8?0 ENGL 
snities, although a blow then ftruck with vigour might 
have prevented all his fubfequent misfortunes. A fuf- 
penfion of arms was agreed upon ; and a treaty of peace 
concluded, which neither party intended to obferve; yet 
both agreed to difband their forces. This was a fatal 
meaftire to Charles, as he could not levy a new army 
without great expence ; while the Scottilh infurgents, 
who were volunteers in the fervice, could be muftered at 
pleafttre. Of this the malcontents were fenfible ; for 
they lengthened out the negociations with affeCted diffi¬ 
culties, till they were confident of their own fuperiority. 
Then, after much altercation, and many treaties figned 
and broken, both parties again reforted to arms. 
It was now, A. D. 1640, about eleven years ftnce the 
king had called a parliament. The fierce and ungovern¬ 
able fpirit of the laft meeting, had taught him to hate 
and to fear fuch an affembly ; but his treafury being ex- 
haufied, and great debts contracted, he had no other re- 
fource. Yet (till, the many illegal, and the numerous 
imprudent, fteps of the crown, contributed to fill this 
new parliament with nothing but murmurings and com¬ 
plaints. Every method the king had taken to fupply 
himfelf with money, was declared an abufe, and a breach 
of the conftitution. Ship-money, the fale of monopo¬ 
lies, the billeting foldiers upon refractory citizens, were 
all voted as firetches of arbitrary power. Charles, find¬ 
ing he had no hopes from the commons, had recourfe to 
the houfe of peers ; but here he was equally foiled ; and 
meeting with nothing but difguft and recrimination, he 
again diffolved the parliament, to try arbitrary meafures 
for fupplying his neceilities. 
The king now called upon the citizens of London for 
a loan; which, being refuted, he fued fuch of them in 
the ftar-chamber, as had lands in Ireland, and made them 
pay a confiderable fine. He continued alfo to exa£t the 
taxes againft which every parliament had remonftrated. 
A loan of forty thoufand pounds was extorted from the 
Spanilh merchants, who had bullion in the Tower. 
Coat and conduct money for the foldiers was levied on 
the counties ; an ancient praCtice, but fuppofed to have 
been abolithed by the petition of right. All the pepper 
was bought from the Eaft India company upon truft, and 
fold at a great difeount for ready money. A fclieme was 
aifo propofed for coining bafe money ; and yet all thefe 
methods were far from proving effectual. The Scots, 
therefore, fenfible of the extremities to which the king 
was reduced, led on an army of twenty thoufand men as 
tar as Newcaftle upon Tyne, to lay their grievances be¬ 
fore their fovereign, as they were pleafed to term their 
rebellion. Perhaps the mod difgufting feature in the 
puritanical character, was this gentle language, and hum¬ 
ble cant, in the midft of treafon ; and their flattery to 
the king, while they were attempting to dethrone and 
deflroy him. To the Scottilh troops, infpired by en- 
thufiafm, and fluftved with fome flight victories, Charles 
was able only to oppofe a fmaller force, undifeiplined, 
feditious, and ill paid. Being, therefore, in defpair of 
(lemming the torrent, he at length yielded to it. He 
fummoned a council of the peers to meet him at York ; 
and, as he forefaw that they would advife him to call 
a parliament, lie told them he had already taken that re- 
folution. He now called that long parliament, which 
never difeontinued fitting till they finally accom'plilhed 
his ruin. This parliament had no fooner met, than it 
impeached the earl of Strafford, the king’s firft minifter, 
for high treafon. Pym, who opened the aecufation in 
the houfe of commons, was fent up to fupport it at the 
bar of the houfe of lords; and mod of the commons at¬ 
tended their member. 
