Nothing worthy of note in the history occurs from this period until the struggle between the Parliament and Charles I.; the former for their privileges and the rights of the people, and the latter for arbitrary power as a despotic monarch. Charles, determined to try the force of arms, erected the royal standard at Nottingham, the open signal of discord and civil war throughout the kingdom. Whilst many of the large towns and corporate bodies took part with the parliament, a great proportion of the nobility and gentry sided with the king; the latter was the case with the Salopians. Not meeting with the support which he expected in the vicinity of Nottingham, Charles after a little hesitation pursued his march to Shrewsbury “in regard of the strong and pleasant situation of it, one side being defended by the Severn, the other having secure passage into Wales;” having received information that the place was entirely devoted to him. At Wellington the king passed one night, and on the following morning made a rendezvous of all his forces on the plain beneath the Wrekin. His orders having been read at the head of each regiment, he placed himself in the midst of his army, and that he might bind himself by reciprocal ties, he solemnly made the following declaration in their presence; “I do promise, in the presence of Almighty God, and as I hope for his blessing and protection, that I will, to the utmost of my power, defend and maintain the true reformed protestant religion, established in the church of England, and by the grace of God, in the same will live and die. I desire that the laws may ever be the measure of my government, and that the liberty and property of the subject may be preserved by them with the same care as my own just rights. And if it please God by his blessing on this army raised for my necessary defence to preserve me from the present rebellion, I do solemnly and faithfully promise in the sight of God, to maintain the just privileges and freedom of parliament, and to govern to the utmost of my power, by the known statutes and customs of the kingdom, and particularly to observe inviolably the laws to which I have given my consent this parliament. Mean while, if this emergency and the great necessity to which I am driven, beget any violation of law, I hope it shall be imputed by God and man to the authors of this war; not to me, who have so earnestly laboured to preserve the peace of the kingdom. When I willingly fail in these particulars, I shall expect no aid or relief from man, nor any protection from above; but in this resolution I hope for the cheerful assistance of all good men, and am confident of the blessing of Heaven.” Had Charles previously acted up to this declaration, he would not now have been placed in such a critical situation.