and swam across a rapid river, he was compelled to fly in such haste, that he left behind him the star and garter with which he had been so newly invested, his sword, and his cloak. He once more made for the mountains of Sutherland with Kinnoul, disguised as peasants. Kinnoul soon sank with fatigue, and was left behind and perished. Montrose at length reached the house of Macleod of Assynt, who had formerly served under him; but this base man sold him to the covenanters for four hundred bolls of meal. This treason was soon avenged by the neighbouring Highlanders, who ravaged the lands of Assynt; but the Scottish parliament compelled the traitor with twenty thousand pounds Scots, to be raised on the royalties of Caithness and Orkney. These islands, as well as the Isles of Man, Scilly, Jersey, the colony of Virginia, and the islands of the Caribbean Sea, long held out for the royal cause.
Montrose was conveyed down to Edinburgh, where he arrived on the 18th of May; and having been carried through the city in an open cart, bare-headed, and exposed to the insults and execrations of the mob, he was condemned as a traitor, hanged on the 21st of May on a gibbet thirty feet high, and his head was fixed on a spike in the capital, and his limbs sent for exposure in different cities. Such was the ignominious end of the gallant but sanguinary Montrose. But if the conduct of his enemies was ungenerous, what was that of his king? No sooner did Charles hear of his defeat, than fearing that his rising might injure him with the covenanters, he sent to the parliament, protesting that he had never authorised him to draw the sword; nay, that he had done it contrary to the royal commands: so early did this worthless man display the meanness of his character, and put in practice the wretched maxims of the Stuart doctrine of kingcraft.
Charles had now complied with the demands of the Scottish parliament, agreeing to lake the covenant, never to tolerate the catholic religion in any part of his dominions, not even in Ireland, where the catholics were a majority; to govern entirely by the authority of parliament, and in religious matters by that of the kirk. Thus did this man, for the sake of regaining the throne of one of his kingdoms, bind himself to destroy the religion of which he was at heart a believer, and to maintain a creed that he abhorred and despised. He landed in June in the Frith of Cromartie, and a court was established for him at Falkland, and nine thousand pounds sterling was allowed for its expenditure monthly.
But the pious Scots were speedily scandalised at the debauched habits of their royal puppet. He had delayed the expedition for some weeks, because he could not tear himself from his mistress, Mrs. Barlow, and now he came surrounded by a very dissipated crew—Buckingham, Wilmot, and others, whom nothing could induce him to part with, though many others were forbid the court.
Whilst these things were taking place in Scotland, in London as active measures were on foot for putting to flight this covenanting king. On the 14th of June the commons again appointed Fairfax commander-in-chief, and Cromwell lieutenant-general. Fairfax, so far from favouring the invasion of Scotland, strongly argued against it, as a breach of the solemn league and covenant. Fairfax's wife is said to have been resolute against his taking up arms any further against the king. She had sufficiently shown her spirit, that of a Vere, of the martial house of Vere, on the king's trial; and now Fairfax, not only thus strongly influenced by his wife, but belonging to the presbyterian party, resigned his command, and retired to his estates in Yorkshire. It was in vain that a deputation, consisting of Cromwell, Lambert, Harrison, Whitclock, and St. John, waited on him at Whitehall, opening their meeting with prayer; Fairfax stood firm, and on the 26th, two days after, the parliament appointed Cromwell commander-in-chief, in place of Fairfax.
Much abuse has been heaped on Cromwell, as acting in all this with hypocrisy, appearing to press Fairfax to go to Scotland, and yet wishing it himself. It would be well if Oliver had no greater sins to answer for. We believe that he had much rather have been prosecuting the complete settlement of Ireland, which country he had evidently quit fed with reluctance. But once appointed, he went to work with his accustomed activity. On the 20th, only three days afterwards, he set out from London for the north. He had Lambert as major-general, Whalley as commissary-general. Pride, Overton, Monk, and Hodgson, as colonels of regiments. The Scottish parliament had appointed the old earl of Leven generalissimo, but only nominally so out of honour, for he was now old and infirm. David Leslie was the real commander. The Scottish army was ordered to amount to sixty thousand men, and it was to lay waste all the country betwixt Berwick and Edinburgh, to prevent the English obtaining any supplies. To frighten the country people away from the English army, it was rumoured that every male betwixt sixteen and sixty would have their right hands cut off, and the women's breasts be bored through with red-hot irons.
Cromwell passed the Tweed at Berwick on the 22nd of July, with a force of sixteen thousand men. They found the country desolated and deserted, except by a number of women, who on their knees implored mercy, and were set by the officers to bake and brew for the soldiers. That night the beacon fires of Scotland were lighted, and the English army encamped at Mordington, where they lay three days, and then marched to Dunbar, and thence to Musselburgh. They found the Scotch army under Leslie postal betwixt Edinburgh and Leith, and well defended by batteries and entrenchments. Nothing could induce the wary Scotch commander to quit his vantage ground, and the country afforded no supplies to the English army; but their fleet followed them along the coast, and furnished them with provisions.
For a month Cromwell found it impossible to draw the Scottish general out of his strong position. He sometimes marched up close to his lines to tempt him to come to action, but it was in vain, and he did not think it prudent to attack him in his formidable position, which must have cost him an awful number of men even if he carried it.
The weather being very wet he fell back upon Musselburgh, the enemy then making a sally, and harassing his rear, and wounding General Lambert. Cromwell and the Scottish assembly, as well as Cromwell and general Leslie, who lay in the ground now occupied by the New Town of
