dy of Dutch troops, with which De Wit propofed to invade England; but the States hav ing tamely fuffered Corbet, Okey, and Barkftead, three of the regisides, who had taken shelter at Delft, in 1661, to be trapanned, and fent prisoners to England, by Sir George Deaning, minifter to king Charles II. the lieutenant-general would never hearken to any offers from the Hague or Amfterdam, unlefs the States would firft difclaim that action, and next promise not to make any treaty without fecuring all who should engage with them: but, as this was never complied with, he did not ftir from Vevay, though he had procured a pafs from the count d'Eftrades for that purpofe, had he received the acknowledgments he demanded.

Whether the English court had any know. ledge of thefe negotiations, or only gueffed that fomething of this fort might be fet on foot between the fugitives and the Dutch and French, we know not; but the renewed and redoubled her diligence, through the dutchefs of Orlean's and the queen-mother of England's means, to get the lieutenant general and his frienda affaf inated many attempts being made during this treaty, and even after the peace, with the Dutch, who took no sort of care of the Regicides. But it pleafed Providence," fays. he, "to fruftrate not only thofe bloody defigns, but alfo to baffle all the endeavours used by Charles II. and his mercenary tools to

deprive

deprive any of the exiles of the protection granted, and more than once, openly avowed by the Canton of Bern to them.

By this means, the lieutenant-general not only furvived Charles II. but lived to fee the ruin of king James the Second, by the Revo. lution, in which he earnestly defired to have been an affiftant; and left his retreat at Vevay, and came to England, in order to exert his old age in that caufe; having fome expectations of being employed in Ireland, against the popifh and other adherents, as he ftyles him, to the abdicated king.

In this defign he ventured to appear fo openly in London, that an addrefs was prefented to his majefty, king William, from the houfe of commons, by the hands of Sir Edward Seymour, on the feventh of November, 1689; that he would be pleafed to put out a proclamation for the apprehending of colonel Ludlow, attainted for the murder of king Charles I. &c. Whereupon, our author, be ing informed of the motion, haftened to the fea-fide; whence, after waiting near a fortnight for a good wind, he returned to Vevay, where he continued till his death, which happened in the year 1693, and in the feventythird year of his age.

His corpfe was interred in the best church there, in which his lady erected a monument of her conjugal affection to his memory.

THE

THE LIFE OF

THOMAS FAIRFAX..

TH

HOMAS, lord Fairfax, a very active man in the parliament service during our unhappy civil-wars, in the last century, and at length general of their armies, was the eldeft fon of Ferdinando, lord Fairfax, by Mary, his wife, daughter of Edmund Sheffield earl of Mulgrave.

He was born at Denton, within the parish of Otley, in Yorkshire, in January, 1611. After a proper fchool-education, he studied fome time in St. John's college, in Cambridge, to which, in his latter days, he became a benefactor.

He appears to have been a lover of learning, though he did not excel in any branch, except it was in the History and Antiquities of Britain; as will appear in the fequel.

Being of a martial difpofition, even in his younger years; but finding no employment at home, he went and served in Holland as a volunteer, under the command of Horatio lord Vere, in order to learn the art of war. After fome stay there, but how long we cannot learn, he came back to England; and, retiring to his father's houfe, married Anne, fourth

E 6

fourth daughter of the faid lord Vere. Here he contracted a firong averfion for the court; either by the inftigation of his wife, who was a zealous Prefbyterian; or elfe by the perfuafion and example of his father, who grew actively and factiously disaffected to the king. So that, upon his majesty's firft endeavours to raise a guard at York for his own perfon, (apprehended then by the people of thofe parts, and found, quickly after, to be the beginning of an army), he was entrusted by his party to prefer a petition to the king, befeeching him to hearken to his parliament, and not to take that courfe of raifing forces: which petition the king endeavouring to fhun, he preffed with that inftance, and followed him fo with it, on Heyworth moor, in the prefence of near one hundred thousand people, that, at laft, he prefented it upon the pomel of his faddle.

Shortly after, upon the actual breaking out of the civil wars, in 1642, his father having received a commiffion from the parliament to be general of the forces in the north, he had a commiffion under him to be general of the horfe.

His firft exploit was at Bradford, in Yorkfhire, which he obliged a body of Royalifts to quit, and to retire to Leeds. A few days after, he and captain Hotham, with fome horseand dragoons marching thither, the Royalifts. fled in hafte to York; and the former having advanced to Tadcaster, refolved to keep the

Rafs

país at Wetherby, for fecuring the weft riding) of Yorkshire, from whence their chief fupplies came. Sir Thomas Glemham attempted to diflodge them from thence; but, after a short and fharp encounter, retired; whereupon William Cavendish, earl of Newcastle, and Henry Clifford, earl of Cumberland, united their forces at York, amounting to nine thoufand men, and refolved to fall upon Tadcaster; which being judged untenable, the lord Fairfax, and his fon Sir Thomas, drew out to an advantageous piece of ground near the town; but, after a fix hours fight, were beaten, and. withdrew in the night to Selby.

Three days after, Sir Thomas marched in the night by feveral towns in which the Royalifts lay; and came to Bradford, where he entrenched himself: but, having too many foldiers to lie idle, and too few to be upon conftant duty, he refolved to attempt his enemies in their garrifons. Accordingly coming before Leeds, he carried that town, on the twenty-third of January, 1642-3, after a hot difpute; wherein a good store of ammunition fell into his hands, of which he stood in great

want.

Next day he defeated a party of seven hundred horfe and foot at Gifborough, under the command of colonel Slingfby: and then Wakefield and Doncaster yielded themselves to the parliament. But, for thefe overt-acts, William, earl of Newcastle, the king's general,. proclaimed. Sir Thomas and his father tray

tors