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According to this calculation the king might receive from all the colleges together about eight or ten thousand pounds in plate, besides money. Colonel Oliver Cromwell with his company of soldiers, endeavored to intercept the convoy, but under the conduct of Mr. Barnaby Oley their guide, who was acquainted with all the by-roads, they escaped the enemy, and delivered up their charge to the king about the time when he was setting up his royal standard at Nottingham. Cromwell having missed the convoy returned to Cambridge, and took possession of the town and university for the parliament, who, being acquainted with what was done, sent them an angry message, as they had done to Oxford, full of resentments for their disposing of the public money, contrary to the trust reposed in them. The masters and fellows excused themselves, by alledging the royal mandate; whereupon the two houses sent a mandate of their own to the vice-chancellor and heads of colleges in convocation assembled, desiring them to contribute their assistance to the cause in which they [the parliament] were engaged; but though (as Dr. Barwick observes) the commander of the garrison kept them sitting till midnight they would lend nothing, because they apprehend it to be contrary to religion and a good conscience; the houses therefore ordered Dr. Beal, Dr. Martin, and Dr. Sterne, masters of St. John's, Jesus, and Queen's college, into custody ;* upon which many of the scholars deserted their stations, and listed in the king's service.

Besides the two universities the king applied underhand to the papists, who were firm to his interest, though he durst not as yet avow his correspondence with them; for in his declaration of June 3, he assures the ministers and freeholders of Yorkshire, that he would not make use of foreigners, or of persons disaffected to the protestant religion- -Again, we have taken order that the power of the sword shall not come into the hands of papistst

* They were immediately after carried to London by Cromwell, and confined in the tower and other prisons for some years, particularly in the noisome hold of a ship. Dr. Grey. Barwick's Life, p. 32, (note t) and Fuller's History of Cambridge, p. 168. Ed.

+ Rushworth, part 3, vol. i. p. 625.

August 10, his majesty commands that no papist should be listed as a soldier in his army; which was expedient to avoid, as much as possible, the reproach of an alliance with those people, who were at this time become infamous by the Irish massacre. Though his majesty had but few homan catholics among his own forces, the duke of Newcastle's army was filled with them, and popery was countenanced to that degree at York, that mass was said in every corner of the street, and the protestants so affronted, that they were almost afraid to go to church.* The king applied to his Roman catholic subjects to advance two or three years of the rent that they paid as a composition for their estates as recusants; which they not only complied with, but wrote to their friends abroad to borrow more; proclamation was made at Bruges, and other parts of Flanders, that all people who would lend any money to maintain the Roman catholics in England, should have it repaid in a year's time with many thanks.

The Lancashire papists, having been lately disarmed by order of parliament, petitioned his majesty, That since the war was begun, their arms might be re-delivered, that they might be in a capacity to defend his majesty's royal

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* Dr. Grey would impeach the truth of this detail, and says, that as Mr. Neal quotes no authority for these particulars, I am willing to believe, that they are not all of them true." As to the first particular, I can refer for Mr.Neal to Rapin, vol. ii. p. 468, and the matter has been, within these few years, stated and discussed by Mrs. Macaulay, vol. iii. p. 377-8, 8vo. The fact was admitted by the earl of Newcastle himself, and he published a long declaration, partly to vindicate himself on this head; which is preserved in Rushworth, part 3, vol. ii. p. 78, &c. Though I am not able to ascertain the authorities, on which my author states the other particulars, a letter of intelligence of the affairs in Yorkshire, which the parliament received, and which has been given to the public since Mr. Neal's history appeared; affords a general confirmation to his account. It represents that the papists, after the king's proclamation for raising his standard, flocked from Ireland, Lancashire and all parts of Yorkshire to York; that there were great rejoicings amongst them, and a great forwardness to assist the service shewn. The circumstances represented by our author, were not unnatural or improbable consequences of such a confluence and exultation of the papists. And it appears from this letter, that the cavaliers in general, were guilty of tumults, outrages and depredations. Parliamentary History, vol. xi. p. 335, 381, and 405, quoted by Mrs. Macaulay, vol. iii. p. 343-4, 8vo. Ed.

person, and their own families. To which his majesty consented in the following words :

"The laws for disarming recusants being to prevent dangers in a time of peace, but not intended to bar you from the use of arms in time of war for your own safety, or the defence of our person-Our will and com'mand therefore is, and we charge and require you, upon your allegiance, that with all possible speed you provide 6 sufficient arms for yourselves, your servants and your 'tenauts, which we authorise, and require you to keep and use for the defence of us, yourselves, and your country, ' against all forces raised against us, under color of any order or ordinance of parliament; and we shall use our ' utmost power to protect you and yours against all injuries and violence.*

“Given under our signet at Chester, Sept. 27th,

in the eighteenth year of our reign."

