CHARLES I.

379

they thought, were. more desirous of protractingthan finishing the war; and having entertaineda scheme for preserving still some balance in theconstitution, they were afraid of entirely sub-duing the king, and reducing him to a condition,where he should not be entitled to ask any con-cessions. A new model alone of the army couldbring complete victory to the parliament, andfree the nation from those calamities, under whichit labored. But how to effect this project wa*the difficulty. The authority, as well as merits,of Essex was very great with the parliament.Not only he had served them all along with themost exact and scrupulous honor: It was, in somemeasure, owing to his popularity, that they hadever been enabled to levy an army or makehead against the royal cause. Manchester, War-wic, and the other commanders had likewisegreat credit with the public; nor were there anyhopes of prevailing over them, but by layingthe plan of an oblique and artificial attack, whichwould conceal the real purpose of their anta-gonists.- The Scots and Scottish commissioners ,jealous of the progress of the independents, werea new obstacle; which, without the utmost artand subtilty, it would be difficult to surmount 5 *.The methods, by which this intrigue was con-ducted , are so singular , and show so fully thegenius of the age , that we shall give a detail ofthem, as they are delivered by lord Clarendon 5 ’.

' Clarendon, vol. v. pi ;6r. " Idem, ibid. p. ;6e.

H A p.

lvii.

1644.