1644. 1645. 1646. 1647. Manchester and Cromwell, an attempt was made to cut off the king on his return to Oxford. Oct. 27. Second battle of Newbury indecisive. The Independents bring the Self-denying Ordinance into Jan. 1. Sir John Hotham and his son are executed for a plot Jan. 10. Archbishop Laud is beheaded." Negotiations (a) are opened at Uxbridge with the king, Jan. 30; April 3. The Self-denying Ordinance (depriving members of The Parliamentary army is remodelled at Windsor, and The king withdraws to Chester. Fairfax and "the new model" Fairfax marches north, is joined by Cromwell with the Association horse, and totally defeats the king at the battle of Naseby, near Market Harborough in Leicestershire, June 14. (The king's baggage is taken, in which are found his letters to the queen and to the Irish rebels, which are published by the Parliament). Fairfax defeats Goring at Langport, July. Sept. 10. Bristol is surrendered by Prince Rupert. Sept. 23. Charles' forces are defeated at Rowton Heath, near After fruitless negotiations at various times with the Parliament, June 24. Oxford surrenders to Fairfax. At Newcastle, Charles, urged by the queen, now in France, refuses to concede anything to the Parliament on the question of the militia or the Church. The Parliament having agreed to pay £400,000 to the Scots for their expenses, the first payment is made Jan. 21 (see 1644). Jan. 30. The king is given up at Newcastle to the Parliamentary Commissioners. [The Westminster Assembly of Divines (c), which had been sitting constantly since 1643, had by this time established Presbyterianism, which was, however, only generally accepted in Middlesex and Lancashire.] The four ordinances are passed by Parliament (d). March 21. A great meeting of the officers is held at Saffron Walden to protest against the ordinances. COLONIAL. (a) 1. Parliament was to be moved to Oxford and dissolved within three months. 2. Episcopacy was to be restored, but there was to be also complete toleration. 3. Bristol, Digby, Worcester, and Newcastle alone were to be excepted from the amnesty. 4. A reform was to be effected in the administration of justice, and imprisonment for debt was to be abolished. 5. The command of the forces by sea and land was to reside in Parliament for ten years. 6. The appointment to all the great offices was to be in the hands of Parliament. (b) 1. Charles agreed to an amnesty for all members of the Parliament. 2. The appointment of officers and the command of the military forces of the kingdom was to be in the hands of Parliament for twenty years. 3. The appointment of the chief officers of State was to be in the hands of Parliament for twenty years. 4. Certain members of the Royalist party were reserved for punishment. 5. The bishops were to be suspended and the Presbyterian clergy established and endowed provisionally for three years. (c) The Commons then resolved that whatever is enacted by them has the force of law without the consent of the king or the House of Lords. The members expelled by Colonel Pride were formally excluded from Parliament, Feb. 1, 1649. 1648. The Scottish moderate Presbyterian party in the Estates pass a vote that 40,000 men under Hamilton shall invade England in the king's interest. Condé wins the battle of Lens. The Peace of Westphalia concludes the Thirty Years' War. 1649. Prince Charles accepts the proposals of the extreme Covenanters under Argyll. 1647. 1648. 1649. The Parliament passes a resolution that the army have no business to meddle with State affairs. May. The Presbyterian Commissioners from the Parliament attempt to disband the army. The army refuse, and arrange a general assembly of all the soldiers to meet on June 4 near Newmarket. June 2. The king is seized at Holmby House by Cornet Joyce, and conducted to Newmarket. June 10. The army have a great meeting at Triplow Heath, and an interview with the Parliamentary Commissioners, at which they demand the expulsion of eleven of the Presbyterian leaders. The army march towards London and place the king at Hampton Court. They make liberal proposals (a) to the king, who rejects them, and flies from Hampton Court to the Isle of Wight (Nov. 11), and there corresponds with the Scots, the Presbyterians, and the Royalists. Royalist insurrections break out in Kent and in Wales. The July 5. The Scottish army enters England, and is defeated by port (Isle of Wight). The king agrees to their propositions (b). The army return to London and demand the punishment of the king. Colonel Pride expels the Presbyterian majority from the House of Commons, Dec. 6. The Independent minority (53 members) vote to bring the king to trial before a special or High Court of Justice. This is rejected by the House of Lords (12 members) (c). Jan. 20. The High Court of Justice meets. THE COMMONWEALTH, 1649-1660 [The publication of Eikon Basilike, giving an account of Charles' Troops are ordered to Ireland. Insurrection of the Levellers, who May 19. An Act declaring and constituting the people of England to be a Commonwealth and free State passes, and is proclaimed. Aug. 2. Ormond is defeated by General Jones at Rathmines. (b) Barebone's Parliament.-So called from Praise-God Barbon, junior member for the city of London. It proposed (1) to simplify the law, to abolish the Court of Chancery, to establish county courts for the recovery of small debts, to do away with imprisonment for debt, and to pay the judges by salaries instead of fees. 2. To transfer patronage in the Church to congregations, and do away with tithes. 3. To register births, deaths, and marriages, and to make all marriages take place before a magistrate; to set up a register for deeds affecting land, and to provide a better system of workhouses. "In justice to Barebone's Parliament its reforms should be compared with the course of subsequent legislation. Of the reforms proposed by them, the larger number have been adopted, while others have been held advisable, if not practicable, in the present century" (King and Commonwealth). 1649. 1650. 1651. 1652. 1653. Aug. 15. Cromwell lands in Ireland. Sept. 11. He storms and sacks Drogheda and (Oct. 12) Wexford. Fairfax having refused the command of the army against the Dec. Capture of Edinburgh. Aug. Cromwell crosses the Forth, and Charles marches into Charles, after many adventures, takes ship at Brighton and lands Oct. 9. The Navigation Act, aimed against the Dutch (forbidding the importation of goods in any but English vessels or those of the country where they are made), is passed. Nov. Parliament fixes November 3, 1654, as the day of its dissolution. Feb. An Act of oblivion of all offences committed before the May 19. The Dutch are defeated in a battle off Dover. Aug. A bill is introduced to make the new House of Commons April 20. Word is brought to the officers that the Parliament is Cromwell and the officers appoint a Council of State (nine July 4. This Assembly of Nominees (the "Little" or "Bare- June and July. Important victories over Tromp and the Dutch fleet. The Parliament propose to abolish the Court of Chancery, tithes, and Church patronage, and appoint a commission to reform the law. But finding they cannot carry out these measures, they resign their Dec. 16. The "Instrument of Government," by which |