La teoría del equilibrio

"C

n® fallen out and some men mudh hurt, and that there might be a speedy

30

order taken for the disbanding of them". ' Then too; the King had

- heightened their- 'sense of security and power. -, "After the act for the '

■■■/ifl

passed th© Bill for tho perpétuation of Parliament, which greatly

continuance of the Pai'liamnt, the House of Oomaons took much more upon #

-

thorn, in point of tiisir pxivileges, than they hhd done *.* Mow that it could not bo dissolved without their consent (the apprehension whereof had-always" before-kept them within the bounds of wdeety), they called - Æ, any power they pleased to assume to themselves "a branch-of' -their • ‘•'■'r priviloge"; and any opposing or.qiiostidning that power "a breach of

their privileges; v)hlch all men wore bow%i ^tp defend by their late

protestation; and they were the only proper j#gés of their own xy

privileges".

Plainly, the Parlimmnt now felt able avd eager to stand on its own feet. lot the treaty was not completed till the 10th of At^ûst. For the reiAaining three months^ as was observed,by the Venetian onlooker y.

"tho Lower Ohànibox» carefully protract a conclusion (of tho truce) so that f '

the troops m y hot leave tlioir quarters in England before all their _'..fpf machinations have been carried to perfection, that^bout the bishops in ./.ÿ

.‘3 #

146.

particular , -uBon vÆjiob the Soots are squally aoalous*',. In other •* words, the growing distrust between the allies was jtiet overborne by .

their mutual interest in the destruotlon of Eplaoopaoyt # e struggle

was mrked, and both impulses left traces easily discernible on the

course of events*

The main setbacks emountored by the leaders of the Oomaons,

vAiloh gave them cause to retain the Scots* servie@a, concerned the -/S

Root and Branch Bill# This Bill for tkm abolition of Epiaoopacy was

- brought and backed by tho Puritan extremist minority, whose control

" ' '#

over the imjority of mmhorn proved in the end Insufficient to carry it '

through# This m s the point of division in the Parliament; as wmbore :#

sided ever it, so, in almost every case, they fought In the war which

followed*' Mo amount of pressure, scares of army or religious plots, "%

not even tho anti-*3piacopal Scottish Influence "many men whisparod

that the Scots would not retire until the Bill against Episcopacy was ' • passed" ^ nothing could pass tho Bill before tho treaty ended and the King went north# ,

I This projected Morthorn journey of the King*a bcoams the Parliamnt*s greatest fear, and most urgent motive for hastening tho disKiissal of tho amies* Listed among tho Scots* demands had always been one for more froqmnt visits of the King to Scotland, but in tbs

course of exchanges between King and Omwissioners the text bad altered

to oomorn one particular and irsifmdiate visit, to «lark the onci of

ÿ:;

i

■

a:

,14%.

hostilities bj ratifying the Act of Pacification in the Scottish ,

Parliament, and Charles was promising tp travel north as soon as

92 possible, #iile the Sdots were pressing him not to. qualify his assent* It was not at all to Parliament * s advantage to have Charles travelling

north mere there were

tm

discontented armie s, and a Scotland no longer ? i

wholeheartedly its ally for the Anny Plot had counteracted the effect of the Scottish Protestation, and the Soots were again boldly demanding i ^ wlmt England was bitterly unwilling to give - not only an enormous sum

of money or even the abolition of Episcopacy, but a Ccamiiission to ® '

establish commercial union. Relations with the Scots were therefore ?

not too good, and rumours of a rapprochement between Qharles and the >

Scots Oommissioners wore beginning to circulate and cause considerable

alarm* , , .

I:" The Scottish Gonuaissloners wore severely critical of Savile, on suspicion that he had been tempted to the Royal side.

Hfy

Lord

Savile, one of the stputest Lords in«ll England for the coimtry and our ® cause at first, but since we made him a Councillor, clearly the court-

93 r

way for Strafford and all the Court designs", had been chosen by the King as Lieutenant of Yoi^kshire, but Parliament had forced Charles to cancel the appointment in favour of Essex; Savile was no longer

trusted. Yet the same sort of wavering was becoming apparent among the Scots, Probably the earliest sign of a change in their attitude ÿg is the remark of Baillie quoted above ( p, 122 )* A stronger

I#

148. _3y",;.Cr':'

expression of royalist sentiniont now came froxa the same pen, in the very: week of the Army Plot scare and the execution of Strafford?.

