self in his hands, and to attend him to Carisbroke Castle, in
the Isle of Wight where, though received with great demonstrations of
respect and duty, he was in reality a prisoner.

[Illustration: 1-700-carisbrooke.jpg CARISBROKE CASTLE]

Lord Clarendon[*] is positive, that the king, when he fled from Hampton
Court, had no intention of going to this island; and indeed all
the circumstances of that historian's narrative, which we have here
followed, strongly favor this opinion. But there remains a letter of
Charles's to the earl of Laneric, secretary of Scotland, in which he
plainly intimates, that that measure was voluntarily embraced: and even
insinuates, that if he had thought proper, he might have been in Jersey,
or any other place of safety.[**] [18]

* Page 79, 80, etc.

** See note R, at the end of the volume.

Perhaps he still confided in the promises of the generals; and flattered
himself, that if he were removed from the fury of the agitators, by
which his life was immediately threatened, they would execute what they
had so often promised in his favor.

Whatever may be the truth in this matter,--for it is impossible fully
to ascertain the truth,--Charles never took a weaker step, nor one more
agreeable to Cromwell and all his enemies. He was now lodged in a place
removed from his partisans, at the disposal of the army, whence it
would be very difficult to deliver him, either by force or artifice. And
though it was always in the power of Cromwell, whenever he pleased, to
have sent him thither, yet such a measure, without the king's consent,
would have been very invidious, if not attended with some danger. That
the king should voluntarily throw himself into the snare, and thereby
gratify his implacable persecutors, was to them an incident peculiarly
fortunate, and proved in the issue very fatal to him.

Cromwell, being now entirely master of the parliament and free from all
anxiety with regard to the custody of the king's person, applied himself
seriously to quell those disorders in the army, which he himself had
so artfully raised, and so successfully employed, against both king and
parliament. In order to engage the troops into a rebellion against
their masters, he had encouraged an arrogant spirit among the inferior
officers and private men; and the camp, in many respects, carried more
the appearance of civil liberty than of military obedience. The troops
themselves were formed into a kind of r