APPENDIX
Note A.--Hatred of Learning among the Puritans.
In spite of the presence in their ranks of such ripe scholars as JohnMilton, Colonel Hutchinson, and others, there was among the Independentsand Anabaptists a profound distrust of learning, which is commented uponby writers of all shades of politics. Dr. South in his sermons remarksthat 'All learning was cried down, so that with them the best preacherswere such as could not read, and the best divines such as could notwrite. In all their preachments they so highly pretended to the Spirit,that some of them could hardly spell a letter. To be blind with them wasa proper qualification of a spiritual guide, and to be book-learned, asthey called it, and to be irreligious, were almost convertible terms.None save tradesmen and mechanics were allowed to have the Spirit, andthose only were accounted like St. Paul who could work with their hands,and were able to make a pulpit before preaching in it.'
In the collection of loyal ballads reprinted in 1731, the Royalist bardharps upon the same characteristic:
'We'll down with universities Where learning is professed, Because they practise and maintain The language of the beast. We'll drive the doctors out of doors, And parts, whate'er they be, We'll cry all parts and learning down, And heigh, then up go we!'
Note B.--On the Speed of Couriers.
It is difficult for us in these days of steam and electricity to realisehow long it took to despatch a message in the seventeenth century, evenwhen the occasion was most pressing. Thus, Monmouth landed at Lyme onthe morning of Thursday, the 11th of June. Gregory Alford, the Torymayor of Lyme, instantly fled to Honiton, whence he despatched amessenger to the Privy Council. Yet it was five o'clock in the morningof Saturday, the 13th, before the news reached London, though thedistance is but 156 miles.
Note C.--On the Claims of the Lender of a Horse.
The difficulty touched upon by Decimus Saxon, as to the claim of thelender of a horse upon the booty gained by the rider, is one frequentlydiscussed by writers of that date upon the usages of war. Onedistinguished authority says: Praefectus turmae equitum Hispanorum, cumproelio tuba caneret, unum ex equitibus suae turmae obvium habuit; quiquestus est quod paucis ante diebus equum suum in certamine amiserat,propter quod non poterat imminenti proelio interesse; unde jussitPraefectus ut unum ex suis equis conscenderet et ipsum comitaretur.Miles, equo conscenso, inter fugandum hostes, incidit in ipsum ducemhostilis exercitus, quem cepit et consignavit Duci exercitus Hispani,qui a captivo vicena aureorum millia est consequutus. Dicebat Praefectuspartem pretii hujus redemptionis sibi debere, quod miles equo suodimicaverat, qui alias proelio interesse non potuit. Petrinus Bellusaffirmat se, cum esset Bruxellis in curia Hispaniarum Regis de hacquaestione consultum, et censuisse, pro Praefecto facere aequitatem quaepraecipue respicitur inter milites, quorum controversiae ex aequo etbono dirimendae sunt; unde ultra conventa quis obligatur ad id quodalterum alteri prasstare oportet.' The case, it appears, ultimately wentagainst the horse-lending praefect.
Note D.--On the Pronunciation of Exquisites.
The substitution of the a for the o was a common affectation inthe speech of the fops of the period, as may be found in Vanbrugh's_Relapse_. The notorious Titus Oates, in his efforts to be in the mode,pushed this trick to excess, and his cries of 'Oh Lard! Oh Lard!' werefamiliar sounds in Westminster Hall at the time when the Salamancadoctor was at the flood of his fortune.
Note E.--Hour-glasses in Pulpits.
In those days it was customary to have an hour-glass stationed ina frame of iron at the side of the pulpit, and visible to the wholecongregation. It was turned up as soon as the text was announced, and aminister earned a name as a lazy preacher if he did not hold out untilthe sand had ceased to run. If, on the other hand, he exceeded thatlimit, his audience would signify by gapes and yawns that they hadhad as much spiritual food as they could digest. Sir Roger L'Estrange(_Fables_, Part II. Fab. 262) tells of a notorious spin-text who, havingexhausted his glass and being half-way through a second one, was atlast arrested in his career by a valiant sexton, who rose and departed,remarking as he did so, 'Pray, sir, be pleased when you have done toleave the key under the door.'
Note F.--Disturbances at the old Gast House of Little Burton.
The circumstances referred to by the Mayor of Taunton in his allusionto the Drummer of Tedsworth are probably too well known to requireelucidation. The haunting of the old Gast House at Burton would,however, be fresh at that time in the minds of Somersetshire folk,occurring as it did in 1677. Some short account from documents of thatdate may be of interest.
