CHAPTER XVII.
OF MY GOING TO LONDON.
In the latter part of the month of September I went for a while toEnstone, and having set things in order concerning the autumn sowingsof corn and other matters which need to be looked to at that season ofthe year, and having also found by recommendation of John Vickers anhonest man who should serve my brother as bailiff, I returned toNaseby about the first day of November.
Two or three days thereafter, as I sat in Master Ellgood's studyreading Master Hooker's _Ecclesiastical Polity_ (for I was preparingmyself, so far as time and other circumstances permitted, for thetaking of Holy Orders), comes Cicely knocking at the door and, openingit before ever I could speak, cries, "O Philip, see, John has come,"and therewith brings in a fair youth, some two years older thanherself, as I judged, and save that he had some four inches more ofstature, of a singular likeness to her; and straightway on seeing himthe doubt that had ever been in my mind whether I had ever beforeencountered him was resolved, for I perceived in a moment of time thatthe youth was the same that had yielded himself prisoner to my fatherat Copredy Bridge. As for him, he had no remembrance of me, at whichindeed I did not wonder, considering what he had suffered that day. Idoubted at the first whether I should make myself known to him,thinking, not without good reason, that he had no cause to love me.But the better thought prevailed that I should be honest before allthings, nor endure to have some secret hanging, as it were, over myhead and ever ready to fall; and indeed I had made confession toCicely of my savagery in this matter and had received absolution fromher. So I said:
"Master Ellgood, we have met before."
And when he regarded me steadfastly, yet without any sign of knowingme, I said, "Do you remember one Dashwood at Copredy Bridge?"
"Ay," said he, "as gallant a gentleman as ever sat on horseback. Hesaved me when I was in no small peril of my life, and gave me ascourteous treatment as prisoner ever had, and settled for me myexchange, so that my captivity had scarce begun when it was ended. Ihope that he is in good health and prosperity. But you are not he; youmust be younger by a score of years at the least."
"He was my father," said I, "and I would fain shelter myself under hisname, for, as for me, you have small cause to thank me."
And I made my confession to him. When I had finished he stretched outhis right hand to me with a great laugh, saying:
"Why make such ado? There was no harm done. And if you had made an endof me I do not know that anyone would have been the loser, save, asthey pleased to think, my good father and Cicely here; and, indeed, Ihad not lived to see such evil days as these. Know you the lasttidings?"
"No," said I; "I have heard nothing, save that the Lieutenant-GeneralCromwell has trodden the King's friends under foot everywhere. But intruth I have been thinking of other things."
Thereat I blushed, which is a foolish trick that I have, and Cicelyalso blushed for company. Then John Ellgood, looking from one toanother, saw something of what was between us. I know not that any manhas at the first a particular kindness to him whom his sister favours(which is indeed a mighty ungrateful thing, for the lover has always asingular affection for his mistress's brothers), but being a good ladand of a kind heart he said nothing, only I thought that I heard himsay to himself, "Is this a time----," and so brake off. "Well," hesaid, after he had been silent awhile, "listen to me. Four years agowe were enemies, now, I doubt not, we are friends." (This I wasmightily glad to hear, fearing what might befall my love for Cicely.)"I fought for the Parliament--thinking that they had the bettercause--against the King, and I yet believe, though here, doubtless,you agree not with me, that I was in the right. But 'tis otherwisewith me now; and, indeed, 'tis not now the Parliament, but the Army,that reigns, and the Lieutenant-General Cromwell and his fellows seeknot the redressing of wrongs and securing of liberties, but thesetting up of a new rule; and because they know in their hearts thatthis cannot be firmly established so long as the King stands in theway, though he be a prisoner and helpless, therefore they are mindedto bring him to judgment for what they are pleased to call histreasons against this nation, and having so brought him--'tis almosttoo horrible to say, yea, even to think--to put him to death."
