41,42,43. See Clarendon, vol v. p.
23, 24

** Whitlocke, p. 234.

*** Clarendon, vol. v. p. 30.

They required him to issue orders to Oxford and to all his other
garrisons, commanding their surrender to the parliament; and the king,
sensible that their resistance was to very little purpose, willingly
complied. The terms given to most of them were honorable; and Fairfax,
as far as it lay in his power, was very exact in observing them. Far
from allowing violence, he would not even permit insults or triumph
over the unfortunate royalists; and by his generous humanity, so cruel a
civil war was ended, in appearance, very calmly between the parties.

Ormond, having received like orders, delivered Dublin and other forts
into the hands of the parliamentary officers. Montrose also, after
having experienced still more variety of good and bad fortune, threw
down his arms, and retired out of the kingdom.

The marquis of Worcester, a man past eighty-four, was the last in
England that submitted to the authority of the parliament. He defended
Raglan Castle to extremity; and opened not its gates till the middle of
August. Four years, a few days excepted, were now elapsed since the king
first erected his standard at Nottingham:[*] so long had the British
nations, by civil and religious quarrels, been occupied in shedding
their own blood, and laying waste their native country.

The parliament and the Scots laid their proposals before the king. They
were such as a captive, entirely at mercy, could expect from the most
inexorable victor. Yet were they little worse than what were insisted
on before the battle of Naseby. The power of the sword, instead of ten,
which the king now offered, was demanded for twenty years, together with
a right to levy whatever money the parliament should think proper for
the support of their armies. The other conditions were, in the main, the
same with those which had formerly been offered to the king.[**]

Charles said, that proposals which introduced such important innovations
in the constitution, demanded time for deliberation: the commissioners
replied, that he must give his answer in ten days.[***] He desired to
reason about the meaning and import of some terms: they informed him,
that they had no power of debate; and peremptorily required his consent
or refusal. He requested a personal treaty with the parliament. They
threatened that, if he delayed compliance, the parliament would, by