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army, faying, he had not time to write any thing under his hand, but would fend it to the general after me; commanding me to tell commiflary-general Ireton, with whom he had formerly treated upon the proposals, that he would wholly throw himself upon us, and truft us for a fettlement of the kingdom, as we had promifed; faying, if we proved honeft men, we should without queftion make the kingdom happy, and fave much fhedding of blood. This meffage from his Majefty I delivered to commissary-general Ireton, at Colebrooke, who feemed to receive it with joy, faying, that we fhould be the verieft knaves that ever lived, if in every thing we made not good whatever we had promifed, because the King, by his not declaring against us, had given us great advantage against our adverfaries. After our marching through Londen with the army, his Majefty being at Hampton-Court, lieutenant-general Cromwell and commiflary-general • Ireton fent the King word feveral times, that the reafon why they made no more hafte in his business was, becaufe the party, which did then fit in the house, (while Pelham was fpeaker) did much obftruct the bufinels, fo that they could not carry it on at present; the lieutenant-general often saying, really they fhould be pulled out by the ears; and to, that purpose caused a regiment of hoife to rendezvous at Hyde-Park, to put that in execution (as he himself expreffed) had it not been carried by vote in the house that day as he defired. The day before, the parliament voted once more the fending of the propofitions of both kingdoms to the King, by the commiffioners of each kingdom at Hamp on-Court; commiflary-general Ireton bade me tell the King, that fuch a thing was to be done tomorrow in the house, but his Majefty need not be troubled at it, for that they intended it to no other end but to make good fome promifes of the parliament, which the nation of Scotland expected perform

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ance of. And that it was not expected or defired, his Majefty fhould either fign them, or treat upon them, for which there fhould be no advantage taken a'gainst the King. Upon the delivery of which mesfage, his Majefty replyed, he knew not what answer to give to please all without a treaty. Next day after this vote paffed, the lieutenant-general afking me thereupon, if the King did not wonder at thefe votes, I told him no; for that commiflary-general Ireton had 'fent fuch a meffage by me the day before the vote paffed, to fignify the reafon of it. The lieutenant-general replied, that really it was the truth, and that we (speaking of the parliament) intended nothing elfe by it, but to fatisfy the Scott, which otherwife might be troublefome. And the lieutenant-general, and commiffary-general enquiring after his Majefties answer to the propofitions, and what it would be, it was ' fhewed them both privately in a garden-house at Putny, and in fome parts amended to their own minds. But before this, the King doubting what anfwer to give, fent me to lieutenant-general Cromwell, as unfatisfied with the proceedings of the army, fearing they intended not to make good what they had pro'mifed, and the rather because his Majefty understood that lieutenant general Comwell and commiflary-general Ireton agreed with the reft of the houfe in fome late votes that oppofed the propofals of the army. They feverally replied, that they would not have his Majefty mistrust them, for that fince the house would go fo high, they only concurred with them, that their unreasonablenefs might the better appear to the kingdom. And the lieutenant-general bade me further affure the King, that if the army remained an army, his Majefty fhould truft the proposals with what was promised to be the worst of his conditions, which fhould be made for him; and then ftriking his hand on his breaft in his chamber at Putney, bade me tell

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the King, he might reft confident and affured of it. And many times the fame meffage hath been fent to the King from them both, with this addition from commiflary-general Ireton, that they would purge, and purge, and never leave purging the houfes, till they had made them of fuch a temper, as fhould do his Majefties bufinefs; and rather than they would fall fhort of what was promifed, he would join with French, Spaniard, cavalier, or any that would join with him to force them to it. Upon the delivery of which meffage, the King made answer, that if they do, they would do more than he durft do. After this the delay of the fettlement of the kingdom was excufed upon the commotions of colonel Martin and colonel Rainfborough, with their adherents; the lieutenant-general faying, that fpeedy courfe must be taken. for outing of them the house and army, because they were now putting the army into a mutiny, by having hand in publishing feveral printed papers, calling themfelves the agents of five regiments, and the agreement of the people, although fome men had encouragement from lieutenant-general Cromwell for the profecution of ⚫ thofe papers.