'The first night that I was there, with Hugh Mellmore and Edward Smith,they heard as it were the washing of water over their heads. Then,taking the candle and going up the stairs, there was a wet cloth thrownat them, but it fell on the stairs. They, going up further, there wasanother thrown as before. And when they were come up into the chamberthere stood a bowl of water, looking white, as though soap had been usedin it. The bowl just before was in the kitchen, and could not be carriedup but through the room where they were. The next thing was a terriblenoise, like a clap of thunder, and shortly afterwards they heard a greatscratching about the bedstead, and after that great knocking with ahammer against the bed's-head, so that the two maids that were in bedcried out for help. Then they ran up the stairs, and there lay thehammer on the bed, and on the bed's-head there were near a thousandprints of the hammer. The maids said that they were scratched andpinched with a hand which had exceeding long nails.
'The second night that James Sherring and Thomas Hillary were there,James Sherring sat down in the chimney to fill a pipe of tobacco. Heused the tongs to lift a coal to light his pipe, and by-and-by the tongswere drawn up the stairs and were cast upon the bed. The same night oneof the maids left her shoes by the fire, and they were carried up intothe chamber, and the old man's brought down and set in their places.As they were going upstairs there were many things thrown at them whichwere just before in the low room, and when they went down the stairs theold man's breeches were thrown down after them.
'On another night a saddle did come into the house from a pin in theentry, and did hop about the place from table to table. It was verytroublesome to them, until they broke it into small pieces and threwit out into the roadway. So for some weeks the haunting continued,with rappings, scratching, movements of heavy articles, and many otherstrange things, as are attested by all who were in the village, until atlast they ceased as suddenly as they had begun.'
Note G.--Monmouth's Progress in the West.
During his triumphal progress through the western shires, some yearsbefore the rebellion, Monmouth first ventured to exhibit upon hisescutcheon the lions of England and the lilies of France, without thebaton sinister. A still more ominous sign was that he ventured to touchfor the king's evil. The appended letter, extracted from the collectionof tracts in the British Museum, may be of interest as first-handevidence of the occasional efficacy of that curious ceremony.
'His Grace the Duke of Monmouth honoured in his progress in the West ofEngland, in an account of an extraordinary cure of the king's evil.
'Given in a letter from Crewkhorn, in Somerset, from the minister of theparish and many others.
'We, whose names are underwritten, do certify the miraculous cure ofa girl of this town, about twenty, by name Elizabeth Parcet, a poorwidow's daughter, who hath languished under sad affliction from thatdistemper of the king's evil termed the joint evil, being said to bethe worst evil. For about ten or twelve years' time she had in her righthand four running wounds, one on the inside, three on the back of herhand, as well as two more in the same arm, one above her hand-wrist,the other above the bending of her arm. She had betwixt her arm-pits aswollen bunch, which the doctors said fed those six running wounds. Shehad the same distemper also on her left eye, so she was almost blind.Her mother, despairing of preserving her sight, and being not of abilityto send her to London to be touched by the kin
g, being miserably poor,having many poor children, and this girl not being able to work, hermother, desirous to have her daughter cured, sent to the chirurgeons forhelp, who tampered with it for some time, but could do no good. Shewent likewise ten or eleven miles to a seventh son, but all in vain. Novisible hopes remained, and she expected nothing but the grave.
'But now, in this the girl's great extremity, God, the great physician,dictates to her, then languishing in her miserable, hopeless condition,what course to take and what to do for a cure, which was to go and touchthe Duke of Monmouth. The girl told her mother that, if she couldbut touch the Duke she would be well. The mother reproved her for herfoolish conceit, but the girl did often persuade her mother to go toLackington to the Duke, who then lay with Mr. Speaks. "Certainly," saidshe, "I should be well if I could touch him." The mother slighted thesepressing requests, but the more she slighted and reproved, the moreearnest the girl was for it. A few days after, the girl having noticedthat Sir John Sydenham intended to treat the Duke at White Lodge inHenton Park, this girl with many of her neighbours went to the saidpark. She being there timely waited the Duke's coming. When first sheobserved the Duke she pressed in among a crowd of people and caughthim by the hand, his glove being on, and she likewise having a glove tocover her wounds. She not being herewith satisfied at the first attemptof touching his glove only, but her mind was she must touch some partof his bare skin, she, weighing his coming forth, intended a secondattempt. The poor girl, thus between hope and fear, waited his motion.On a sudden there was news of the Duke's coming on, which she to beprepared rent off her glove, that was clung to the sores, in such hastethat she broke her glove, and brought away not only the sores but theskin. The Duke's glove, as Providence would have it, the upper part hungdown, so that his hand-wrist was bare. She pressed on, and caught himby the bare hand-wrist with her running hand, crying, "God bless yourhighness!" and the Duke said "God bless you!" The girl, not a littletransported at her good success, came and assured her friends that shewould now be well. She came home to her mother in great joy, and toldher that she had touched the Duke's hand. The mother, hearing what shehad done, reproved her sharply for her boldness, asked how she durstdo such a thing, and threatened to beat her for it. She cried out, "Oh,mother, I shall be well again, and healed of my wounds!" And as GodAlmighty would have it, to the wonder and admiration of all, the sixwounds were speedily dried up, the eye became perfectly well, and thegirl was in good health. All which has been discovered to us by themother and daughter, and by neighbours that know her.
