"It ordains, that after the 5th of November, 1643, there 'shall be no archbishop, bishop, chancellor or commissary of any archbishop or bishop, nor any dean, sub-dean, dean and chapter, archdeacon, nor uny chancellor, chaunter, "treasurer,sub-treasurer, succentor, or sacrist of any cathe'dral or collegiate church, nor any prebendary, canon, ca'non residentiary, petty canon, vicar, choral, chorister, old 'vicars or new vicars, of or within any cathedral or colle'giate churches in England or Wales.-That their names, titles, jurisdictions, offices, and functions, and the having or using any jurisdiction or power, by reason or color of any such names and titles, shall cease, determine, and become absolutely void,

"That all the manors,lordships, castles, messuages, lands, ' tenements, rents, and all other possessions, and heredita'ments whatsoever, belonging to any archbishopric or bishopric, shall be in the real and actual possession and seisin of the king's majesty, his heirs and successors, to hold and enjoy in as ample a manner as they were held by any archbishop or bishop within two years last past, ex'cept impropriations, parsonages, appropriate tithes, oblations, obventions, pensions, portions of tithes, parsonages, 'vicarages, churches, chapels, advowsons, nominations, 'collations, rights of patronage and presentation.

"That all impropriations, parsonages, tithes, &c. and all 'other hereditaments and possessions whatsoever belonging to any dean, sub-dean and chapter, archdeacon, or any of their officers, be put into the hands of trustees, to pay 'to all and every archbishop, bishop, dean, sub-dean, archdeacon, and all other officers belonging to collegiate and 'cathedral churches, such yearly stipends and pensions as shall be appointed by parliament. And they shall dispose of all the aforesaid manors, lands, tithes, appropriations, advowsons, &c. for a competent maintenance for the support of such a number of preaching ministers in every cathedral and collegiate church as shall be appointed by 'parliament; and for the maintenance of preaching ministers in other places of the country where such maintenance is wanting; and for such other good uses, to the advancement of religion, piety, and learning, as shall be directed by parliament.

"Provided, that all revenues and rents as have been, and now ought to be paid, for the maintenance of grammar schools or scholars, or for the repairing any church, chapel, highway, causeway, bridges, school-house, almshouse, or other charitable uses, payable by any of the 'persons whose offices are taken away by this act, shall be continued. Provided also, that this act shall not extend 'to any college, church, corporation, foundation, or house of learning, in either of the universities."

It may seem strange that the parliament should abolish the present establishment before they had agreed on another, but the Scots would not declare for them till they had done it. Had the two houses been inclined to presbytery. (as some have maintained) it had been easy to have adopted the Scots model at once; but as the bill for extirpating episcopacy was not to take place till above a year forward, it is apparent they were willing it should not take place at all, if in that time they could come to an accommodation with the king; and if the breach should then remain, they proposed to consult with an assembly of divines what form to erect in its stead. Thus the old English hierarchy lay prostrate for about eighteen years, although never legally abolished for want of the royal assent; and therefore at the restoration of King Charles II. it took place again, without any new law to restore it; which the presbyterians, who were then in the saddle, not understanding, did not provide against as they might.

While the king and parliament were thus strengthening themselves, and calling in severally all the succors they could get, the scene of the war began to open; his majesty travelled with a large retinue into several of the northern and western counties, summoning the people together, and in set speeches endeavoring to possess them of the justice of his cause, promising, upon the word of a king, that for the future he would govern by law. Upon this assurance about forty lords, and several members who had deserted the house of commons, signed an engagement,

S Bishop Warburton censures Mr. Neal for using the word deserted. "which," he says, "is a party word, and implies betraying their trust." His lordship owns that the conduct of the members, who left the house

to defend his majesty's person and prerogative, to support the protestant religion established by law, and not to submit to any ordinance of parliament concerning the militia that had not the royal assent. Great numbers listed in his majesty's service, whereby an army was formed which marched a second time to the siege of Hull.

