Reign of Charles I. (Continued.) page 7

The parliament now made a new great seal, and passed under it no less than five hundred writs in one day. All other events, however, were sunk into comparative insigficance by one which now occurred. Prince Rupert had extended his flying excursions of cavalry, and committed great depreciations in Gloucestershire, Wilts, Hants, and: even as far as Bath; and though the earl of Essex had his forces lying about Thame and Brickhill, in Buckinghamshire, yet he was so inert that Rupert burst into both Bucks and Berkshire in his very face. Colonel Hurry, who had gone over from Essex to the king, now informed Rupert that two parliamentary regiments were lying at Wycombe, apart from the rest of the army, and easy to be cut off. The fiery prince at once determined to make a night attack upon them. He trotted away from Oxford on the 17th of June with two thousand horsemen, rode past Thame, where Essex was lying, without any opposition, and reached the hamlet of Postcombe at three o'clock in the morning. Here, to their surprise, they found a body of horse posted to stop them. Hampden, in fact, who ought to have been at the head of the army, had been uneasy about the unprotected condition of the two regiments at Wycombe, and had in vain urged Essex to call in the outposts from Wycombe, Postcombe, and Chinnor. Not being able to rouse him to this prudent measure, he continued on the alert, and hearing of the inarch of Rupert in that direction, despatched a trooper in all haste to Essex, to advise him to move a body of horse and foot instantly to Chiselhampton Bridge, the only place where Rupert could cross the Cherwell. Not satisfied with this, he himself rode with some cavalry in that direction, and found Rupert on the field of Chalgrove, in the midst of the standing corn. On being checked at Postcombe, Rupert had diverged to Chinnor, surprised the outpost there, killed fifty men, and captured sixty others. On descrying Hampden's detachment coming down Beacon Hill, he posted himself in the wide field of Chalgrove, where he was attacked by the troops of captains Gunter and Sheffield, with whom Hampden had ridden. They boldly attacked Rupert, but Gunter was soon slain, and Hampden, who was impatiently looking for Essex's reinforcements, but in vain, rode up to lead on Gunter’s troopers to the charge, and received a mortal wound. He did not fall, but feeling his death blow, wheeled round his horse, and rode away towards the house of his father-in-law at Pyrton, whence he married his first wife, whose early death had made such a change in him. The soldiers of Rupert barred the way in that direction, and he made for Thame, and reached the house of Ezekiel Browne. He still continued to live for a week, and spent the time with what strength he had in urging on the parliament a correction of the palpable military errors of the campaign, and especially the dilatory motions of Essex, which, in fact, had cost him his life. He expired on the 24th of June, and was buried in his own parish church at Hampden, followed to the grave by his regiment of green-coats with reversed arms and muffled drums.

The news of this national disaster spread dismay through London and over the whole country. The prudence, the zeal, and activity united in Hampden, had made him one of the most efficient men in the house and in the field. The suavity of his manners, the generosity of his disposition, the soundness of his judgment, had won him universal confidence. It was clearly seen that nothing but the deepest and most patriotic concern for the real welfare of the country, animated him. Though he was conscientiously convinced of the mischief of political bishops, he was attached to the doctrines of the church of England; and though he was, like Pym, firmly persuaded that nothing but the strongest obligations, the most imperative necessity, would ever tie down Charles to an observance of the limits of the constitution, he was far from dreaming of his death, or of sweeping away the monarchy to make way for a republic. A little more time must have placed him at the head of the army, and, with such a right hand man as Cromwell, must have soon terminated the campaign. His death seemed like a general defeat, and struck the deepest and most lasting sorrow into the public mind. Time, only, has increased the veneration for the name of John Hampden, which has become the watchword of liberty, and the object of popular appeal in every great crisis.

Other discouragements fell on the parliament at the same period. The earl of Newcastle had established so strong a power in the north, that he had reduced the resistance of the Fairfaxes to almost nothing. His army abounded with papists, and was officered by many renegade Scots, amongst them, conspicuous, Sir John Henderson. He had possession of Newark Castle, and even repulsed Cromwell in Lincolnshire. But his greatest triumph was in seducing the Hothams, father and son, and nearly succeeding in obtaining possession of Hull from their treason. Newcastle had defeated the Fairfaxes at Atherton Moor, and if Hull was lost, all was lost in the north. It was therefore proposed to put Hull into the hands of lord Fairfax and his son Sir Thomas, which probably hastened the defection of the Hothams. The plot, however, was discovered in time; the Hothams were seized, their papers secured, their letters intercepted, the whole treason made open to the daylight, and the delinquents shipped off to London. Great as had been their services in Hull, their apostacy wiped away all past merits, and they were condemned and executed on Tower Hill.