'Henry Clark, minister; Captain James Bale, &c &c. Whoever doubts thetruth of this relation may see the original under the hands of thepersons mentioned at the Amsterdam Coffee House, Bartholomew Lane, RoyalExchange.'
In spite of the uncouth verbiage of the old narrative, there is a touchof human pathos about it which makes it worthy of reproduction.
Note H.--Monmouth's Contention of Legitimacy.
Sir Patrick Hume, relating a talk with Monmouth before his expedition,says: 'I urged if he considered himself as lawful son of King Charles,late deceased. He said he did. I asked him if he were able to make outand prove the marriage of his mother to King Charles, and whether heintended to lay claim to the crown. He answered that he had been ablelately to prove the marriage, and if some persons are not lately dead,of which he would inform himself, he would yet be able to prove it.As for his claiming the crown, he intended not to do it unless it wereadvised to be done by those who should concern themselves and join forthe delivery of the nations.'
It may be remarked that in Monmouth's commission to be general, datedApril 1668, he is styled 'our most entirely beloved and natural son.'Again, in a commission for the government of Hull, April 1673, he is'our well-beloved natural son.'
Note I.--Dragooners and Chargers.
The dragoons, being really mounted infantry, were provided with veryinferior animals to the real cavalry. From a letter of Cromwell's('Squire Correspondence,' April 3, 1643), it will be seen that adragooner was worth twenty pieces, while a charger could not be obtainedunder sixty.
Note J.--Battle of Sedgemoor.
A curious little sidelight upon the battle is afforded by the twofollowing letters exhibited to the Royal Archaeological Institute by theRev. C. W. Bingham.
'To Mrs. Chaffin at Chettle House.'
'Monday, about ye forenoon, July 6, 1685.'
'My dearest creature,--This morning about one o'clock the rebbells fellupon us whilest we were in our tents in King's Sedgemoor, with theirwhole army.... We have killed and taken at least 1000 of them. They arefled into Bridgewater. It is said that we have taken all their cannon,but sure it is that most are, if all be not. A coat with stars on 't istaken. ''Tis run through the back. By some 'tis thought that the Dukerebbell had it on and is killed, but most doe think that a servant woreit. I wish he were called, that the wars may be ended. It's thoughthe'll never be able to make his men fight again. I thank God I am verywell without the least hurt, soe are our Dorsetshire friends. Prytheelet Biddy know this by the first opportunity. I am thyne onely deare,TOSSEY.'
BRIDGEWATER: July 7, 1685.
'We have totally routed the enemies of God and the King, and can't hearof fifty men together of the whole rebel army. We pick them up everyhoure in cornfields and ditches. Williams, the late Duke's valet dechambre, is taken, who gives a very ingenious account of the wholeaffair, which is too long to write. The last word that he said to himwas at the time when his army fled, that he was undone and must shiftfor himself. We think to march with the General this day to Wells, onhis way homeward. At present he is 3 miles off at the camp, soe I can'tcertainly tell whether he intends for Wells. I shall be home certainlyon Saturday at farthest. I believe my deare Nan would for 500 poundsthat her Tossey had served the King to the end of the war.
I am thyne, my deare childe, for ever.'
Note K.--Lord Grey and the Horse at Sedgemoor.
It is only fair to state that Ferguson is held by many to have beenas doughty a soldier as he was zealous in religion. His own account ofSedgemoor is interesting, as showing what was thought by those who wereactually engaged on the causes of their failure.
