Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 3.djvu/251

] 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 Tyrton, 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, finally 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 LowestoffLowestoft [sic], 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; 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 besieged on some sandhills near the town, dispensed them, and killed general Cavendish, a cousin of Newcastle's. After this exploit, however, Newcastle's main allay 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 Paipert 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 sort 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 blood, 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 in nine days he scoured the north, When Fairfax' vast, perfidious force Was shrunk to five invisible horse,