loving behaviour, and not to do as those troublesome women who, by their hideous outcries, drive their wandering husbands further off." He told them that he "pitied not them that bemoaned his Majesty's distance; and, whereas they expected to be commended for their patience under so great a punishment, he condemned them for deserving it; often urging that of Seneca, Epist. 80, "Nihil Rex male parentibus, majus minari potest, quam ut abeat de regno." At length, according to Lloyd, he took leave for ever of the Parliament with a solemn admonition, concluding with these expressions: "We had been satisfied long ere this, if we did not ask things that deny themselves; and if some men had not shuffled demands into our propositions on purpose that we may have no satisfaction." He now followed the King to York, with his gallant kinsman, and, as it unhappily proved, fellow martyr, Spencer Compton, Earl of Northampton, whom he had persuaded to accompany him, and was one of that superb band which assembled to support the royal standard, when it was set up at Nottingham, on the twenty-second of August, 1642. He found the King's service already distracted by private interests and selfish pretensions, and his piercing judgment formed an unfavourable apprehension of the issue of the great contest. In one of the very few of his letters which have fortunately been preserved in Collins's collection, written to his lady, from Shrewsbury, on the twenty-first of the following September, he glances at the posture of the King's affairs at that moment with a warmth and freedom of mind and expression truly remarkable. Such a letter, from such a man, is worth volumes of cold historical compilation on the circumstances of a particular epoch. It was mostly written in cipher, and some few names have been unluckily suffered to remain unexplained. "MY DEAREST HART, "The King's condition is much improved of late. His force increaseth daily, which increaseth the insolencie of the : papists. How much I am unsatisfied with the proceedings here I have at large expressed in several letters; neither is there wanting daylie handsome occasion to retire, were it not for gaining honor for, let occasion be never so handsome, unless a man resolve to fight on the Parlement side, which, for my part, I had rather be hanged, it will be said a man is afraid to fight. If there could be an expedient found to salve the punctilio of honour, I would not continue here an hower. The discontent that I, and many other honest men, receive dayly is beyond expression. People are much devided. The King is of late much averse to peace, by the persuasions of 202 and 211. It is likewise conceived that the King has taken a resolution not to do any thing in that way before the Queen comes; for people advising the King to agree with the Parliament was the occasion of the Queen's return. Till that tyme no advice will be received. Nevertheless the honest men will take all occasions to procure an accommodation, which the King when he sent the late messages did hartily desier, and would still make offers, but for 202, and 211, and the expectation of the Queen, and fear of the papists, who threaten people of 342. I fear the papists' threats have a much greater influence on the King than upon 343. What the King's intentions are to those that I converse with are altogether unknown. Some say he will hasard a battell very quicklie: others say he thinks of wintering; which, as it is suspected, so, if it were generally beleeved, I, and many others, would make no scruple to retier; for I think it is far from gallant, either to starve with the King, or to do worse, as to avoid fighting. It is said the King goes on Fryday towards Chester, for a day or two, leaving his forces here, which are six thousand foot, fifteen hundred dragoons, and above two thousand horse. There are four thousand foot more raised, they saie: two thousand by my Lord Strange; one thousand by Sir Thomas Salisburie; and twelve hundred by Sir Edward Stradling; all which will be here within a few days. This is a lightninge before death. "I am your's, SPENCER." The little that we have of the story of his short life, is mostly to be found in those letters, which have been already, but very incorrectly, printed and I regret that the scope of this work prevents me from inserting the whole of them in their origi nal state. In one from Birmingham, of the fourteenth of the next month, he again deprecates the endeavours of the Roman Catholics to prevent any accommodation with the Parliament; expresses his determination, should a treaty be offered by that assembly, to give it his strenuous support; and tells his lady that he had lately above an hour's discourse with the King on that subject. A few days after, he marched with Charles into Northamptonshire, and, on the twenty-third, when the King's guards, in the battle of Edgehill, besought his Majesty to permit them to quit his person, and to charge in the front of the army, threw himself into that gallant body, and was particularly distinguished in the memorable overthrow which they that day