me fragments of it from
these peaceful, and no less implacable negotiators.

The vigor of the king's mind, notwithstanding the seeming decline of
his body, here appeared unbroken and undecayed. The parliamentary
commissioners would allow none of his council to be present, and refused
to enter into reasoning with any but himself. He alone, during the
transactions of two months, was obliged to maintain the argument against
fifteen men of the greatest parts and capacity in both houses; and no
advantage was ever obtained over him,[v] This was the scene above
all others in which he was qualified to excel. A quick conception, a
cultivated understanding, a chaste conclusion, a dignified manner;
by these accomplishments he triumphed in all discussions of cool and
temperate reasoning.

* Clarendon, vol. v. p. 180. Sir Edward Walker's Perfect
Copies p. 6.

** Sir Edward Walker's Perfect Copies, p. 8.

*** Sir Edward Walker's Perfect Copies, p. 8, 38.

**** Burnet's Memoirs of Hamilton.

v Herbert's Memoirs, p. 72.

"The king is much changed," said the earl of Salisbury to Sir Philip
Warwick: "he is extremely improved of late." "No," replied Sir Philip,
"he was always so: but you are now at last sensible of it."[*] Sir Henry
Vane, discoursing with his fellow-commissioners, drew an argument from
the king's uncommon abilities, why the terms of pacification must be
rendered more strict and rigid.[**] But Charles's capacity shone not
equally in action as in reasoning.

The first point insisted on by the parliamentary commissioners, was
the king's recalling all his proclamations and declarations against the
parliament, and the acknowledging that they had taken arms in their own
defence. He frankly offered the former concession, but long scrupled
the latter. The falsehood, as well as indignity of that acknowledgment,
begat in his breast an extreme reluctance against it. The king had, no
doubt, in some particulars of moment, invaded, from a seeming necessity,
the privileges of his people: but having renounced all claim to these
usurped powers, having confessed his errors, and having repaired every
breach in the constitution, and even erected new ramparts in order
to secure it, he could no longer, at the commencement of the war, be
represented as the aggressor. However it might be pretended, that the
former display of his arbitrary inclinations, or rather his monarchical
principles, rendered an o