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say: how this should be for the security and satisfaction of God's People in both Nations'; or "how" the opposing of this should render us enemies to the Godly with you, we cannot well understand. Especially considering that all these Malignants take their confidence and encouragement from the late transactions of your Kirk and State with your King. For as we have already said, so we tell you again, it is but “ some satisfying security to those who employ us, and "who” are concerned, that we seek. Which we conceive will not be by a few formal and feigned Submissions, from a Person that could not tell otherwise how to accomplish his Malignant ends, and "is"therefore counselled to this compliance, by them who assisted his Father, and have hitherto actuated himself in his most evil and desperate designs; designs which are now again by them set on foot. Against which, How you will be able, in the way you are in, to secure us or yourselves ?"this it now 99 is (forasmuch as concerns ourselves) our duty to look after. If the state of your Quarrel be thus, upon which, as you say, you resolve to fight our Army, you will have opportunity to do that; else what means our abode here? And if our hope be not in the Lord, it will be ill with us. We commit both you and ourselves to Him who knows the heart and tries the reins; with whom are all our ways; who is able to do for us and you above what we know: Which we desire may be in much mercy to His poor People, and to the glory of His great Name.

And having performed your desire, in making your Papers so public as is before expressed, I desire you to do the like, by letting the State, Kirk and Army have the knowledge hereof. To which end I have sent you enclosed two Copies "of this Letter"; and rest, your humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.*

The encampment on Pentland Hills, some of our tents within sight of Edinburgh Castle and City,' threatens to cutoff Lesley's supplies; but will not induce him to fight. The

· Newspapers (in Parliamentary History, xix. 331-333).

gude wives fly with their bairns and gear' in great terror of us, poor gude wives; and 'when we set fire to furze-bushes, report Great terror of us; but that we are burning their houses.'1

no other result. Lesley brings over his guns to the western side of Edinburgh, and awaits, steady within his fastnesses there.

Hopes have arisen that the Godly Party in Scotland, seeing now by these Letters and Papers what our real meaning is, may perhaps quit a Malignant King's Interest, and make bloodless peace with us, which were the best of all.' The King baggles about signing that open Testimony, that Declaration 'A against his Father's sins, which was expected of him. great Commander of the Enemy's, Colonel Gibby Carre' (Colonel Gilbert Ker, of whom we shall hear farther), solicits an interview with some of ours, and has it; and other interviews and free communings take place, upon the Burrow-Moor and open fields that lie between us. Gibby Ker, and also Colonel Strahan who was thought to be slain: these and some minority of others are clear against Malignancy in every form; and if the Covenanted Stuart King will not sign this Declaration- !-Whereupon the Covenanted Stuart King does sign it; signs this too,3-what will he not sign?—and these hopes of accommodation vanish.

Neither still will they risk a Battle; though in their interviews upon the Burrow-Moor, they said they longed to do it. Vain that we draw out in battalia; they lie within their fastWe march, with defiant circumstance of war, round all accessible sides of Edinburgh; encamp on the Pentlands,

nesses.

1 Narrative of Farther Proceedings, dated 'From the Camp in Musselburgh Fields, 16th August 1650'; read in the Parliament 22d August (Commons Journals); reprinted in Parliamentary History (xix. 327) as a 'Narrative by General Cromwell'; though it is clearly enough not General Cromwell's, but John Rushworth's.

* Letter CXXXV., antea, p. 183.

At our Court at Dumfermline this 16th day of August 1650 (Sir Edward Walker, pp. 170-6; by whom the melancholy Document is, with due loyal indignation, given at large there).

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return to Musselburgh for provisions; go to the Pentlands again, enjoy one of the beautifulest prospects, over deepblue seas, over yellow corn-fields, dusky Highland mountains, from Ben Lomond round to the Bass again; but can get no Battle. And the weather is broken, and the season is advancing, equinox within ten days, by the modern Almanac. Our men fall sick; the service is harassing;-and it depends on wind and tide whether even biscuit can be landed for us nearer than Dunbar. Here is the Lord General's own Letter 'to a Member of the Council of State,'-we might guess this or the other, but cannot with the least certainty know which.

66

TO

LETTER CXXXVIII

-COUNCIL OF STATE IN WHITEHALL: THESE

Musselburgh, 30th August 1650.

