278 IV. CHAPTER XIX. PREPARATIONS FOR INVADING ENGLAND FROM THEIR REMONSTRANCE. - BOOK PREVIOUSLY to the meeting of parliament many things occurred, which were calculated to excite the vigilance of Cromwel, and to convince him disposition that his government was not placed in a situation 1656. Hostile of the court Applica tion made of Madrid. of absolute security. No sooner had the question of peace and war with Spain been fully deto them by cided, our attack on her West Indian possessions lers, and by become known in Europe, and the Spanish amCharles the bassador had withdrawn, than the government the level Second. Sexby. of Spain was solicited, both by the levellers in England, and the ministers of the exiled king, to engage its countenance and aid to overturn the throne of the protector. For some time the levellers seemed to have gained most attention from the court of Madrida. One of the most active instru a Clarendon, Vol. III, p. 583. ments in this negociation was colonel Edward CHAP. Sexby. XIX. 1647. His cha with Crom This man had been originally one of the agitators in the year 1647, and was a determined re- racter. publican. He appears to have been a person of Is intimate considerable abilities and great address. Crom- wel. wel had entertained much partiality for him; and, at the period we have referred to, he is said to have been frequently the bed-fellow of his illustrious commander; a familiarity into which this great man at that time often admitted those in whom he had special confidence, with whom he could converse with less constraint and interruption in those hours. Sexby was adjutant-general in Cromwel's army, and commanded the forlorn hope, at the battle of Preston c. 1654. Becomes But, when he saw that his leader plainly aspired to usurp the first magistracy of his coun- his adver try, the same sentiment, which had before been sary. the foundation of his partiality to Cromwel, now made him his determined and irreconcilable foe. The active hostility of Sexby appears to have commenced about the same time as that of Overton. He entered into various consultations with Wildman, Lawson, Okey and Alured, and during the summer of 1654 travelled into the His travels counties of Hampshire, Warwick and Somerset, Burton's Diary, Vol. I, p. 333. Clarendon, Vol. III, p. 640. in England. IV. BOOK in prosecution of his object, being judged to be the best qualified to bring persons of various sentiments and tempers to concur in his views. In particular he visited in this circuit, lord Grey of Groby and sir Arthur Haselrig. 1654. 1655. Goes over to the continen t His negociations at Brussels. On the detection of Wildman's preparations in the beginning of the following year, Sexby went abroad. One of the companions of his expedition was Richard Overton, formerly a confederate with John Lilburne, and probably brother to the colonel in Scotland. Sexby felt a confidence, that he and the associates he had left behind in England were powerful enough to overturn the government of the protector; but, like a true politician, he was desirous to have as much support from all quarters as he could, to reinforce him in his perilous undertaking. He foresaw that there would speedily be war between Spain and England. He therefore immediately repaired to Brussels, and had a conference with Fuensaldagna, commander in chief of the Spanish army in the Netherlands, to whom he boasted of the power and resources of his party in England, and undertook to shew of how much advantage it would be to Spain to make common cause with the malcontents. d Thurloe, Vol. VI, p. 829. See above, p. 164. * See above, Vol. III, p. 52. Thurloc, Vol. VI, p. 831. Clarendon, State Papers, Vol. III, p. 277. XIX. 1655. Proposes an invasion. He said, that he could dispose of several strong CHAP. garrisons in England, and of a considerable part of the army and navy. He demanded from Spain an advance of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds to enable him to carry on the enterprise, which sum might be laid up in reserve at Dunkirk, to be brought into use as occasion should require. He frankly declared himself a republican; but said it was the object of his friends to call a free parliament, who would infallibly invite Charles the Second, and that then that prince might resume the sceptre, provided he would be content to be subject to the laws, and not their master, and would give up episcopacy and certain other points, which would never be endured in England'. Madrid. Fuensaldagna sent forward Sexby to Madrid, Sexby at where he was received in an encouraging manners, but nothing specific seems to have been resolved on during the year 1655. 1656. Treaty Second. In the beginning of the following year Charles the Second, who had resided for the last eighteen between Spain and months at Cologne, undertook to open a negocia- Charles the tion with the Spanish government at Brussels; and, his overtures being favourably received, he proceeded with two or three attendants to the neighbourhood of that city to forward the al f Clarendon, State Papers, Vol. III, p. 272, 273, 277. BOOK lianceh. IV. 1656. Preparations to invade England. English regiments A treaty was secretly concluded in April, by which the court of Spain engaged to supply him with six thousand men for the invasion of England, and to grant him a pension of seven thousand pounds per annum for the subsistence of himself and his court, and half as much to the duke of Gloucesteri. They further raised by encouraged him to raise four regiments from among his own subjects, the colonels of which were the marquis of Ormond, the earl of Rochester, lord Wentworth, and viscount Newburgh of the kingdom of Scotland. From this time Charles the Second and his retainers took up their residence at Bruges', ten miles from Ostend, the principal sea-port of Flanders. the exiles. Charles fixes his residence at Bruges. Sexby in Things being thus far in forwardness, Sexby was sent over to England by the Spaniard about the beginning of June, to prepare the way for the invasion, and to ascertain what was now the inclination of the army and the people to receive and welcome the invaderm. He remained undetected in England for several weeks. His report was that h Clarendon, Vol. III, p. 582, 583. * Clarendon, p. 583, 584, 606. Thurloe, Vol. IV, p. 714, 722, 743; Vol. V, p. 55, 207. * Clarendon, p. 607. A different account is given of the commanders in Thurloe, Vol. V, p. 351: but the account of Clarendon is here preferred. 1 Clarendon, p. 583, 584. in Thurloe, Vol. V, p. 100, 319, 362. |