Slandering my King!
I just found this online at http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/charlesI.htm: "King Charles I was his own worst enemy. Self-righteous, arrogant, and unscrupulous; he had a penchant for making bad decisions. His troubles began the moment he ascended the throne in 1625 upon the death of his father James I. Charles simultaneously alienated both his subjects and his Parliament, prompting a series of events that ultimately lead to civil war, his own death and the abolition of the English monarchy."
Not one word is true! Let's take it a bit at a time:
"King Charles I was his own worst enemy."
That position was actually filled by John Pym and later Oliver Cromwell.
"Self-righteous"
On the scaffold, having refuted the charges against him, Charles said this:
"Yet, for all this, God forbid that I should be so ill a Christian as not to say God's judgments are just upon me. Many times he does pay justice by an unjust sentence, that is ordinary. I will only say this, that an unjust sentence [referring to Strafford, whom he had allowed Parliament to kill in hope of averting war] that I suffered for to take effect, is punished now by an unjust sentence upon me."
He was not self-righteous, but tormented by guilt.
"Arrogant"
Only if the definition of arrogant has changed considerably.
He wrote this in captivity:
"I wished no greater advantages by the War, then to bring My Enemies to moderation, and My Friends to peace.
I was afraid of the temptation of an absolute conquest, and never prayed more for victory over others, than over My self. When the first was denied, the second was granted Me, which God saw best for Me."
"Unscrupulous"
An obscene lie! It was this gentle man's scruples that cost him the war. After the first major battle, the way was open for a march on London. An immediate show of force in the capital would almost certainly have ended with the King restored to power and Pym's head on a spike. Prince Rupert's talents included taking cities. Charles knew Rupert could take London, but could not bear the thought of entering his own capital as an aggressor. He was already sickened by the shedding of English blood and wanted no more. He continued to seek a peaceful conclusion even though it was clear to all that his enemies had no such scruples.
"He had a penchant for making bad decisions"
Like, for example, the decision mentioned above, to avoid bloodshed wherever possible? All men make bad decisions, he made no more than anyone else and usually his gravest mistakes were caused by his gentle, loving nature. For example, in a world in which anti-Catholic feeling ran high, he made the mistake of being openly in love with his Catholic wife and, even worse, let people know that he listened to her opinions and often took her advice. He made too many concessions, because he was desperate to avoid war. When the war began, his gravest mistake was to refuse to allow Rupert to attack London and later, to send Rupert away, when Rupert could still have gained him a victory.
"His troubles began the moment he ascended the throne in 1625 upon the death of his father James I."
His troubles began soon after birth. He was disabled by rickets and had great difficulty walking and talking. He was never expected to be King and neither of his parents were very interested in him, so he spent his youth in Scotland and had little chance to learn how to flatter and persuade.
"Charles simultaneously alienated both his subjects and his Parliament"
Most of his subjects were rather fond of him and Parliament was not alienated, but corrupted. John Pym, who wanted to increase his own power, manipulated parliament very cleverly. Lady Fairfax, wife of Thomas Fairfax (parliamentarian), cried out at the trial that the people did not support the trial. Charles was not a courtier. He tended to be too honest and lacked his son's ability to charm his way to what he wanted. I don't think too much integrity is so great a failing.
"Prompting a series of events that ultimately lead to civil war"
Pym prompted the war. Charles avoided it for as long as possible, making huge concessions to try to spare his people the horrors of war.
"It was the liberty, freedom, and laws of the subject that ever I took - defended myself with arms. I never took up arms against the people, but for the laws"
"His own death and the abolition of the English monarchy."
Charles was killed because while he lived, Cromwell could not be King. Cromwell desired that power above all else. Indeed, the only reason he chose to be called Lord Protector and not King was that he was advised that he had just set a precedent for killing kings and also that there were those who would think he had acted solely for ambition (which was true). He did, however, usurp all the powers and privileges of kingship. The monarchy was abolished in name only, and was restored altogether when Charles II finally came back to his kingdom. In the eyes of his supporters, Charles II was King from the moment of his father's martyrdom, so to them, not even the name of monarchy was abolished. England had a King, but he was in exile.
