Page:A School History of England (1911).djvu/176

 It is a great mistake to Imagine that the war was one of gentlemen against merchants and traders. Nearly half the country gentlemen of England were Puritans, and at first all the leaders on both sides were drawn from the upper classes; later on there were one or two instances, on each side, where men of lesser birth rose to high commands in the armies.

The equipment of each force was much the same; the infantry carried either long clumsy muskets which could shoot about 300 yards at extreme range, or ‘pikes’, which were straight two-edged knives fastened on to long poles. Each side cast a few light field-guns, which did little damage; but later on the Parliament cast some heavy siege-guns which really finished the war. Each side had soldiers who had fought in the German wars: Prince Rupert, Sir Jacob Astley, Sir Ralph Hopton, for the King; Lord Essex, Lord Manchester, Sir William Waller, Sir Thomas Fairfax, for the Parliament. The King had perhaps this advantage: when the war began no one had yet dreamed of deposing him, much less of killing him. ‘Whatever we do, he will still be the King and his sons after him, was the idea in the minds even of the stanchest of his enemies. So at first Parliament was ‘afraid of beating the King too much’. But Charles had no need to be afraid of beating his rebels too much.

Once battle was joined each side displayed the greatest gallantry, chivalry and mercy. No war was ever fought with so much bloodshed in battle and so little cruelty after battle. Except where actual fighting or a siege was going on, civil life was not interrupted. Down to the end of 1643 the advantage was on the whole with the King. Then both men and