Treaty of Uxbridge
The Treaty of Uxbridge was a significant but abortive negotiation in early 1645 to try to end the First English Civil War. Background. Parliament drew up 27 articles in November 1644 and presented them to Charles I of England at Oxford. Much input into these "Propositions of Uxbridge" was from Archibald Johnston. The conditions were very assertive, with Presbyterianism to be established south of the border, and Parliament to take control of all military matters. Charles had decided that the military situation was turning in his favour, after the Second Battle of Lostwithiel, Second Battle of Newbury  and consequent relief of Donnington Castle, and the campaign of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose in Scotland. Montrose's victory at the Battle of Inverlochy was during the conference. His incentive to compromise was thereby reduced, but the same was true of the Parliamentary side, with its growing confidence in the New Model Army. Proposals. Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1829–1902) summarized Parliament's demands ("formatting added"): Such demands can only have been made with the object of trampling upon the King's feelings as well as upon his political authority, and it would have been far more reasonable to ask  his consent to an act of abdication than to such articles as these. Charles's counter-demands of January 21, 1645 (No. 62, p. 286), are conceived in a far more reasonable spirit: The King's offer afforded at least an admirable basis for negotiation. Proceedings. The two sides lodged in Uxbridge, the Royalists on the south side and the Parliamentarians in the north. Christopher Love preached a sermon, strongly against the Royalists, and he was rebuked by Parliament. The meetings were arranged in the house of Sir John Bennet. The negotiations, which proved fruitless, went on from 29 January  to 22 February. The King offered only to rein in the powers of the episcopate in religious matters, and to give Parliament some control of the militia, limited to a time period of three years.