Sir,-Since my last, we seeing the Enemy not willing to engage, and yet very apt to take exceptions against speeches of that kind spoken in our Army; which occasioned some of them to come to parley with our Officers, To let them know that they would fight us, they lying still in or near their fastnesses, on the west side of Edinburgh, we resolved, the Lord assisting, to draw near to them once more, to try if we could fight them. And indeed one hour's advantage gained might probably, we think, have given us an opportunity.

To which purpose, upon Tuesday the 27th instant we marched westward of Edinburgh towards Stirling; which the Enemy perceiving, marched with as great expedition as was possible to prevent us; and the vanguards of both the Armies came to skirmish,-upon a place where bogs and passes made the access of each Army to the other difficult. We, being ignorant of the place, drew-up, hoping to have engaged; but found no way feasible, by reason of the bogs and other difficulties.

We drew-up our cannon, and did that day discharge two or

1 Had we come one hour sooner :-but we did not.

three hundred great shot upon them; a considerable number they likewise returned to us: and this was all that passed from each to other. Wherein we had near twenty killed and wounded, but not one Commission Officer. The Enemy, as we are informed, had about eighty killed, and some considerable Officers. Seeing they would keep their ground, from which we could not remove them, and our bread being spent, we were necessitated to go for a new supply: and so marched off about ten or eleven o'clock on Wednesday morning.1 The Enemy perceiving it, and, as we conceive, fearing we might interpose between them and Edinburgh, though it was not our intention, albeit it seemed so by our march,―retreated back again, with all haste; having a bog and passes between them and us: and there followed no considerable action, saving the skirmishing of the van of our horse with theirs, near to Edinburgh, without any considerable loss to either party, saving that we got two or three of their horses.

That "Wednesday" night we quartered within a mile of Edinburgh and of the Enemy. It was a most tempestuous night and wet morning. The Enemy marched in the night between Leith and Edinburgh, to interpose between us and our victual, they knowing that it was spent ; but the Lord in mercy prevented it; and we, perceiving in the morning, got, time enough, through the goodness of the Lord, to the seaside, to re-victual; the Enemy being drawn-up upon the Hill near Arthur's Seat, looking upon us, but not attempting any thing.

And thus you have an account of the present occurrences. Your most humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.*

The scene of this Tuesday's skirmish, and cannonade across

1 We drew towards our old Camp, one of our old Camps, that Wednesday; and off to Musselburgh 'for a new supply' next morning. Old Camp, or Bivouack, 'on Pentland Hills,' says vague Hodgson (p. 142); 'within a mile of Edinburgh,' says Cromwell in his Letter, who of course knows well.

* Newspapers (in Parliamentary History, xix. 339).

bogs, has not been investigated; though an antiquarian Topographer might find worse work for himself. Rough Hodgson, very uncertain in his spellings, calls it Gawger Field, which will evidently take us to Gogar on the western road there. The Scotch Editor of Hodgson says farther, The Water of Leith lay between the two Armies;' which can be believed or not; which indeed turns out to be unbelievable. Yorkshire Hodgson's troop received an ugly cannon-shot while they stood at prayers; just with the word Amen, came the ugly cannonshot singing, but it hurt neither horse nor man. We also 'gave them an English shout' at one time, along the whole line,1 making their Castle-rocks and Pentlands ring again; but could get no Battle out of them, for the bogs.

Here, in reference to those matters, is an Excerpt which, in spite of imperfections, may be worth transcribing. The English Army lay' at first 'near Musselburgh, about Stony Hill. But shortly after, they marched up to Braid House,' to Braid Hills, to Pentland Hills, Colinton and various other Hills and Houses in succession; and the Scots Army, being put in some readiness, marched up to Corstorphine Hill. But because the English feared it was too near the Castle of Edinburgh, they would not hazard battle there. Wherefore both Armies marched to Gogar, Tuesday August 27th; and played each upon other with their great guns: but because of Gogar Burn (Brook) and other ditches betwixt the Armies, they could not join battle. Next day, about midday,' more precisely Wednesday about ten or eleven o'clock, 'the English began to retire; and went first to their Leaguer at Braid Hills,' within a mile of Edinburgh as their General says. 'The English removing, the Scots followed by Corstorphine the long gate' (roundabout road),—which is hard ground, and out of shot-range. The English,' some of them, ' marched near to Musselburgh; and, in the mid night, planted some guns in Niddry: the Scots having marched about the Hill of Arthur's Seat, towards Craigmillar, there 1 Hodgson, p. 141.