CHAPTER IX.
BEFORE NASEBY.
Sitting in my chamber in the month of June, in the year 1645--Iremember that it was St. Barnabas' Day, and that Master Chalfont, whowas Sub-Rector of Lincoln College, had preached that morning at St.Mary's Church--comes a knock at my outer door, which I had shut,fearing hindrances to my study; for in those days there was scarce aplace in the whole kingdom less given to study than Oxford. At thefirst I heeded it not; for what would it have profited, having shutthe door, to open it on the first occasion? But when the knocking grewmore urgent I called through the door, "Who knocks?" to which came ananswer in a voice that I seemed to know, "Open, Master Philip, 'tis anurgent matter." When I heard this "Master Philip," I understood thatthe voice was of John Talboys, that was a trooper in my father'sregiment, and born, too, of a family that had been servants, ay, andfriends, to ours for many generations, and was in great trust withhim. So I opened the door in no small trepidation; but when I saw thegood fellow's face I knew that it was no ill-tidings that he brought."What news, John, from the army? How fares it with my father?"
"Your father was well when I left him yesterday morning: but take thisletter; it will tell you more than any words of mine."
So I took the letter, which was written on a scrap of paper about thebigness of a mulberry leaf, for the convenience of hiding if occasionarose; or, it might be, of swallowing, if the hiding could not beotherwise contrived. It ran thus:
_"My dear son Philip,--It irks me much to draw you away yet again from your studies, yet it is, to my mind, a plain necessity so to do. Hear now the cause, which I will put as shortly as it is possible, lest, haply, this writing should fall under less friendly eyes than yours. 'Tis plain to me, from signs that I see, that a great battle will be fought within a few days, by which the King's cause shall be made or marred; and I hold that every man who can strike a blow for his sacred Majesty, and is not kept away by some necessity, should be here to do his duty. Of myself I speak not, save only that I would fain have you with me. Do all your diligence, then, to come. John Talboys, the bearer of this epistle, and not unknown to you, will be your guide. God keep you._
_"Your loving Father,
"Philip Dashwood._
_"Writ at Daintree, in the county of Northampton, the tenth day of June, at four of the clock before noon."_
"Well, John," I said, when I had read this letter, "What say you toall this? But stay"--for when I looked at him I saw that he was paleand weary, and, had he been less stalwart and strong, almost like tofaint--"speak not till I fetch you somewhat."
With that I ran out of College and fetched in a flagon of ale and amanchet of bread, with some cheese, from the _Maidenhead_ tavern,for the buttery was not yet open, it being not yet noon. It wasagainst law to fetch such things from without, and I was commonlylaw-abiding, but the need was urgent. Therefore, I hesitated not totransgress, and to hide my transgression also under my academichabiliments, the scholars' gown having full sleeves that are notill-contrived on occasion to conceal a flagon or the like.
I perceived John's eyes glitter when he saw the meat and drink; andwhen he had taken a deep draught of the ale, and a few mouthfuls ofthe bread, he said:
"This is right welcome, Master Philip. I have not had bit nor supsince I left the King's army at Daintree yesterday morning about fiveof the clock, save only a crust of bread which a good parson gave meat Banbury yesterday evening. The good man had nothing better forhimself, for the Parliament men had stripped him bare. I know not whenI have tasted better ale than this."
But this was John's fancy, bred, I take it, of his long fasting. Itwas but poor drink, and nothing to be compared with that of our ownbuttery.
"And now, sir," he went on, "for business. My good master, theColonel, wants you to bear him company. He read me the letter after hehad written it, so that if there came occasion to destroy the paper Imight give its substance by word of mouth. It is not the easiest thingin the world to make our way hence to the King; but I have a good hopethat we shall. I know every by-road and hiding-place in the country,and 'tis hard if I contrive not to give the slip to these crop-earedpsalm-singing gentry. I must needs give my horse a rest, and you willneed some time for your making yourself ready. What say you to ten ofthe clock this night for our setting out? We shall pass the worst ofthe country while it is still dark."
"But tell me, John," I said; "is it going well with the King?"
"'Tis not," he answered, "for a common man to speak; but, as you ask,I will say that I like not the aspect of affairs. We have men, thoughnot so many as they; the gentlefolk are mostly with us, but thecommonalty are greatly against us. But 'tis counsel that we chieflylack. The Prince Rupert is in great authority; and as he has lost usalready one battle, so, I misdoubt me, he will lose us another. And Ihear of one Cromwell, a brewer by trade, they say, that is a mightydangerous enemy. It was he that turned the battle against the King atMarston Moor, and, if I err not, we shall hear of him again. And now Iwill get some sleep, if I can, and at ten of the clock to-night, atthe North Gate, I shall reckon to see you."
