. In this manner the king was three times produced before the court, and as often persisted in declining its jurisdiction. The fourth and last time he was brought before this self-created tribunal, as he was proceeding thither, he was insulted by the soldiers and the mob, who cried out, Justice! justice! Execution! execution!' but he continued undaunted. His judges having now examined some witnesses, by whom it was proved that the king had appeared in arms against the forces commissioned by parliament, they pronounced sentence against him. He seemed very anxious at this time to be admitted to a conference with the two houses, and it was supposed that he intended to resign the crown to his son: but the court refused compliance, and considered his request as an artifice to delay justice.

The behaviour of Charles under all these instances of low-bred malice was great, firm, and equal. In going through the hall from this execrable tribunal, the soldiers and rabble were again instigated to cry out, Justice and execution! They reviled him with the most bitter reproaches. Among other insults, one miscreant presumed to spit in the face of his sovereign. He patiently bore their insolence: Poor souls,' cried he, they would treat their generals in the same manner for sixpence.' Those of the populace, who still retained the feelings of humanity, expressed their sorrow in sighs and tears. A soldier more compassionate than the rest could not help imploring a blessing on his royal head: when an officer, overhearing him, struck the honest sentinel to the ground before the king: the latter only remarked that the punishment seemed to exceed the offence.' At his return to Whitehall, Charles desired permission to see his children, and to be attended in his private devotions by Dr. Juxon, late bishop of London. These requests were granted, and three days allowed him to prepare for execution. Every night between his sentence and execution, the king slept sound as usual:-the fatal morning being at last arrived, he arose early, and, calling one of his attendants, he bad him employ more than usual care in dressing him, for so great a solemnity. The street before Whitehall was the place destined for his execution. He was led through the banqueting house to the scaffold adjoining to that edifice, attended by his friend and servant, bishop Juxon, a man of the same mild and steady virtues with himself. The scaffold, which was covered with black, was guarded by a regiment of soldiers under the command of colo