The plain Englishman's historian, or, A compendious chronicle of England from its first being inhabited to this present year 1679 but more especially containing the chief remarques of all our Kings and Queens since the conquest, their lives and reigns, policies, wars, laws, successes, and troubles : with the most notable accidents, as dearths, tempests, monstrous births, and other prodigies that happened in each of their times respectively / by H.C.

CHAP. XXVI. King Charles the First

BEgan his Reign 27 March 1625, and in June following was married to Henrietta Maria, Daughter of Henry the Great.

In the year 1627. was the unfortunate Expedition to the Isle of Rhe, designed for the assistance of the French Protestants in Ro∣chel, and the next year a second attempt in∣tended; but the Duke of Buckingham pre∣paring for it at Portsmouth, was assassinated by the barbarous hands of John Felton, who for that horrid Murther was first hanged at Tyburn, and his body exposed in Chains at Portsmouth. Upon the noble Duke was made this Epitaph by one of the Celebrated Wits of that Age.

Here lies the best and worst of Fate, Two Kings Delight, but Factions Hate, The Courtiers Star, the Kingdoms Eye, A Man to draw an Angel by, Fears Despiser, great Villiers Glory, The Great mans Volum, All times Story.

Nor did Felton want an Epitaph, but had the following Lines bestowed on him, by a Pen whose exquisite Fancy deserved a more happy subject.

An Epitaph on John Felton, that stabb'd the Duke of Buckingham at Portsmouth, Anno 1621. and was there hang'd in Chains.

Here uninterr'd suspends (though not to save Surviving Friends th'expences of a Grave) Feltons dead earth, which to the world must be Its own sad Monument, his Elegy, As large as Fame; but whether bad or good, I say not; By himself 'twas wrote in Bloud. For which his body is entomb'd in Air, Arch'd o're with Heav'n, set with a Thousand fair And glorious Stars, a noble Sepulcher, Which Time it self can't ruinate, and where Th' Impartial Worm, that is not brib'd to spare Princes (Corrupt in Marble) cannot share.

His Flesh (which oft the charitable Skies Embalm with Tears, deigning those Obsequies Belong to Men) shall last till pitying Fowl Contend to reach his Body to his Soul.

The 29th of May 1630, was born Charles the 2d, our present Sovereign, a Star appear∣ing at the same time at Noon-day, as an Il∣lustrious presage of the peculiar care Heaven would take of that Royal Native.

In the year 1639. the Scots, stirred up and influenced by certain Presbyterian Factious Spirits, begin a Rebellion, and march to∣wards England, whom the King meets with a strong Army. A Pacification is made be∣tween them; yet the next year they come on again, encouraged by a treacherous Party here, and a Treaty being had, a Truce is made with them.

The 3d. of November 1640. began that fatal Parliament, terribly known by the Name of the Long; and now the ill Weeds of Rebellion grow so fast, that we must one∣ly hint at the time of principal Actions, without running out into Circumstances.

On Wednesday the 12th of May 1641, that prudent and loyal Statesman Thomas Earl of Strafford was taken off by a popular fury, and noise of an Accumulative Treason, though

nothing Criminal was proved against him: But his Loyalty was to them Crime enough, and even themselves seemed to acknow∣ledge his Innocence, since they thought fit to fling away the Helve of that Hatchet wherewith they cut off his head, by Enact∣ing his Case should never be drawn into President.

In August following the King goes into Scotland, and is received with extraordinary joy at his Return. During his absence, viz. on the 23. of October breaks out the horrid Rebellion in Ireland, and here at home Tu∣mults increase with such insolence, that the King finds himself obliged to retire for his safety from Whitehall, and having used all means that a most loving and pious Prince could condescend to, to bring the Faction to moderation and a sense of their duty, be∣ing denied entrance into his Town of Hull, and seeing his Right of the Militia was be∣gun to be invaded, &c. resolves to defend himself, and the Liberties of his People, by gathering what strength he could, setting up his Standard at Nottingham, 24 August, 1642. as on the contrary the Parliament form an Army under Command of the Earl of Essex.

The first considerable Battel was at Edge-hill, 23 October 1642. wherein His Majesty had so much the better, that he kept possession of the Field.

Brainford Fight, 12 November 1642.

The Battel at Hopton Heath, March 19. 1642.

Newbury first Fight 20 Sept. 1643.

The terrible Battel at Maston Moor near York, wherein the Kings Forces were at last worsted, and several persons of note slain, July 2, 1644.

The Parliament Forces in Cornwall for∣ced to submit, and their General Essex to fly away by Sea, Sept. 1644.

Newbury second Fight 27 Oct. 1644.

Treaty at Ʋxbridge began 30 January, 1644.

The Battel at Naseby fatal to the Royal Interest, 14 June 1645.

27 April 1646. the Kings Majesty is for∣ced privately to depart from Oxford, and went to the Scotish Army, who afterwards consent to surrender his person to the pow∣er of Rebels; whereupon after several Tra∣verses of Fortune he is brought to Hampton Court, 28 Aug. 1648.

