xtinguished. He sent proposals of peace to the Parliament, and
offered, himself, to come to London, if they would grant him a
safe-conduct. In reply, they _forbade_ him to come. They would listen
to no propositions, and would make no terms. The case, they saw, was
in their own hands, and they determined on unconditional submission.
They hemmed the king in on all sides at his retreat in Oxford, and
reduced him to despair.

In the mean time, the Scots, a year or two before this, had raised an
army and crossed the northern frontier, and entered England. They were
against monarchy and Episcopacy, but they were, in some respects, a
separate enemy from those against whom the king had been contending so
long; and he began to think that he had perhaps better fall into their
hands than into those of his English foes, if he must submit to one or
to the other. He hesitated for some time what course to take; but at
last, after receiving representations of the favorable feeling which
prevailed in regard to him in the Scottish army, he concluded to make
his escape from Oxford and surrender himself to them. He accordingly
did so, and the civil war was ended.

CHAPTER X.

THE CAPTIVITY.

1646-1648

The king's escape from Oxford.--The king delivers himself to the
Scots.--His reception.--Proclamation by Parliament.--Surrender of
Newark.--Negotiations about the disposal of the king's person.--The
Scots surrender the king.--Whether he was sold.--The king's amusements
in captivity.--Holmby House.--Contest about forms.--Intolerance.--The
Scotch preacher.--The king's presence of mind.--The king receives
letters from the queen.--The army.--Oliver Cromwell.--His plan to
seize the king.--Cornet Joyce.--He forces admittance to the
king.--Joyce's interview with the king.--His "instructions."--The
king taken to Cambridge.--Closely guarded.--The king's evil.--The
king removed to Hampton Court.--The king's interview with his
children.--Contentions.--The king's escape from Hampton
Court.--Carisbrooke Castle.--Colonel Hammond.--The king again a
prisoner.--His confinement in Carisbrooke Castle.--Negotiations.--The
king's employments.--Unsuccessful attempts to escape.--Osborne.--Plan
of escape.--Rolf's treacherous design.--Rolf foiled.--The king made a
closer prisoner.--The king's wretched condition.

The circumstances of King Charles's surrender to the Scots were these.
He knew that he was surrounded by his enemies in Oxford, and that th