A week after the king was set down before this fortress, and not before, [July 12] the two houses, after long debates, came to this resolution, that an army should be raised for the defence of the king and parliament, that the earl of Essex should be captain-general, and the earl of Bedford general of the horse, who were empowered to resist and oppose with force all such whom they should find in arms, putting in execution the king's commission of array. The reasons of this resolution arising from the king's extraordinary preparations for war, were published at the same time; and in their declaration of August 4, they say,

and retired to the king, was so called by the parliament; but an historian's adopting, in this case, the term which impeaches their fidelity, he considers" as taking for granted the thing in dispute." But, with his lordship's leave, his stricture confounds the province of the historian with that of the mere chronologist. The former does not merely detail events, but investigates their causes, and represents their connection and influence. It is not easy to say, how he can do this, without forming and expressing a decided opinion on them. That opinion does not bind the reader, nor is the impartiality of the historian violated, if facts are fairly and fully stated. In the case before us, it may be further urged, that the word deserted not only conveyed Mr. Neal's idea of the conduct of the members who left the parliament, but truly represented it. They forsook the seats to which they were elected; they left the post which was assigned to them; and they withdrew from the stage of debate and action to which the king's writ had called, and to which the voice of their constituents had sent them. They were REPRESENTATIVES, chosen to act in conjunction with the other representatives: instead of proceeding on this principle, they formed a separate junto and faction. The first duty of a representative is to fulfil the trust reposed in him. The word deserted, says his lordship, is a party-word: grant it. Yet the use of it was not inconsistent with the impartiality of the historian; for though it should not give the most favorable idea of the conduct of these members, it conveys the judgment which the parliament had of it: and of the rectitude of this judgment the reader is still left to form his own sentiments. The matter at the time was considered in the most serious light, and greatly alarmed and distressed all who loved the peace of the nation. See May's Parliamentary History, p. 58, &c. Ed.

That they would have yielded up every thing to the king, could they have been assured, that by disarming themselves they should not have been left naked, while the mil'itary sword was in the hands of those evil counsellors • who they had reason to fear had vowed the destruction of the two houses, and through their sides of the protestant religion; but being well acquainted with their designs, they apprehend that their duty to God and their country 'obliges them to hazard every thing for the maintenance of 'the true religion, the king's person, honor and estate, and 'the liberties of England." On the 9th of August the king proclaimed the earl of Essex and all his adherents traitors, unless they laid down their arms within six days; and in another manifesto declared both houses of parliament guilty of high-treason, and forbil all his subjects to yield obedience to them. The parliament also, on their part, proclaimed all who adhered to the king in this cause traitors against the parliament and kingdom.* August 12, the king by proclamation commanded all his subjects on the north of Trent, and within twenty miles south of it, to appear in arms for the suppressing the rebels that were marching against him; and about the same time issued out another proclamation, requiring all men who could bear arms to repair to him at Nottingham, where he intended to set up his standard on Monday August 22. In the mean time his majesty gave out new commissions to augment his forces, and marching through Lincoln took away the arms of the train-bands for the use of his troops. At length, being arrived at the appointed place, he caused his standard to be erected in the open field, on the outside of the castle wall of Nottingham, but very few came to attend it; and the weather proving stormy and tempestuous it was blown down the same evening, and could not be fixed again in two days. Three weeks after this [Sept. 9,] the earl of Essex, the parliament's general, left London, to put himself at the head of their army of fifteen thousand men at St. Albans. The king, with an army of equal strength, marched from Nottingham to Shrewsbury, and having refreshed his forces there for some time, broke up

Rapia, vol. ii. p. 457, folio edition..

October 12, in order to march directly for London, but the earl of Essex putting himself in the way, both armies engaged at Edgehill near Keinton in Warwickshire, on Sunday October 23, the very same day twelvemonth after the breaking out of the Irish massacre; the battle continued from three in the afternoon till night, with almost equal advantage, the number of slain on both sides being about four thousand. Thus the sword was drawn, which was drenched in the blood of the inhabitants of this island for several years, to the loss of as many protestant lives as perished by the insurrection and massacre of Ire

land.