1651

CROMWELL ENCOURAGES PARLIAMENT

31

answer the inconveniences above mentioned, we understand not."

and en

66

Cromwell, in short, held that he had done the best possible thing under the actual circumstances, though if his army had been twice as numerous as it was he could have done courages the better. It remained to bid fainting spirits at WestParliament. minster-if any there were to be of good cheer. "We pray therefore," he went on, that-seeing there is a possibility for the enemy to put you to some trouble—you would, with the same courage grounded upon a confidence in God, wherein you have been supported to the great things God hath used you in hitherto, improve,' the best you can, such forces as you have in readiness as may on the sudden be gathered together to give the enemy some check until we shall be able to reach up to him, which we trust in the Lord we shall do our utmost endeavour in. And indeed we have this comfortable experience from the Lord, that this enemy is heart-smitten by God, and whenever the Lord shall bring us up to them, we believe the Lord will make the desperateness of this counsel of theirs to appear and the folly of it also. When England was much more unsteady than now, and when a much more considerable army of theirs unfoiled invaded you; and we had but a weak force to make resistance at Preston, upon deliberate advice we chose rather to put ourselves between their army and Scotland, and how God succeeded that, is not well to be forgotten." "

Harrison had already sped on his errand without waiting for further orders.3 Instructions were sent after him to gather

1 'You would improve,' as printed in Several Proceedings, and in Cary. 2 Cromwell to Lenthall, Aug. 4, Several Proceedings, E, 786, 32; Cary, Mem. of the Civil War, ii. 291, printed, with slight alterations, in Carlyle, Letter clxxx. The original is in Tanner MSS. liv. vol. 130.

3 Harrison and others to Cromwell, Aug. 2, Milton State Papers, 71. The date given is, according to a custom beginning to spring up amongst religious enthusiasts (see vol. i. 296, note 4), the second day of the fifth month, which usually means July, where the editor has placed it. Internal evidence shows it to have been written in August, Harrison counting April as the first month instead of March.

1

Aug. 5. Instructions to Lambert

and

Harrison.

Aug 7. Harrison's confidence.

what horse and dragoons he could, and to march against the enemy, doing his best to outflank them, shorten their provisions, and fall upon them as opportunity arose. Lambert, with 3,000 horse, was detached to hang upon their rear. Cromwell himself, with the infantry and a competent body of horse, started from Leith on the 6th. On the 5th Harrison had reached Newcastle, where he stayed awhile to collect his scattered forces. On the 7th he was able to announce that he had 3,000 horse under his orders, besides some foot which he had mounted for swiftness sake. Like Cromwell, Harrison was full of confidence in the future. 66 'So," he wrote, "that the Lord hath now tempted out the enemy from all his trenches, fastnesses, and advantages, and we doubt not but He will very speedily discomfit him, and cut this work short in righteousness." In a letter to the Yorkshire Committee his exultant enthusiasm was even more conspicuous. "Considering," he wrote, "the battle is the Lord's and not ours, and it is alike to Him to save by few or many, I hope we may be useful in this juncture, though we be few, mean, and none more unworthy. The Lord quicken you, me, and all that profess to fear Him to give diligence in our stations, to quit ourselves as the friends of Christ, against the men that will not have Him to reign, though God hath sworn He will set His Son upon His holy hill, and they that oppose Him shall be broken in pieces like a potter's vessel. The enemy's hope is that Englishmen will be so mad as to join with them-seeing they have lost their credit with their own countrymen—which we hope God will prevent in a good measure by your hands, and also lift up a standard against them.” 1

Whether Englishmen would join them was indeed the only question left for the Scots. But for that hope, their march from Stirling was one of simple desperation. That Charles should have urged it indeed requires no explanation.

1 Lambert to Harrison, Aug. 5; Harrison to the Yorkshire Committee, Aug. 6; Harrison to Bradshaw, Aug. 7; Cary's Mem. of the Civil Wars, ii. 295–303.

