THE BATTLE OF NASEBY.

CLARENDON.

The taking of Leicester, the chief town of that province, even as soon as he came before it, and in that manner, purely by an act of great courage, gave the king's army great reputation, and made a wonderful impression of terror upon the hearts of those at Westminster; who now revolved the conditions which were offered at Uxbridge; and which they had refused. They began to curse their new model; and to reproach those who had persuaded them "so ingratefully to throw off their old general, who was ready to foment all their discontents. It was not above twenty days, that the king's army had been in the field, and in that short time it had reduced two strong garrisons of theirs, without giving the soldiers any conditions, Hawkesly-house in Worcestershire, and the town of Leicester: whilst their new general Fairfax had only faced Oxford at a distance, to try whether the ladies would prevail for the giving up of the town, to pacify their fears; and had attempted to take a poor house that lay near, Borstall-house, and had been beaten from thence with considerable loss, and had drawn off from both, very little to his honour." These discourses were so public in the city, and had so much credit in both houses of parliament, that they exceedingly desired peace, and exercised their thoughts only how they might revive the old treaty, or set a new one on foot; when the evil genius of the kingdom in a moment shifted the whole scene.

Leicester was a post, where the king might, with all possible convenience and honour, have sat still, till his army might have been recruited, as well as thoroughly refreshed. Colonel Gerrard was upon his march towards him from Wales, with a body of three thousand horse and foot: and he had reason to expect, that the lord Goring would be very shortly with him with his horse; for he was not departed from the king above four or five days, with those orders which are mentioned before, (and with which he was so well pleased,) but that the king saw cause to repent his separation, and sent other orders to recall him as soon as was possible. But the king's fate, and the natural unsteadiness and irresolution of those about him, hurried him into counsels very disagreeable to the posture he was in. He knew not that Fairfax was gone from Oxford; and the intelligence, which some men pretended to have received from thence, was, "that it was in distress." The duke of York remained there; the council, many lords and ladies, who sent intelligence to their friends, and all the magazines were there; and if all these should fall into the enemy's hands, Leicester would appear a very poor recompence. These particulars being unskilfully, yet warmly pressed by those who could not be understood to mean amiss, the king resolved to march directly for Oxford; and in order thereunto, within five days after the taking of Leicester, he appointed the rendezvous for his army; where he might yet very reasonably have been discouraged from prosecuting that intention; for it then appeared evidently, how very much it was weakened by and since that action, and by the loss of those who were killed and wounded in the storm; by the absence of those who were left behind in the garrison; and by the running away of very many with their plunder, who would in few days have returned.

The number of the king's foot which remained, did not amount to above five hundred above three thousand; which was not a body sufficient to fight a battle for a crown. Then, all the northern horse, who had promised themselves, and were promised by the king, that they should go into their own country, were so transported with this new resolution, that they were with great difficulty restrained from disbanding; and, though they were at last prevailed with to march, were not

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enough recovered to be depended upon in any sudden action. Notwithstanding all this, the march was continued; the next day, at Harborough, the intelligence came "that Fairfax was drawn off from Oxford, without having ever approached so near it, as to discharge one piece of cannon upon it; that he had been beaten off from Borstall-house with the loss of officers, as well as soldiers; and that he was marched with his whole army to Buckingham." But this kindled a greater appetite to find him out, than there was before. Indeed there was less reason to march northward, since they might well apprehend the Scottish army in their face, and Fairfax in their rear. But there was the same reason still for their retiring back to Leicester, or to Worcester, where they might expect, and could not fail of an addition of forces to the army; and where the enemy, who must now be obliged to find them out, must come with many disadvantages. These considerations were all laid aside, and everybody believed, that Fairfax's army was much dispirited, by having failed in their two first enterprises; and that it was now led out of the way, that it might recover courage, before it should be brought to fight with so victorious troops as the king's were and therefore, that it was best to find them out, whilst their fear was yet upon them: all men concluded that to be true, which their own wishes suggested to them. And so the army marched to Daventry in Northamptonshire: where, for want of knowing where the enemy was, or what he intended to do, the king remained in a quiet posture the space of five days.

Upon the thirteenth of June the king received intelligence, that Fairfax was advanced to Northampton, with a strong army; much superior to the numbers he had formerly been advertised of. Whereupon, he retired the next day to Harborough; and meant to have gone back to Leicester, that he might draw more foot out of Newark, and stand upon his defence, till the other forces, which he expected, could come up to him. But, that very night, an alarm was brought to Harborough, that Fairfax himself was quartered within six miles. A council was presently called, and the former resolution of retiring presently laid aside, and a new one as quickly taken, "to fight;" to which there was always an immoderate appetite, when the enemy was within any distance. They would not stay to expect his coming, but would go back to meet him. And so, in the morning early, being Saturday the fourteenth of June, all the army was drawn up, upon a rising ground of very great advantage, about a mile south of Harborough, (which was left at their back,) and there put in order to give or receive the charge. The main body of the foot was led by the lord Astley, (whom the king had lately made a baron,) consisting of about two thousand and five hundred foot; the right wing of horse, being about two thousand, was led by prince Rupert; the left wing of horse, consisting of all the northern horse, with those from Newark, which did not amount to above sixteen hundred, was commanded by sir Marmaduke Langdale; in the reserve were the king's lifeguard, commanded by the earl of Lindsey, and prince Rupert's regiment of foot, (both which did make very little above eight hundred,) with the king's horse-guards, commanded by the lord Bernard Stuart, (newly made earl of Litchfield,) which made that day about five hundred horse.

