PART THE SEVENTH. From 1641 to 1642. The King's project of visiting Scotland-Opposed by the CommonsEncouraged by the Scots-The King arrives at Edinburgh-Cultivates Popularity with the Covenanters-Hampden and others, Commissioners to attend upon the King-Intrigues and Violences of Montrose - The Scottish Incident-Irish Insurrection-The King returns to London— Grand Protestation-Defections from the Country Party-Demand of the King for the Surrender of Kimbolton and the Five Members-Committee of Privileges retire to the City-Return in Triumph to Westminster -Petition of the Buckinghamshire Men-King leaves London-Departure of the Queen-King goes to York-Summons of Hull-Declaration of his Cause-Is joined by Lords-Raises his Standard-Hampden's motives and Falkland's compared-Breaking out of the Great Civil War. VOL. II. G PART THE SEVENTH. From 1641 to 1642. WHETHER, in Charles's judgement, the time had now become ripe for the blow which he had so long contemplated, or whether, a part of the machinery having failed him, the crisis was thus hastened, it is certain that he began to look impatiently for the means of redeeming himself from that temporizing course which he had pursued with so much disadvantage. The policy with which he had endeavoured to lull the suspicions of the Commons lay bare before them and the country;-the discovery of the Army Plot, and his ill-disguised eagerness to keep together the levies of Roman Catholicks in Ireland, (useless, since the pacification with the Scots, for any purpose which would bear the avowal,) were strong and publick evidence of some dangerous design. But other considerations there were, besides the difficulty of longer keeping his motives secret, which determined him to hasten their accomplishment. Some circumstances, of late, had threatened to raise jealousies among the English people, and to sow differences between a portion of them and the Houses. May admits that, for a short time, the popularity of the Parliament had been on the decline;' Bishops,' says he, had been much lifted at, though not taken away; whereby a great party, whose livelihood and fortune depended upon them, and, far more, whose hopes of preferment looked that way, most of the clergy, and both the Universities, began to 'be daily more disaffected to the Parliament, complaining that all rewards of learning 'must be taken away, which wrought deeply 6 6 in the hearts of the young and more ambi'tious of that coat.' The populace also had, on many occasions, committed great excesses in interruption of the Church service, while the Common Prayer was reading; and the Parliament, taunted by the Court with being the abettors of them, (and unsupported by the Crown,) had not, in truth, the power to controul them; unless by having recourse to means 'which would have impaired their own credit with a strong party among the people. And such means they could not, while unsupported by the Crown, be expected to adopt. To these causes of disgust were added the publick preachings of illiterate persons, mostly of the lowest order of tradesmen. This, however,' says May, some, in a merry way, would put off; considering the precedent times, and saying that these tradesmen did but take up that duty which the · Prelates and great Doctors had let fall,-the preaching of the Gospel; and that it was but ' a reciprocal invasion of each other's callings; 'that chandlers, salters, weavers, and the like, preached, while the Archbishop him'self, instead of preaching, was busied in projects about leather, salt, soap, and such ⚫ commodities as belonged to those tradesmen.' These distempers are almost inseparable from a state in which a country party is endeavouring by popular means to diminish the power of the King, and the King is well pleased, at any risk, to discredit the popular party, by casting them on the support of a tumultuous multitude, for whose acts, they |