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council-and the sanctuary of a considerable part of the nobility, gentry, and clergy. In which respect it was thought fit that the queen should remove Exeter, as a place more remote from danger, and not far from the sea, by which she might take shipping for France, as occasion served.

On the sixteenth of April she began her journey, the king bearing her company as far as Abingdon, where they took leave of one another, neither of them having the least presage, that the parting kiss which they then took was to be their last. Conveyed with a sufficient strength of horse for her security on the way, she was received there with as much magnificence as that city was able to expresse; and on the sixteenth of June was safely delivered of a daughter, whom she christened by the name of Henrietta. As soon as she had well passed over the weakness and infirmities incident to child-bed, she committed the young princess to lady Dalkeith, a daughter of sir Edward Villiers, one of the half-brothers of the duke of Buckingham, and wife unto lord Dalkeith, the eldest son of the earl of Morton; which, having done (according to some instructions which she had received from the king), she took shipping at Pendennis castle, on the fifteenth of July, and passed into France, there to negociate for some supplies of money, arms, and ammunition for the advance of his majesty's service, and to continue in the court of the king, her brother, till she might return again in honour and safety. And to say 'truth, her removal from Oxford

was not only seasonable, but exceeding necessary at that time— the earl of Essex, and sir William Waller, with their several forces, not long after her departure, drawing near to Oxford; on whose approach his majesty, leaving the greatest part of his army for defence of that place, marched on directly towards Wales. Upon the news, whereof, it was thought fit by the two generals, to divide their armies; it being agreed upon that sir William Waller should pursue the king, and the earl of Essex should march towards the west, for the regaining of those countries.

Now the mystery of iniquity appeared in its proper colours; for, whereas, it was formerly given out by the houses of Parliament, that they had undertaken the war, for no other reason but to remove the king from his evil counsellors: those evil counsellors were left at Oxford unmolested, and the king's person only hunted. The king, understanding of this division, thought himself able enough to deal with Waller, and giving him the go by, returned towards Oxford-drew thence the mainder of his army, and gave him a sharp meeting at a place called Cropredy-bridge, where he obtained a signal victory, on the twenty-eighth of June, and entered triumphantly into Oxford. This done, he marched after the earl of Essex, who had made himself master of some places in the west of good importance. During this march, it happened that one of the carriages broke down, in a long narrow lane which they were to passe, and gave his majesty a

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stop, at a time of an intolerable shower of rain which fell upon him. Some of his courtiers, and others which were near about him, offered to hew him out a way through the hedges with their swords, that he might get shelter in some of the villages adjoining; but he resolved not to forsake his cannon upon any occasion. At which, when some about him seemed to admire, and marvelled at the patience which he shewed in that extremity, his majesty, lifting up his hat, made answer- "That as God had given him afflictions to exercise his patience, so he had given him patience to bear his afflictions"a speech so heavenly and divine, that it is hardly to be paralleled by any of the men of God in all the scripture. The carriage being mended, he went forward again, and trod so close upon the heels of the earl of Essex, that, at last, he drove him into Cornwall, and there reduced him to that point, that he put himself into a cock-boat with sir Phillip Stapleton and some others, and left his whole army to his majesty's mercy. His horse, taking the advantage of a dark night, made shift to escape; but the commanders of the foot came to this capitulation with his majesty, that they should depart without their arms, which, with their cannon, baggage, and ammunition, being of very great consideration, were left wholly to his disposing.

Immediately after this success, his majesty dispatched a message from Tavistock, to the two houses of Parliament, in which he laid before them the miserable condition of the kingdome remembering them of those

many messages which he had formerly sent unto them for an accommodation of the present differences, and now desiring them to think of some expedient by which this issue of blood might be dried up the distraction of the kingdome settledand the whole nation put into a hope of peace and happinesse.

To which message, as to many others before, they either gave no answer, or such an one as rather served to widen, than close the breach, falsely conceiving that all his majesty's offers of grace and favour proceeded either from an inability to hold out the war, or from the weaknesse and irresolution of his councils : so that the tragecomedy of the two harlots in the first of Kings, may seem to have been acted over again on the stage of England. The king, like the true mother, compassionately desired that the life of the poor infant might be preserved; the houses, like the false mother, considering that they could not have the whole, voted that it should be neither mine nor thine, but divided betwixt them.

But if, instead of this message from Tavistock, his majesty had gone on his own errand, and marched with his army towards London, it was conceived that, in all probability, he might have made an end of the war, the army of Essex being thus broken, and that of Manchester not returned from the northern service. But sitting down before Plymouth, and staying there to perfect an association of the western counties, he spent so much time, that Essex was again at the head of his army, and being seconded by

the earl of Manchester and sir William Waller, made a stand at Newberry, where, after a very hot fight, with variable successes on both sides, each party drew off by degrees, so that neither of them could find cause to boast of a victory.

Winter comes on, which, though it be not ordinarily a time of action, will, notwithstanding, afford us some variety which will not be unworthy of our observation. And, first, a garrison is formed at Abingdon, a town within five miles of Oxford, by order from the two houses of Parliament, under the command of colonel Brown; the king and council looking on, and suffering the intrenchments to be made the works to be raised -and the ordnance to be planted on the same.