The army, thus disposed in good order, made a stand on that ground to expect the enemy. About eight of the clock in the morning it began to be doubted, whether the intelligence they had received of the enemy was true. Upon which the scoutmaster was sent to make further discovery; who, it seems, went not far enough; but returned and averred, "that he had been three or four miles forward, and could neither discover nor hear any thing of them:" presently, a report was raised in the army, "that the enemy was retired." Prince Rupert thereupon drew out a party of horse and musketeers, both to discover and engage them, the army remaining still in the same place and posture they had been in. His highness had

not marched above a mile, when he received certain intelligence of their advance, and in a short time after, he saw the van of their army, but it seems not so distinctly, but that he conceived they were retiring. Whereupon, he advanced nearer with his horse, and sent back, "that the army should march up to him;" and the messenger who brought the order said, "that the prince desired they should make haste." Hereupon the advantage ground was quitted, and the excellent order they were in, and an advance made towards the enemy, as well as might be. By that time they had marched about a mile and an half, the horse of the enemy was discerned to stand upon a high ground about Naseby; whence seeing the manner of the king's march, in a full campaign, they had leisure and opportunity to place themselves, with all the advantages they could desire. The prince's natural heat and impatience could never endure an enemy long in his view; nor believe that they had the courage to endure his charge. And so the army was engaged before the cannon was turned, or the ground made choice of upon which they were to fight so that courage was only to be relied upon, where all conduct failed so much. It was about ten of the clock when the battle began: the first charge was given by prince Rupert; who, with his own, and his brother prince Maurice's troop, performed it with his usual vigour; and was so well seconded, that he bore down all before him, and was master of six pieces of the rebels' best cannon. The lord Astley, with his foot, though against the hill, advanced upon their foot; who discharged their cannon at them, but overshot them, and so did their musketeers too. For the foot on either side hardly saw each other till they were within carabine shot, and so only gave one volley; the king's foot, according to their usual custom, falling in with their swords, and the butt-ends of their muskets; with which they did very notable execution, and put the enemy into great disorder and confusion. The right wing of horse and foot being thus fortunately engaged and advanced, the left wing, under sir Marmaduke Langdale, in five bodies, advanced with equal resolution; and was encountered by Cromwell, who commanded the fight wing of the enemy's horse, with seven bodies greater and more numerous than either of the other; and had, besides the odds in number, the advantage of the ground; for the king's horse were obliged to march up the hill, before they could charge them yet they did their duty, as well as the place, and great inequality of numbers, would enable them to do. But being flanked on both sides by the enemy's horse, and pressed hard, before they could get to the top of the hill, they gave back, and fled farther and faster than became them. Four of the enemy's bodies, close, and in good order, followed them, that they might not rally again; which they never thought of doing; and the rest charged the king's foot, who had till then so much the advantage over theirs; whilst prince Rupert, with the right wing, pursued those horse which he had broken and defeated.

The king's reserve of horse, which was his own guards, with himself in the head of them, were even ready to charge those horse who followed his left wing, when, on a sudden, such a panic fear seized upon them, that they all run near a quarter of a mile without stopping; which happened upon an extraordinary accident, that hath seldom fallen out, and might well disturb and disorder very resolute troops, as those were the best horse in the army. The king, as was said before, was even upon the point of charging the enemy, in the head of his guards, when the earl of Carnewarth, who rode next to him, (a man never suspected for infidelity, nor one from whom the king would have received counsel in such a case,) on a sudden, laid his hand on the bridle of the king's horse, and swearing two or three full mouthed Scottish oaths, (for of that nation he was,) said, "Will you go upon your death in an instant?" and, before his majesty understood what he would have, turned his horse round; upon which a word run through the troops, "that they should march

to the right hand;" which was both from charging the enemy, or assisting their own men. And upon this they all turned their horses, and rode upon the spur, as if they were every man to shift for himself.

It is very true, that, upon the more soldierly word stand, which was sent to run after them, many of them returned to the king; though the former unlucky word carried more from him. And by this time, prince Rupert was returned with a good body of those horse, which had attended him in his prosperous charge on the right wing; but they having, as they thought, acted their parts, could never be brought to rally themselves again in order, or to charge the enemy. And that difference was observed shortly from the beginning of the war, in the discipline of the king's troops, and of those which marched under the command of Cromwell, (for it was only under him, and had never been notorious under Essex or Waller,) that, though the king's troops prevailed in the charge, and routed those they charged, they never rallied themselves again in order, nor could be brought to make a second charge again the same day: which was the reason, that they had not an entire victory at Edge-hill whereas Cromwell's troops, if they prevailed, or though they were beaten, and routed, presently rallied again, and stood in good order, till they received new orders. All that the king and prince could do, could not rally their broken troops, which stood in sufficient numbers upon the field, though they often endeavoured it, with the manifest hazard of their own persons. So that, in the end, the king was compelled to quit the field, and to leave Fairfax master of all his foot, cannon, and baggage; amongst which was his own cabinet, where his most secret papers were, and letters between the queen and him; of which they shortly after made that barbarous use as was agreeable to their natures, and published them in print; that is, so much of them, as they thought would asperse either of their majesties, and improve the prejudice they had raised against them; and concealed other parts, which would have vindicated them from many particulars with which they had aspersed them.

