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 Struggle for Constitutional Government 241 Again, consider one wonderful work of our God more ; which is, that many of our youths that went forth were weakly and sickly, some with the king's evil, some with agues, and some with the toothache, which their parents and friends were in great care and grief for ; yet, when they have lain days and nights in the wet and cold fields, which one would think should make a well body sick, much more to increase their misery and pain that were ill, yet they have testified that their pain had left them, and [they were] never better in all their lives. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in my eyes. I did forget to write this remarkable passage, how the king's army shot off thirty pieces of ordnance and killed not passing four of our men ; and the first time we shot we made a lane among them, cutting off two of their colors. A pamphleteer of the time sees only the horrors and desolation of the civil strife. The war went on with horrid rage in many places at one time ; and the fire, when once kindled, cast forth, through every corner of the land, not only sparks but devouring flames ; insomuch that the kingdom of England was divided into more seats of war than counties ; nor has she more fields than skirmishes, nor cities than sieges ; and almost all the palaces of lords, and other great houses, were turned everywhere into garrisons of war. They fought at once by sea and land ; and through all England (who could but lament the miseries of his country !) sad spectacles were seen of plundering and firing villages ; and the fields, other- wise waste and desolate, were rich only and terribly glori- ous in camps and armies. God's mercy toward them in the Parlia- ment's army that were sickly. 316. The general desolation caused by the civil war. (From a pamphlet of the time.) VI. The Execution of Charles I (1649) The death warrant of Charles I, issued by " the High Court of Justice for the trying and judging of Charles Stuart, king of England," reads as follows :