TO THE HONOURABLE MY HONOURED FRIENDS ROBERT JENNER AND JOHN ASHE, ESQUIRES, “AT LONDON”: THESE
Gentlemen,—I received an Order from the Governor of Nottingham, directed to him from you, To bring up Colonel Owen, or take bail for his coming up to make his composition, he having made an humble Petition to the Parliament for the same.
If I be not mistaken, the House of Commons did vote all those “persons” Traitors that did adhere to, or bring: in, the Scots in their late Invading of this Kingdom under Duke Hamilton. And not without very clear justice; this being a more prodigious Treason than any that had been perfected before; because the former quarrel was that Englishmen might rule over one another; this to vassalise us to a foreign Nation. And their fault who have appeared in this Summer’s business is certainly double to theirs who were in the first, because it is the repetition of the same offence against all the witnesses that God has borne,[1] by making and abetting a Second War.
And if this be their justice[2], and upon so good grounds, I wonder how it comes to pass that so eminent actors should so easily be received to compound. You will pardon me if I tell you how contrary this is to some of your judgments at the rendition of Oxford: though we had the Town in consideration,[3] and “our” blood saved to boot; yet Two Years perhaps was thought too little to expiate their offence.[4] But now, when
- ↑ From Naseby downwards, God, in the battle-whirlwind, seemed to speak and witness very audibly.
- ↑ House of Commons’s.
- ↑ Town as some recompense.
- ↑ Sentence unintelligible to the careless reader, so hasty is it, and over-crowded with meaning in the original. ‘Give me leave to tell you that, if it were contrary to some of your judgments, that at the rendition of Oxford, though we had the Town in consideration, and blood saved to boot; yet Two years perhaps,’ etc.—Oxford was surrendered 20th-24th June 1646 (antea, p. 241); the Malignants found there were to have a composition, not exceeding Two-Years revenue for estates of inheritance (Rushworth, vi. 280-5),—which the victorious Presbyterian
