THE TRUE COPY OF A LETTER FROM Mr Ashburnham, TO A FRIEND, Concerning his Deportment towards the KING in his late Attendance upon His Majesty's Person at Hampton-Court, and the Isle of Wight.  
Printed in the Year 1648.   

The Copy of a Letter from Mr. Ashburnham, to a Friend, etc.  
SIR,  
I Have withheld this return too long; of which I am by so much the more ashamed, by how much I found yours so full of kindness: I will pretend to no excuse; but if your good nature will suggest, that the deep sense of my afflictions doth so oppress my spirits, as it renders me altogether indisposed to the least intercourse, you will be charitable, and take me right.  
Would you believe, that to my sorrows for the sufferings of our dear Master the King, and the danger of the Public, the generality of men in this Kingdom (and probably in many other parts too) should charge me with the scandal of having betrayed His Majesty into the Isle of Wight, and that by compact with the Parliament and Army, before his departure from Hampton Court? And to obtain belief the better, have digested that their calumny into this form; That I did conspire with them to affright His Majesty away from thence, that they might have the better opportunity (being at a greater distance from London) to destroy him; which to effect, the nearness of that place made it very difficult, if not impossible: and that my reward for this service hath been a great sum of money? Thus from several hands.  
Which reproach, though I never deserved, and take myself to be very much above any thing of that kind; yet since there is no person ambitious to acquire or preserve an honest reputation, but is awake, and always carries about him a tenderness to the least prejudice or diminution thereof; I cannot but be touched with some sense of that unhappy report, and give you (in whose good esteem I am much concerned) the true state of my part in that action, so far as may enable you to satisfy (if you meet with him) the most malicious person against me.  
That I was commanded by their Majesties and the Prince his Highness to return into England, with Instructions to endeavour by the best means imaginable, such a compliance between His Majesty and the Army, as might have influence, and beget a right understanding between His Majesty and the Parliament, is a truth well known. That my infirmities are so great, and so public, as that it had been better for their-service to have given that employment to some other of more eminent endowments, I do acknowledge with great humility: But that I did fulfil that Trust with all industry and fidelity to their Majesties, I appeal to God and them, and do not doubt but I have my portion of favour, and stand still numbered in the Catalogue of those Subjects whom they are yet pleased to style faithful.  
What passed between me and any Member either of the Parliament or Army, as it will not at all advantage His Majesty's affairs to relate; so will it not any way conduce to my vindication. This word I shall only let fall, That a wiser man than I, or whoever is my greatest censurer, would and ought to have given credit to them, when power and interest accompanied with large expressions of good will, were the arguments and motives to gain belief of their real intentions. Nay truly, though His Majesty had known they intended nothing less than the performance of those duties to their Sovereign and Country, I cannot find (I know not what a quicker-sighted man might have done) how in prudence his Majesty could have pursued any other interest, or made any other application then what he did, considering the power under which he was: Which shall serve by way of glance at my part of negotiation in general, because even therein likewise I am not without some prejudice in many men's conceptions.  
Some few weeks before his Majesty's remove from Hampton Court, there was scarce a day in which several alarms were not brought to his Majesty, by, and from very considerable persons (both well affected to him, and likely to know much of what was then in agitation) of the resolution which a violent party in the Army had to take away his life: and that such a design there was, there were strong inducements to persuade; and I hope charity will be afforded to those many who were and still are of that belief, since I confess myself to be of that number. Which practice seemed to his Majesty the more probable, for that many other particulars which were said in those informations to precede that action, fell out accordingly; whereupon his Majesty thought it not wisdom longer to despise the possible means left him for the prevention of that danger, and therefore resolved to retire himself from thence, but with this positive intention, not to desert this Kingdom, either by crossing the Seas, or going into Scotland. The reasons his Majesty gave, you will pardon me if I deliver not, and suspend your Censure, in case your judgement invite you to oppose that result, till you hear the weight of them, and I will engage the little credit the world hath left me, you shall be satisfied.  
And what man is he, who hath the least grain of understanding, bears about him any affections either to his sacred Person, or to the Common good, hath any regard to his own duty or reputation, would have taken upon him to dissuade his Majesty from what he had then resolved on, and thereby exposed himself both to the danger and guilt of that mischief, which so many had forewarned him of, and was so likely to happen? Sure I am, if I had been that man, I should have thought myself justly to have merited the Character of unfaithfulness, which is now so injuriously cast upon me.  
It rested then that his Majesty was to make choice of a place, where he might avoid the present danger, where he might give least offence to the interest of the Parliament and Army, where he might have frequent intercourse with both, for settling a Peace (of which he then despaired not;) and last, where he might most securely (and the measure of safety was, where there were no Soldiers) expect the abatement of the ruinous power of the Levellers and their faction, to be the fruits of the General Rendezvous, which was immediately to follow.  