Not one word is true! Let's take it a bit at a time:
"King Charles I was his own worst enemy."
That position was actually filled by John Pym and later Oliver Cromwell.
"Self-righteous"
On the scaffold, having refuted the charges against him, Charles said this:
"Yet, for all this, God forbid that I should be so ill a Christian as not to say God's judgments are just upon me. Many times he does pay justice by an unjust sentence, that is ordinary. I will only say this, that an unjust sentence [referring to Strafford, whom he had allowed Parliament to kill in hope of averting war] that I suffered for to take effect, is punished now by an unjust sentence upon me."
He was not self-righteous, but tormented by guilt.
"Arrogant"
Only if the definition of arrogant has changed considerably.
He wrote this in captivity:
"I wished no greater advantages by the War, then to bring My Enemies to moderation, and My Friends to peace.
I was afraid of the temptation of an absolute conquest, and never prayed more for victory over others, than over My self. When the first was denied, the second was granted Me, which God saw best for Me."
"Unscrupulous"
An obscene lie! It was this gentle man's scruples that cost him the war. After the first major battle, the way was open for a march on London. An immediate show of force in the capital would almost certainly have ended with the King restored to power and Pym's head on a spike. Prince Rupert's talents included taking cities. Charles knew Rupert could take London, but could not bear the thought of entering his own capital as an aggressor. He was already sickened by the shedding of English blood and wanted no more. He continued to seek a peaceful conclusion even though it was clear to all that his enemies had no such scruples.
"He had a penchant for making bad decisions"
Like, for example, the decision mentioned above, to avoid bloodshed wherever possible? All men make bad decisions, he made no more than anyone else and usually his gravest mistakes were caused by his gentle, loving nature. For example, in a world in which anti-Catholic feeling ran high, he made the mistake of being openly in love with his Catholic wife and, even worse, let people know that he listened to her opinions and often took her advice. He made too many concessions, because he was desperate to avoid war. When the war began, his gravest mistake was to refuse to allow Rupert to attack London and later, to send Rupert away, when Rupert could still have gained him a victory.
"His troubles began the moment he ascended the throne in 1625 upon the death of his father James I."
His troubles began soon after birth. He was disabled by rickets and had great difficulty walking and talking. He was never expected to be King and neither of his parents were very interested in him, so he spent his youth in Scotland and had little chance to learn how to flatter and persuade.
"Charles simultaneously alienated both his subjects and his Parliament"
Most of his subjects were rather fond of him and Parliament was not alienated, but corrupted. John Pym, who wanted to increase his own power, manipulated parliament very cleverly. Lady Fairfax, wife of Thomas Fairfax (parliamentarian), cried out at the trial that the people did not support the trial. Charles was not a courtier. He tended to be too honest and lacked his son's ability to charm his way to what he wanted. I don't think too much integrity is so great a failing.
"Prompting a series of events that ultimately lead to civil war"
Pym prompted the war. Charles avoided it for as long as possible, making huge concessions to try to spare his people the horrors of war.
"It was the liberty, freedom, and laws of the subject that ever I took - defended myself with arms. I never took up arms against the people, but for the laws"
"His own death and the abolition of the English monarchy."
Charles was killed because while he lived, Cromwell could not be King. Cromwell desired that power above all else. Indeed, the only reason he chose to be called Lord Protector and not King was that he was advised that he had just set a precedent for killing kings and also that there were those who would think he had acted solely for ambition (which was true). He did, however, usurp all the powers and privileges of kingship. The monarchy was abolished in name only, and was restored altogether when Charles II finally came back to his kingdom. In the eyes of his supporters, Charles II was King from the moment of his father's martyrdom, so to them, not even the name of monarchy was abolished. England had a King, but he was in exile.