The King being now in restraint, many of his Subjects that had before been misled

to take Arms against him, begin to look upon his Estate with Commiseration. A great part of the Navy revolt to the Prince of Wales, several Towns and Castles, and particularly that of Pomfret was surprized for his Majesties Service, the Duke of Ha∣milton with Sir Marmaduke Langdale and others raise a strong Army for the King in the North, and the Kentishmen in great numbers are up in Arms under the Com∣mand of George Lord Goring Earl of Nor∣wich, so that a general Tempest seem'd to threaten the Parliaments Affairs, but was all soon blown over. For Cromwel then Lieutenant, quickly reduces the Welch, where Langhorn, Poyer, and Powel their Captains are executed: then marching against those of the North, he meets them in Lancashire, and utterly defeats them, ta∣king all their Foot, with their Cannon and Ammunition; and Duke Hamilton himself is brought up Prisoner, as is likewise the Earl of Holland, taken at St. Neots in Hunt∣ington-shire. The Kentishmen scatter'd by Sir Thomas Fairfax's Forces at Maidstone, cross the Thames, and are besieged in Col∣chester, which after a generous defence, and great Extremities endured for want of Provision, was surrendred the twenty eighth

of August 1648. And the brave Sir Charles Lucas, and Sir George Lisle shot to death, the Noble Lord Capel being reserved for the Scaffold, on which sometime after he triumphantly suffered. There being put to death with him, Duke Hamilton and the Earl of Holland.

Notwithstanding these successes, the Houses finding the Nation in general breath∣ing for a settlement, and in order to that not to be satisfied without a Personal Trea∣ty, recall their Votes of non-Addresses, and thereupon, on the eighteenth of September 1648. A Treaty did begin with his Maje∣stie at Newport in the Isle of Wight, whither his Majesty had privately retreated. But before any thing concluded on, some Ar∣my Officers publish a Remonstrance dated at St. Albans the sixteenth of November, signifying their Resolutions to bring the King to Justice (as they pretended) and thereupon some Officers were appointed to seize his Person, and bring him over to Hurst-Castle in Hampshire, and thence by degrees to Windsor, and at last to West∣minster.

In the mean time, they purge the House of all those to whom his Majesties Graci∣ous Concessions had given satisfaction.

Then they erected an unprecedented Court, called the High Court of Justice, so named surely either because Justice was there Tryed and Cast, or else, because they were resolved never to shew Mercy. Before these new Judges his Majesty was first brought on the twentieth of January 1648. from his Pa∣lace of St. James's, into Westminster-Hall. Being under Restraint his appearance could not be avoided, but no Constraint could force him to own their Authority; against which he offered divers unanswera∣ble Reasons, but was not permitted to speak them out. However, he plainly told them, that he would not so far betray his Subjects Liberties to submit to their arbi∣trary and lawless Power, but rather chuse to dye a Martyr for the Protestant Religion, and the Laws and Liberties of the Land: so that on Saturday the twenty seventh of the same Moneth the President of the Court (one Bradshaw a Serjeant at Law, who was never after free from Terror, and Horrors of Conscience to his dying day) proceeded to the horrid Sentence against their Liege Sovereign, that he should be Beheaded, which was Executed before the Banquetting-House at White-Hall, on the thirtieth of that Moneth. On which fatal

Morning the Bishop of London reading Pray∣ers with him, and for the first Lesson the twenty seventh Chapter of Matthew, being the History of our Saviour's sufferings. The King at first thought the Bishop had chosen the same as suitable to that Juncture, but when he understood that it was the Chap∣ter appointed for that day, he was much comforted with so apt a Remembrance of his Saviours great Example in Sufferings.

After his Devotions he was led through the Park to White-hall, and after some time to the Scaffold, where having declared that he dyed a Martyr for the Laws and Liber∣ties of his People, he made a Confession of his Faith, asserting that he dyed a true Son of the Church of England; then betook himself to his Private Devotions, and so patiently submitted his Royal Head to Mar∣tyrdom, from the Hand of a disguised Ex∣ecutioner. His body put into a black Vel∣vet Coffin, and afterwards wrapt in Lead, was on the seventh of February following, Interr'd at St. George's Chappel at Windsor in the same Vault with King Henry the eighth, in presence of the Duke of Rich∣mond, Dr. Juxon and others, but the man∣ner appointed in the Liturgy could not be obtained to be used. Nor had he any Epi∣taph

affix'd, but only on the sheet of Lead, on a thin Plate fastned on the Breast, this plain Inscription — King Charles, 1648.

This Pious Prince at the time of his murder had Reigned twenty three Years and ten Moneths, and was then in the nine and fourtieth Year of his Age, having had by his most dear and beloved Queen, in all nine Children, viz. first, Charles-James born at Groenwich the thirteenth of May 1629, but died almost as soon as born. Secondly, Charles the second our present most graci∣ous Sovereign born at St. James's May the twenty ninth 1630. Thirdly, his Royal Highness James Duke of York, born at the same place the thirteenth of October 1633. Fourthly, Henry Duke of Gloucester born the eighth of July 1639. Fifthly, the La∣dy Mary born the fourth of November 1631. married to William Prince of Orange the second of May 1641. Sixthly, the Lady Elizabeth born the twenty eighth of Janua∣ry 1635. who died with Grief soon after her Father. Seventhly, Ann born 17 March 1637. died before her father. Eighthly, Ka∣tharine who died almost as soon as born. And lastly Henrietta born at Exeter, June the sixteenth 1644. since Dutchess of Orleance.