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rain. By disheartening his troops with this movement, the greatest disorder and unmeaning dismay were the result. The artillery, ammunition, and baggage were left behind, and fell into the hands of the enemy.

Some of the Scottish cavalry rode towards Lancaster, closely followed up by the English, who had now the double advantage of possessing all the ammunition. A ten-mile skirmish ensued, of which Cromwell states, "We possessed in the fight very much of the enemy's ammunition; I believe they lost four or five thousand (stand of) arms. The number of slain we judge to be about 1,000, the prisoners we took about 4,000. In this prosecution that worthy gentleman, Colonel Thornhaugh, pressing too boldly, was slain, being run into the body, thigh, and head by the enemy's lancers. Our horse still prosecuted the enemy, killing and taking divers all the way; but by the time our army was come up they recovered Wigan, before we could attempt anything upon them."

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Then darkness caused a cessation of hostilities for the night, save an occasional skirmish, and in one of these, Major-Generals Sir John Urie and Van Druske and Colonel Innes were taken.

Daybreak found the Scots retreating towards Warrington. Two miles and a half from that place they took possession of what Cromwell calls "a pass," which they maintained by musketry, with the greatest resolution, for four hours; but, he adds, our men, by the blessing of God, charged home upon them, beat them from their standing, killed 1,000, and took, as we believe, about 2,000 prisoners."

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At Warrington, they took possession of the stone bridge across the Mersey, with the intention of making another resolute stand; but being now without cavalry, baggage, cannon, or ammunition, Lieutenant-General Baillie, seeing the futility of resisting, and losing more lives, sent a drummer to Cromwell offering to capitulate; "to which I yielded," says the future Protector, "and gave him these terms: that he should surrender himself and all his officers and soldiers prisoners of war, with all his arms, ammunition, and horses, upon quarter for life, which is accordingly done. Here are took (sic) about 4,000 complete arms, and as many prisoners; and thus you have their infantry ruined."

Such was the result in an army where there prevailed a degree of disunion and party spirit that would have paralysed the operations of the greatest military genius, and how much more so those of a

leader so talentless as the Duke of Hamilton.

At the head of 3,000 cavalry, the latter retreated to Nantwich, where 500 were cut off by the gentlemen of the district, who were in arms, and killed all who fell into their hands. Cromwell dispatched a body of horse, not less than 3,000 strong, under General Lambert, Lord Grey of Groby, and Sir Edward Rhodes, to cut off the retreat of the duke, who was in hopes of reaching Munro, who, with the horse and foot of the Scoto-Irish garrisons, was still hovering in Cumberland, Many more prisoners were gleaned up, "besides what," as Cromwell ungrammatically has it, "are lurking in hedges and private places, which the country (people?) daily bring in or destroy."

In short, after three days' retreating and fighting, the duke was finally overtaken by Lambert at Uttoxeter, in Staffordshire, and there he very tamely capitulated to Colonel Wayte, an officer of the Leicestershire horse, delivering his scarf, his George, and sword. The latter, says Ludlow, he desired the colonel to keep carefully, as it had belonged to his ancestors. He was then sent prisoner to Lord Loughborough's stronghold at Ashby-de-laZouche, whence he was afterwards transmitted to Windsor.

Of the Scottish Cavalry at Nantwich none escaped, save one resolute corps under the Earl of Callander, an officer of tried courage and old experience. These, exasperated at the conduct of their general, and disdaining an ignominious surrender, broke through the enemy's cavalry sword in hand, and cut a passage back to their own country. Munro and Hainilton's brother, the Earl of Lanark, also fell back into Scotland, whence the former returned to Ireland, for the protection of the Scottish colonists; and so ended the last hopes of Charles, for the defeat of the Scots was followed by the fall of Colchester, where many prisoners were taken, and Sir George Lisle and Sir Charles Lucas were most barbarously shot to death by their hypocritical captors.

The number of prisoners now in the hands of the Parliament proving troublesome, a committee was appointed to treat with merchants for their conveyance abroad, "for foreign service, and not to return back in arms. The Scottish ensigns, colours, and cornets were brought to Westminster Hall, where," says Sanderson, in 1658, "they hang as trophies of the English victories against the Scottish nation."

In the museum at Warrington is still preserved a basket-hilted claymore, a relic of the strife we have narrated, and most of the Scots who were slain thereabout are lying in the burying-ground of Hill Cliff Chapel. A little thatched house, called

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"Cromwell's Head-quarters," stood in a street leading to the Rectory Church.

