by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XI.
MONTROSE.
They stopped for the night at a village fifteen miles away fromEdinburgh, and after they had had their supper Harry inquired of Jacobhow his dispute with the divines had passed off the evening before.
Jacob burst into a fit of laughter.
"It was the funniest thing you ever saw," he said, "Imagine a largeroom, with the chief presbyter sitting at a table, and eight other men,with sour countenances and large turned-down collars and bands, sittinground it. William Long and I faced them at the other end, looking asgrave and sanctimonious as the rest of them. The proceedings were, ofcourse, opened with a lengthy prayer, and then the old gentleman in thecenter introduced us as the commissioners from London. William rose, andhaving got up by heart the instructions to the commissioners, he saidthat he would first briefly introduce to his fellow divines the pointsas to which differences appeared to exist between the Presbyterians ofthe north and those of the south, and concerning which he was instructedto come to an agreement with them. First, he gave a list of the pointsat variance; then he said that he understood that these, quoting fromhis document, were the views of his Scotch brethren; and he thenproceeded to give briefly the arguments with which he had beenfurnished. He said that his reverend brother and himself were muchwearied with long travel, and that they would fain defer the debate foranother two days, but that in the meantime they would be glad to hearthe views of their friends. Then did one after another of these eightworthy men rise, and for six mortal hours they poured forth their views.I do not know whether it was most difficult to avoid laughter oryawning; but, indeed, Master Harry, it was a weary time. I dared notlook at William, for he put such grave attention and worshipfulreverence on his face that you would have thought he had been born andbred to the work. When the last of the eight had sat dawn he rose again,and expressed a marvelous admiration of the learning and eloquence whichhis brethren had displayed. Many of their arguments he said, were new tohim--and in this, indeed, I doubt not he spoke truth--and he perceivedthat it would be hard to answer all that they had so learnedly adduced.Upon the other hand, he had much to say; but he was willing to allowthat upon some points he should have difficulty in combating theirviews. He prayed them, therefore, to defer the meeting for two days,when he would willingly give them his views upon the subject, and hislearned brother would also address them. He proposed that the partyshould be as small a one as that he saw before him, and that, afterhearing him, they should, if possible, come to some arrangement upon afew, at least, of the points in dispute, so as to leave as small a numberas might be open to for the public disputation which would follow. Theworshipful party appeared mightily taken with the idea, and, after anhour's prayer from the chairman, we separated. I hardly slept all nightfor laughing, and I would give much to see the faces of that honorablecouncil when they hear that they have been fooled."
"You have both shown great wisdom, Jacob," Harry said, "and have behavedin a sore strait with much judgment and discretion. It was lucky for youthat your reverend friend did not, among his eight champions, think ofinviting our little friend from London, for I fear that he would at oncehave denounced you as not being the divines whose credentials youpresented."
"I was afraid of that," Jacob said, "and therefore begged him specially,on this our first conference, to have only ministers of his own circlepresent. He mentioned that one or two godly ministers from London werepresent in the capital. I replied that I was well aware of that, butthat, as these men were not favored with the instructions of theconvention, and knew not the exact turn which affairs had taken up to theperiod of my leaving, their presence might be an embarrassment--which,indeed, was only the truth."
"We must make a circuit to-morrow," Harry said, "to avoid Stirling, andwill go round by Doune, and thence make for the north. Once among themountains we shall be safe from all pursuit, and from any interferenceby the Roundheads, for I believe that the clans of this part are all infavor of Montrose--Argyll's power lying far to the west."
"It will be a comfort," Jacob said, "not to be obliged to talk throughone's nose, and to cast one's eyes upward. I imagine that theseHighlanders are little better than savages."
"That is so," Harry said. "They are, I believe, but little changed sincethe days when the Romans struggled with them, and could make no headnorth of the Forth."
The next day, by a long circuit, they traveled round Stirling, andreached the bridge of Doune, there crossing the Teith unquestioned. Theysoon left the main road, and struck into the hills. They had nottraveled far when three strange figures suddenly presented themselves.These men were clad in a garb which to the lads was strange and wildindeed. The kilt, as worn by Highlanders on show occasions in thepresent day is a garment wholly unlike that worn by their ancestors,being, indeed, little more than a masquerade dress. The kilt of the oldtime resembled indeed the short petticoat now worn by savage peoples. Itconsisted of a great length of cloth wound round and round the loins,and falling like a loose petticoat to the knees, a portion being broughtover one shoulder, and then wrapped round and round the body. It wasgenerally of dark material; the tartans now supposed to be peculiar tothe various clans being then unknown, or at least not worn by the commonpeople, although the heads of the clans may have worn scarfs of thosepatterns. A Highland gentleman or chief, however, dressed in the samegarb as Englishmen--that is, in armor, with doublet and hose. His wildfollowers lived in huts of the most primitive description, understood nolanguage but their own, obeyed the orders of their chiefs to the death,and knew nothing either of kings or of parliaments. For arms these mencarried a broad target or shield made of bull's hide, and a broadswordof immense length hanging behind them, the hilt coming above theshoulder.
