[523] Life of Clarendon, p. 69.
[524] Clar. State Papers, iii. 427, 529. In fact, very few of them were likely to be of use; and the exception made his general offers appear more sincere.
[525] Clar. Hist. of Rebellion, vii. 447. Ludlow says that Fairfax and Northumberland were positively against the punishment of the regicides (vol. iii. p. 10); and that Monk vehemently declared at first against any exceptions, and afterwards prevailed on the house to limit them to seven. P. 16. Though Ludlow was not in England, this seems very probable, and is confirmed by other authority as to Monk. Fairfax, who had sat one day himself on the king's trial, could hardly with decency concur in the punishment of those who went on.
[526] Journals, May 14.
[527] June 5, 6, 7. The first seven were Scott, Holland, Lisle, Barkstead, Harrison, Say, Jones. They went on to add Coke, Broughton, Dendy.
[528] These were Lenthall, Vane, Burton, Keble, St. John, Ireton, Haslerig, Sydenham, Desborough, Axtell, Lambert, Pack, Blackwell, Fleetwood, Pyne, Dean, Creed, Nye, Goodwin, and Cobbet; some of them rather insignificant names. Upon the words that "twenty and no more" be so excepted, two divisions took place, 160 to 131, and 153 to 135; the presbyterians being the majority. June 8. Two other divisions took place on the names of Lenthall, carried by 215 to 126, and of Whitelock, lost by 175 to 134. Another motion was made afterwards against Whitelock by Prynne. Milton was ordered to be prosecuted separately from the twenty; so that they already broke their resolution. He was put in custody of the serjeant-at-arms, and released, December 17. Andrew Marvell, his friend, soon afterwards complained that fees to the amount of 150 pounds had been extorted from him; but Finch answered that Milton had been Cromwell's secretary, and deserved hanging. Parl. Hist. p. 162. Lenthall had taken some share in the restoration, and entered into correspondence with the king's advisers a little before. Clar. State Papers, iii. 711, 720. Kennet's Register, 762. But the royalists never could forgive his having put the question to the vote on the ordinance for trying the late king.
[529] June 30. This was carried without a division. Eleven were afterwards excepted by name, as not having rendered themselves. July 9.
[530] July 11.
[531] The worst and most odious of their proceedings, quite unworthy of a christian and civilised assembly, was to give the next relations of the four peers who had been executed under the commonwealth, Hamilton, Holland, Capel, and Derby, the privilege of naming each one person (among the regicides) to be executed. This was done in the three last instances; but Lord Denbigh, as Hamilton's kinsman, nominated one who was dead; and, on this being pointed out to him, refused to fix on another. Journal, Aug. 7; Ludlow, iii. 34.
[532] Lord Southampton, according to Ludlow, actually moved this in the House of Lords, but was opposed by Finch, iii. 43.