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<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-08-01</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch Z130410.apex.</ITEM>
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<STC T="W">A3936</STC>
<STC T="T">E430_10</STC>
<STC T="C">R206086</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99865274</BIBNO>
<VID>161497</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE TRUE COPIE OF A LETTER FROM M^r A&s;hburnham, TO A FRIEND, Concerning his Deportment towards the KING in his late Attendance upon His Maje&s;ties Per&s;on at <HI>Hampton-Court,</HI> and the I&s;le of <HI>VVight.</HI></P>
<P>Printed in the Yeer 1648.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>The Copy of a Letter from Mr. <HI>A&s;hburn|ham,</HI> to a Friend, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>I Have withheld this return too long; of which I am by &s;o much the more a&s;hamed, by how much I found yours &s;o full of kindne&s;&s;e: I will pretend to no excu&s;e; but if your good nature will &s;ugge&s;t, that the deep &s;en&s;e of my afflictions doth &s;o oppre&s;&s;e my &s;pirits, as it renders me altogether indi&s;po&s;ed to the lea&s;t intercour&s;e, you will be charitable, and take me right.</P>
<P>Would you beleeve, that to my &s;orrows for the &s;ufferings of our deer Ma&s;ter the King, and the danger of the Publick, the generality of men in this Kingdom (and probably in many other parts too) &s;hould charge mee with the &s;candal of having betrayed His Maje&s;tie into the I&s;le of Wight, and that by compact with the Parliament and Army, before his departure from <HI>Hampton Court?</HI> And to obtain belief the better, have dige&s;ted that their calumny into this form; That I did con&s;pire with them to affright His Maje&s;tie away from thence, that they might have the better opportunity (being at a greater di&s;tance from <HI>London</HI>) to de&s;troy him; which to effect, the neerne&s;&s;e of that place made it very difficult, if not impo&s;&s;ible: and that my reward for this &s;ervice hath been a great &s;um of money? Thus from &s;everall hands.</P>
<P>Which reproach, though I never de&s;erved, and take my &s;elf to be very much above any thing of that kinde; yet &s;ince there is no per&s;on ambitious to acquire or pre&s;erve an hone&s;t reputation, but is awake, and alwayes carryes about him a tenderne&s;&s;e to the lea&s;t prejudice or
<PB N="2" REF="3"> diminution thereof; I cannot but be touched with &s;ome &s;en&s;e of that unhappy report, and give you (in who&s;e good e&s;teem I am much con|cerned) the true &s;tate of my part in that action, &s;o far as may enable you to &s;atisfie (if you meet with him) the mo&s;t malicious per&s;on a|gain&s;t me.</P>
<P>That I was commanded by their Maje&s;ties and the Prince his High|ne&s;&s;e to return into <HI>England,</HI> with In&s;tructions to endeavour by the be&s;t means imaginable, &s;uch a compliance between His Maje&s;ty and the Army, as might have influence, and beget a right under&s;tanding between His Maje&s;tie and the Parliament, is a truth well known. That my infirmities are &s;o great, and &s;o publick, as that it had been better for their-&s;ervice to have given that imployment to &s;ome other of more e|minent endowments, I do acknowledge with great humility: But that I did fulfill that Tru&s;t with all indu&s;try and fidelity to their Maje|&s;ties, I appeal to God and them, and do not doubt but I have my portion of favour, and &s;tand &s;till numbred in the Catalogue of tho&s;e Subjects whom they are yet plea&s;ed to &s;tile faithfull.</P>
<P>What pa&s;&s;ed between mee and any Member either of the Parlia|ment or Army, as it will not at all advantage His Maje&s;ties affairs to relate; &s;o will it not any way conduce to my vindication. This word I &s;hall only let &s;all, That a wi&s;er man then I, or whoever is my great|e&s;t cen&s;urer, would and ought to have given credit to them, when power and intere&s;t accompanied with large expre&s;&s;ions of good will, were the arguments and motives to gain beleef of their reall intentions. Nay truly, though His Maje&s;tie had known they intended nothing le&s;&s;e then the performance of tho&s;e duties to their Soveraigne and Country, I cannot finde (I know not what a quicker-&s;ighted man might have done) how in prudence his Maje&s;tie could have pur&s;ued any other in|tere&s;t, or made any other application then what he did, con&s;idering the power under which hee was: Which &s;hall &s;erve by way of glance at my part of negotiation in generall, becau&s;e even therein likewi&s;e I am not without &s;ome prejudice in many mens conceptions.</P>
<P>Some few weeks before his Maje&s;ties remove from <HI>Hampton Court,</HI> there was &s;carce a day in which &s;everall alarms were not brought to his Maje&s;tie, by, and from very con&s;iderable per&s;ons (both well affected to him, and likely to know much of what was then in agitation) of the re&s;olution which a violent party in the Army had to take away his life: and that &s;uch a de&s;igne there was, there were &s;trong
