Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 3.djvu/531

] Axminster, where he encountered Christopher Monk, duke of Albemarle, the son of the first general Monk, at the head of four thousand men of the trained bands. Though daunted at first, Monmouth accepted the situation, and disposed his men admirably for a fight. He drew up the main body in battle array on advantageous ground, sent out his skirmishers to the front, and, as a last precaution, lined the hedges of a narrow lane, through which Albemarle must pass to come at him, with musketeers. Monk, however, was too cautious to risk a pitched battle on these terms—the more especially as his own forces were untrustworthy. There appeared so much enthusiasm for Monmouth amongst his troops that, fearing their desertion, he drew back. The result was that the whole body was speedily thrown into disorder, that panic seized them, and that they fled pell-mell towards Exeter, flinging away their arms and uniforms to expedite their escape.

Monmouth advancing on Taunton.

Monmouth, however, probably not aware of the extent of the rout, steadily pursued his march to Chard, and thence to Taunton, where he arrived on the 18th of June, just a week after his landing, and was received by the whole place with the warmest demonstrations of joy. Taunton, through all the great struggle betwixt Charles I. and his parliament, had adhered firmly to the parliament. It had stood out two terrible sieges, but had been admirably defended by the great Blake, afterwards admiral of England. It had suffered severely, but had gloried in suffering, and had never yielded. After the restoration, Taunton still continued a place of indomitable popular and religious spirit. It was a hive of nonconformists, and its preachers, especially Alleine, the author of the Celebrated "Alarm to the Unconverted," had thundered from their pulpits against popery and prelacy, and the vices of the court, till they were silenced in dungeons. To such a people, Monmouth, as the hero of protestant liberty, came