I had little preparation to make. Leave of absence from the Rector Ijudged it better to take rather than to ask. My good beast Spot was, Iknew, at my service when I should need him, for it had been soarranged, and my accoutrements I kept, not in my chamber at College,but at the tavern where Spot was stabled. So, after I had seen that myhorse and arms should be ready for me at the time appointed, I hadlittle else to do than make my farewells to my friends. First I wentto Master Webberley, who was, as I have said, well affected to theKing, and told him my purpose. Of this he greatly approved, and gaveme his blessing, and, as a token of his good will, a flask of sherrysack. We agreed that when inquiry of my absence should be made, heshould answer that I had been called away by an urgent demand from myfather that would not brook delay. It fell out by great good-luck thatfor the day there was none other Fellow within the College but MasterWebberley, the others having gone to see an estate that the Collegepossesses near to this city. Nor did I go back to the College aftertaking leave of him, fearing lest some one should stay me and askquestions, but passed the remainder of the day with my mother andsister. My dear mother was sorely divided between two desires; forwhile she would gladly have kept me with her, she did also greatlywish that I should be with my father, believing that we should besafer together. Yet, though she was convinced of this, and, indeed,reckoned the chance higher than it deserved, yet it troubled her muchto think that we should both be running into the same danger at thesame time. Her poor heart was sadly distracted this way and that. Thisis the unhappiness of women that they have ever a choice, though,indeed, it is a choice but in name only, between evils of which theycannot say which is the more to be dreaded or the worse to bear. Mymother gave me many messages, and would have laden me and my horsebeyond all possibility of moving with good things, an I had notrefused them. She seemed to think that I had a waggon at the least tofollow me, carrying what I might want. I remember her great concernwhen I told her that I should sleep on the ground in my cloak. She wasurgent with me that I should take a mattress with me, and would havegiven me one off her own bed. I had no small difficulty to persuadeher that the thing was impossible. After that I was content to tellher something less than the whole truth about our life in the camp;for she followed me beyond the door, bidding me never to put on cleanlinen that had not been first aired at the fire.
It favoured us much that the night was dark as could well be atmidsummer, with such a roaring of the wind, which was more thancommonly stormy for that season of the year, that the noise of ourhorses' hoofs could scarcely have been heard at twenty yards'distance. We journeyed, too, by green lanes and by-ways, which JohnTalboys knew marvellously well, rather than by high roads.Nevertheless, we did not draw rein, save for a few minutes' breathingspace, till we came to Brackley, which is a small market town in thecounty of Northampton, lying south by west of Banbury. We halted aboutha
lf-a-mile short of the town, where was a farmhouse that had beendeserted during the present troubles. We bestowed ourselves and ourhorses in a barn, and laid ourselves down to sleep, Talboys firsttaking some whiffs of tobacco, a herb in which he professes to findmuch comfort. "Trouble not yourself, Master Philip," he said, beforehe slept, "to wake over early; for we must be content to pass the dayhere, and that without company, if we would not fall into the hands ofour enemies." I verily believe that it was noon before I awoke; for Iwas much wearied by my ride, having been pent up in the city fornearly a twelvemonth, and my legs never once across a horse's back.
I had just roused myself, and was looking about me, half-dazed, as aman will sometimes be with a long slumber, when I heard a whistle, towhich straightway John whistles an answer. Thereupon an old manthrusts his head in at the door, and presently follows with his wholebody. He was a parson, a man, I should say, of sixty or thereabouts,his hair quite white, his face ruddy, with as merry a look in his eyesas ever man had. He had a priest's cloak on him, which he threw off sosoon as he came within the door.
"Now beshrew this cloak," he said, with a laugh; "'tis cumbrous wearfor a midsummer day; but 'tis a rare thing if one has ought to hide;better than a college gown; eh, Master Scholar?" Then we saw that hehad something in his hand wrapped in a napkin, which, when he hadunfolded, we saw a roasted capon.
"Ah!" he said; "if the King had had such politicians about him as Iam, he had been better served. Hear now how you have come by yourdinner. My good housekeeper, Dorothy Leggats, serves me up this capon,one of a couple that a neighbour brought me yesterday. Now an I hadtold her that I needed it for you, first there would have been loudcomplainings, for the good woman believes in her heart that I starvemyself; then she would have gone 'clack, clack' over the wholevillage, for the good woman can no more keep a secret than a sieve canhold water. So, says I, rubbing my hands; 'That is a goodly sight fora hungry man, Dorothy, but I have business on hand, affairs of State,you understand, and I must not be disturbed for three hours at theleast. So if anyone come you must say that the parson has shut himselfin his chamber, and cannot be spoken with.' So I lock the door on her,and slip out of the window, which, by good fortune, is near the road,and here I am."