"The King is now very sad and #nsive; yet no man has the least

intention against him: if they had, the Scots, for all their quarrels. -I® » ■ - would have their hearts* blood: but the furthest is the punidiing of

94

false knaves, who has too long abused the, King and us a3.1!*. . Now too

it first {appeared that Rothes had done what was suspected of Savile 4 Rothes, one of the pillars of the Qovenant and its leading Gbmiieaionér, ? had been persuaded to transfer his allegiance to the King*

This was a considerable victory for Oharles, Ifith Rothos* assistance he might confidently hope to upset the Parliament’s already

■ ■■ -

strained relations with the Scots and form an alliance on his own -

account# Rothes was justly considered "a man of the highest authority

in the dont riving and carrying on the rebellion in Scotland, and now -

the principal Commissioner in England, and exceedingly courted by all

the party which governed. Whether he found that he had, raised a spirit ; , that would not bo so easily conjured down again, and yet would not be

. - -I:

8 0 entirely governed by him as it had been;, or whether he desired from

the beginning only to mend his own fortune, or was converted in M s . ?

judgmexxb, certain it is, that he had not long been in England, before he liked both the Kingdom and the court so well, as he was not willing to part with either* He was of a pleasant and jovial humour, without any of those constraints to which the formality of, that time made that K ■

I "

149* ' y % '. - ;S

party subject themselves to; and he played his game so doxtroitsly, that, he wab well assured upon a fair composition that the Scots* amy ;

should return home well paid, and that they should be contented with • the mischief they had already done, without fomenting the distexppers ^ ^ in England # ■ He was to marry a noble lady of ,a great and ample fortune

7ft

and wealth, and should likewise be made a gentleman of the King’s bedohamiber, and a privy counsellor; and upon thèse advantages niad©

:r his condition in this Kingdom as pleasant as he could; and in; order= ^ thereunto, he resolved to preserve the King’s power as high as he could W

0*5- in all his dominions’?.

. . '

, On June 2 the news was sent north, Baillie writing, "Show to my Lady (Rothes’ daughter), and to her only, that uiy Lord her father

-f is like to change all the court; that the King and Queen both begin

much to affect him; and if tiiey go on, he is like to be the greatest courtier either of Scot or English. Likely he will take a place in

the Bedchamber, and be little more a Scottish mn. If he please, as ; v-f it seems he inclinos, he may have «jy Lady of Devonshire, a vegy >dse ' lady, with £4000 sterling a year, The wind now blows fair in his

topsails I wish it may long continues but all things here are yozy

changeable *.« If it hold), he is like to be first with both King and /r# Queen; but sundiy thinks it is so sudden and so great a change that

it cannot hold".

97

It held, however, throughout June, and at the end of the

Doubtless Rothes had been convinced by the promise of a wife and a fortune, that it was best for him to change Parliawvent for King, and

150.

.

ÿ:;

month Rothes’ constant supporter, Loudon, left London for Scotland, ?

bearing secret messages from the King and his new adherent* A letter written by Rothes himself at the same time indicates that he was very anxious that his change of front should not alienate his friends in the North, but rather influence them to swing round after him# To Johnston of Wariston he wrote, in terms vjhich suggest that that violent Presbyterian had a more earthly attitude to practical politics than he cared to publish:

"Worthy Friend, % Lord Loudon is to take journey homeward upon Monday, who is to receive some particular instmctions from

m s m je sty, and X believe he will desire you not to do that Which may make his dealing ineffectual; and therefore you may keep up your worst against Traquair till you speak with his Lordship* We have, had hard work with the King; Loudon will

acquaint you with the particulars. If there be any bulstakes

of the carriage of Lord Loudon or me, or any of your friends here, you will inform the truth according to your knowledge ... As for my business, X have entrusted to you to prepare the Earl of Argyll and Balmeiinp; for if I defer to accept the place, times are uncertain and dispositions; if Argyll and Baimerino be pleased, then you may labour to move Lothian and Lindsay# Signify how it was the Marq#s Hamilton, Karl

Roxburgh and 1 111 Murray, their motion to me from their sense

of the good of the Kingdom, and that I suffered them to work in it# It is true it is nothing within the Kingdom, and so am not liable to the letter witten us not to accept benefits, which can only be meant within the Kingdom; yet I desire

never to be in a condition

my

comrades shall not approve,

not to be in a better condition than they shall wish me .** Write your opinion freely to me, and if they have any

exceptions at me, let me know it; for on my honour, I have not deserved evil at their hands, nor failed in any jot of my duty,

to my knowledge; but this is

m

age of unjust censuring." 98

WV".