<PB N="3" REF="3"> inducements to per&s;wade; and I hope charity will be afforded to tho&s;e many who were and &s;till are of that belief, &s;ince I confe&s;&s;e my &s;elf to be of that number. Which practice &s;eemed to his Maje&s;ty the more pro|bable, for that many other particulars which were &s;aid in tho&s;e informa|tions to precede that action, fell out accordingly; whereupon his Ma|je&s;tie thought it not wi&s;dome longer to de&s;pi&s;e the po&s;&s;ible means left him for the prevention of that danger, and therefore re&s;olved to re|tire him&s;elf from thence, but with this po&s;itive intention, not to de&s;ert this Kingdom, either by cro&s;&s;ing the Seas, or going into <HI>Scotland.</HI> The rea&s;ons his Maje&s;tie gave, you will pardon me if I deliver not, and &s;u|&s;pend your Cen&s;ure, in ca&s;e your judgement invite you to oppo&s;e that re&s;ult, till you hear the weight of them, and I will ingage the little credit the world hath left me, you &s;hall be &s;atisfied.</P>
<P>And what man is hee, who hath the lea&s;t grain of under&s;tanding, bears about him any affections either to his &s;acred Per&s;on, or to the Common good, hath any regard to his own duty or reputation, would have taken upon him to di&s;&s;wade his Maje&s;tie from what he had then re&s;olved on, and thereby expo&s;ed him&s;elf both to the danger and guilt of that mi&s;chief, which &s;o many had forewarned him of, and was &s;o likely to happen? Sure I am, if I had been that man, I &s;hould have thought my &s;elf ju&s;tly to have merited the Character of unfaithfulne&s;&s;e, which is now &s;o injuriou&s;ly ca&s;t upon me.</P>
<P>It re&s;ted then that his Maje&s;tie was to make choice of a place, where he might avoid the pre&s;ent danger, where he might give lea&s;t offence to the intere&s;t of the Parliament and Army, where he might have fre|quent intercour&s;e with both, for &s;etling a Peace (of which he then de&s;paired not;) and la&s;tly, where he might mo&s;t &s;ecurely (and the mea&s;ure of &s;afety was, where there were no Souldiers) expect the a|batement of the ruinous power of the Levellers and their faction, to be the fruits of the General Rendezvous, which was immediately to follow.</P>
<P>Upon the&s;e grounds, his Maje&s;tie thought the I&s;le of Wight mo&s;t proper for his re&s;idence, e&s;pecially if he could obtain honourable Con|ditions from the Governour of that place; to whom (when his Ma|je&s;tie was come within twenty miles) he commanded Sir <HI>John Berke|ley</HI> and my &s;elf to repair, and make trial of what Reception we could procure for him; who, after &s;ome con&s;ideration of what we propo|&s;ed, proffered this Engagement, [That <HI>&s;ince it appeared his Majestie
<PB N="4" REF="4"> came from Hampton-Court to &s;ave his life, if he plea&s;ed to put him&s;elf in|te his hands, whatever he could expect from a per&s;on of honour or hone&s;ty, his Maje&s;tie &s;hould have it made good by him:</HI>] which truely to us &s;eem|ed &s;ufficient; and I do for my own part acknowledge, my confidence was, that, by that Engagement, he would not have laid any re&s;traint upon his Maje&s;tie, nor have given acce&s;&s;e to any Souldiers into that I&s;land: But how honourably and how faithfully he hath performed his promi&s;ed duty to the King, you are as good a witne&s;&s;e as my &s;elf; and therefore, as I take little plea&s;ure in the memory of it, &s;o there will be little &s;atisfaction to you in the repeating it: it &s;hall &s;uffice that I have now been taught, that Honour and Hone&s;ty have clear con|trary definitions in &s;everal mens under&s;tandings.</P>
<P>For the election his Maje&s;tie made of the I&s;le of Wight, upon the grounds before mentioned, as therewith I did then concur, &s;o (with re&s;pect to their judgements who are otherwi&s;e per&s;waded) I do &s;till believe it was (as his affairs then &s;tood) the be&s;t of any place which he could make choice of: And I will not be afraid to avow my opinion, becau&s;e &s;ucce&s;&s;e hath made it &s;eem le&s;&s;e rea&s;onable; which being taken out of the Scale, and all circum&s;tances worthy debate before his de|parture from Hampton-Court, con&s;idered; perhaps wi&s;er men then cho&s;e, who in that pre&s;ume to condemn his Maje&s;ties judgement, may yet approve of that choice. However, his Maje&s;tie was re&s;olved to go from Hampton-Court; and, I know not what other mens cu&s;toms are, I cannot but be well &s;atisfied with my own, which hath been ever ready to &s;ubmit, when his Maje&s;tie hath been willing to com|mand; and I &s;hould account it a great misfortune to me, that his com|mands &s;hould be &s;uch, to which I &s;hould think fit rather with humility to oppo&s;e my rea&s;ons, then with cheerfulne&s;s to obey his plea&s;ure; but that &s;traight hath never yet happened, nor (I am confident) ever will: &s;o careful is his Maje&s;tie to impo&s;e nothing upon any man, but what he believes ju&s;t and lawful.</P>