These melancholy events were considerably softened, by the growing successes of Cromwell, who seemed to be almost everywhere at once, always fighting, mostly successful On the 13th of March he dashed into St. Albans, and seized the sheriff, who was enrolling soldiers by the king's writ, and sent him off to London. On the 17th he marched from Norwich and took Lowestoff, with a number of prisoners, amongst them Sir Thomas Barker, Sir John Pettus, and Sir John Wentworth, who were glad to compromise with good fines, Wentworth paying one thousand pounds. He next made an attempt to wrest Newark Castle from the earl of Newcastle, but in vain, it stood out to the end of the war f but he raised the siege of Croyland, made his appearance at Nottingham and Lynn, and in July he defeated Newcastle's troops near Grantham, took Burghleigh House and Stamford, and before the month closed, fought a stout battle under the walls of Gainsborough to relieve lord Willoughby, who was sorely pressed in that town by Newcastle's forces, and but for Cromwell's timely march to his aid, would have been cut to pieces. Cromwell attacked the besiegers on some sandhills near the town, dispersed them, and killed general Cavendish, a cousin of Newcastle's. After this exploit, however, Newcastle's main army came down upon them, and they were compelled to retreat to Lincoln, and even beyond it.

Meantime, the parliamentary affairs went greatly wrong in the west. Waller, who had gained the name of conqueror by his rapid reduction of Portsmouth, Winchester, Malmsbury, and Hereford, was now defeated with an army eight thousand strong by prince Maurice, near Bath, and by lord Wilmot, near Devizes. His whole army was dispersed, and he hastened to London, to complain of the inaction of Essex being the cause of his failure. The army of Essex itself, indeed, distinguished itself this summer so far only by inaction, whilst Rupert in the west laid siege to Bristol, and in three days made himself master of it, through the incapacity of Fiennes, the governor, who was tried by a council of war and sentenced to death, but pardoned by Essex with loss of his commission.

The king's brightening fortunes enabled the queen to march from Newark on the 3rd of July, by Ashby, Walsal, King's Norton, to Stratford-on-Avon. In the native town of Shakespeare, Rupert and his cavaliers received her with acclamations, and on the 11th held a son of jubilee there in her honour. The king, at the head of a regiment of horse, met her and her triumphant train on Edge Hill, which he considered the field of his first victory. They were received in Oxford with wonderful triumph: Henrietta was regarded as a heroine bringing victory, and the poets of the university rivalled each other in songs to her glory. One of these is so full of the spirit and events of the time, that it deserves quoting: -

"When gallant Grenville stoutly stood
And stopped the gap up with his Mood,
When Hopton led his Cornish band
Where the sly Conqueror durst not stand,
We knew the queen was nigh at hand.
When great Newcastle so came forth,
As hi nine days he scoured the north,
When Fairfax' vast, perfidious force
Was shrunk to live invisible horse,
When none but lady - staid to fight,
We knew our queen was come in sight.
When with Carnarvon, who still hit
With his keen blade and keener wit,
Stood Wilmot, Byron, Crawford, who
Struck yesterday a glorious blow,
When Waller could but bleed and fret,
Then - then the sacred couple met."

A medal was struck at Oxford to commemorate the queen's arrival, and there she kept her court till April of the next year. In their domestic relations Charles and his queen were an example of affection and amiability worthy of all admiration. Charles was proud of his queen, and loved to lean on her opinions. He had no longer any great favourites or counsellors but her, and with his spirit of attachment to somebody, and his habit of relying on some one's advice, he now concentrated all this trust and regard on the queen, who was too much guided by her passions to be a safe adviser. Clarendon takes a very clear view of this - "The king's affection to the queen was a composition of conscience, generosity, and gratitude, and all those noble affections which raise the passions to the greatest height, inasmuch that he saw with her eyes, and determined with her judgment. Not only did he pay her this adoration, but he desired that all men should know that he was swayed by her; and this was not good for either of them. The queen was a lady of great beauty, excellent -wit and humour, and made him a just return of her noblest affections, so that they were the true idea of conjugal attachment in the age in which they lived. . . . . It was her majesty's misfortune, and that of the kingdom, that she had no one about her to advise and inform her of the temper of the people." She discovered this, and bitterly bewailed it when it was too late.

