E N G L A N D. 
vided between the two factions of Cavaliers and Round¬ 
heads. The king, to bind himfelf by the mod folenin 
engagements .to his fubjeCts, made the following pro¬ 
testation before his whole army. “ f do promife, in the 
prefence of Almighty God, and'as I hope for his blef- 
ftng and protection, that I will, to the utmoft of my 
power, defend and maintain the true reformed proteftant 
religion, eftabliflied in the church of England; and, by 
the grace of God, in the fame will live and die. I de¬ 
fire that the laws may be ever the meafure of my go¬ 
vernment, and that the liberty and property of the fub- 
jeCt may be preferved by them with the fame care as my 
own juft rights. And if it pleafe God, by his blefting 
on this army raided for my neceflary defence, to preferve 
me from the prefect rebellion, I do folemnly and faith¬ 
fully promife, in the fight of God, to maintain the juft 
privileges and freedom of parliament, and to govern, to 
the utmoft of my power, by the known ftatutes and cuf- 
toms of tire kingdom ; and particularly, to obferve in¬ 
violably the laws to which I have given my confent this 
parliament. Meanwhile, if this emergency, and the 
■great neceftity to which I am driven, beget any violation 
of law, I hope it (hall be imputed by God and man to 
the authors of this war, not to me, who have fo earneftly 
laboured to preferve the peace of the kingdom. When 
I willingly fail in thefe particulars, I fhall expeCt no aid 
or relief from man, nor any protection from above. But 
in this refolution I hope for the cheerful afiiftance of all 
good men, and am confident of the blefting of heaven.” 
The fincerity with which this fpeech was delivered, and 
the manifeft juftice of its contents, ferved to ftrengthen 
the king’s caufe. He was foon gradually reinforced from 
all quarters ; but not being yet in a condition to face his 
enemies, he thought it prudent to retire by flow marches 
to Derby, and thence to Shrewftntry, in order to coun¬ 
tenance the levies which his friends were making in thole 
quarters. 
In the mean time, the parliament were not remifs in 
preparations on their fide. They had a magazine of arms 
at Hull, and fir John Hotham was appointed governor of 
that place by parliament. Charles had fome time before 
prefented himfelf before that town, but was refufed ad- 
miflion : and from this they drew their principal refources. 
The forces alfo r which had been every where railed on 
pretence of the iervice of Ireland, were now more openly 
enlifted by the parliament for their own purpofes; arid 
the command given to the earl of Eftex, a bold man, but 
who rather defired to fee monarchy abridged than de- 
ftroyed. In London, no lefs than four thoufand m n were 
enlifted in one day ; and the parliament voted a tell, which 
they compelled every foldier to fubferibe, that.they would 
live and die with their general - . Orders were alio iffited 
out for loans of money and plate, “ to defend the king, 
and both houfes or parliament—for they (till preferved 
this ftyle. This brought immenfe quantities of plate to 
the trealury ; and fo great was the public ardour in the 
caufe, that there was more than they could find, room 
Tor. Sixteen thoufand men were foon ready to take the 
field, and the earl of Eftex led them towards Northamp¬ 
ton againft the king. 
The army of the royalifts was not fo numerous as that 
of Eftex; however, it was funpofed to be better dif- 
ciplined and better conducted. The two fons of the 
unfortunate elector palatine, prince Rupert and prince 
Maurice, offered their fervices to the king,- which were 
accepted. A flight advantage gained by prince Rupert 
over colonel Sandys, in a Ikirmilh, gave great hopes of 
his future activity, and infpired the army with refolution 
to hazard a battle. So little were both armies Ikilled in 
the policy of war, that they were within fix miles of each 
other before they were acquainted with their mutual ap¬ 
proach; and, what is more remarkable, they had been 
ten days within twenty miles of each other, without 
knowing it. 
