ditions as are destructive to monarchy; for if it were not for adhering to the covenant, this could not but content them. Then, for my disclaiming the argument of my conscience for this offer, it is so strange a construction that it is made by none that I can hear of, whether at London, Edinburgh, or this place; but by the contrary, my constancy to religion is, by this, the more believed, by every body; and I never heard that any right was given over, so long as the claim was kept afoot; which certainly in this case is clearly done by the debate of divines (whereof twenty are of my chusing) how the church shall be governed; the determination thereof being kept free to me and the two houses. So that if my conscience be injured, I can lay the blame on nothing but on my want of courage.

Now, as for those things in which thou and I do fully concur in judgment, as not abandoning my friends, nor taking the covenant, &c., the naming them, I hope, is enough to assure thee of my constancy; seeing thou art only afraid that I may be cousened in them, as I was concerning the perpetual parliament. Indeed, with grief I must acknowledge the instance; nor can I promise not to do the like again, when I shall, as I then did, to suffer myself to sin against my conscience. For the truth is, I was surprised with it instantly after I made that base, unworthy concession concerning Strafford; for which, and likewise for that great wrong and injustice to the church, of taking away the bishop's votes in parliament, I have been most justly punished. Yet I hope that God will so accept of my hearty, how

ever weak, repentance, and my constant adhering to my conscience, that at last his mercy will take place of his justice. But a new relapse (such as abjuration of episcopacy, on my engagement, without reserve, for the perpetual establishing of Presbyterial government) will both procure God's wrath upon me, as also make me inconstant in all my other grounds, such a negligent despair must in such a case possess my spirit.

Wherefore, dear heart, albeit thou may be sorry for my persuasion, yet I know that what I have said will make thee desire me rather to be constant than change my resolution. And the rather because thou wilt find that what thou desires me to do will not produce the expected effects. For if I can judge of anything, the Scots will not engage for me, except I promise to establish the covenant (and in this opinion the ambassador and Montreuil fully concur with me) to which, I believe, thou wilt not persuade me. This is the ground which hath made me (as thou hast rightly observed) draw my answer rather conducing to a peace than to please the Scots; who, I am confident, will not assist me but upon conditions destructive to regal authority. So that under favour I think not to have swerved from my first foundations, the contenting of the Scots being only in relation to their assisting me.

All this I have set down rather to clear my conscience to thee, than out of any hope of drawing thee to my opinion, or freeing myself, in thy judgment, from the heavy censure of destroying by my wilfulness all that is dear unto me. Upon which consideration, I have

pressed the ambassador to go to the Scots parliament, in pursuance of that way which thou hast laid down to me; but indeed upon condition, that I should have nothing to do with the performance of any capitulation he was to make, more than to give the Prince of Wales full power to exercise my authority. This he hath absolutely refused, as not having power to engage for anybody but myself; besides, that it is against his judgment that I should upon any terms put off my authority, though it were but for a time. Now upon this, my very earnest desire to thee is, either to procure the ambassador a command to accept this my offer, or else that thou wilt heartily join in my way without further dispute. And, really, I shall be glad for the trying thy own way according to my offer; because I am most confident that within very short time I shall be recalled with much honour, and all my friends will see that I have neither a foolish or peevish conscience. Whereas, otherwise I shall, I know not how long, lie under (excuse me to say it) an unjust slander.

I cannot end this tedious letter without conjuring thee, by all that is dear unto thee, that thou wilt seriously consider all I have now written unto thee; being confident that, as thou cannot mistrust my affections, so at last thou wilt not much blame the judgment of him who is eternally thine.

I have newly received thine of the 16th of November, but have not yet deciphered it.

VOL. II.

U

Dear heart,

Charles I. to his Queen.1

Newcastle, 5th December, 1646.

Thine of the 23rd gave me much comfort to find thy judgment of affairs so right in all fundamentals, not without some wonder that in some particulars thou canst be so mistaken. For whereas thou rightly perceivest that thou art sought to be made use of to my prejudice, it is strange that thou seest not how ; which to me is very visible, there being nothing they can work by, in this kind, but only the Presbyterial government. In all other things, they know thee too clearsighted. See if ever they trouble thee concerning the militia or my friends? I warrant thee, no! But if by thy means they could obtain the Presbyterian government absolutely settled, they would be confident, and with reason, piece and piece, to work all the rest of their ends. So that it is a marvellous thing to me that thou, who so wisely bids me be upon my guard not to lose my grounds, little and little, yet still art persuading me to do that which thou gives me warning to eschew.

Wherefore, I see plainly that it is only misinformations which cause mistakings, that makes us to differ in opinion. For otherwise thou could not call my three years' concession a dispensation against my conscience; when indeed it is but a temporary permission to continue such an unlawful possession, which for the present I cannot help, so as to lay a hopeful ground for a perfect 1 Clarendon State Papers. Bodley MSS.

recovery of that which, to abandon, were directly against my conscience, and, I am confident, destructive to monarchy.

Now, as for thy negative counsels, I fully approve, and will be constant to them all; being particularly glad that thou so rightly understands the covenant, as to judge it unfit for me to authorize. Yet, let me tell thee that an act of oblivion may reasonably solve the reasons thou gives, but that which makes it never to be yield[ed] to, is, that (albeit all the promissory part of it were not against honest men's consciences, yet) the frame of it is such, as the establishing of it is a perpetual authorizing of rebellion.

I have, as thou desired me, done my part concerning Davenant's proposition for the sending of persons from thee to me, with fit assurances for their safety; for I was fain to interpret his letter, though I could not read it as well as to recommend the business, because the cipher was mistaken.

1

I will, according to thy conjuration, not think of an escape, until the Scots shall declare that they will not protect me. By which I perceive the opinion is (I say not it is thine) that it is less ill for my affairs that I should be a prisoner within my dominions, than at liberty any where else, for I cannot escape, if I stay till the

1 "And from these events it may be seen how badly the king was taught by his advisers not at once to flee from the bloody tyrants and usurpers, and retire into France to his lady the Queen, or some foreign state where he would have been safe, at least for a time."-History of Charles I., Rawlinson MSS. This seems to have been written after Charles was beheaded.