It will not be seasonable, in this place, to mention the names of those noble persons who were lost in this battle; when the king and the kingdom were lost in it; though there were above one hundred and fifty officers, and gentlemen of prime quality, dead upon the spot; whose memories ought to be preserved. The enemy

left no manner of barbarous cruelty unexercised that day; and in the pursuit killed above one hundred women, whereof some were the wives of officers of quality. The king and prince Rupert, with the broken troops, marched by Leicester that night to Ashby de la Zouch.

MONTROSE'S EFFORTS FOR THE KING.

SIR WALTER SCOTT.

MONTROSE's first plan was to collect a body of royalist horse on the frontiers of England, to burst at once into the centre of Scotland at their head, and force his way to Stirling, where a body of çavaliers had promised to assemble and unite with him. The expedition was disconcerted by a sort of mutiny among the English horse who had joined him; in consequence of which, Montrose disbanded his handful of followers, and exhorted them to make their way to the king, or to the nearest body of men in arms for the royal cause, while he himself adopted a new and more desperate plan. He took with him only two friends, and disguised himself as the groom of one of them, whom he followed, ill mounted and worse dressed, and leading

a spare horse. They called themselves gentlemen belonging to Leven's army; for, of course, if Montrose had been discovered by the Covenanting party, a rigorous captivity was the least he might expect. At one time he seemed on the point of being detected. A straggling soldier passed his two companions, and coming up to Montrose, saluted him respectfully by his name and title. Montrose tried to persuade him that he was mistaken; but the man persisted, though with the utmost respect and humility of deportment. "Do I not know my noble Lord of Montrose?" he said; "But go your way, and God be with you." The circumstance alarmed Montrose and his companions; but the poor fellow was faithful, and never betrayed his old leader.

In this disguise he reached the verge of the Highlands, and lay concealed in the house of his relation, Graham of Inchbraco, and afterwards, for still greater safety, in an obscure hut on the Highland frontier, while he despatched spies in every direction, to bring him intelligence of the state of the royalist party. Bad news came from all quarters. The marquis of Huntley had taken arms hastily and imprudently, and had been defeated and compelled to fly; while Gordon of Haddow, the most active and gallant gentleman of the name, was made prisoner, and, to strike terror into the rest of the clan, was publicly executed by order of the Scottish parliament.

Montrose's spirit was not to be broken even by this disappointment; and, while anxiously awaiting further intelligence, an indistinct rumour reached him that a body of soldiers from Ireland had landed in the West Highlands, and were wandering in the mountains, followed and watched by Argyle with a strong party of his clan. Shortly after, he learned, by a messenger despatched on purpose, that this was the promised body of auxiliaries sent to him from Ulster by the earl of Antrim. Their commander was Alaster MacDonald, a Scoto-Irishman, I believe, of the Antrim family. He was called Coll Kittoch, or Colkitto, from his being lefthanded; a very brave and daring man, but vain and opinionative, and wholly ignorant of regular warfare. Montrose sent orders to him to march with all speed into the district of Athole, and despatched emissaries to raise the gentlemen of that country in arms, as they were generally well affected to the king's cause. He himself set out to join this little band, attired in an ordinary highland garb, and accompanied only by Inchbraco as his guide. The Irish were surprised and disappointed to see their expected general appear so poorly dressed and attended; nor had Montrose greater reason to congratulate himself on the appearance of his army. The force which had assembled did not exceed fifteen hundred Irish, instead of the thousands promised, and these were but indifferently armed and appointed, while only a few Highlanders from Badenoch were yet come to the appointed rendezvous. These active mountain warriors, however, few as they were, had, a day or two before, come to blows with the Covenanters. Macpherson of Cluny, chief of his name, had sent out a party of men, under Macpherson of Invereshie, to look out for Montrose, who was anxiously expected in the Highlands. They beheld the approach of a detached body of horse, which they concluded was the escort of their expected general. But when they drew nearer, the Macphersons found it to be several troops of the cavalry of the Covenanters, commanded by colonel Herries, and quartered in Glencairn, for the purpose of keeping the Highlanders in check. While the horsemen were advancing in formidable superiority of numbers, Invereshie, who was drawing up his Highlanders for action, observed one of them in the act of stooping; and as he lifted his stick to strike him for such conduct in the face of the enemy, the Highlander arose, and proved to be Macpherson of Dalifour, one of the boldest men of the clan. Much surprised, Invereshie demanded how he, of all men, could think of stooping before an enemy. "I was only fastening a spur on the heel of my