Edge-hill was the firft place where the two armies faced 
Vol, VI, No. 382, 
f)73 
each other, and the fatal fpot firft drenched in civil (laugh¬ 
ter. It was a (hocking fight to fee above thirty thoufand 
of the braveft men in the world, inftead of employing 
their courage againft their common enemy, turning their 
arms againft each other, while the deareft friends, and 
the neareft. kinfmen, embraced oppofite tides, and pre¬ 
pared to bury their private regards in factious hatred. 
In the beginning of the battle, fir Faithful Fortefcue, 
who had levied a troop for the Irifh war, and had been 
forced to ferve in the parliamentary army, deferted to 
the royalifts, and fo intimidated the parliamentary forces, 
that the cavalry fled.. The right wing of their army 
foon followed their example ; but, the viCtors too ea¬ 
gerly purfuing, Eftex’s referve wheeled upon the 
rear of the purfuers, and made great havoc among them. 
After the royalifts had a little recovered, they made a 
vigorous (land ; and both fides, as if petiified at the re¬ 
flection of this unnatural bloodfhed, flood gazing at each 
other, without courage or ability to renew the attack. 
All night they lay under arms., and next morning found 
themfelves (till, gazing at each other. Perhaps this was 
the favourable feafon when the king fnould have (truck 
a decifive blow, or melted down his opponents by a gra¬ 
cious pardon : but he loft the opportunity ; and both 
fides feparated with apparent dread and apprehenlion. 
Five thoufand men are faid to have fallen that day. 
It would be tedious to recount the marchings and 
countermarchings of thefe armies : war was a new trade 
to the Englifh, as they had not feen an hoftile engage¬ 
ment in the ifland for near a century before. The queen 
came to reinforce the royal party ; (lie had brought fol- 
diers and ammunition from Holland, and immediately 
departed to furnifh more'. But the parliament, who 
knew its own (Irength, appeared no way difeouraged. 
Their demands feemed to increafe in proportion to their 
Ioffes ; and, as they were reprefted in the field, they grew 
more haughty in the cabinet ; even all fuch governors as 
gave up their fortreffes to the king were attainted of high 
treafon. It was now too late for the king to remain in¬ 
active, by tendering propofals to the parliament ; for 
though his delife of (lopping; the further effufion of 
blood was laudable as a Chriftian, yet his long negocia- 
tions at Oxford were faulty as a warrior. He wafted 
that time in altercation and treaty, which he fiiould have 
.employed in vigorous exertions in the field. 
However, this firft campaign, upon the whole, wore a 
favourable afpeCt. One victory followed after another; 
Cornwall was reduced to peace and obedience under the 
king : a victory was gained over the parliament forces at 
Stratton Hill, in Devonfhire ; another at Roundaway 
Down, two miles from the Devizes; and a third in 
Chalgrave Field. Briftol was befieged and taken ; Glou- 
cefter was inverted; the battle of Newbury was favour¬ 
able fo the royal caufe ; and great hopes of fuccefs were 
expeCled from an army in the north, railed by the mar¬ 
quis of Newcaftle. But in this campaign, the two 
braveft generals on each fide were killed ; thefe were 
John Hampden, and Lucius Cary lord Faulkland. 
The king, that he might make more extenfive prepa¬ 
rations during the winter for the enfuing. campaign, and 
to oppofe the defigns of the Weftniinfter parliament, 
called one to meet at Oxford ; and this was the firft time 
that England law two parliaments fitting at the fame time. 
His houfe of peers was pretty full ; but his houfe of 
commons confided of only an hundred and forty, which 
amounted to not above half of the other houfe of com¬ 
mons. From this parliament he received fome fupplies; 
after which it was prorogued, and never after aftembled. 
In the mean time, the long parliament were equally ac¬ 
tive on their fide. They parted an ordinance, command¬ 
ing all the inhabitants of London and its neighbourhood 
to retrench a meal a weak, and to pay the value of it for 
the lupport of the public caufe. But what was much 
more effectual, the Scots, who confidered their griev¬ 
ances as fimilar, led a ftrong army to their afiiftance. 
8 I They 
