222 ENGLAND; 



come to their assistance, and they accordingly entered England anew^ 

 with about 20,000 horse and foot Charles attempted to remove the 

 parliament to Oxford, where many members of both houses met ; but 

 his enemies were still sitting at Westminster, and continued to carry 

 on the war against him with great animosity. The independent party, 

 which had scarcely before been thought of, began now to increase 

 and to figure at Westminster. They were averse to the presbyterians, 

 who till then had conducted the war against the king, nearly as much 

 as to the royalists ; and such was their management, under the direc- 

 tion of the famous Oliver Cromwell, that a plan was formed for dis- 

 missing the earls of Essex and Manchester, and the heads of the 

 presbyterians, from the parliament's service, on the suggestion that 

 they were not for bringing the war to a speedy end, or not for re- 

 ducing the king too low j and for introducing Fairfax, who was an 

 excellent officer, but more manageable, though a presbyterian, and 

 some independent officers. In the mean while the war went on with 

 resentment and loss on both sides. Two battles were fought at 

 Newbury, one on September 20th, 1643, and the other October 27th,, 

 1644, in which the advantage inclined to the king He had likewise 

 many other successes ; and having defeated sir William Waller, he 

 pursued the earl of Essex, who remained still in command, into Corn- 

 wall, whence he was obliged to escape by sea ; but his infantry sur- 

 rendered themselves prisoners to the royalists, though his Gavalry 

 delivered themselves by their valour. 



The first fatal blow the king's army received was at Marston-moor, 

 July 2d, 1644, where, through the imprudence of prince Rupert, 

 the earl of Manchester defeated the royal army, of which 4000 were 

 killed, and 1500 taken prisoners. This victory was owing chiefly to 

 the courage and conduct of Cromwell ; and though it might have 

 been retrieved by the successes of Charles in the West, yet his whole 

 conduct was a series of mistakes, till at last his affairs became irre- 

 trievable. It is true, many treaties of peace, particularly one at Ux- 

 bridge, were set on foot during the war; and the heads of the pres- 

 byterian party would have agreed to terms that very little bounded 

 the king's prerogative. They were outwitted and overruled by the 

 independents ; who were assisted by the stiffness, insincerity, and 

 unamiable behaviour of Charles himself. In short, the independents 

 at last succeeded in persuading the members at Westminster that 

 Charles was not to be trusted, whatever his concessions might be. 

 From that moment the affairs of the royalists continually became more 

 desperate ; Charles successively lost all his towns and forts, and was 

 defeated by Fairfax and Cromwell, at the decisive battle of Naseby, 

 June 14, 1645, owing partly, as usual, to the misconduct of prince 

 Rupert. This battle was followed with fresh misfortunes to Charles, 

 who retired to Oxford, the only plajce where he thought he could be 

 safe. 



The Scots were then besieging Newark, and no good understand- 

 ing subsisted between them and the English parliamentarians ; but 

 the best and most loyal friends Charles had, thought it prudent to 

 make their peace. In this melancholy situation of his affairs, he 

 escaped in disguise from Oxford, and came to the Scotch army be- 

 fore Newark, on May 6, 1 646, upon a promise of protection. The 

 Scots, however, were so intimidated by the resolutions of the parlia- 

 ment at Westminster, that, in consideration of 400,000/. of their ar- 

 rears being paid, they delivered the person of Charles into the bands 