It was imagined that Charles, being now reinforced by a number of French and Walloons who came with the queen, and strengthened by victory, would make a grand attempt on the capital. There was no little alarm there: Essex, who had done nothing through the summer but watch his men melt away from his standard, recommended parliament to come to terms with him, and the lords were greatly of his opinion. Many of them were ready to run off to the king on the first opportunity - Bedford, Holland, Northumberland, and Clare, father of Denzell Hollis, were strongly suspected, and soon after proved that it was not unjustly. Four nobles had been appointed to raise new forces, but, seeing how things were going, all declined their commissions except lord Kimbolton, now by the death of his father become earl of Manchester. He accepted the command of the eastern association, having Cromwell and three other colonels under him, and soon had a fine force in those counties.

Parliament, listening to neither Essex nor the fainthearted fears of the peers, refused to open fresh negotiations with the king. They called on the Londoners to invigorate their train-bands, and to put the city into a state of defence; and their call was zealously responded to. Ladies, as well as gentlemen, turned out and handled spades and pickaxes in casting up an intrenchment all round the city. Pym and St. John were sent to the army, and seemed to infuse a new spirit into Essex, pronouncing him sound in the cause. Charles, if he ever thought of attacking the city, seeing the spirit there, turned his attention to the west, and invested the city of Gloucester, Essex was despatched to relieve that city, and made a march much more active and efficient than was his wont. He set out on the 26th of August, and on the night of the tenth day - though he had been harassed on his way by the flying troopers of Rupert and lord Wilmot - that is on the 5th of September, the people of Gloucester saw his signal fires on the top of Presbury Hill, amid the rain and darkness. The king also saw them, fired his tents in the morning, and marched away. From that hour the prospects of Charles grew gloomier.

Essex having relieved Gloucester, and left a good garrison there under the brave governor, colonel Massey, made the best of his way back again, lest the king should outstrip him, and take up his position before London. Charles had not neglected the attempt to cut off his return. At Auborne Chase he was attacked by the flying squadrons of Rupert, and after beating them off, he found the king posted the next day across his way at Newbury. The royal army was posted along the bank of the river which runs through the place, to prevent his passage. Every part where there was a chance of the parliamentary forces attempting a crossing, was strongly defended by breastworks, and musketeers lined the houses facing the river. It was supposed that Charles could easily keep the roundheads at bay, and force them to retreat or starve. Essex drew up his forces, however, to great advantage upon an eminence called Bigg's Hill, about half a mile from the town, and Charles was prepared to wait for a chance of taking him at an advantage But the rashness of the young cavaliers under such men as Digby, Carnarvon, and Jermyn, led to skirmishes with the parliamentarians, and very soon Charles found himself so far involved, that he was obliged to give orders for a general engagement. The royal horse charged that of Essex with a recklessness amounting almost to contempt; but though they threw them into disorder, they found it a different matter with the infantry, consisting of the train-bands and apprentices of London. They received the cavaliers on their pikes, and stood as immovable as a rock, and showed such resolute and steady spirit, that they soon allowed the horse to recover itself, and the whole army fought with desperation till it was dark. The effect was such, that Charles would not risk another day of it. Waller was lying at Windsor with two thousand horse and as many foot, and should he come up as he ought, he would be hemmed in, and placed in imminent peril. But Waller lay perfectly still, and as many thought purposely, leaving the earl of Essex to take care of himself, as the earl had formerly left him at Roundaway Hill. In the morning, therefore, Essex found the king's forces withdrawn and the way open. Charles had retreated again towards Oxford, having deposited his guns and ammunition at Donnington Castle Chaucer's old residence, which lay within sight, and ordered Rupert to harass the parliament army on its march. Essex made his way to Reading, whence he hurried up to town to complain of the neglect of Waller, and to offer the surrender of his commission. This was not accepted, but the only alternative was adopted, that of withdrawing the command from Waller, which, after much reluctance, was done on the 9th of October.