He was weary of Scotland and its sour tyrannies, and the thought of again setting foot on English soil was too exhilarating to be resisted. To his officers, now that Cromwell had cut them off from their supplies, it seemed to offer the only chance of escape from an impracticable situation. On July 31 the whole army, some 20,000 strong, was streaming away in the direction of Carlisle. Leven, with the Earl of Crawford and Lindsay as his Lieutenant General, was left behind to rouse the North, if that

July 31. The Scot

tish army leaves Stirling.

Argyle leaves it.

proved any longer possible. Argyle with Loudoun and his other supporters refused to take part in the enterprise and returned to their homes. Prudence at least was on the side of Argyle's determination. If the attempt failed, it would bring destruction on himself; if it succeeded, it would but insure the triumph of the English Cavaliers, or of his own bitter enemies, the Hamiltons and the Engagers. Yet the retreat of Argyle, necessary as it was, marks a descent which he would never be able to retrieve. He had disgusted all parties, because, though he was in some respects wiser than any, he had not dared to uphold in the day of peril the standard he had himself raised in more prosperous times.

the Hamil

tonian

party.

The departure of Argyle and his party was welcome to the Engagers. "All the rogues have left us," wrote Hamilton to an Triumph of English friend after Penrith had been reached, "I shall not say whether from fear or disloyalty; but all now with his Majesty are such as will not dispute his commands." Of success, indeed, the writer was far from confident. "The last thing I did," declared the Duke, "was to drink your health with Laird Thomas, Daniel O'Neill, and Lauderdale, who are all now laughing at the ridiculousness of

Blair's Life, 279. I take the numbers from Lord Wentworth's letter to Crofts, Cary's Mem. of the Civil War, ii. 303. On the other hand, Sir James Turner (Memoirs, 94) writes: "The horse and dragoons might be about 4,000; and the foot, as I reckoned them that day we marched from Stirling Park, were upwards of 9,000." The larger estimate seems to agree better with subsequent accounts, and Turner's memory may have been at fault when he wrote his Memoirs.

1651

A DESPERATE MARCH

35

our condition who have quit Scotland being scarce able to maintain it, and yet we grasp at all,—and nothing but all will Hamilton's Satisfy us -or to lose all. I confess I cannot tell despair. whether our hopes or fears are greatest; but we have one stout argument-despair." 1

Few Eng

lishmen join the Scots.

Hamilton's despair must have deepened as the doomed army pursued its course. From Carlisle onwards scarcely an Englishman joined the ranks. If there was a county in England where help might be expected that county was Lancashire, where Roman Catholics and Presbyterians formed so large a part of the population. Yet even in Lancashire the recruits were deplorably few and the desertions many. Whatever might be said of Charles, the Scots were decidedly unpopular in England, and even if it had been otherwise, the invaders had no arms to supply to those who might be induced to join them.

Action

of the

Council

of State.

In the meanwhile the Council of State had, in full confidence of success, been making every preparation to counteract the design of the enemy. The militia of the counties threatened was called out.2 Orders were given to collect an army of 8,000 foot and 2,000 horse in reserve to protect London and Westminster. What was of greater importance was that the militia obeyed the summons. No doubt the men were selected men, but that many thousands of even selected men should have rallied to the defence of the Commonwealth is good evidence that, whether Parliament was unpopular or not, Scottish invaders were still more unpopular.

At one time there was reason to hope that the invasion might be stayed. Lambert and Harrison effected a junction on

Hamilton to Crofts, Aug. 8, Cary's Mem. of the Civil War, ii. 305. This letter was intercepted.

2 C. of St. to the Militia Commissioners of the counties of York and Lancaster, Aug. 7, Interr. I, 96, p. 333; C. of St. to the Militia Commissioners of the counties of Middlesex and Surrey, ib. p. 343. Mrs. Hutchinson's story (Life of Colonel Hutchinson, ed. Firth, ii. 182) of the terrors of Bradshaw and the Council of State finds no support in any other contemporary authority.