Since then this thing has been done, and done with approval from somethat are undoubtedly pious and learned persons (though I doubt notthat the greater part of the nation abhorred the act), so that it hasbecome in a way familiar, but then (I speak of myself and of manyothers) it had not been so much as thought of. That the King mightsuffer much at the hand of his enemies; that he might even be slain bysome wicked or fanatic persons, as kings before him--Richard, thesecond of the name, to wit, and Henry the Sixth--had been slain bysecret violence, I had deemed to be probable; but that he should bebrought to trial with accustomed forms of law and justice, and havingbeen so brought, should be publicly and in the face of day put todeath, seemed too horrible to be believed. There had never happenedsuch a thing before, save only--and let no one judge it to be profanethat this was the first thought of many--save only when our LordHimself was condemned by Pilate and crucified.
"It cannot be," I said; "no men could dare to be so impiously wicked."
"Nay," said he, "'tis but too true. But they shall not have their waywithout hindrance, for, besides many that have been the King's friendsfrom the beginning, there are some who, as I myself, were against himat the first, and so feel the more bound, as having contributed to hispresent low estate, to help him in his present necessity. But we willtalk more of these things when my father shall return."
Master Ellgood had ridden to Harborough that day on some business thathe had.
He being returned after supper, Cicely also being present, JohnEllgood set forth to him what I have written down above, and thisalso, that there were many of the same way of thinking with himself,and that they purposed to assemble in London so that they might be inreadiness against whatever might happen, watching above all things forsome occasion to save the King out of the hands of his enemies. Whenhe had ended Master Ellgood the elder said:
"I had hoped that you had done with strife. Yet I would not say a wordto keep you back. I hold not, indeed, with them who say that a kingcan do no wrong, and that we be bound to yield him obedience in allthings without question. That we may lawfully restrain him by forcefrom breaking down our liberties I do heartily believe, but I ampersuaded that we cannot rightfully bring him to judgment; for,indeed, what authority is there that is competent for such things?And, again, shall there be no end to the shedding of blood? If this,indeed, be done 'twill do more damage to true liberty than the King'svictory had done. Therefore, John, I bid you God's speed on yourerrand; and you, too, Philip, if you are minded to go with him."
Thereat I, sitting, as was my wont, by Cicely, and holding her hand inmine, felt it tighten upon mine; and looking at her, I saw her flushand grow pale, as was her wont when she was much moved.
"Nor would I stay you," she whispered, "though I, too, had hoped thatall these things were finished and done with."
It was concluded, therefore, that night that we should go; but thatthere was no present need to depart. But it was needful that I shouldgo for awhile to my brother at Enstone, and this without delay, andreturned to Master Ellgood's home about the twentieth of November.Then again eight days after we set out for London and came thither onthe second day of December, and found a lodging with my kinsmanRushworth, of whom I have written in the relation of my school days.The next day, being Sunday, we worshipped at the chapel of the Savoy,where Dr. Thomas Fuller preached the sermon; a most learned, witty,and eloquent discourse, and marvellously bold--the condition of thekingdom, wherein the King's enemies were supreme, being considered.His text was 1 Samuel xv. 22. "_For rebellion is as the sin ofwitchcraft_;" which he enforced with much plainness of speech, sothat I marvelled that he was neither presently hindered from speakingnor afterwards visited. But the good Doctor is no respecter ofpersons, for did he not, being appointed preacher by the Parliament,discourse before
them on these words (spoken by Mephibosheth to Davidconcerning Ziba): "_Yea let him take all, so that my lord the Kingcome again in peace_," to their no small discontent?