What they said the lads could not understand. But when Harry repeatedthe word "Montrose," the Highlanders nodded, and pointed to signify thatthe road they were pursuing was the right one, and two of them at onceset out with them as escorts.
For several days they traveled north, stopping at little groups ofcabins, where they were always received with rough hospitality, theassertion of their guides that they were going to the great earl beingquite sufficient passport for them. Bannocks of oatmeal with collops,sometimes of venison, sometimes of mountain sheep, were always at theirservice, washed down by a drink new to the boys, and which at firstbrought the water into their eyes. This was called usquebaugh, and had astrange peaty flavor, which was at first very unpleasant to them, but towhich before they left Scotland they became quite accustomed. The lasttwo days they traveled upon broad roads again, and being now in acountry devoted to the Earl of Montrose, were under no apprehensionwhatever of interference.
At last they reached the place where the earl was residing. His castlediffered in no way from those of the nobility of England. It wassurrounded by walls and towers, and had a moat and other means ofdefense. The gate was guarded by men similar in appearance to theirguides, but dressed in better material, and with some attempt atuniformity. Large numbers of these were gathered in the courtyard, andamong them were men-at-arms attired in southern fashion. The guides,having performed their duty of conducting these strangers from theborders of their country, now handed them over to an officer, and he,upon learning their errand, at once conducted them to the earl.
Montrose was a noble figure, dressed in the height of the fashion of theday. His face was oval, with a pointed mustache; long ringlets fellround his head; and his bearing was haughty and majestic. He rose fromhis chair and advanced a step toward them.
"Do I understand," he said, "that you are bearers of dispatches from hisgracious majesty?"
"We are, sir," Harry said. "The king was pleased to commit to me variousdocuments intended for your eye. We left him at Oxford, and havejourneyed north with as little delay as might be in these times. Thedispatches, I believe, will speak for themselves, I have no oralinstructions committed to me."
So saying, Harry delivered the various documents with which they werecharged. The earl instru
cted the officer to see that they were welllodged and cared for, and at once proceeded to his private cabinet toexamine the instructions sent him by the king. These were in effectthat, so soon as the army of the convention moved south from Dundee, heshould endeavor to make a great raid with his followers upon the south,specially attacking the country of Argyll, so as to create a diversion,and, if possible, cause the recall of the Scotch army to defend theirown capital.
For some weeks the lads stopped with Montrose. They had been furnishedwith garments suitable to their condition, and Harry was treated by theearl with the greatest kindness and courtesy. He often conversed withhim as to the state of politics and of military affairs in England, andexpressed himself as sanguine that he should be able to restore theauthority of the king in Scotland.
"These sour men of the conventicles have ever been stiff-necked andrebellious," he said, "and have enforced their will upon our monarchs. Ihave not forgotten," he went on, striking the hilt of his sword angrily,"the insults which were put upon Queen Mary when she was preached to andlectured publicly by the sour fanatic Knox, and was treated, forsooth,as if she had been some trader's daughter who had ventured to laugh on aSunday. Her son, too, was kept under the control of these men until hewas summoned to England. It is time that Scotland were rid of thedomination of these knaves, and if I live I will sweep them from theland. In courage my wild men are more than a match for the Lowlanders.It is true that in the old days the clans could never carry their forayssouthward, for, unaccustomed to discipline and unprovided with horses oreven with firearms, they fared but badly when opposed to steel-clad menand knights in armor. But I trust it will be different this time. Icannot hope to infuse any great discipline among them. But they can atleast be taught to charge in line, and their broad claymores may betrusted to hew a way for them through the lines of the Lowlanders. Itrust, above all things, that the king will not be persuaded tonegotiate with the traitors who are opposed to him. I know, MasterFurness, that, from what you have said, your views run not there withmine, and that you think a compromise is desirable. But you do not knowthese fanatics as I do. While they clamor for toleration, they are thenarrowest of bigots, and will themselves tolerate nothing. Already Ihave news that the convention between the Scotch conventicle and theEnglish rebels is agreed to, and that an order has gone forth that thePresbyterian rites are to be observed in all the churches of England.They say that thousands of divines will be turned from their churchesand their places filled with ignorant fanatics, and this they callreligious liberty. Why, when Laud was in power his rule was as a silkenthread compared to the hempen rope of these bigots, and should the kingmake terms with them, it will be only to rule henceforth at theirbidding, and to be but an instrument in their hands for enforcing theirwill upon the people of these countries."
