ship the state religion of England and Ireland (1647). In reality
only a small part of the English people accepted it; but the charge
forced a large number of Episcopal clergymen to leave their parishes.

445. Marston Moor and Naseby, 1644, 1645.

On the field of Marston Moor, Yorkshire, 1644, the north of England
was conquered by Cromwell with his invincible little army. The
following year Cromwell's "Ironsides," who "trusted in God and kept
their powder dry," gained the decisive victory of Naseby, 1645, in the
Midlands. (See map facing p. 252.) After the fight papers belonging
to the King were picked up on the battlefield. They proved that
Charles intended betraying those who were negotiating with him for
peace, and that he was planning to bring foreign troops to England.
The discovery of these papers, which were published by Parliament, was
more damaging to the royal cause than the defeat itself.

446. The King and Parliament.

Standing on the walls of the ancient city of Chester, Charles saw his
last army utterly routed (1645). Shortly afterwards he fled to the
Scots. Oxford, the King's chief city in the Midlands, surrendered to
Fairfax (1646). The first civil war was now practically over. The
Scots gave up the King (1647) to the parliamentary commissioners, and
he was taken to Holmby House, Northamptonshire. There Cromwell and
the army made overtures to him, but without effect. He was then
brought by the Parliamentary or People's army to Hampton Court, near
London.

Here, and elsewhere, the army again attempted to come to some definite
understanding with the King, but all to no purpose. Politically
speaking, Charles was his own worst enemy. He was false to the core,
and, as Carlyle has said: "A man whose word will not inform you at all
what he means, or will do, is not a man you can bargain with. You
must get out of that man's way, or put him out of yours."

447. The Second Civil War (1648); Pride's Purge (1648); the "Rump
Parliament."

After two years spent in fruitless negotiations, Charles, who had fled
to Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight, made a secret treaty with
the Scots (1648), promising to sanction the establishment of the
Scotch Presbyterian Church in England (S444), if they would send an
army into the country to restore him to the throne.[1]

[1] When Cromwell found out that Charles had resolved to destroy him
and the Independent army, he apparently made up his mind to put t