The last letter of the King being more taking than the former, offering to be advised by the parliament, if his followers may be secured of their estates, has drawn an answer yesternight, which his five or six former were not able to do. The answer is, That they conceive it not for his good, nor the good of his people, to come hither, till first the propositions be granted which they are preparing to send. In the meantime the city-guards are multiplied, and a committee appointed to secure his person, and seize on his followers, if he should come hither.
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April 23, 1646.—Matters here are in a very ambiguous posture. Exeter is capitulating, if not already rendered. The Prince is yet in Scilly. The Houses have voted 10,000 foot and 2,000 of horse to be raised in the north. Sir Thomas Fairfax’s 21,000 men are voted to continue other four months. They are speaking of other 10,000 for the west: 40,000 men are a great army when there is not one man in the fields against them. The most think they intend to force us to what they will. The common word is, that they will have the King prisoner.
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They make the word to go, that the King resolves to go to the Scots army, knowing their compassionate hearts, and love to the King, if he would do his duty. They have belaid all the ways, that they may catch him if he should essay to go any where out of Oxford, till Cromwell come and take him up. No appearance of settling religion or the kingdom, yet God may do both quickly. We are in great grief and perplexity; we pity it that a very few persons should be enabled to keep all in a dangerous confusion, when all might be so easily settled.
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For Scotland. April 24, 1646.
The Houses put out an ordinance for the erecting of presbyteries; but so defective, that while it was in doing, the city drew up a petition against it; which the Houses voted a breach of their privileges. While we were in great hopes that the city would for all that stand to their petition, that we should learn to trust in no flesh, they shamefully succumbed: by a few fair words from the Houses, they were made as mute as fish. Yet the assembly were bold to petition the Houses against that ordinance; for which also they are voted breakers of their privileges. The assembly yet say, they will be stouter than the city, and mind not, by a few, whether fair or foul, words, to acknowledge any fault where none was. And we also, for our exoneration, do give in a fair remonstrance against that ordinance; whereunto as yet we have got no answer, and scarce expect any good one. But the eyes of all are most on the propositions of peace. Our state-commissioners had many and long debates, both by word and writ, with a committee of the Houses, upon the alterations of the former propositions, whereupon both kingdoms had agreed long ago. It came at last to this, that however by treaty they were obliged not to make peace without us, yet they might send what propositions they pleased for their own kingdom; and that, for religion, they would send no particular at all, but only require the King’s consent for a power to the parliament here to establish religion in England and Ireland as they thought fit; also they required him to consent, that for time coming the power of the militia should be in the Houses allenarly, and no part of it in the crown. To neither of these we would consent.
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All the Royalists in Scotland could not have pleaded so much for the crown and the King’s just power, as the Chancellor and Wariston did for many days together. All will be presently printed either here or there. Sir Thomas Fairfax’s army will now be near Oxford. They would have made us believe, that the King had resolved to have broke through to our army for protection from prison; but I suspect the chief spreaders of these reports know well enough how they keep him fettered in Oxford with 4000 or 5000 horse, beside their daily treaties with Ashburnam, and these who have absolute power over him, to keep him still till they deliver him to Sir Thomas Fairfax, and to be disposed upon as Cromwell and his friends think it fittest for their affairs.
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