The few survivors of this unfortunate army, on their return to their native parishes, were subjected to fines, imprisonment, and every kind of humiliation, by the petty ecclesiastical tyrants who in each district had constituted themselves not only a Kirk Session, but a High Court of Inquisition, before which all those who followed the banner of Hamilton were arraigned like criminals; and many officers and soldiers, though still suffering from severe wounds and sickness, were degraded by severe captivity and insulting penances, having to appear in absurd canvas frocks at the doors of the churches, "like the most pitiful criminals, for such was the light in which they were viewed by the Scottish fanatical bigots at whose mercy the fortune of war had cast them."

The English Parliament, on the illegal quibble that the Duke of Hamilton bore the English title of Earl of Cambridge, tried and beheaded him as a traitor, on the 5th of March, 1649. On the same day there died with him Henry Rich, Earl of Holland, and Edward, Lord Capel.

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Evelyn has it thus in his "Diary: "— "5th March.-Now were the lords murdered in the Palace Yard."

In the autumn subsequent to the rout of Hamilton, the Marquis of Argyle, a species of self-made dictator in Scotland, invited Cromwell to Edinburgh, where he entertained him with more than royal munificence in the hall of the castle; and 'they held several meetings at the Lady Home's house in the Canongate, where the necessitie to take away the king's life was openly discussed and approved of, for which concurrence the dictator afterwards lost his head."

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His

So Charles perished before Whitehall. ancestors, James I. and James III. of Scotland, died by the daggers of assassins. Since the Conquest five Kings of England had so perished, and three had died of injuries received in battle; but once only did a King of England perish on the scaffold, and this page tells the dark and bloody tale. We must ascend 300 years higher than our era, says Voltaire, to find an example of such a catastrophe, in the person of Agis, King of Sparta, who was strangled by the public executioner.

CHAPTER XLV.

CROMWELL IN SCOTLAND-DUNBAR, 1650.

THE moment "the grey discrowned head" of the royal victim fell on the scaffold at Whitehall, a proclamation was read in Cheapside, declaring it treason to give any person the title of king without the authority of Parliament. This, of course, referred to England; but when the Scottish Parliament received news of the king's execution, the Lord High Chancellor, attended by the members, proceeded at once to the cross of Edinburgh, and there, with the heralds in their tabards, by sound of trumpet proclaimed Charles, son of the slain prince, King of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland; and the Earl of Cassillis, with four new commissioners, was appointed to proceed to Holland and invite him to occupy his father's throne, movements which Cromwell, if he would secure his own power at home, lost no time in resenting.

Concerning the ambition of the Protector, in "The Just Defence of the Royal Martyr" already quoted, a curious anecdote is given by the author, who states that Cromwell's inducement to the assumption of almost regal power was "a dream

he had of being king, whilst a young rake in Sidney College, Cambridge-for so he really was—which he frequently declared to his companions, and was not a little proud of; and it made a deeper impression on his mind than any learning he got there. Give me leave to add this odd passage. When he was Protector, I knew an old man who in his younger days had been serving-man to his uncle, Sir Thomas Stewart, and had more especially charge of the cellar, where, he told me, he and Cromwell had tossed the pot many a time; and when his natural enthusiasm was assisted by a good dose of liquor, he would thus vent himself:

"Well, James. I may yet be a great man before I die. I had a lucky dream at the college, and I have a young daughter-a shrewd girl she is—who will be often telling me, "Father, you will be a great man; indeed, father, you will be great as the king.""

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This the old man told me he would be often repeating over his cups, several years before the war broke out; which, as he laughed at then, so

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Young Charles II. disliked that form of religion, and sent the Marquis of Montrose from Holland to attempt a rising independent of the Covenanters, who defeated and put him to death in a cruel and ignominious manner. Charles had no course left but submission now. He signed the Covenant, landed at the mouth of the Spey on the 23rd June, 1650, and was joyously welcomed by the Scots, who crowned him at Scone as " King of Scotland, England, France, and Ireland," and raised an army to defend his power and authority.

As was his custom, Oliver lost not a day in taking the field against this new enemy to his usurped authority. As it was very probable that the king, if he entered England with this new

(see page 260). with his host, "in high-crowned hats, collared bands, great loose coats, long tuckes (swords) under them, and calves'-leather boots."

The first night found them encamped at Mordington-in-the-Merse, only three and a half miles from England, where he established his headquarters in the mansion house.

