A tract of the same date refers to a reported conspiracy of the same Colonel Lundsford:—‘A terrible plot against London and Westminster discovered, showing how Colonell Lunsford the Papist, that should have bin Lieutenant in the Tower, should in a Conspiracy among the Jesuits and other Papists have blowne up the City of London, placing the pieces of Ordinance against it. Also how the papists with their forces should have risen against Westminster, and burnt downe the parliament house. Likewise how by this Conspiracy the Arch-bishop of Canterbury should have been transported into France, and how Bishop Wren with many other Bishops and popish Doctors should have bin conducted with him thither, where Canterbury should have bin Sainted, and Wren made Cardinall. With an exact Relation of the chiefe Cause of the Apprentices rising in Armes to defend the City of London from their treachery, Describing most succinctly the singular mercy of God towards us in defending this Kingdome from the manifold Plots of the Papists and their Treacherous Conspiracies.’ On the last page is a woodcut of a Cavalier in a hat and feathers, entitled ‘Captaine Vaul that cruell Tyrant.’ As there is no mention of this person in the pamphlet it was perhaps a well-known nickname of Colonel Lundsford. I annex a copy of this cut. The same cut appears in a tract entitled ‘Terrible Newes from York,’ detailing certain riotous proceedings in that city, where it is given as ‘Mr. Holk, chief Agent in the uproar.’ Its first appearance, however, is in an account of a ‘Bloody Conspiracy at Edinburgh;’ and, from its frequent use, this rough woodcut must have been regarded as a good, bold representation of a truculent soldier, suitable for the times.
While the King and the House of Commons were contending for the upper hand there was published ‘A Perfect Diurnall of the Passages in Parliament,’ illustrated with a woodcut of the House of Commons, with Mr. Speaker in the chair. This is used as a heading to several numbers of the same Diurnall, and sundry varieties of it are printed as headings to other reports of Parliament. This old woodcut has been often copied, but my examples of illustrated journalism would not be complete unless I introduced it here.
The printing-presses that are said to have been carried by both armies during the Civil War must have been used solely for the printing of Proclamations, General Orders, and suchlike documents. It seems to be an ascertained fact that Cromwell’s soldiers set up a printing-press in Scotland, and printed a newspaper; but it is not so certain that the armies of Charles I. and of the Parliament issued printed ‘news’ from whatever town they chanced to occupy at the time. It does not follow that because a tract is entitled News from Hull it was actually printed at that place. On the contrary, I have found nearly all the tracts I have examined bear the imprints of London printers. The News from the North, The Last printed News from Chichester, &c., were all sent up to London, and there printed and published.
| THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, 1642. |
In the words of Hume, ‘The open signal of discord and civil war throughout the kingdom’ was made at Nottingham on August 22, 1642, when the King erected his Royal standard and appealed to the loyalty of his subjects to support his authority by arms. Historians differ as to the precise day when this formal declaration of hostilities took place. Clarendon and Hume both fix it on the 25th of August, while Rushworth gives the 22nd as the date. The latter view is confirmed by a contemporary pamphlet, which gives an account of the raising of the Standard, and is illustrated with a woodcut representing the event. This pamphlet was written in the interest of the Parliament and against the King’s party; but his Majesty is referred to in the most respectful language, as is generally the case in the pamphlets of the time. At the beginning of the struggle frequent hopes were expressed that the King would consent to be guided by the Parliament, while his Cavalier adherents were represented as his real enemies. The pamphlet referred to has the following title:—
‘A true and exact Relation of the manner of his Majesties setting up of His Standard at Nottingham on Munday the 22 of August, 1642.
‘First, the forme of the Standard, as it is here figured, and who were present at the advancing of it.
‘Secondly, the danger of setting up of former standards, and the damage which ensued thereon.
‘Thirdly, a relation of all the Standards that ever were set up by any King.
‘Fourthly, the names of those knights who are appointed to be the King’s Standard-bearers, with the forces that are appointed to guard it.