The Royal successes of 1643 distressed alike the English Parliament
and the Scottish nation, who now began to fear the loss of all the
political meliorations they had wrested from the king. The two
Parliaments therefore entered, in July, into a _Solemn League and
Covenant_, for prosecuting the war in concert, with the view of
ultimately settling both church and state in a manner consistent with
the liberties of the people. In terms of this bond, the Scots raised
an army of twenty-one thousand men, who entered England in January
1644; and on the 1st of July, in company with a large body of English
forces, overthrew the king’s northern army on Long Marston Moor.
The defeat was severely felt by the king. He gained a victory over
Waller at Copredy Bridge, and caused Essex’s army to capitulate in
Cornwall (September 1); but in consequence of a second fight at
Newbury (October 27), in which he suffered a defeat, he was left at
the end of the campaign with greatly diminished resources. A new
negotiation was commenced at Uxbridge; but the terms asked by the
Parliament were so exorbitant, as to show no sincere desire of ending
the war.
In truth, though the Presbyterian party were perhaps anxious for
peace, there was another party, now fast rising into importance, who
were actuated by no such wishes. These were the Independents, a body
of men who wished to see a republic established in the state, and all
formalties whatever removed from the national religion. Among the
leaders of the party was Oliver Cromwell, whose mind seems to have
already become inspired with lofty views of personal aggrandizement.
This extraordinary man had sufficient address to carry a famous act
called the _Self-Denying Ordinance_, which ostensibly aimed at
depriving all members of the legislature of commands in the army, but
had the effect only of displacing a few noblemen who were obnoxious to
his designs. He also carried an act for modeling the army anew, in
which process he took care that all who might be expected to oppose
his views should be excluded. It was this party more particularly that
prevented any accommodation taking place between the king and his
subjects.