It cannot be denied, but that sir Henry Gage, governer at that time of Oxford, and many of the chief commanders which were then in and about that city, of fered their service to the king,

and earnestly desired leave to prevent that mischief which, by the intrenchments of this town, must needs fall upon them. But lord George Digby, not long after made principal secretary of state, had perswaded the king unto the contrary, upon the assurance that he held intelligence with Brown, and that as soon as the town was fortified, and furnished with victuals, arms, and ammunition, at the charges of the houses of Parliament, it would immediately be delivered into his majesty's hand. In which design he was outwitted, and, consequently, exposed unto some loss of reputation with all sorts of people. For Brown, having brought his project to the highest round of the ladder (as himself expressed it) thought it high time to turn it off, and to declare himself for the two houses against the king; printing, not long after, all the letters which passed between him and lord Digby upon this occasion. (To be continued.),

quired at a charity school; but my mother being dead, and I an only child, he determined to give me that advantage, which he fancied would have made him happy, viz. a learned education.→ I was sent to a country grammarschool, and thence to the university, with a view of qualifying for holy orders. Here, having but a small allowance from my father, and being naturally of a timid and bashful disposition, I had no opportunity of rubbing off that native awkwardness,

which is the fatal cause of my unhappiness, and which I now begin to fear can never be amended. You must know that in my person I am tall and thin, with a fair complexion, and light flaxen hair; but of such extreme susceptibility of shame, that on the smallest subject of confusion, my blood all rushes into my cheeks, and I appear a perfect full-blown rose. The conscious ness of this unhappy failing, made me avoid society, and I became enamoured of a college life; particularly when I reflected, that the uncouth manners of my father's family, were little calculated to improve my outward conduct; I therefore had resolved on living at the university and taking pupils, when two unexpected events geatly altered the posture of my affairs, viz. my father's death and the arrival of an uncle from the Indies.

This uncle I had very rarely heard my father mention, and it was generally believed that he was long since dead, when he arrived in England only a week too late to close his brother's eyes. I am ashamed to confess, what I believe has been often experienced by those, whose education has been better than their parents, that my poor father's ignorance and vulgar language, had often made me blush to think I was his son; and at his death I was not inconsolable for the loss of that, which I was not unfrequently ashamed to own. My uncle was but little affected, for he had been separated from his brother more than thirty years, and in that time he had acquired a fortune which he used to brag would make a nabob happy in short,

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he had brought over with him the enormous sum of thirty thousand pounds, and upon this he built his hopes of never-ending happiness. While he was planing schemes of greatness and delight, whether the change of climate might affect him, or what other cause I know not, but he was snatched from all his dreams of joy by a short illness, of which he died, leaving me heir to all his property. And now, behold me at the age of twenty-five, well stocked with Latin, Greek, and mathematics, possessed of ample fortune, but so awkward and inversed in every gentleman-like accomplishment, that I am pointed at by all who see me, as the wealthy learned clown.

I have lately purchased an estate in the country, which abounds in (what is called) a fashionable neighbourhood; and when you reflect on my parentage and uncouth manner, you will hardly think how much my company is courted by the surrounding families (especially by those who have marriageable daughters): from these gentlemen I have received familiar calls, and the most pressing invitations, and, though I wished to accept their offered friendship, I have repeatedly excused myself under the pretence of not being quite settled; for the truth is, that when I have rode or walked, with full intention to return their several visits, my heart has failed me as I approached their gates, and I have frequently returned homeward, resolving to try again to-morrow.

However, I at length determined to conquer my timidity, and three days ago, accepted of

an invitation to dine this day with one whose open easy manner left me no room to doubt a cordial welcome. Sir Thomas Friendly, who lives about two miles distant, is a baronet, with about two thousand pounds a year estate, joining to that I purchased; he has two sons and five daughters, all grown up, and living with their mother and a maiden sister of sir Thomas, at Friendly-Hall, dependent on their father. Conscious of my unpolished gait, I have for some time past taken private lessons of a professor, who, teaches "grown up gentlemen to dance;" and though I at first found wonderous difficulty in the art he taught, my knowledge of the mathematics was of prodigious use, in teaching me the equilibrium of my body, and the due adjustment of the centre of gravity to the five positions. Having now acquired the art of walking without tottering, and learned to make a bow, I boldly ventured to obey the baronet's invitation to a family dinner,

not doubting but my new acquirements would enable me to see the ladies with tolerable intrepidity: but alas! how vain are all the hopes of theory, when unsupported by habitual practice. As I approached the house, a dinner-bell alarmed my fears, lest I had spoiled the dinner by want of punctuality; impressed with this idea, I blushed the deepest crimson, as my name was repeatedly announced by the several livery servants, who ushered me into the library, hardly knowing what or whom I

lady Friendly, but unfortunately in bringing back my left foot to the third position, I trod upon the gouty toe of poor sir Thomas, who had followed close at my heels, to be the nomenclator of the family. The confusion this occasioned in me is hardly to be conceived, since none but bashful men can judge of my distress, and of that description the number I believe is very small. The baronet's politeness by degrees dissipated my concern, and I was astonished to see how far goodbreedings could enable him to suppress his feelings, and to appear with perfect ease, after so painful an accident.

The cheerfulness of her ladyship, and the familiar chat of the young ladies, insensibly led me to to throw off my reserve and sheepishness, till at length I ventured to join in conversation, and even to start fresh subjects. The library being richly furnished with books in elegant bindings, I conceived sir Thomas to be a man of literature, and ventured to give my opinion concerning the several editions of the Greek classics, in which the baronet's opinion exactly coincided with my own. To this subject I was led, by observing an edition of Xenophon in sixteen volumes, which, as I had never before heard of such a thing, greatly excited my curiosity, and I rose up to examine what it could be: sir Thomas saw what I was about, and as, I supposed, willing to save me trouble, rose to take down the book, which made me more eager to prevent him, and hastily laying my hand on the first volume, I pulled it forcibly; but lo! instead of the books, a board, which by leather and gild