So Cromwell wheels the new model army up north and kicks Hamilton's ass at Preston in August 1648, ending this phase of the conflict.

The king was again under parliamentary custody, but now the question of whether it was worth it or even possible to negotiate with this man became key.

As parliament began negotiations with Charles to return him to power with concessions, the new model army leadership decide they can no longer sanction the king's buffoonery.

And on December 6th, 1648, Colonel Thomas Pride was ordered to forcibly prevent the entry of some 140 moderate MPs into parliament, a number of whom were arrested and detained for several days.

This left around 156 of the eligible 470 members of the House of Commons left serving in London, and this became known as the Rump Parliament.

The edited parliament?

Yes, to get to move things along.

Now, by this point, it would become clear to the leaders of parliament and the army that Charles could not be reasoned with.

There was no path to an agreement that would enshrine the rights sought by parliament while also ratifying Charles's supreme authority, supreme sovereignty.

Among the greater public, Charles's authority and credibility had been destroyed by the publication of a 50 page pamphlet called the king's cabinet open.

That's a good title.

Yeah, you get them without.

Yeah, they're learning this branding stuff because maybe a generation before it would be like notes from the duly revealed documents of the king reveling in the profidity of his lies and most calamitous, treasonous devil work that has been done on our behalf.

Something like that.

Yep, now the country can be open.

Yep, those printed presses are hummin now.

After the decisive royalist defeat at the Battle of Nazby in June 1645, parliamentary forces had captured Charles's baggage train, which included his personal correspondence.

These letters were filled with biciasides but his own advisors, groveling peyons to his French Catholic wife.

And most damingly of all, offers to the rebellious Irish Catholic confederation, which rules most of Ireland outside of Dublin in revolt.

Of religious offering them religious toleration in exchange for military support.

That last was particularly inflaming because grizzly and exaggerated press reports of Catholic atrocities committed against Scottish English settlers in Ireland

had been key to rallying support for parliament in the beginning of the war.

...