The History of the Struggle for Parliamentary Government in England Volume 2 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1877 Excerpt: ...them. He succeeded in persuading most of them to return peaceably to their homes. But as a part of them fired upon a detachment of horse he had sent under a lieutenant to inquire into the cause of their hostile proceedings, and killed some of his men, he found it necessary to attack them, and about 200 were wounded. 1 Macaulay's History of England, iii. 17. London, 1864. These being taken prisoners, were after an examination regarding their instigators, dismissed on their promise not to engage in similar proceedings. The original motive of the clubmen was sufficiently explained in the motto of one of their standards--"If you offer to plunder our cattle, Be assured we will give you battle."1 After the fall of Bristol--which Rupert, after a defence forming a strong contrast to Blake's defence of Lyme and Taunton, surrendered to the army of the Parliament, September 10, 1645--the King signified his pleasure to the Lords of the Council that they should require Prince Rupert to deliver his commission into their hands. He likewise wrote a letter to Rupert, dated "Hereford, 14th September 1645," in which he says: "I must remember you of your letter of the 12th of August, whereby you assured me that, if no mutiny happened, you would keep Bristol for four months. Did you keep it four days? Was there anything like a mutiny? More questions might be asked; but now, I confess, to little purpose: my conclusion is, to desire you to seek your subsistence, until it shall please God to determine of my condition, somewhere beyond the seas--to which end I send you herewith a pass."2 Cromwell, in his letter to the Speaker of 14th October 1645, gives an account of the storming of Basing House, which had been strongly fortified by the Marquis of Winc...