Much as Harry desired peace and leaned toward compromise, he saw thatthere was much in what the earl said. All the accounts that reached themfrom the youth told of the iron tyranny which was being exercisedthroughout England. Everywhere good and sincere men were being drivenfrom their vicarages to live how best they might, for refusing to acceptthe terms of the convention. Everywhere their places were filled withmen at once ignorant, bigoted, and intolerant; holy places weredesecrated; the cavalry of the Commons was stabled in St. Paul's; thecolored windows of the cathedrals and churches were everywheredestroyed; monuments were demolished; and fanaticism of the narrowestand most stringent kind was rampant.
During the time they spent at the castle the lads were greatly amused inwatching the sports and exercises of the Highlanders. These consisted inthrowing great stones and blocks of wood, in contests with bluntedclaymores, in foot races, and in dances executed to the wild and strangemusic of the bagpipes--music which Jacob declared was worse than thecaterwauling upon the housetops in Cheapside.
The lads had deferred their journey south owing to the troubled state ofthe country, and the fact that the whole of the south of Scotland was inthe hands of the convention. They were therefore waiting an opportunityfor taking ship and traveling by sea into Wales, where the followers ofthe king were in the ascendency. At length the earl told them that anoccasion offered, and that although he would gladly keep them by him toaccompany him when he moved south, if they considered that their dutycompelled them to leave he would place them on board a ship bound forthat destination. He did not furnish them with any documents, but badeHarry repeat to the king the sentiments which he had expressed, which,indeed, were but the repetition of loyal assurances which he had sentsouth by a trusty messenger immediately upon their arrival at thecastle.
The boat in which they embarked was a small one, but was fast; whichproved fortunate, for they were twice chased by ships of the Parliament.They landed, however, safely at Pembroke, and thence made their waythrough the mountains of Wales to Hereford, and joined the king, who wasstill at Oxford.
Events had traveled but slowly in England; the doings of the conventionbeing at that time of greater importance than those of the armies. Onthe 19th of January the Scotch army had entered England, having marchedfrom Edinburgh through the snow. The Marquis of Newcastle was in winterquarters at York. The town of Newcastle had held out successfullyagainst the Scots. The English regiments in Ireland had been recalled;but had been defeated near Nantwich by Sir Thomas Fairfax. Negotiationafter negotiation between the king and the Parliament had failed, andthe king had issued writs for a Parliament to assemble at Oxford. Thismet on the 22d of January, and forty-three peers and a hundred andeighteen commoners had taken their place beside many absent with thearmy. Of the peers a large majority were with the Royalist Parliament atOxford while at Westminster a majority of the members sent up by thetowns assembled. The Royalist Parliament was sitting at Oxford whenHarry arrived; but their proceedings had not upon the whole beensatisfactory to the king. They had, indeed, passed votes for the raisingof taxes and supplies; but had also insisted upon the king grantingseveral reforms. Charles, untaught by adversity, was as obstinate asever; and instead of using the opportunity for showing a fairdisposition to redress the grievances which had led to the civil war,and to grant concessions which would have rallied all moderate personsto his cause, he betrayed much irritation at the opposition which he metwith, and the convocation of Parliament, instead of bringing mattersnearer to an issue, rather heightened the discontents of the times. TheParliament at Westminster, upon their side, formed a council, under thetitle of the committee of the two kingdoms, consisting of seven lords,fourteen members of the commons, and four Scottish commissioners, intowhose hands the entire conduct of the war, the correspondence withforeign states, and indeed the whole executive power of the kingdom wasgiven.
The king received Harry with great condescension and favor, and heardwith satisfaction of the preparations which Montrose was making for aninvasion of the Lowlands of Scotland, and promised Sir Henry to bestowthe rank of knighthood upon his son as soon as he attained the age oftwenty-one.
For some weeks Harry resided with his father at Furness Hall. He thenfell back into Oxford upon the advance of an army from London destinedto besiege that town. This force was far greater than any that the kingcould raise. It consisted of two separate forces, under the command ofEssex and Waller. Presently the town was besieged, and although thewalls were very strong, the attacking force was so numerous thatresistance appeared to be hopeless. On the night of the 3d of June theking left the city secretly, attended only by two or three personalfriends, and passed safely between the two armies. These, instead ofacting in unison, in which case the besieging lines would have beencomplete, and the king unable to leave the place, were kept apart by thedissensions of their generals. A council of war took place, and Essexdetermined to march to the west. The committee in London ordered him toretrace his steps, and go in pursuit of the king, who had made forWorcester. But Essex replied to the committee that he could not carry onwar in pursuance of directions from London, and that all militarydiscipline would be subverted if they took upon themselves to direct his
plans.
In the meantime, Waller, raising the siege of Oxford, had gone inpursuit of the king. Charles, seeing that his enemies were separated,returned to Oxford, where he was received with great enthusiasm, andthe whole force there, marching out, fell upon Waller at CropredyBridge, near Banbury, and defeated him. Having scattered the rebelshere, he turned his course west in pursuit of Essex, for his force wassufficient to cope with either of the armies separately, although he hadbeen unable to meet them when united.