The day following we went to the House of Commons, being bestowed byfavour of one of the ushers under one of the galleries. 'Tis a noblechamber, and the circumstances of the assembly, the Speaker, forexample, with his mace, majestic; but itself, methinks, scarce a matchin dignity for its surroundings, the members sitting for the most partas if they cared nought for that which was being done, so loudly didthey talk with each other and laugh; but if one of greater note roseto speak there was straightway silence. As for us, we listened withall our ears, and that for many hours, for the House, meeting at tenof the clock in the fore-noon, prolonged its sitting till nine of theclock in the morning of the day following, nor did we, save forrefreshment's sake for a few minutes, leave our place. It was amarvellous strange scene, for sometimes it would seem as if all theHouse were asleep, some one speaking of whom none took any heed; thenagain there would be almost a tumult, angry crying out and stampingwith the feet, so that one had almost thought the members ready to flyat each other's throats. And above the great torches flared, making amighty smoke and heat, so that though the air outside was cold andfrosty, within the heat was like to suffocate. At the last, all beingwearied out (and some of the older sort had been long asleep), theHouse came to a division, the question being one that touched the lateconferences with the King, and the resolution to be determined beingthis: "That the King's concessions to the Parliament are sufficientgrounds for settling the peace of the kingdom." And this resolutionwas carried by the majority of voices, the Ayes being one hundred andtwenty, and the Noes fifty.
Thereupon we went to our lodging with great joy, and found MasterRushworth waiting for us, who somewhat dashed our spirits.
"Ah!" said he, "'twould be well if the Parliament were our masters;but 'tis not so. The power is not in Mr. Speaker's mace, but in theLord General's sword, or, rather, for 'tis said that the LordGeneral's day is past, with Master Cromwell and his colonels. I littlethought that I should ever desire more power for the Parliament; yetso I do, for verily the Army will be a worse master."
The next day we were again early at the House, and Master Usher, whoseemed to have some knowledge beforehand of what should happen, put usin a place in the lobby. We noted coming in that the guards of theHouses had been changed; for, whereas on the day before there hadstood about the doors and passages the City Trainbands, very gailyaccoutred, with their clothes and arms bearing no stain of war, therewere now in their place two regiments of soldiers, that weremanifestly veterans of many campaigns.
And now we, standing behind in the shadow, for we did not desire to beespied, see some soldiers by the place of entering into the House ofCommons, one of them, who seemed to be in command, having a paper inhis hand.
"Mark you that man," whispered the Usher in my ear; "'tis ColonelPride. Be sure that he has not come for nought."
And indeed it was so, for so soon as a member came to the door thesaid Colonel would turn round; now to a gentleman that stood by hisside (whom I understood to be my Lord Grey of Groby), and now to oneof the doorkeepers, and would ask his name, and if he were on thelist, then he seized upon him and delivered him to one of thesoldiers, who led him off. All save one departed quietly; and he, whomI knew to be Master William Prynne, one of the visitors that had comefrom the Parliament to Oxford, made as if he would have drawn hissword; thereupon the Colonel called for a guard of soldiers (andindeed both the Court of Requests and the stairs, and the lobby werefilled with them), at the sight of whom Master Prynne yielded himselfquietly. We saw thus seized by Colonel Pride and his soldiers fortyand one members. Thus we were persuaded that nothing was to be hopedin the King's favour from the Parliament, were their will ever sogood. Thereafter, indeed, all that had been zealous for areconciliation being, as the extreme men were pleased to say, purgedfrom the House, it voted nothing but what was agreeable to the will ofthe Army.
I shall not here set down in particular how we employed ourselvesduring the month that now followed, not knowing but what this writingmay fall into unfriendly hands, for though I am not careful to concealmy own opinions and actions, I should be loath to entangle others inmy dangers. Let it suffice then to say that we busied ourselves indevising means by which we might deliver the King out of the hands ofhis enemies, and that in so doing we both found help where we lookednot for it, and found it not where we had most expected it. For somethat were imagined to be the King's enemies were now earnest on hisbehalf, and some that professed themselves to be his friends werelukewarm, ay, and worse. Meanwhile we were diligent in attending atthe debates of the Commons' House, though, indeed, there was butlittle debating when a man might lose his liberty for any freedom ofspeech; and so watched without ceasing for what turn matters shouldtake.
With the King at Oxford: A Tale of the Great Rebellion Page 18