<P>That any Member of the Parliament or Army had any knowledge by me of his Maje&s;ties removal from Hampton-Court, or that any Compact between me and any of them was ever made, to the di&s;&s;er|vice of his Maje&s;tie in any particular what&s;oever, I provoke them and all the world to produce the lea&s;t colour of proof, and de&s;ire that no man would &s;pare me more then I &s;hould do &s;uch whom I found guilty of &s;o ba&s;e a crime; and &s;hall not &s;tick to invite them to it, who have
<PB N="5" REF="4"> been &s;o liberal in bla&s;ting my reputation, when I may live with that freedom they do, which either their greater wi&s;dom, or their le&s;&s;e loy|alty then mine, hath purcha&s;ed. In the mean time, it is &s;ome comfort to me to finde the&s;e cen&s;urers to be men but of &s;uch di&s;po&s;itions, as will hazard no more then onely their good wi&s;hes for his Maje&s;tie; and for &s;uch I take them, and for &s;uch leave them.</P>
<P>If I &s;hould tell the&s;e &s;evere judges of other mens actions, that his Maje&s;ties pre&s;ent per&s;onal condition is the &s;ame in the I&s;le of Wight, with what it was when he left Hampton-Court, they would perhaps wonder at me, but upon examination finde it truth: for before his Ma|je&s;ties coming from thence (at lea&s;t &s;ix days) he was forbidden riding abroad, and confined within the limits of that place.</P>
<P>And if any man can a&s;&s;ure me, that if his Maje&s;tie had continued at Hampton-Court, the Parliament would not have pre&s;ented the&s;e four Bills to him, or that they being pre&s;ented, his Maje&s;ties refu&s;ing to make them Laws, &s;hould not have drawn on his late re&s;traint, or the la|ter Votes of Parliament concerning farther application to his Maje&s;tie, I &s;hall then (for indeed I take that to be the cau&s;e of his relap&s;e) with great lowline&s;&s;e of &s;pirit acknowledge my &s;elf to have been an unhap|pie (though not an unfaithful) in&s;trument in his Maje&s;ties remove from Hampton-Court: But till then, my &s;ufferings in the&s;e &s;candals may be continued, but my opinion not changed, nor the quietne&s;&s;e of my minde di&s;turbed, for having in that action di&s;charged my duty to his Ma|je&s;tie.</P>
<P>As for the money I &s;hould have received for betraying his Maje&s;tie, if none of my Calumniators have more to &s;ub&s;i&s;t on, then I have had either from Parliament or Army, they would be in wor&s;e condition, then (notwith&s;tanding all their malice to me) I wi&s;h them. In ear|ne&s;t, it would better have become tho&s;e who fir&s;t de&s;igned me this in|famy, to have made choice of &s;ome, who had a mark upon them for doing &s;ome action, which may at lea&s;t be of kin to the accu&s;ation, though but between fellow-&s;ubjects: but you will pardon my vanity, if I &s;ay I abhor &s;uch unworthine&s;&s;e, and defie mankinde to bring the lea&s;t blemi&s;h of that nature in judgement again&s;t me.</P>
<P>I have done, when I have told you, that I have heard Divines &s;ay, that God doth mo&s;t puni&s;h us in tho&s;e things we mo&s;t prize, and think our &s;elves mo&s;t concerned: I &s;hall therefore hope to make a religi|ous u&s;e of the&s;e a&s;per&s;ions ca&s;t upon my integrity: for I fear I did
<PB N="6" REF="5"> glory too much in my honour of faithfulne&s;&s;e and loyalty to his Ma|je&s;tie, and did not thankfully con&s;ider (as I ought to have done) that it was the ble&s;&s;ing of God which enabled me to go thorow with the performance of my duty in his &s;ervice.</P>
<P>If men would but as well think upon the &s;olicitude and care of their mindes, who are honoured with neer relations to the &s;ervice of great Princes, as they look upon the advantages which thereby Fortune may ca&s;t upon them, they would finde more cau&s;e to pity them for their la|bour and hazards (which is ordinarily beyond their capacities to fa|thom, who are at very remote di&s;tance) then to envie them for their honour or profit. But &s;ince of all evils &s;eated in the heart of man, Malice hath the greate&s;t dominion, it were vain for Vertue it &s;elf to hope for freedom from tho&s;e effects which naturally ari&s;e from it; and much more for me, who though in this particular have as much innocence to protect me, as can be con&s;i&s;tent with mortality, yet in other things which may be imputed to weakne&s;s, and unskilfulne&s;s in matters of great concernment, I do with all ingenuity confe&s;&s;e, no man carries a greater weight of guilt then he who&s;e care it is, to pre&s;erve un&s;potted the reputation of an hone&s;t man, thereby to retain &s;till the favour and affection, wherewith you have con&s;tantly honoured,</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Sir, </SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Your mo&s;t faithful, and mo&s;t humble &s;ervant, John A&s;hburnham.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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