Upon these grounds, his Majesty thought the Isle of Wight most proper for his residence, especially if he could obtain honourable Conditions from the Governor of that place; to whom (when his Majesty was come within twenty miles) he commanded Sir John Berkeley and myself to repair, and make trial of what Reception we could procure for him; who, after some consideration of what we proposed, proffered this Engagement, [That since it appeared his Majesty came from Hampton-Court to save his life, if he pleased to put himself inte his hands, whatever he could expect from a person of honour or honesty, his Majesty should have it made good by him:] which truly to us seemed sufficient; and I do for my own part acknowledge, my confidence was, that, by that Engagement, he would not have laid any restraint upon his Majesty, nor have given access to any Soldiers into that Island: But how honourably and how faithfully he hath performed his promised duty to the King, you are as good a witness as myself; and therefore, as I take little pleasure in the memory of it, so there will be little satisfaction to you in the repeating it: it shall suffice that I have now been taught, that Honour and Honesty have clear contrary definitions in several men's understandings.  
For the election his Majesty made of the Isle of Wight, upon the grounds before mentioned, as therewith I did then concur, so (with respect to their judgements who are otherwise persuaded) I do still believe it was (as his affairs then stood) the best of any place which he could make choice of: And I will not be afraid to avow my opinion, because success hath made it seem less reasonable; which being taken out of the Scale, and all circumstances worthy debate before his departure from Hampton-Court, considered; perhaps wiser men than chose, who in that presume to condemn his Majesty's judgement, may yet approve of that choice. However, his Majesty was resolved to go from Hampton-Court; and, I know not what other men's customs are, I cannot but be well satisfied with my own, which hath been ever ready to submit, when his Majesty hath been willing to command; and I should account it a great misfortune to me, that his commands should be such, to which I should think fit rather with humility to oppose my reasons, then with cheerfulness to obey his pleasure; but that strait hath never yet happened, nor (I am confident) ever will: so careful is his Majesty to impose nothing upon any man, but what he believes just and lawful.  
That any Member of the Parliament or Army had any knowledge by me of his Majesty's removal from Hampton-Court, or that any Compact between me and any of them was ever made, to the disservice of his Majesty in any particular whatsoever, I provoke them and all the world to produce the least colour of proof, and desire that no man would spare me more than I should do such whom I found guilty of so base a crime; and shall not stick to invite them to it, who have been so liberal in blasting my reputation, when I may live with that freedom they do, which either their greater wisdom, or their less loyalty than mine, hath purchased. In the mean time, it is some comfort to me to find these censurers to be men but of such dispositions, as will hazard no more then only their good wishes for his Majesty; and for such I take them, and for such leave them.  
If I should tell these severe judges of other men's actions, that his Majesties present personal condition is the same in the Isle of Wight, with what it was when he left Hampton-Court, they would perhaps wonder at me, but upon examination find it truth: for before his Majesty's coming from thence (at least six days) he was forbidden riding abroad, and confined within the limits of that place.  
And if any man can assure me, that if his Majesty had continued at Hampton-Court, the Parliament would not have presented these four Bills to him, or that they being presented, his Majesty's refusing to make them Laws, should not have drawn on his late restraint, or the later Votes of Parliament concerning farther application to his Majesty, I shall then (for indeed I take that to be the cause of his relapse) with great lowliness of spirit acknowledge myself to have been an unhappy (though not an unfaithful) instrument in his Majesty's remove from Hampton-Court: But till then, my sufferings in these scandals may be continued, but my opinion not changed, nor the quietness of my mind disturbed, for having in that action discharged my duty to his Majesty.  
As for the money I should have received for betraying his Majesty, if none of my Calumniators have more to subsist on, than I have had either from Parliament or Army, they would be in worse condition, than (notwithstanding all their malice to me) I wish them. In earnest, it would better have become those who first designed me this infamy, to have made choice of some, who had a mark upon them for doing some action, which may at least be of kin to the accusation, though but between fellow-subjects: but you will pardon my vanity, if I say I abhor such unworthiness, and defy mankind to bring the least blemish of that nature in judgement against me.  
I have done, when I have told you, that I have heard Divines say, that God doth most punish us in those things we most prize, and think ourselves most concerned: I shall therefore hope to make a religious use of these aspersions cast upon my integrity: for I fear I did glory too much in my honour of faithfulness and loyalty to his Majesty, and did not thankfully consider (as I ought to have done) that it was the blessing of God which enabled me to go thorough with the performance of my duty in his service.  
If men would but as well think upon the solicitude and care of their minds, who are honoured with near relations to the service of great Princes, as they look upon the advantages which thereby Fortune may cast upon them, they would find more cause to pity them for their labour and hazards (which is ordinarily beyond their capacities to fathom, who are at very remote distance) then to envy them for their honour or profit. But since of all evils seated in the heart of man, Malice hath the greatest dominion, it were vain for Virtue itself to hope for freedom from those effects which naturally arise from it; and much more for me, who though in this particular have as much innocence to protect me, as can be consistent with mortality, yet in other things which may be imputed to weakness, and unskilfulness in matters of great concernment, I do with all ingenuity confess, no man carries a greater weight of guilt than he whose care it is, to preserve unspotted the reputation of an honest man, thereby to retain still the favour and affection, wherewith you have constantly honoured,  
Sir, Your most faithful, and most humble servant, John Ashburnham.  
FINIS.