Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

Ispective sums shall be'-in short, paid directly. Of Major Berry, Richard Baxter's friend, we have already heard. Captain Edward Sexby, here known to us as Captain for the first time, did we not once see him in another character? One of Three Troopers with a Letter, in the Honourable House, in the time of the Army Troubles? He will again turn up, little to his advantage, by and by. A Day of universal Thanksgiving for this wonderful great Success' is likewise ordered ; and a printed schedule of items to be thankful for, is despatched, to the number of 10,000,' into all places.2

LETTER LXV.

LET the following hasty Letter, of the same date with that more deliberate one to Lenthall, followed by another as hasty, terminate the Preston Business. Letters of hot Haste, of Hue-and-Cry; two remaining out of many such, written to all the Countries,' in that posture of affairs;-the fruit of which we shall soon see. Colonels Cholmely, White, Hatcher, Rhodes,' Country Colonels of more or less celebrity, need not detain us at present.

[ocr errors]

For the Honourable the Committee at York: These.

'GENTLEMEN,'

Warrington, 20th August, 1648.

We have quite tired our horses in pursuit of the Enemy: we have killed, taken and disabled all their Foot; and left them only some Horse, with whom the Duke is fled into Delamere Forest, hav1 Antea, vil. i. p. 352; and Ludlow, i. 189.

2 Commons Journals, v. 685.

ing neither Foot nor Dragooners. They have taken Five-hundred of them,-I mean the Country Forces 'have,' as they send me word this day.

They are so tired, and in such confusion, that if my Horse could but trot after them, I could take them all. But we are so weary, we can scarce be able to do more than walk after them. I beseech you therefore, let Sir Henry Cholmely, Sir Edward Rhodes, Colonel Hatcher, and Colonel White, and all the Countries about you, be sent to rise with you and follow them. For they are the miserablest party that ever was: I durst engage myself, with Five-hundred fresh Horse, and Five-hundred nimble Foot, to destroy them all. My Horse are miserably beaten out; -and I have Ten-thousand of them Prisoners.

We have killed we know not what; but a very great number; having done execution upon them above thirty miles together, -besides what we killed in the Two great Fights, the one at Preston, the other at Warringtonor Winwick Pass.' The Enemy was Twenty-four thousand horse and foot; whereof Eighteen-thousand horse and Six-thousand foot: and our number about Six-thousand foot and Three-thousand horse at the utmost.

This is a glorious Day :-God help England to answer His mercies! I have no more; but beseech you in all your parts to gather into bodies, and pursue. I rest,

Your most humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

1 The Scots.

'P.S.' The greatest part, by far, of the Nobility of Scotland are with Duke Hamilton.*

LETTER LXVI.

"For the Honourable the Committee at York: These.

GENTLEMEN,

Wigan, 23d August, 1648.

I have intelligence even now come to my hands, That Duke Hamilton with a wearied Body of Horse is drawing towards Pontefract; where probably he may lodge himself, and rest his Horse ;- as not daring to continue in those Countries whence we have driven him; the Country-people rising in such numbers, and stopping his passage at every bridge.

Major-General Lambert, with a very considerable force, pursues him at the heels. I desire you that you would get together what force you can, to put a stop to any further designs they may have; and so be ready to join with Major-General Lambert, if there shall be need. I am marching Northward with the greatest part of the Army; where I shall be glad to hear from you. I rest,

Your very affectionate friend and servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

I could wish you would draw out whatever force you have; either to be in his rear or to impede his march. For I am persuaded if he, or the greatest part of those.

* Copy in the possession of W. Beaumont, Esq., Warrington.

that are with him be taken, it would make an end of the Business of Scotland.*

[ocr errors]

This Letter, carelessly printed in the old Newspaper, is without address; but we learn that it came to my hands this present afternoon,' 'at York,' 26th August, 1648;—whither also truer rumours, truer news, as to Hamilton and his affairs, are on the road.

On Friday 25th, at Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, the poor Duke of Hamilton, begirt with enemies, distracted with mutinies and internal discords, surrenders and ceases; 'very ill, and unable to march.' 'My Lord Duke and Calendar,' says Dalgetty, fell out and were at very high words at supper, ' where I was,' the night before; each blaming the other for ⚫ the misfortune and miscarriage of our affairs:' a sad employment! Dalgetty himself went prisoner to Hull; lay long with Colonel Robert Overton, an acquaintance of ours there. As

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

6

we rode from Uttoxeter, we made a stand at the Duke's win'dow; and he looking out with some kind words, we took

our eternal farewell of him,'-never saw him more. He died on the scaffold for this business; being Earl of Cambridge, and an English Peer as well as Scotch:-the unhappiest of men; one of those singularly able men' who, with all their ' ability,' have never succeeded in any enterprise whatever!—

Colchester Siege, one of the most desperate defences, being now plainly without object, terminates, on Monday next.1 Surrender, on quarter' for the inferior parties, at discretion' for the superior. Two of the latter, Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle, gallant Officers both, are sentenced and shot

*Newspaper, Packets of Letters from Scotland and the North, no. 24 (London, printed by Robert Ibbitson in Smithfield, 29 August, 1648). 28 Aug., Rushworth, vii. 1242.

[ocr errors]

on the place. By Ireton's instigation,' say some: yes, or without any special instigation; merely by the nature of the case! They who, contrary to Law and Treaty, have again involved this Nation in blood, do they deserve nothing? — Two more, Goring and Lord Capel, stood trial at Westminster; of

[ocr errors]

whom Lord Capel lost his head. He was the first man that rose to complain of Grievances' in November 1640; being then Mr. Capel, and Member for Hertfordshire.

The Prince with his Fleet in the Downs, too, so soon as these Lancashire tidings reached him, made off for Holland; ́ entered the Hague in thirty coaches,' and gave up his military pursuits. The Second Civil War, its back once broken here at Preston, rapidly dies everywhere; is already as good as dead.

In Scotland itself there is no farther resistance. The oppressed Kirk Party rise rather, and almost thank the conquerors. 'Sir George Monro,' says Turner, 'following constantly a whole day's march to the rear of us,' finding himself, by this unhappy Battle, cut asunder from my Lord Duke, and brought into contact with Cromwell instead,― marched straight back to Scotland and joined with Earl Lanark's forces,' my Lord Duke's brother. Straight back,' as we shall find, is not the word for this march.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

'But so soon as the news of our Defeat came to Scotland,' continues Turner, Argyle and the Kirk Party rose in arms; every mother's son; and this was called the "Whiggamore Raid:" 1648,-first appearance of the Whig Party on the page of History, I think! 'David Lesley was at their head, ' and old Leven,' the Fieldmarshal of 1639, 'in the Castle of Edinburgh; who cannonaded the Royal' Hamilton troops ' whenever they came in view of him!'

[ocr errors]

Cromwell proceeds northward, goes at last to Edinburgh itself, to compose this strange state of matters.

Turner, ubi supra; Guthry's Memoirs (Glasgow, 1748), p. 285.

« AnteriorContinuar »