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ing day the head-quarters of the army were removed from Royston to St. Alban's, within twenty miles of the capital.

The King was now removed from Newmarket to Royston, then to Hatfield, and afterwards to Richmond and Windsor Castle, travelling and lodging with a comfort and state scarcely inferior to what had always attended a royal progress through the kingdom. The army had pushed their head-quarters to Uxbridge, but afterwards retired to Wycombe, where the council of war appointed ten persons-Cromwell, Ireton, Fleetwood, and Harrison being of the number-to meet Lord Nottingham, Vane, Skippon, and the other parliamentary commissioners; and to treat for a settlement of the disputes between the army and the Houses. In the active and energetic struggles and intrigues for mastery which now took place between the Presbyterian party (with a majority in the Commons) and the independents, backed by the army, the support of the King became the eager object of desire to each contending party. To Cromwell and Ireton (the arch politicians of the republicans and independents) was intrusted the delicate task of winning Charles by hypocritical professions and subtle cajolery. Harrison appears to have been a zealous fanatic and bold officer, well suited to execute the plans of superior minds, but who never himself displayed any capacity for negotiation or intrigue. He was with the army, however, and aiding in the schemes of Cromwell and his son-in-law, during all its shiftings from Wycombe to Reading, to Aylesbury, to Woburn,

to Bedford; and he marched with his regiment to London, when the army, having overcome their Presbyterian opponents, were met by the Speaker and numerous members at Hounslow, and entered London in triumph under Fairfax.

When the Scotch, commanded by the Duke of Hamilton, invaded England, and made an effort to arrest the military domination which was threatening all the civil and religious institutions of the country, Harrison was sent to the north to oppose the invaders, and his troops defeated the Duke at Preston, in Lancashire. In this service Harrison received a wound. This invasion and all the insurrections in the counties being defeated, Cromwell and the Council of War were established in full authority at Whitehall, where Oliver already began to occupy one of the King's rich beds, and, reclining on it, gave audiences to some of the most considerable persons in the kingdom. The House now underwent its memorable purification by Colonel Pride and Lord Grey, which has been before described; and on the 16th of December, 1648, Harrison was despatched by the Council of War to conduct the King from Hurst Castle to London, in order to his trial. He made the preparations for the King's journey, and remained two nights at Hurst, without, however, seeing Charles, probably owing to the prejudice which the King had conceived against him. The King left this wretched prison, escorted by a troop of horse, and attended by Sir Thomas Herbert, who has minutely described the journey. Between Alresford and Farnham another troop was drawn up, by which the King passed on

horseback, attended a little behind by Herbert. "At the head of it was the Captain, gallantly mounted and armed. A velvet monteir was on his head, a new buff coat on his back, and a crimson silk scarf about his waist, richly fringed; who, as the King passed by with an easy pace (as delighted to see men well horsed and armed), the Captain gave the King a bow with his head, all à soldade, which his Majesty requited." This being the first time the King saw the officer, who was Harrison, he called Herbert to him, and on being told who he was, viewed him more narrowly, and said to Herbert," He looked like a soldier, and that his aspect was good, and found him not such a one as was represented; and that having some judgment in faces, if he had observed him so well before, he should not have that ill opinion of him."1

Burnet's statement 2, that when it was in doubt whether to kill the King, or bring him to an open trial, Harrison offered to assassinate him, seems to be wholly without foundation. Charles had, indeed, entertained such a suspicion of Harrison; and, when the Colonel came to Hurst Castle, had expressed it to Herbert. When the King was at Farnham, a little before supper he took Harrison by the arm, and led him aside to the window, and discoursed for half an hour, and told Harrison of the information he had received to his prejudice. Harrison assured him it was not true, and that what he had really said was, "that the law was equally obliging to great and

1 Herbert's Memoirs, p. 140.

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2 Hist. vol. i.

small, and that justice had no respect of persons;" which Herbert says, not unnaturally, "his Majesty found affectedly spoken, and to no good end, and left off further communication, and went to supper, being all the time very pleasant; which was no small rejoicing to many there, to see him so cheerful in that company and in such a condition." 1

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We have seen the zealous part which Harrison took in the proceedings in Westminster Hall. He never was absent from any sitting of that Court, and from very few of the meetings in the Painted Chamber. Harrison, together with Ireton, Henry Marten, Miles Corbet, Scot, Lisle, and others, were appointed a committee to concur with the Counsel in settling the charge, adjusting the evidence, and preparing general rules for expediting the business of the Court. This unflinching republican was also appointed, with Marten, Scot, Ireton, and others, to draw up the sentence of the Court, leaving a blank for the manner of death. He signed the warrant of execution; and was present at the last extraordinary scene in Ireton's bedchamber, at Whitehall, when Cromwell and Hacker together prepared the order to the executioner. Though Harrison was a vehement fanatic, (Bishop Burnet calls him a "fierce and bloody enthusiast,") and ! distinguished for praying, preaching, and expounding 2 on all occasions, yet Hume's story of

1 Memoirs, p. 142.

2 This union of the military with pastoral functions was very common at this period. In the Appendix to Clarendon's State Papers, vol. ii., a letter to Mr. Secretary

his designedly engaging Fairfax in prayer till the decapitation of the King was at an end is hardly to be credited. That Fairfax was disgusted at the trial and the sentence is beyond doubt. He never attended any meeting, public or private, of the Court and Sir Thomas Herbert states, that when Bishop Juxon and himself were conducting the King's corpse to be embalmed, they met Fairfax in the Long Gallery at Whitehall, when he enquired how the King did, being ignorant of his death, and having resolved with his own regiment to prevent it; and Herbert states, that Fairfax had just come from Colonel Harrison's apartment, where he had been at prayer with the officers. Hume represents that Cromwell and Ireton, in order to remove Fairfax's repugnance to the proceedings, endeavoured to persuade him that God had rejected the King; and counselled him to seek, in prayer, direction from Heaven on this important occasion. Harrison was appointed to pray with him, and prolonged his effusions till the fatal blow was struck; when he rose from his knees, and insisted that this event was the miraculous and providential answer of Heaven, sent to their devout supplications. Harris' thinks this story inconsistent with the bold and artless character

Nicholas from a Cavalier states, "There was lately a fast at head-quarters for the uniting of the army; when the Lieutenant-General (Cromwell) and the CommissaryGeneral (Ireton) prayed publicly in the assembly, which, (my godly author tells me) was such sweet music as the heavens never knew before.

1 Life of Cromwell, 208.

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