151.

TT-T ^

' ' ' .;4.-

■' ® - ' . l ■

;7

of remark and censure,for his conversion caused a great stir, within and beyond tho countiy#

But Rot he À died on the 21st of August, and with him the King’s

cimnce of a new and powerful Scottish party*. "The King expected-by _:.'W his help and interest to have found such a party in Scotland as Would ^ have been more tender of his honour than they afterwards expressed

themselves; and did always impute tha failing thereof to the absence '

of thdt saîiie Bari •*. his death put an end to all hopes of good j

quarter with that nation

The arrangement, therefore, lasted just long, enough to increase Parliamentary fears in England and spur on the attempts to keep the King in London at least until the armies should be disbanded*. Just

■ ■

after the first word of Rothes’ conversion cam© the first report Of the coîmïdtte© investigating the

Arnny

Plqt,. which not only provided fresh alarms for the soïni-hysterioal Londoners but even caused a minor riot in the House of Comaions itself* Further reports on the Army plot were fired off at intervals, keeping the general alam afoot and

providing anxious argmients for the King’s keeping away from his discohtehted soldiers* Great things must hnve been expected of the plot in the north too, from quite a different viewpoint, for it is,' on© of the few matters #%ioh the cautious Archibald Ompbell mentions in his letters as decidedly favourable that was, to him, anti-opisoopal: "Tho Parliament in England has gotten the full disoovory of that

152.

"..'/'«g

:■ ,i-

7

wloked plot intended against them vjhèrein the Bishops of.Englaùcluhàve a hand, which is thought vdll be a main motive to root them out root and ;

b r a n c h ' ' . . ' ■ ■ '

Thé Hoot and Branch Bill, however, continued to have a very ;

I di.ffiou3,t passage* It is plain from the beginning of the Scottish

alliance that when expediency was satisfied, fundamental disagreement '

would be revealed over this episcopal question* The Cheshire Petition ^

expressed very plainly the English antipathy to the Presbyterian ;

lo i'

- ''it

idea* Also, the Independent school of belief was just beginning . 4

to appear, and #iile the Scots Presbyterians and the Independents cf

were natural enemios, Englishmen considered tlie near-anarchy of the 1

Independents’ creed as a symptom of the disorders #iich Presbyteipy

would encourage* Thus a mutual hatred of Independency only served to ' f widen thé opening breach between English and Scots* By:, the 1st of

' -

July such a letter as this was a fair expression of London; opinion; M

'i "God send us well rid of them (Scots), and thm we may hope to enjoy

our ancient peace, both of Church and Commonwealth; for till they are gone, whatever they pretend, we find they are the only disturbers of

both".’02 , -r#

A plot with a Scottish flavour, therefore, was likely to have a vi ■ ' '. ' - r strong effect; at the end of June one was forthcoming* Thé

foundation was the family rivalry between Argyll and Montrose, and

. ;; ®

■ 1#^ "

he 'came to rèâllàë the Govenant’s intentions; were more'-^olitiOal 'f. and anti^royalist than their 'religious profession^; ih - recent ' WnthW ■

he had %0?itten to Gharlee, and spoken of a plot of Ar^ll’ a to det^oM^

him# On the# ..grounds, to be examined further in' the next ohaptdr, . ,.3

Montrose was imprisoned# The charge was. samewhat obscurely'foundëd ..S on the @odttish oÿlmo of "leasing-making" fomenting - trouble between 3 King and subjoptS: by the time the news reaobed London, it wrSe fdil'^ 3

blown treaeoh for formal purposes, and for PaAiamëntâiÿ pro#ganda, ë

à glot between Moht#Se and the King# 3

Tbis was annopnped to the Gommons on Jphe 22# Oh the #bâé 'dSy®:

the Klhg' pa8# d a Tohha# and Pounda# Bill by whioh he gave dp shy ^ d'li^mto :%ei^'.'dutlpS 'Withbdt''a'. l^ariia#ntary 'graht^^ and t W fdayë.' ! ' .. ..3