gave to the rebel horse. He returned with the King to Oxford, and, on the eighth of June 1643, was advanced to the dignity of Earl of Sunderland. He was at that time assisting Prince Rupert in the reduction of Bristol, which he left in the beginning of August, to join the King before Gloucester, on the siege of which city the King had suddenly and unexpectedly determined. Writing to Lady Sunderland, on the ninth of that month, he expresses himself unfavourably of that resolution. "The King's going to Gloucester," says he, " is, in the opinion of most, very unadvised: the Queene unsatisfyed with it so is all the people of quality." But I cannot forego the satisfaction of giving entire a letter, which he wrote to the Countess from thence not many days after, and another, which closed their correspondence for ever: both exquisitely illustrative of the character of his talents, his affections, his accomplishments, and his temper. "MY DEAREST HART, "Just as I was going out of the trenches on Wednesday I received your letter of the 20th of this instant, which gave me so much satisfaction that it put all the inconveniences of this siege out of my thoughts. At that instant, if I had followed my own inclinations, I had returned an answer to your's, writing to you, and hearing from you, being the most pleasant entertainment I am capable of receiving in any place, but especially here, where, but when I am in the trenches (which place is seldom without my company) I am more solitarie than ever I was in my life; this countrie being very full of private cottages, in one of which I am quartered, where my Lord Falkland did me the honour to sup. Mr. Chillingworth is here with me, at Sir Nicholas Selwin's, who has been this week at Oxford. Our little engineer (Chillingworth) comes not hither so much out of kindness to me as for his own conveniency, my quarters being three or four miles. nearer the leaguer than my Lord Devonshire's, with whom he staid till he was commanded to make ready his engines with all possible speed. It is not to be imagined with what diligence and satisfaction (I mean to himself) he executes his command: for my part, I think it not unwisely done of him to change his profession; and I think you would have been of my mind, if you had heard him dispute last night with my Lord Falkland in favour of Socinianism: wherein he was by his Lordship so often confounded, that really it appears he has much more reason for his engines than for his opinions. I put of my writing till last night, out of hopes that somewhat here would have happened worthie of your knowledge, and you see what good companie made me defer it last night, at which time I was newly come from our leaguer, whither I thought to have gone this morning, but I have got such a kinde of small boile, in such a place that I cannot ride without pain, so I cannot with modesty make a more particular discription. I find that we had only an alarum, which they gave to hinder our working, not daring to sally any more, being so well beaten the last time. Our gallery will be finished within this day or two, and then we shall soon dispatch our mine, and them with it. Many of the soldiers are confident that we shall have the towne within this four days, which I extremely long for; not that I am weary of this siege, for really, though we suffer many inconveniences, yet I am not ill pleased with this variety, so directly opposite as the being in the trenches, with so much good company, together with the noise and tintamarre of guns and drums, with the horrid spectacles and hideous cries of dead and hurt men, is to the solitariness of my quarter, together with all the markes of peace, which often brings into my thoughts, notwithstanding your mother's opinion of me, how infinitely more happy I should esteem myself quietly to enjoy your company at Althorp than to be troubled with the noises and engaged in the factions of the Court, which I shall ever endeavour to avoid." (Here follow many undeciphered lines)" When we were at Bristol Sir William was there, but I heare he is now gone to Hereford, for which I envie him, and all others that can go to their owne houses; but I hope ere long you will let me have your companie and Popet's, the thought of which is to me most pleasant, and passionately desired by your's, SUNDERLAND. 66 Aug. 25th, before Gloucester." In the first week of September, Charles abandoned the siege of Gloucester, and passed over the Severn towards Bristol. Lord Sunderland, whose military service was distinguished by two peculiar resolutions; the one, always to be present when the King commanded in person; the other, never to accept a commission; attended his royal master thither, and, after a visit of a few days. to Oxford, again joined the army, when it was on the point of engaging the rebels in the first battle of Newbury. Immediately before he left Oxford, he wrote thus to his lady. "MY DEAREST HART, "Since I wrote to you last from Sulbey we had some hope of fighting with my Lord of Essex's army, having certain intelligence of his being in a field convenient enough, |