[Illustration: THREE SUNS SEEN IN LONDON ON THE KING'S BIRTHDAY, 1648.]
The Civil War--Flying Sheets of News--Disturbance at Kingston-on-Thames--Plot against London--Riotous Proceedings at York, and Conspiracy in Edinburgh--The House of Commons--The Royal Standard raised at Nottingham--Battle of Edgehill--Prince Rupert--The Lord Mayor of London--_Mercurius Civicus_--_The Scottish Dove_--_The Flying Post_--_The Kingdomes Weekly Post_--Cruelties of the Cavaliers--The 'Levellers'--The King's Escape from Oxford--Funeral of the Earl of Essex--The Great Seal Broken--Fairfax--Cromwell--Sea Fight in the Channel--The Prince of Wales's Squadron--Mutiny at Norwich--Siege of Colchester--Execution of Sir Charles Lucas--The King at Carisbrooke Castle--Execution of the King--Confession of Richard Brandon.
The discontent which had been growing for so many years, and which had been strengthened and inflamed by the acts of Charles I. and his advisers in violating the principles of the Constitution, had now arrived at the point of rebellion. At the commencement of the Civil War the excitement was increased and sustained by the publication of flying sheets of news. Although the practice of publishing regular periodical papers had commenced, numerous fugitive tracts and pamphlets continued to be printed relating to particular events. Some of these papers were illustrated with woodcuts evidently executed on the spur of the moment, while others appear to have been taken from other sources and adapted to the occasion. An example of this latter kind occurs in a tract of 1642, which strikingly illustrates the state of the times:--
'_A true Relation of the late Hurleyburly at Kingston upon Thames on Wednesday the 12th of January caused by Collonell Lundsford and the rest of his company, and the Towne fearing they would rise up in Rebellion, one cam speedily to declare it at_ London, _upon which the Traine Band were raised and caused to watch all night for the safety of the City._' On the title-page is a woodcut of an officer and a soldier, which, however, was evidently not executed for this special occasion, the officer being in the costume of the preceding reign. A facsimile of it is subjoined. The tract describes the commotion made in Kingston by the appearance of Colonel Lundsford and three hundred troopers, who, 'about the middle of the Towne, went in to drink, and continued there part of that day, swaggering, and swearing blasphemous Oathes (which filled the Towne with feares) and some amongst the rest, to frighten the Towne, swore bitter Oathes that they should see bloody times ere long.'