'Now besides these two troops, whose officers though they had no greatskill yet had courage enough to have done something honourably, had theynot for want of a guide met with the aforesaid obstruction, there wasno one of all the rest of our troops that ever advanced to charge orapproached as near to the enemy as to give or receive a wound. Mr.Hacker, one of our captains, came no sooner within view of their campthan he villainously fired a pistol to give them notice of our approach,and then forsook his charge and rode oft with all the speed he could, totake the benefit of a proclamation emitted by the King, offering pardonto all such as should return home within such a time. And this hepleaded at his tryal, but was answered by Jeffreys "that he above allother men deserved to be hanged, and that for his treachery to Monmouthas well as his treason to the King." And though no other of our officersacted so villainously, yet they were useless and unserviceable, as neveronce attempting to charge, nor so much as keeping their men in a body.And I dare affirm that if our horse had never fired a pistol, but onlystood in a posture to have given jealousy and apprehension to the enemy,our foot alone would have carried the day and been triumphant. But ourhorse standing scattered and disunited, and flying upon every approachof a squadron of theirs, commanded by Oglethorpe, gave that body oftheir cavalry an advantage, after they had hovered up and down in thefield without thinking it necessary to attack those whom their own fearshad dispersed, to fall in at last in the rear of our battalions, and towrest that victory out of their hands which they were grasping at, andstood almost possessed of. Nor was that party of their horse abovethree hundred at most, whereas we had more than enough had they had anycourage, and been commanded by a gallant man, to have attacked themwith ease both in front and flank. These things I can declare withmore certainty, because I was a doleful spectator of them; for havingcontrary to my cus
tom left attending upon the Duke, who advanced withthe foot, I betook myself to the horse, because the first of thatmorning's action was expected from them, which was to break in anddisorder the enemy's camp. Against the time that our battalions shouldcome up, I endeavoured whatsoever I was capable of performing, for Inot only struck at several troopers who had forsaken their station, butupbraided divers of the captains for being wanting in their duty. But Ispoke with great warmth to my Lord Grey, and conjured him to charge, andnot suffer the victory, which our foot had in a manner taken hold of,to be ravished from us. But instead of hearkening, he not only as anunworthy man and cowardly poltroon deserted that part of the field andforsook his command, but rode with the utmost speed to the Duke, tellinghim that all was lost and it was more than time to shift for himself.Wherebye, as an addition to all the mischief he had been the occasionof before, he drew the easy and unfortunate gentleman to leave thebattalions while they were courageously disputing on which side thevictory should fall. And this fell most unhappily out, while a certainperson was endeavouring to find out the Duke to have begged of him tocome and charge at the head of his own troops. However, this I dareaffirm, that if the Duke had been but master of two hundred horse,well mounted, completely armed, personally valiant, and commandedby experienced officers, they would have been victorious. This isacknowledged by our enemies, who have often confessed they were readyto fly through the impressions made upon them by our foot, and must havebeen beaten had our horse done their part, and not tamely looked ontill their cavalry retrieved the day by falling into the rear of ourbattalions. Nor was the fault in the private men, who had courageto have followed their leaders, but it was in those who led them,particularly my Lord Grey, in whom, if cowardice may be calledtreachery, we may safely charge him with betraying our cause.'
Extract from MS. of Dr. Ferguson, quoted in 'Ferguson the Plotter,' aninteresting work by his immediate descendant, an advocate of Edinburgh.
Note L.--Monmouth's Attitude after Capture.
The following letter, written by Monmouth to the Queen from the Tower,is indicative of his abject state of mind.
'Madam,--I would not take the boldness of writing to your Majesty tillI had shown the King how I do abhor the thing that I have done, and howmuch I desire to live to serve him. I hope, madam, by what I have saidto the King to-day will satisfy how sincere I am, and how much I detestall those people who have brought me to this. Having done this, madam,I thought I was in a fitt condition to beg your intercession, which I amsure you never refuse to the distressed, and I am sure, madam, that Iam an object of your pity, having been cousened and cheated into thishorrid business. Did I wish, madam, to live for living sake I wouldnever give you this trouble, but it is to have life to serve theKing, which I am able to doe, and will doe beyond what I can express.Therefore, madam, upon such an account as I may take the boldness topress you and beg of you to intersaid for me, for I am sure, madam, theKing will hearken to you. Your prairs can never be refused, especiallywhen it is begging for a life only to serve the King. I hope, madam, bythe King's generosity and goodness, and your intercession, I may hopefor my life which if I have shall be ever employed in showing to yourMajesty all the sense immaginable of gratitude, and in serving of theKing like a true subject. And ever be your Majesty's most dutiful andobedient servant, MONMOUTH.'
THE END
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