"Here," says Captain John Hodgson, in his Memoirs, "the general made a large discourse to the officers, showing that he spoke as a Christian and soldier, and showing the inconveniences we should meet with in the nation as to the scarcity of provisions; as to the people, we should find the leading part of them soldiers, very numerous, and maybe unanimous; and much to that purpose: and

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charged the officers to double, nay, treble their Puritans as "sorry creatures, clothed in white diligence, for be sure we had hard work before us." flannel, bemoaning the fate of their husbands, whom His hearers responded by cheers; he further the lairds of the towers had forced to 'gang to proclaimed through the camp that none, on pain the muster.'' of death, should offer violence or injury to the On Friday the English were at Dunbar, receiv persons or goods of any in Scotland not in arms, ing a supply from their ships, which had come and that no soldier should presume without special from Newcastle. On Sunday, Cromwell was falsely licence to stray half a mile from the army; and it informed, when at Haddington, that the Scots is but historical justice to admit that the bearing were preparing to fight him on Gladsmuir. His of Cromwell, his officers and soldiers, during the drums beat at daybreak, and his whole force whole of their Scottish campaign, was gentle, just, marched in haste to reach that place before them; and honourable. but as no Scots appeared, Major-General Lambert and Colonel Whalley were dispatched to the front with a party to reconnoitre as far as Musselburgh, within seven miles of Edinburgh. That night the division to which Captain Hodgson belonged lay in the fields near the village of Longniddry, in a level district near the sea. The night proved a most tempestuous one, of wind and rain. The soldiers were drenched, their matches destroyed, and their arms rendered for the time unserviceable; and while in this condition a Scottish scouting-' party fell upon them.

On that night the beacons were fired, and over all Scotland, from the German to the Atlantic Sea, the people knew that, as of old, another English invasion had come.

The Scottish Ministry and Parliament had not been slow in taking measures for their own defence. The imperial crown and other regalia, to save them from the destruction that had fallen on those of England, were sent to the castle of Dunottar, a strong baronial pile, situated on a rock, and insulated by the sea. The castle of Edinburgh was strengthened, victualled, and garrisoned, under Colonel Walter Dundas, of that ilk. A thousand bolls of meal and malt and a thousand tons of coal were placed there for the use of the soldiers, with fifty pieces of brass cannon and seventeen of iron (including “Mons Meg "), 8,000 stand of arms, and vast stores of field-pieces and ammunition ("Memorials of Edinburgh Castle," 1850). Balfour at this period frequently mentions the "fourtailled coats" of the Scottish infantry and artillery, which must have been something like the doublet now worn by our Highland regiments.

Thirty thousand men were raised for the defence of the country; and numerous forts were built, and many ancient castles were strengthened and garrisoned. The venerable Earl of Leven was nominally the commander of these forces; but the actual moving spirit in the field was his younger namesake, Sir David Leslie, of Pitcarlie.

The regiment of Argyle, which had been originally raised in 1641, now commanded by Lord Lorne, was made the Royal Foot Guards; and there was also one of Horse Guards, composed of the sons of the leading Covenanters. To retard the march of Cromwell, all that fertile and beautiful tract of country which lies between Berwick and the capital was laid waste by the patriotism of the people, who drove off their cattle, and so the English in their progress found the district deserted for nearly fifty miles. At Ayton and other places none but the aged and decrepid remained; while the women are ungallantly described by Cromwell's

"About eleven o'clock," says Hodgson, "we wanted our bread and cheese, and drew off towards Musselburgh; and the van of our army marching too fast, as if we had been at a great distance from the enemy, they came swarming out like bees, horse and foot, and fell upon our rear of horse, who were sore put to it, at Lichnagurie (Longniddry), cut and hewed Major-General Lambert, took him prisoner, and were carrying him off to Edinburgh; but the valiant Lieutenant Emson, one of (Colonel) Hacker's officers, pursued with five or six of our soldiers, hewed him out, and brought him back to his own regiment."

Lambert's horse was shot under him, he was run through the body by a lance, and through the arm by a sword. Hacker was the ruffian who com manded the guard at the king's execution.

This affair, more fully detailed by Sir James Balfour, was more important than Hodgson makes it.

The Scottish army, 21,000 strong, lay skilfully intrenched behind a ditch and breastwork that ran parallel with the road leading from Edinburgh to Leith. Their right flank was defended by the Calton Hill, which was strengthened by redoubts of earth, platforms, and fascines, with brass field-pieces and iron mortars; their left flank was defended by cannon on the walls of Leith and the old Port of St. Anthony. At the gorge between the Calton and the Craigs of Salisbury, and everywhere to the southward, troops, intrenchments, and guns defended the avenues to the city, and many houses were demolished at the Portsburgh and elsewhere,

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