Your assured constant Friend,
Charles R.
Hampton-Court,
9 Octob. 1638.
1638.—October 20.
81. Letter from the King to Hamilton.[106]
Hamilton,
I see by yours of the 27ᵗʰ of September, that the Malignity of the Covenanters is greater than ever, so that if you who are my true Servants do not use extraordinary Care and Industry, my Affairs in that Kingdom are likely rather to grow worse than better: therefore, you that do your endeavours accordingly deserve the more praise, and your opposers the more punishment; and in my mind this last Protestation deserves more than any thing yet they have done, for if raising of Sedition be Treason, this can be judged no less. And methinks, if the Colledge of Justice have signed my Covenant, (which I hope they have, because I hear nothing in the contrary) it were no impossible thing to get them to doe me Justice in this particular. And this I will say confidently, that until at least the Adherers to this last Protestation be declared Traitors, nothing will go as it ought in that Kingdom; I say this not to alter your course, but onely to shew you my opinion of the State of Affairs.
As for the danger that Episcopal Government is in, I do not hold it so much as you doe; for I believe that the number of those that are against Episcopacy (who are not in their hearts against Monarchy) is not so considerable as you take it.
And for this General Assembly, though I can expect no good from it, yet I hope you may hinder much of the ill; first, by putting Divisions among them concerning the Legality of their Elections, then by Protestations against their Tumultuous Proceedings. And I think it were not amiss if you could get their Freedom defined (before their Meeting,) so that it were not done too much in their Favours. And I hope you will remember to weigh well the Propositions for the Assembly, and send them up to me with all convenient speed. I have seconded your Letter to the Mayor of Newcastle for the freeing of these Horses, and have stopped all Provisions according to your advice at Hull; yet methinks now they may be avowed to go against those that will not rest satisfied with what you have lately done in my Name. But in this I assure you that I take your advice; and so I rest
Your assured constant Friend,
Charles R.
Hampton-Court,
20 Octob. 1638.