Royall and loyall blood shed by Cromwell and his party, &c. viz. King Charles the martyr. The Earl of Strafford. The Arch-Bishop of Canterbury. Duke Hamilton Earl of Holland Lord Capell Earl of Derby Marquesse of Montrosse Col. Eusebius Andrews. Sir Henry Hide Doctor Hewit To which are added 3. other murthers of publique note. Viz. Sir. Thomas Overbury. Sir George Sonds his 2. sons. Knight and Butler. To which is annexed a brief chronicle of the wars & affairs of the 3. kingdoms, from 1640 to 1661. Most exactly collected and compared with the originals, and amended of those errours which abound in the counterfeit impression of this book.

Anno Domini, 1659.

But this then exclusion of their Members, and taxes, and the fear of other pressures, the Nation having had too late and long experience of their Government, so stomacked the peo∣ple, that designs were every where laid to turn them out of their new acquired Authority: But the most powerfullest attempt against them was in Cheshire, under Sir George Boooh, with whom there rose to the number of 4000 or 5000 men, and most of the Gentlemen of that County. Against these, Major General Lam∣bert, then highly in favour with the Rump, so it was com∣monly called, was sent with an Army, which with additions out of Ireland, very neer equalled that number: At a place called Northwich, a small skirmish happened between them, some four∣teen killed and wounded; whereupon those under Sir George Booth fled, and Chester was delivered; with some other holds newly possest by the Cheshire men to Lambert, and Zanchy, whom he left behind him to reduce them, while he himself passed through Lancashire to his house at Craven, where with his Officers plotted the dissolution of the Rump, which ac∣cordingly upon his coming up to London, was put in execution, October the 11th; and now the Army had the sole power in their hands again.

Lambert hereupon, for we must suppose he is the Agent for his own ambition, though also agreed upon by Fleetwood, and the rest of the Officers, erect a Committee of Safety of some thirty of the most eminent amongst them, into whose hands they devolve the Supreme Authority.

But the Members of the Rump resolve not to be baffled so, Sir Arthur Hazelrig in December possest himself of Portsmouth, and General Monk in Scotland declares his unsatisfiedness in these proceedings of the Army at London, so that while Lam∣bert was ingaged in the North, and attending the issue of a Treaty with General Monk there, the Members return from Portsmouth to London, through the division they had wrought in the Army, the way they chalked out to their own ruine.

The Lord Fairfax was also risen with a sufficient force, re∣straining Lamberts men from free quarter; so that lacking mo∣ney, and news arrived of the Parliaments sitting at Westminster, he comes back to London, whither immediately followed him General Monk, having been courted all along his march by the

Gentlemen of all the Counties of England for a free Parlia∣ment.

At his coming to the Parliament, he declared the sense of the Countryes through which he passed, but nothing less was minded by them then a new or free Parliament; but this, and other his actions, rendred him very suspitious to them, nor was any man assured of his intentions. To try him therefore, the Rump having been denied moneys by the City, and therefore offended with them; to ruine both, by their express Command, the General was sent with his Army into the City, pulled down their Gates and Portcullises, seized several Citizens at the Guildhall, and sent them to the Tower; this seemed to portend some dreadful conclusion: But in the interim, the Rump voted, that the Government of the Army should rest in five persons, making the General one of those; which procedure of theirs, presently drew the Curtain to the Scene and design ensuing.

Notes

• Sir Geo. Booth defeated Aug. ••0.