ributed. These demands of
the Levellers were strenuously supported by the colonels Pride and
Rainsborough, and as fiercely opposed by Cromwell and Ireton. The council
of officers yielded so far as to require that no more addresses should be
made to the king; but the two houses voted the papers destructive

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1647. Oct. 18.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1647. Nov. 1.]

of the government, and ordered the authors to be prosecuted; though at the
same time, to afford some satisfaction to the soldiery, they resolved[a]
that the king was bound to give the royal assent to all laws for the
public good, which had been passed and presented to him by the Lords and
Commons.[1]

It was now some time since the king had begun to tremble for his safety. He
saw that the violence of the Levellers daily increased; that the officers,
who professed to be his friends, were become objects of suspicion; that
Ireton had been driven from the council, and Cromwell threatened
with impeachment; that several regiments were in a state of complete
insubordination; and that Fairfax himself doubted of his power to restore
the discipline of the army. Charles had formerly given his word of honour
to the governor, Colonel Whalley, not to attempt an escape: he now withdrew
it under the pretence that of late he had been as narrowly watched as if no
credit were due to his promise. His guards were immediately doubled; his
servants, with the exception of Legge, were dismissed; and the gates were
closed against the admission of strangers. Yet it may be doubted whether
these precautions were taken with any other view than to lull the suspicion
of the Levellers; for he still possessed the means of conferring personally
with Ashburnham and Berkeley, and received from Whalley repeated hints of
the dangerous designs of his enemies. But where was he to seek an asylum?
Jersey, Berwick, the Isle of Wight, and the residence of the Scottish
commissioners in London were proposed. At first the commissioners expressed
a willingness to

[Footnote 1: Claren. Papers, ii, App. xl. xli. Journ. Nov. 5, 6. Rush. vii.
849 857, 860, 863. Whitelock, 274-277.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1647. Nov. 6.]

receive him; the next day they withdrew their consent, and he fixed, as a
last resource, on the Isle of Wight. On November 10th his apprehensions
were wound up to the highest pitch, by some additional and most alarming
intelligence; the next evening[a] he was missing. At supper-time Wh