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And he being further preft to fhew himself in it, he defired to be excufed at the prefent, for that he might fhew himfelf hereafter for their better advantage; though in the company of thofe men, which were of different judgments, he would often say, that thefe people were a giddy-headed party, and that there was no truft or truth in them; and to that purpose wrote a letter to col. Whaley that day the King went from Hampton-Court, intimating doubtfully that his Majefties perfon was in danger from them, and that he fhould keep out guard to prevent them; which letter was prefently fhewed to the King by col. Whaley. That about fix days after, when it was fully known by the parliament and army, that the King was in the

return into private life, and live as citizens.

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ifle of Wight, commiffary-general Ireton ftanding by ⚫ the fire-fide in his quarters at Kingston, and fome speaking of an agreement likely to be made between the King and parliament, now the perfon of the King was out of the power of the army; commiffary-general Ireton replied with a difcontented countenance, that he hoped it would be fuch a peace as we might ⚫ with a good conscience fight against them both. Thus they, who at the first taking the King from Holdenby into the power of the army, cried down prefbyterian government, the proceedings of this prefent parlia 'ment, and their perpetuity, and inftead thereof held forth an earneft inclination to a moderated epifcopacy, with a new election of members to fit in parliament for the fpeedy fettlement of the kingdom; and afterwards when the eleven members had left the house, and the marching through London with the army, the feven lords impeached, the four aldermen of Londen committed to the Tower, and other citizens committed alfo, then again they cried up prefbyterian government, the perpetuity of this prefent parliament, lieutenant general Cromwell farther pleafing himself with the great fums of money, which were in arrears from each county to the army, and the taxes of 60,000 7. 'per month for our maintenance. Now, faith he, we may be, for ought I know, an army as long as we live. And fince the fending for the orders of parliament for the calling of their members together, lieutenant-general Cromwell perceiving the houfes would not anfwer his expectation, he is now again uttering words perfwading the hearers to a prejudice against pro⚫ceedings of parliament, again crying down the prefbyterian government, fetting up a fingle intereft, which he calls an honeft intereft, and that we have done ill in forfaking it. To this purpose it was lately thought fit, to put the army upon chufing new agitators, and to draw forth of the houfes of parliament 60 or 70 ' of

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of the members thereof, much agreeing with his words he fpake formerly in his chamber at Kingston, faying, What a fway Stapelton and Holles had heretofore in the kingdom, and he knew nothing to the contrary, but that he was as well able to govern the kingdom as either of them; fo that, in all his difcourfe, nothing more appeareth, than his feeking after the government of King, parliament, city and kingdom. For effecting whereof he thought it neceffary, and delivered it as his judgment, that a confiderable part of the chief citizens of London, and fome in every county, be clapt up in caftles and garrifons, for the more quiet and fubmiffive carriage of every place to wh.ch they belong: further faying, That, from the rfing of the late tumult in London, there fhould be an • occafion taken to hang the recorder and aldermen of London, then in the Tower, that the city might fee the more they did ftir in oppofition, the more they fhould fuffer; adding, that the city must first be made an example. And, fince that lieutenant-general Cromwell was fent down from the parliament, for the reducing the army to their obedience, he hath most frequently, in publick and private, delivered thefe enfuing heads, as his principles, from whence all the foregoing particulars have enfued, being fully confirmed (as I humbly conceive) by his practice in the • tranfaction of his last year's bufinefs.

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1. First, that every fingle man is judge of just and right, as to the good and ill of a kingdom.

2. That the intereft of honeft men is the interest ⚫ of the kingdom; and that thofe only are deemed honeft men by him, that are conformable to his judgment and practice, may appear in many particulars; to inftance but one, in the choice of colonel Rainf brough to be vice-admiral, lieutenant-general Crom

• well

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