Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/479

IX BEHALF OF THE ROYALIST CAL'SE. 377 no bone ; whereupon they retreated to Oxford, where all sorts of people wcTG very much concerned ; that and the two following- days were spent in consulting and advising. On Thursday, May 14th, the governor, by diiection of the lords, and others of his Majesty's privy council, in Oxford, sent a letter to Fairfax to make known his desire to treat by commissioners, which was accepted, and a council of war being called, it was concluded that Mr. Unton Crokc's house, at Marston, should be the place, and on ^londay following, the treaty to begin ; but, on the IGth, there was doubt among the lords, as to making such treaty without the assent of the king. On the 1 7th, a treaty was accepted on both sides, which Fairfax sent to the Parliament, that they might consider the terms demanded by the garrison. And Fairfax having waited for an intimation of their satis- faction, they afterwards returned them to him, telling him to do as he should think fit. The general (Fairfax) sent fresh terms to the garrison on May 30th, whereupon, at the desire of the Oxonians, the treaty was renewed again, they being wilHng to treat upon the general's propositions, " submitting themselves to the fate of the kingdom, rather than in any way distrusting their own strength, or the garrison's tenableness." A few days before the treaty ended, when the Oxonians perceived it was likely to succeed, they pla3'ed their cannon da}"^ and night into the enemy's leaguers and quarters, dis- charging sometimes near 200 shot in a day (at random as it was conceived), rather to spend their powder than to do any execution ; however, they showed good skill in that they levelled their pieces so as they shot into the leaguer on Headington Hill, and there killed Lieutenant-Colonel Cots- worth, and likewise into the leaguer on Colonel Rains- borough's side, where they killed a sutler, and others in their tents. The enemy's cannon, in recompense, i)layeil fiercely upon the defendants, and much annoyed them in their works, houses, and cottages, till at last, a cessation of great shot was agreed to on both sides. On Saturday, May 20th, the treaty for the surrender of Oxford was finished, and concluded uj^on twenty-six articles ; and on the 24th of June, the city was surrendered to the Parliamenteers. The Royalists marched out through a guard of the enemy, extending from St. Clement's to Shotovcr Hill