ent.[*] The king's commissioners asked,
whether jealousies and fears were all on one side; and whether
the prince, from such violent attempts and pretensions as he had
experienced, had not at least as great reason to entertain apprehensions
for his authority, as they for their liberty? Whether there were any
equity in securing only one party, and leaving the other, during the
space of seven years, entirely at the mercy of their enemies? Whether,
if unlimited power were intrusted to the parliament during so long a
period, it would not be easy for them to frame the subsequent bill in
the manner most agreeable to themselves, and keep forever possession
of the sword, as well as of every article of civil power and
jurisdiction.[****]

The truth is, after the commencement of war, it was very difficult, if
not impossible, to find security for both parties, especially for that
of the parliament. Amidst such violent animosities, power alone could
insure safety; and the power of one side was necessarily attended with
danger to the other. Few or no instances occur in history of an equal,
peaceful, and durable accommodation that has been concluded between two
factions which had been inflamed into civil war.

With regard to Ireland, there were no greater hopes of agreement between
the parties. The parliament demanded, that the truce with the rebels
should be declared null; that the management of the war should be
given over entirely to the parliament; and that, after the conquest of
Ireland, the nomination of the lord lieutenant and of the judges, or in
other words the sovereignty of that kingdom, should likewise remain in
their hands.[v]

* Dugdale, p. 798.

** Dugdale, p. 791.

*** Dugdale, p. 820.

**** Dugdale, p. 877.

v Dugdale, p. 826, 827

What rendered an accommodation more desperate was, that the demands
on these three heads, however exorbitant, were acknowledged, by the
parliamentary commissioners, to be nothing but preliminaries. After all
these were granted, it would be necessary to proceed to the discussion
of those other demands, still more exorbitant, which a little before
had been transmitted to the king at Oxford. Such ignominious terms were
there insisted on, that worse could scarcely be demanded, were Charles
totally vanquished, a prisoner, and in chains. The king was required to
attaint and except from a general pardon forty of the most considerable
of his English subjects, an