"We thank you much, sir;" I said, "but where shall you get your owndinner?"
"Nay," answered the good man, "let me care for that. 'Tis little thatI can do for his Majesty, and I should be a bad subject if I shouldthink of myself when there are two stout soldiers in need, that canstrike a blow for him, which my cloth forbids me to do. I shall makemy Friday fast to-day, and give myself indulgence for flesh and fowl,if such fall in my way, when Friday itself shall come."
"Ah! Master Parson," said John, "I reckon that you fast on other daysthan Friday. But come, take a morsel with us; for there is more thanenough for us two."
We had some trouble to persuade him; but at the last he consented toshare with us; and a right jovial meal we had, though we had nothingstronger to drink than a pitcher of water that John had drawn from thewell in the farmyard the night before. The good parson stayed talkingwith us till, as he said, his time was out. He had been at Oxford, atSt. John's College, about forty years before, when the Archbishop ofCanterbury whom the Parliament so barbarously put to death, was histutor. Of him he had many things to say, of which I will here set downone. "They did him an ill turn that brought him to Court, and put himin the way of preferment and of office in the State. It had been wellfor him as for the realm also if he had had no higher place than to bepresident of his college. Learning never had a more duteous son northe King a worse counsellor."
When it was time for the good man to go he was much concerned to partfrom us. "Were I ten years younger," said he, "I would ride with you,cloth or no cloth. There are days when it may be said, 'Let him thathath no sword sell his cloak and buy one,' though, to speak the truth,I could not buy much with this of mine, so threadbare is it andragged. But an old man like me is best at home; I can pray for hisMajesty in the church so long as they suffer me to keep it, and whenthey turn me out, if they extinguish my voice, still my thoughts willbe free. And now, my sons, take my blessing."
So he blessed us and went his way. We two lay hiding till it grewdark, and then setting out arrived without misadventure at BurroughHill, where the King lay. We saw the light of Sir Thomas Fairfax'scamp at Kislingbury on our right hand, and once were constrained tohide ourselves in a thicket, so near came some of the enemy'shorsemen. But scarce had we come to his Majesty's camp ('twas aboutfour of the clock in the morning) when there comes an order that thearmy should march, the King proposing to go towards Newark, where hehad a strong garrison, with whom, as with other forces which heexpected, he could strengthen himself. It had been well had he doneso! So accordingly we set fire to the huts and departed, making ashort stage to Market Harborough, where we rested that night, that isto say the van of the army, for the rear was at Naseby, his Majestyhimself sleeping at Lubbenham, which lies between the two. I had goneto bed betimes, being not a little wearied with my journey, havingridden two nights. (It is commonly thought among soldiers thatjourneying will weary a man by night more than by day, for all that hemay so shun the heat, it being against nature to wake at such hours.)I had scarce slept an hour (to me it seemed but five minutes, so wearywas I with sleep) when there comes an alarm, the rear coming in withno small confusion from Naseby, where the Parliament men had suddenlyfallen upon them, and, taking some prisoners, had driven the restnorthward. I perceived that there was small hope of sleep that night,and so rose and made ready for what might happen. I was quartered withmy father (whom his Majesty would always have near him) in a house inthe village, and coming out into the street, saw the King set out forHarborough, where the Prince Rupert lay, my father riding with him inthe carriage. This was about an hour before midnight. In the space ofthree hours or thereabouts my father comes back. There was a cloudupon his face, and I could see that he was ill-pleased. "We areresolved to fight," says he, "and 'twill be a marvel if we are notwell beaten. I was at the Council by his Majesty's favour, and heardthe debate, though it did not become one of my station to thrust in myvoice. The greater part were urgent for battle, the Prince beingespecially vehement. Reason for fighting heard I none from him or fromany other; but his Highness's pride was affronted because theParliament men had fallen upon the King's army. They must teach theRoundheads, forsooth, to bear themselves more modestly, as if that wasgood reason for putting the whole future of the realm upon the cast ofa die. For 'tis nothing less than that, son Philip. If we be beatento-day, and I fear much that we shall, there is an end to the King'scause. The King was for delay and gathering his forces together, butwas overborne, and gave way, as indeed it is too much his failing todo, to these hot-blooded youngsters, who think that war is but amatter of hard blows. But come, we must be moving; the army is to bedrawn together about a mile south from Harborough."
With the King at Oxford: A Tale of the Great Rebellion Page 10