Agreeably to this, Mr. George Tempest, a priest, writes to his brother in the king's army, Our priests at Lancaster are at liberty; catholic commanders are admitted, and all well enough that way; God Almighty (as I hope) will better prosper the cause. And another adds, That there is no prosecution of priest or papist in Northumberland.

When the parliament objected this to his majesty, and named the very officers, he was highly displeased, and in his answer makes use of these solemn expressions: "For 'that continued dishonest accusation, of our inclination to the papists, which the authors of it in their own consciences know to be most unjust and groundless, we can say no more, and we can do no more, to the satisfaction of the world.-That any priests or jesuits imprisoned have been released by us out of the gaol of Lancaster, or any other gaol, is as false as the father of lies can invent. Neither are the persons named in that declaration, to 'whom commissions are supposed to be granted for places ' of command in this war, so much as known to us; nor have they any command, or to our knowledge are present

Rushworth, vol. ii. part 3d, p. 50.

in our army. And it is strange, that our oaths and pro'testations before Almighty God, for the maintenance of the protestant religion, should be so slighted- -We de'sire to have our protestations believed by the evidence of 'our actions."* Surely this solemn appeal to Almighty God was ambiguous and evasive! or else we must conclude, that his majesty was very little acquainted with what was done in his name, and by his commission.

It was only five days after this, that the mask was thrown off, for his majesty confesses, in his declaration of Oct. 27. That the malice and fury of his enemies had reduced him to the necessity of accepting the service and affection of any of his good subjects, whatsoever their religion was; that he did know of some few papists, whose eminent abilities in command and conduct had moved him to employ them in his service; but he assures his good subjects, that he would always use his endeavors to suppress their religion, by executing the laws already in force against papists, and in concurring in any other remedies which his two houses should think proper.

As the king was reduced to the necessity of accepting the service and affection of the papists; so on the other hand, the parliament took all imaginable care to cultivate a good correspondence with the Scots, and to secure that nation in their interests. We have remembered that the Scots commissioners at London offered their mediation in the beginning of the year, which the parliament accepted; but the king, from his extreme hatred of the presbyterian discipline, refused, commanding them to be content with their own settlement, and not meddle in the affairs of another nation. But the breach between the king and his two houses growing wider, the council of Scotland sent their chancellor in the month of May to renew their offers of a mediation between the two parties, which the king rejected as before ; and the rather, because they still insisted upon the abolishing of episcopacy, which his majesty believed to be of divine institution, and upon an uniformity of presbyterian government in the two nations: whereas

Rushworth, vol. ii. part 3d, p. 31.

† Duke of Hamilton's Memoirs, b. iii. p. 194.

the majority of both houses, being of ERASTIAN PRINCIPLES, were under no difficulties about a change of discipline, apprehending that the civil magistrate might set up what form of government was most conducive to the good of the state. The parliament therefore treated the chancellor with great respect, and not only accepted the mediation, but wrote to the general assembly which was to meet in July, acquainting them with the crisis of their affairs, and desiring their advice and assistance in bringing about such a reformation as was desired. To which the assembly returned an answer, dated August 3, 1642, to the following purpose:

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"AFTER giving God thanks for the parliament's desire of a reformation of religion, and expressing their grief that it moves so slowly-They observe, that their commissioners, far from arrogance and presumption, had with 'great respect and reverence, expressed their desires for unity of religion, that there might be one confession of faith, one directory of worship, one public catechism, and one form of church government.* The assembly (say they) now enter upon the labors of the commissioners, being encouraged by the zeal of former times, when their predecessors sent a letter into England against the surplice, tippet and corner cap, in the year 1566, and again in the 'years 1583, and 1589. They are now further encouraged by the king's late answer to their commissioners in their treaty for Ireland, wherein his majesty approves of the ⚫ affection of his subjects of Scotland, in their desires of 'conformity of church government; by his majesty's late 'practice while he was in Scotland, in resorting to their worship, and establishing it by act of parliament. They. are also encouraged by a letter sent from many reverend brethren of the church of England,expressing their prayers and endeavors against every thing that shall be prejudi'cial to the establishment of the kingdom of Christ. They therefore advise to begin with an uniformity of church 'government; for what hope can there be (say they) of one confession of faith, one form of worship and catechism,

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* Rushworth, vol. ii. part 3, p. 387.

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