of sobriety in all those things, had been most commendable in them.

"Among other affected habits, few of the Puritans, what degree soever they were of, wore their hair long enough to cover their ears; and the ministers and many others cut it close round their heads, with so many little peaks, as was something ridiculous to behold. From this custom of wearing their hair, that name of 'Roundhead' became the scornful term given to the whole Parliament party; whose army indeed marched out so, but as if they had been sent out only till their hair was grown. Two or three years afterwards, however," she continues (the custom, it may be presumed, having declined), "any stranger that had seen them would have inquired the reason of that name."

These explanations have been introduced here because it has been usual to give the epithet "Roundhead" to Cromwell's soldiers on account of the shape of the helmet. Nothing can be more erroneous. The more usual term given to these soldiers immediately beneath Cromwell's own command, was "Ironsides." It is very important to notice the training of these men, for they again and again turned the tide of battle. They were not ordinary men; they were mostly freeholders, or freeholders' sons,men who thought as Cromwell thought, and over whom he had acquired an influence, from their residing in his neighbourhood. To all of them the Civil War was no light game; it was a great reality;

it was a battle, not for carnal so much as spiritual things, and they went forth and fought therefor.

Hence, "I was," says Cromwell, "a person that, from my first employment, was suddenly preferred and lifted up from lesser trusts to greater, from my first being a captain of a troop of horse; and I did labour (as well as I could) to discharge my trust, and God helped me as it pleased Him, and I did truly and plainly, and then in a way of foolish simplicity (as it was judged by very great and wise men, and good men, too), desire to make my instruments to help me in this work; and I will deal plainly with you. I had a very worthy friend then, and he was a very noble person, and I know his memory is very grateful to all, Mr. John Hampden. At my first going out into this engagement I saw their men were beaten at every hand; I did indeed, and desired him that he would make some additions to my Lord Essex's army of some new regiments, and I told him I would be serviceable to him in bringing such men in as I thought had a spirit that would do something in the work. This is very true that I tell you, God knows I lie not; 'Your troops,' said I, 'are most of them old decayed serving-men and tapsters, and such kind of fellows; and,' said I, 'their troops are gentlemen's sons, younger sons, and persons of quality; do you think that the spirits of such base and mean fellows will be ever able to encounter gentlemen, that have honour and courage and resolution in them?? Truly, I presented him in this

manner conscientiously, and truly did I tell him, 'You must get men of spirit. And take it not ill what I say (I know you will not), of a spirit that is likely to go on as far as gentlemen will go, or else I am sure you will be beaten still;' I told him so, I did truly. He was a wise and worthy person, and he did think that I talked a good notion, but an impracticable one; truly I told him I could do somewhat in it; I did so; and truly I must needs say that to you (impart it to what you please), I raised such men as had the fear of God before them, and made some conscience of what they did, and from that day forward, I must say to you, they were never beaten, and wherever they engaged against the enemy, they beat continually." 1

How decisive a proof is this of Cromwell's genius, this enlisting the religious enthusiasm of the country on the side of the Parliament; thus fronting the idea of lofty birth with Divine ancestry,-loyalty to the king, with loyalty to God,-immense possessions, with heirship to a Divine inheritance,-and obedience to the laws and prerogative of the monarch, with obedience to those truths unengraven on the "tables of stone," but written by the Divine Spirit on "the fleshly table of the heart," in the heroism of discipline, and faith, and prayer.

"As for Noll Cromwell," said the editor of a newspaper of the day (the then celebrated Marchmont

1 See "Cromwell's Letters and Speeches."

Needham), with to the full as much truth as intended. sarcasm, "he is gone forth in the might of his spirit, with all his train of disciples; every one of whom is as David, a man of war and a prophet; gifted men all, that resolve to do their work better than any of the sons of Levi." "At his first entrance into the wars," observes the Reliquiæ Baxteriana, "being but captain of horse, he had especial care to get religious men into his troop; these men were of greater understanding than common soldiers, and therefore were more apprehensive of the importance and consequences of the war. By this means, indeed, he sped better than he expected. Hereupon he got a commission to take some care of the associated counties; where he brought his troop into a double regiment of fourteen full troops, and all these as full of religious men as he could get; these, having more than ordinary wit and resolution, had more than ordinary success."

But Cromwell himself has given to us the history of these immortal troops; he tells us how he saw that the Parliamentarians must have been beaten unless a better race of men could be raised,-men who would match the high notions of chivalry and loyalty, and overreach them with a nobler and worthier feeling. Cromwell plainly saw that, even in battles, it is not brute force that masters, but invincible honour and integrity, and faith in the purity and truth of the

cause.

"But, not contenting himself with the mere posses

sion of religion in his men, he used them daily to look after, feed, and dress their horses; taught them to clean and keep their arms bright, and have them ready for service; to choose the best armour, and arm themselves to the best advantage.' Upon fitting occasions, and in order to inure their bodies to the service of the field, he also made them sleep together upon the bare ground; and one day, before they actually met the enemy, tried their courage by a stratagem. Leading them into a pretended ambuscade, he caused his seeming discovery of danger to be attended with all the 'noise, pomp, and circumstance' of a surrounding foe. Terrified at which, about twenty of the troop turned their backs and fled; and these he directly dismissed, desiring them, however, to leave their horses for such as would fight the Lord's battles in their stead. Thus trained, when the contest really ensued, Cromwell's horse 'excelled all their fellowsoldiers in feats of war, and obtained more victories over the enemy.' And if they excelled them in courage, so did they also in civility, order, and discipline. The Court journal, indeed, the Mercurius Aulicus, charged them with many cruelties and excesses, of which every circumstance proves the maliciousness and falsehood. For, while a very large number of the king's party, in sober truth, gave themselves up to every species of debauchery in their own persons, and to all manner of spoliation of the peaceable inhabitants, of whom they speedily became the terror and detestation, another contemporary print