Charles soon discovered that he was a prisoner, and when,
to make the experiment, he undertook to give the word to the guard, he was
interrupted by Leven, who said: "I am the older soldier, sir: your majesty
had better leave that office to me."
For ten days the public mind in the capital had been
[Footnote 1: The Scots had made three offers or promises to the king. The
first and most important was the engagement of the 1st of April. But the
Scottish commissioners with the army shrunk from the responsibility of
carrying it into execution; and, as it appears to me, with some reason,
for they had not been parties to the contract. The second was the modified
offer agreed upon by both bodies of commissioners at Royston. But this
offer was never accepted by the king, and consequently ceased to be binding
upon them. The third was the verbal promise mentioned above. If it was
made--and of a promise of safety there can be no doubt, though we have only
the testimony of Hudson--the Scots were certainly bound by it, and must
plead guilty to the charge of breach of faith, by subsequently delivering
up the fugitive monarch to the English parliament.]
[Footnote 2: Peck, Desid. Curios. I. x. No. 8. Ashburnham, ii. 76.
Rushworth, vi. 266, 267, 276.
Pages:
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212