LIFE OF LORD CAPELL.

(CONTINUED.)

CHAPTER IV.

Resignation of Sir R. Greenvil-The King's Instructions respecting the Prince's Departure for France-The Council resolve to detain himCorrespondence between the Prince and Sir T. Fairfax-Sir R. Greenvil resumes the command-The King renews his Instructions respecting the Prince-Answer of the Council-Jealousies among the Leaders in the West-Lord Hopton succeeds to the command-The Council decide that the Prince's person is in danger, and he is removed to Scilly— Defeat of the Royalist cause in Cornwall-Its causes-Conduct of Lord Capell.

THE misconduct of Sir Richard Greenvil again became a source of annoyance to the Council and of weakness to the cause: he addressed an insolent letter to the Lords of the Council, full of complaints, and threw up his commission of Field Marshal. He had already committed various acts that showed but too plainly that he had availed himself of his position rather to serve his own private interests' than to fulfil his duty to the sovereign whose commission he had accepted. Yet, having thrown up his commission, he afterwards acted upon his own

'The King had granted him the sequestration of his wife's estate (from whom he was separated), of all the estates of the Earl of Bedford in Devonshire, of Sir Francis Drake, and Lord Roberts' estates in Cornwall.Clarendon's Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. v. p. 214.

VOL. II.

B

authority, raising contributions and imprisoning people without any other right so to do than his own pleasure.'

3

Fresh sources of difficulty and embarrassment were now in store for the Prince's Council. In the beginning of August the King sent for Lord Culpepper and Sir Edward Hyde to meet him at Brecknock;2 the latter was prevented by the gout from attending this summons. Lord Culpepper hastened from Cornwall (where he then was) to receive the King's commands, and returned the bearer of a letter to the Prince that gave considerable uneasiness and dissatisfaction to his Council. It contained a positive direction that, whenever he should find himself in danger of falling into the hands of the rebels, he should convey himself to France, there to be under his mother's care, who was to have "the absolute full power" of his education in all things except religion. The Prince was at Launceston; when Lord Culpepper returned and presented this letter from the King. The Prince gave the letter again into Lord Culpepper's custody, and wished him to communicate its contents to the Lords Capell and Hopton and Sir Edward Hyde. The feelings and opinions of these four were unanimous.1 They were fully prepared that the Prince should quit the kingdom in case of need, and were resolved "that, "rather than he should be taken by the rebels, they "would carry him into any part of the Christian

'Clarendon's' Hist. of the Rebellion,' vol. v. p. 218. 2 Ibid. 230. Appendix L.

It seems they did not venture to impart so important a fact as this letter either to Lord Berkshire or to Lord Brentford-the former being in the habit of communicating to those who were dissatisfied with the Prince's council what passed in council, and the latter being an "ill treasurer of secrets."

"world." 1 Moreover, they immediately ordered a ship to be henceforth kept in readiness for his escape in the harbour of Falmouth; but that which distressed and embarrassed them was, "that the King's command "was so positive for France." To that destination they felt the strongest objections, and were much confirmed in this by a letter from the Earl of Norwich to one of the Council, in which, alluding to a mere report of the Prince being sent to France, he declared it would be certain ruin, and intrusted the messenger of his letter with many reasons in support of that view. After some anxious deliberation between the three Lords 3 and Sir E. Hyde, a letter was agreed upon and immediately addressed to the King, in which they remonstrated strongly against the intention of sending the Prince to France, and fully stated the information they had received respecting that country, and the grounds of their objections. They expressed a hope that his Majesty would leave the choice of the Prince's destination to them, or would suggest some other place that would be free from the objections attached to a residence in France. They even named Scotland, if the Marquis of Montrose continued victorious; or Ireland, if the peace was made there: at the same time they did not fail earnestly to repeat their assurance that they "would

run any hazard, or into any country, before the "Prince should fall into the hands of the rebels."4 Between the time when this letter was despatched and the receipt of the King's answer, events had crowded

1

upon each other that were calculated to check the hopes of the Royalist party. Bristol was lost; Montrose had been defeated by Leslie; and the Scotch army, though obliged to abandon the siege of Hereford, had been allowed to march without molestation back to the North. The King's answer, addressed to Lord Culpepper, was not received till the middle of October, though dated Chirk Castle, Sept. 29th, 1645. It contained the repetition of his wishes respecting the Prince's removal to France expressed in still stronger terms than before. He declined giving reasons, saying that Lord Culpepper must, for this time, be content with results; and commanded, as of absolute necessity, "that with the best convenience, the most secrecy, and "greatest expedition, Prince Charles be transported "into France, where his mother is to have the sole "care of him in all things but religion." In a P.S. he added, "For the For the way, I leave it to your discretion, having already with you, as I conceive, as much 66 power in paper as I can give you. France must be "the place, not Scotland nor Denmark."

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The hopes of the West were not yet absolutely desperate; but the Council had already witnessed the pernicious effect of even a rumour of the Prince leaving the country, and the four counsellors, who held con

1 Appendix M.

3

Not only had the Earl of Norwich from Paris earnestly warned the council that it was "certain ruin to the Prince" to be sent to France, but they had the opportunity of witnessing the discouragement produced in the West when reports were maliciously circulated that the Prince was going to leave them.-Clarendon, vol. v. p. 259.

Lords Capel, Hopton, Culpepper, and Sir Edward Hyde.

sultation on this matter, firmly believed that his premature departure would at once have been fatal to the King's cause. They, therefore, unanimously resolved to abide by the original command, that "the Prince "was not to be transported out of the King's dominions "but upon apparent visible necessity in point of safety;" and still reserved to themselves the power "of deciding both the time and the way when it should be necessary for this most important move to be made.2

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1

The report of "an intent to carry the Prince into "France" had already operated so injuriously on his cause, that his advisers determined on his repairing to Exeter as a means of discontinuing this rumour; it had been so industriously circulated by Lord Goring, as a means of throwing discredit on the Prince's Council, that several gentlemen of the western counties had determined amongst themselves "to petition the Prince "to interpose between the King and the Parliament, "and to send a message to the latter with overtures of peace." The Council were strongly impressed with the impolicy of any such petition being presented. The grace of an overture from the Prince to the Parliament was at once destroyed if it appeared, not as a voluntary act of his own, but as a mere concession to the impor

Clarendon's Hist. of the Rebellion,' vol. v. p. 259.

2 Lord Goring utterly disregarded the King's commands, contained also in this letter, that he should “break through to Oxford," and join him wherever he should be with his horse. The Prince expressed his wish that Lord Goring should obey the orders he had received, but Lord Goring never even communicated with him on the subject.-Ibid. p. 260. Ibid. p. 240. • Ibid.