hopes, with some ground, ‘the Presbyterians and Independents may now be got to extirpate one another.’ His Majesty rides willingly; the Parliament Commissioners accompany, wringing their hands:—to Hinchinbrook, that same Friday night; where Colonel Montague receives them with all hospitality, entertains them for two days. Colonel Whalley with a strong party, deputed by Fairfax, had met his Majesty; offered to deliver him from Joyce, back to Holmby and the Parliament; but his Majesty positively declined.—Captain Titus, quasi Tighthose, very well known afterwards, arrives at St. Stephen’s with the news; has 50l. voted him ‘to buy a horse,’ for his great service; and fills all men with terror and amazement. The Honourable Houses agree to ‘sit on the Lord’s day’; have Stephen Marshall to pray for them; never were in such a plight before. The Controversy, at this point, has risen from Economical into Political: Army Parliament in the Eastern Counties against Civil Parliament in Westminster; and, ‘How the Nation shall be settled’ between them; whether its growth shall be in the forest-tree fashion, or in the clipt Dutch-dragon fashion?—
Monday June 7th. All Officers in the House are ordered forthwith to go down to their regiments. Cromwell, without order, not without danger of detention, say some, has already gone: this same day, ‘General Fairfax, Lieutenant-General Cromwell, and the chief men of the Army,’ have an interview with the King, ‘at Childerley House, between Huntingdon and Cambridge’; his Majesty will not go back to Holmby; much prefers ‘the air’ of these parts, the air of Newmarket for instance; and will continue with the Army.[1] Parliament Commissioners, with new Votes of Parliament, are coming down; the Army must have a new Rendezvous, to meet them. New Rendezvous at Royston, more properly on Triploe Heath near Cambridge, is appointed for Thursday; and in the interim a ‘Day of Fasting and Humiliation’ is held by all the soldiers,—a real Day of Prayer (very inconceivable in
- ↑ Rushworth, vi. 549.