Harry and his father were not present at the battle of Cropredy Bridge,having with their troops left Oxford on the approach of the Roundheads,together with many other bodies of cavalry, as they could do no good inthe case of a siege, and were wanted in the north, where Rupert was onhis way to take the command. Joining his force, amounting in all totwenty thousand men, they advanced toward York. Leaving the greaterportion of his army at a short distance away, Rupert entered York withtwo thousand men. Newcastle was in favor of prudent steps, knowing thatdissensions existed in the Parliamentary army between the Scots andtheir English allies. Prince Rupert, however, insisted that he had thecommand of the king to fight at once, and so, with all the force hecould collect, advanced against the Scots. Newcastle was much offendedat the domineering manner and headstrong course of the prince and tookno part in the forthcoming battle, in which his military genius andcaution would have been of vast service to the royal cause.
On the 2d of July, having rested two days, the Royalist army marched outagainst the Roundheads. The contending parties met on Marston Moor, andit was late in the evening when the battle began. It was short butdesperate, and when it ended four thousand one hundred and fifty men hadbeen killed. Here, as in every other fight in which he was engaged, theimpetuosity of Prince Rupert proved the ruin of the Royalists. With hiscavaliers upon the right of the Royalist army, he charged the Scotchhorse, scattered them in every direction and rode after them, chasingand slaying. The center of each army, composed of infantry, foughtdesperately, and without much advantage to either side. But upon theRoyalist left the fate of the day was decided. There a new element wasintroduced into the struggle, for the right of the Roundhead force wascommanded by Cromwell, who had raised and disciplined a body of cavalrycalled the Ironsides. These men were all fanatics in religion and foughtwith a sternness and vigor which carried all before them. In the easterncounties they had already done great service; but this was the firstpitched battle at which they had been present. Their onslaught provedirresistible. The Royalist cavalry upon the left were completely broken,and the Roundhead horse then charged down upon the rear of the king'sinfantry. Had Rupert rallied his men and performed the same service uponthe Parliament infantry, the battle might have been a drawn one; but,intoxicated with victory, he was chasing the Scottish horse far away,while Cromwell's Ironsides were deciding the fate of the battle. When hereturned to the field all was over. Fifteen hundred prisoners, all theartillery, and more than a hundred banners had fallen into the hands ofthe cavalry; and with the remnants of his army Prince Rupert retiredwith all haste toward Chester, while Newcastle left York and embarked atScarborough for the Continent.
Colonel Furness' troop had been with the wing under Prince Rupert, anddeep indeed was their mortification when, upon returning to the field ofbattle, they found that all was lost.
"Unless a very different discipline is introduced upon our side,"Colonel Furness said to his son that night in York, "it is clear thatthe king's cause is ruined. The Ironsides fight in a solid mass, and,after having given a charge, they are ready at order to wheel about andto deliver their attack wheresoever their general commands them. Withus, no sooner do we defeat the enemy than we break into confusion, eachman scatters in pursuit as if we were hunting a fox, and when at last wedraw rein, miles away from the battle, we ever find that upon our returnour footmen have been defeated. I fear much that Prince Rupert, with allhis bravery, is a hindrance rather than an aid to the Royal cause. Hiscounsels have always been on the side of resistance. He has supportedthe king in his too obstinate insistance upon what he deems his rights,while in the field his command is fatal to us. I fear, my boy, that thestruggle will end badly, and I foresee bad times for England, and forall of us who have supported the cause of the king."
As the dispirited army marched back they received news which somewhatraised their hearts. The king had marched after Essex into Cornwall, andthere had driven him into sore straits. He had endeavored to induceEssex to make a general treaty of peace; but the earl replied that hehad no authority to treat, and that, even did he do so, the Parliamentwould not submit to be bound by it. With a considerable portion of hiscavalry, he succeeded in passing through the Royal lines; but the wholeof the infantry under General Skippon were forced to capitulate, theking giving them honorable terms, and requiring only the surrender ofthe artillery, arms, and ammunition. The whole of the army returned asscattered fugitives to London.
The king resolved again to march upon the capital. Montrose was now inarms in Scotland, and had gained two considerable victories over theCovenanters. The defeat at Marston had been outbalanced by the victoriesover Waller and Essex, and the Scotch, alarmed by the successes ofMontrose, were ready to listen to terms, Steadily the king advancedeastward, and at Newbury the armies again met. As upon the previousoccasion on that field, the battle led to no decisive results. Each sidefought stoutly, and at nightfall separated without achieving substantialresults. The king fell back upon Oxford, and the Parliament army uponReadings and negotiations were once again renewed between king andParliament.