[Footnote 1:  Charles’s Works, 556, 557.  Rushworth, vi. 249.  Journals, March 31, 1646.  Carte’s Ormond, iii. 452.]

[Footnote 2:  Clarendon Papers, ii. 209-215.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1646.  March 31.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1646.  Feb. 16.] [Sidenote c:  A.D. 1646.  March 7.]

from the committee of the two kingdoms,[1] and employed his time at Oxford in persuading Charles of the necessity of concession, and in soliciting from the Scottish commissioners authority to assure their sovereign of safety as to person and conscience in the Scottish army.  On the first of April he received from[a] Charles a written engagement, that he would take with him to their quarters before Newark “no man excepted by parliament, but only his nephews and Ashburnham,” and that he would then listen to instruction in the matter of religion, and concede as far as his conscience would permit.[2] In return, Montreuil pledged to him the word of his sovereign and the queen regent of France,[3] that the Scots should receive him as their natural king, should offer no violence to his person or conscience, his servants or followers, and should join their forces and endeavours with his to procure “a happy and well-grounded peace.”  On this understanding it was agreed that the king should attempt on the night of the following Tuesday to break through the parliamentary force lying round Oxford, and that at the same time a body of three hundred Scottish cavalry should advance as far as Harborough to receive him, and escort him in safety to their own army.[4]

[Footnote 1:  Lords’ Journ. viii. 171.  Commons’, Feb. 16, 28, March 4, 5, 7.]

[Footnote 2:  Of this paper there were two copies, one to be kept secret, containing a protestation that none of the king’s followers should be ruined or dishonoured; the other to be shown, containing no such protestation.  “En l’un desquels, qui m’a este donne pour faire voir, la protestation n’estoit point.  Faite a Oxford ce premier Avril, 1646.”—­Clarend.  Papers ii. 220.]

[Footnote 3:  Why so?  It had been so settled in Paris, because the negotiation was opened under their auspices, and conducted by their agent.—­Clarend.  Hist. ii. 750.  Papers, ii. 209.]

[Footnote 4:  Ibid. 220-222.  It had been asked whether Montreuil had any authority from the Scottish commissioners to make such an engagement.  I see no reason to doubt it.  Both Charles and Montreuil must have been aware that an unauthorized engagement could have offered no security to the king in the hazardous attempt which he meditated.  We find him twice, before the date of the engagement, requiring the commissioners to send powers to Montreuil to assure him of safety in person and conscience in their army (Clarendon Pap. ii. 218), and immediately afterwards informing Ormond that he was going to the Scottish army because he had lately received “very good security” that he and his friends should be safe in person, honour, and conscience.  See the letter in Lords’ Journals, viii. 366, and account of a letter from the king to Lord Belasyse in pys, ii. 246.]