later'3 ÿâ’'ÿ "propositions" we#, presented to and adPepted by t#'"%rds#

/.The# .''wjàSë.^de - restiiotiohs oh :0 atholic s, rei#mlf|

' of:':evil:\.ppù#ëi#rs^ pi#.! #d':#litàry' ':to 'be -a^prbved/bÿ' ' ' - 3

PariiiÈumbht ) : but headihg .the list bamer "To disband thé ' àrrày *# # ,#d \ ®

that\the Spots be moved to retire:Wroes the

"fms-i-r

= T h a t ' 'Ki# # ' # 3

:eht#M#.:.n6t: tb ^gO/lAto- Scotland "till the%Ahg;'.be disbanded,' 'fdr .thbs#

. . ..«'■ ' V - . - ' '. . ■■ • ■ ■■■' -it-ë

reasons: 1# The safety of his own Person* 2* The removing of'.jéëlpû^ that men have of the Ahny*,. 3# The- neoessity of %dbllo affairs"'#,.-3

#i# ''w.as. 'sufficientlÿf plain akinouncmmht: thbt'.Pailiamnt: ;3

%p#ted the King‘and'bhb'Spots'to.:'join-'and Hurn’-t%Uï'''itï'■ "^■"Thr:3 '' ;& nebèséity ' of publibi_'a#airs".,' .hbweverj". was b genuine coi:icer#of ' ' ' '..%

?;v'

Parliament’B, for thea© affairs were its remaining, bills to seourë .

; <1* •< i ^ s. V ' s I-'- f -■'<?■ '■ . Ï , « -,

: : ' itself against the . King* %. His extra-Parliwe#ary;;po%#rB;-%

■ ■— ' ' ' '

? ■ away wftii. the, old'"counts" which now disappeared* the Oqnncils ^ of:/1 # : :

, North and Of Males w # fbllOTi^d\.by the judipiai., powers of /t#,

Oodncil, ; as exercised in the Gourts of Btar Oh.miber and Gom^esioh^

- These went,at the beginning of July? a month later, just bd#re

Charles’- journey, ,he'passed Bills cancelling his privileges in;-regard®; 3 to forests and ship money* Also,-at the end of July, them was

word of a scheme for handing over the Cloverninent to Pym’ s party by a ■ ®

' ' ' ■ . • " 3

division .qf offices a#ng them: but, as in the Strafford, crisis, the 104

rumour never became fact*

. Pym indeed Imd enough to do to hold his party together# % d

it not been for the King’s Bc.ottish. journey, he might have found4%,...' Vÿ impossible* The Root andBranch Bill was .#111-imking'.pp ^progress# .thanks to the Parliamentary tactics ^of Hyde, but also :to-" ge%ui%%p;r:_,., _ c

feeling among the mé,#ers: .'the'Lord# were refusing' tq hayÿ' the / ' - ^ . :f

Bishops removed, from their House, and -were: embroiled .with the Oommpps

on account Of the latter’s Protestation, which they had sebh fit to 3. publish .against the L'prds’ wishes, However, allpartiep-jpnte.rtaiped ""

the .mo#:(#voly-;fear: of the: King’s dealings id.th either but ' ®

particularly the Boots^ esp.qclally after the Hoots Qomissiohefs

/ ' ' ' ; ' . ' ' ' ^ ' . ,10

flatly refused th#ir request to persuade Charles to defer his journey * : The Venetian -Ambassador, thought, "It is. the general, opinon that /the®.

155#

English will not permit His Majesty to go there, suspecting that the Scots, after receiving full satisfaction, may unite their interests once more with those of His Majesty, and that his presence will further dispose them to assist him to regain his original authority

lo6

in England"* Later he described the Parliaraent*s "most strenuous efforts to prevent the King from taking the journey to Scotland, but all in vain", and how deputations were sent to the King to ask him to defer it, and to the Scots Qommissioners to "induce them to bear with patience this short postponement* The King was fully informed about these decisions and the late debates and secretly sent word of

everything to the Scots Oomais si oners, begging them to stand fast to

their original demands *** they sent back word?that they would not allow themselves to be persuaded, that they wculd make their loyalty conspicuous and their deter/nination to sacrifice their lives for the

In document Teoría, Sociedad y Poder en Talcott Parsons, C Wright Mills, Jürgen Habermas y Anthony Giddens : una contribución a la Teoría Social contemporánea (página 150-154)