To give the utmoft folemnity to this trial, fcaffiolds 
Were ereCted in Weffminfter hall, where both houfes 
fat, the one as judges, the other as accufers. Belide the 
chair of (late, a clofe gallery was prepared for the king 
and queen, who attended the whole time. The articles 
of impeachment were twenty-eight j the fubfiance of 
AND. 
which was, that he had illegally attempted to extend 
the royal prerogative, to the manifeft injury of the king 
and his fubjeCts ; and had been guilty of various unjuft 
exactions in Ireland. In the midft of this folemn trial, 
the earl of Strafford, whofe s wifdom and character had 
been long refpeCtable, flood unmoved and undaunted. 
He defended himfelf with equal prefence of mind, judg¬ 
ment, and fagacity. But all was in vain : nothing lefs 
than his life could now appeafe the vengeance of the 
people. He was found guilty by both houfes of parlia¬ 
ment ; and the king was called upon to give his fanCtion 
to the bill of attainder. Charles, who loved and re- 
fpeCted Strafford, helitated and tried every expedient to- 
put afide fo dreadful an event as that of figning the war¬ 
rant for his execution. While in this agitation of mind, 
he received a letter from that unfortunate nobleman, de¬ 
firing that his life might be made the facrifice of a mu¬ 
tual reconciliation between the king and his people ; ad¬ 
ding that he was prepared to die, and to a willing mind 
there could be no injury. This noble generofity was but 
ill requited by the king, who inftantly gave orders for 
figning the fatal bill by commifiion ; Strafford was be¬ 
headed on Tower-hill ; and behaved with all that dig¬ 
nity of mind and Chriftian fortitude, which has immor¬ 
talized his character. 
But the commons chofe not to flop here. Laud alfo, 
after a deliberation of half an hour, was confidered fiuf- 
ficiently culpable to incur the fame aecufation, and was- 
committed to cuftody. Finch, the lord-keeper, was 
likewife impeached ; but he had the precaution to efcape 
into Holland, as did fir Francis Wyndebank, the fecretary, 
into France. The king, thus deprived of his minifters, 
began to tremble for the few privileges heftill po lie fled. 
The lieutenants and deputy-lieutenants of counties, 
who had aCted under his influence, were voted delin¬ 
quents. The ftieriffs alfo, who had obeyed the king’s 
mandate in- railing lliip-money, were voted delinquents. 
All the farmers and officers of the cuftoms, who had 
been employed during fo many years in levying tonnage 
and poundage, were fubjetted to the fame imputation, 
and purchafed their fafety by paying a hundred and fifty 
thoufand pounds. Every fentence of the ftar-chamber, 
and high-commiffion courts, underwent a fevere feru- 
tiny ; and all thofe who had any hand in fuch fentences„ 
were voted liable to the penalties of the law. The 
judges, who had declared againft Hampden, in the trial 
of Ihip-money, were accufed before the peers, and 
obliged to find fecurity for their appearance. All thofe 
monopolies which had been granted by the king were 
now annihilated, by order of the commons ; and they 
carried their refentment fo far as to expel from their 
houfe all fuch members as hud been monopolifts or con¬ 
tractors. 
Hitherto we have feen the commons aCting, in fome 
meaftire, as the patrons of liberty. Had they been con¬ 
tent to flop here, they might have been conlidered as the 
benefaCtors of mankind ; and would have left the con- 
ftitution on a fair and firm bafis. But from matters of 
civil and political inveftigation, they proceeded to the 
affairs of the church. The pulpits were delivered over 
to puritanical preachers, whom the commons arbitrarily 
placed in all the confiderable churches, which now re¬ 
founded with faCtion and fanaticifm. The prefs teemed 
with productions dangerous to the (tate ; and feditionand 
calumny pervaded all orders, againft the king and his 
friends. 
In this univerfal uproar, Prynne,. Burton, and Baft- 
wick, who had been for years committed to remote pri- 
fons, were fet at liberty by order of the commons, 
Baftwick had been confined in Scilly, Burton in Jerf’ey,. 
and Prynne in Guernfey; and, upon landing at their re- 
fpective places, they were received by the acclamations 
of the people, and attended by crowds to London, 
Boughs were carried in this tumultuous proceffion ; the 
roads were (hewed with flowers, their fufferings were ag. 
gray at ed, 
