Anglia Rediviva: September 1645–January 1647

Abstract

In 1647, an army chaplain, Joshua Sprigge, published a book praising the exploits of Fairfax and his men. He called it Anglia Rediviva — England’s recovery. Sprigge drew heart from the New Model’s victories, seeing in them a re-affirmation of English valour and the national interest. But few of the public shared his optimism (or bought his book), and with good reason, for the Civil War had created more problems than it had solved. Church government had broken down entirely in most places, allowing godly enthusiasts to set up separated congregations — much to the alarm of orthodox Puritans as well as the majority that still clung to the now outlawed Book of Common Prayer. Local government under the Royalists had degenerated into military rule. Under Parliament it was exercised largely by county committees, some of which were dominated by radicals and social upstarts, who were prepared to put loyalty to Westminster before the interests of their communities. To keep their armies in the field, both the king and Parliament had introduced a sales tax — the excise — and weekly or monthly assessments, and it was a case of either paying up or answering to the troops. It has been calculated that Parliament was raising the equivalent of one pre-war parliamentary subsidy every fortnight in taxation — most of which went to pay the army and navy.¹