The Works of Thomas Carlyle/Volume 6/Letter 71
FOR THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LORD MARQUIS OF ARGYLE, AND THE REST OF THE WELL-AFFECTED LORDS, GENTLEMEN, MINISTERS AND PEOPLE NOW IN ARMS IN THE KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND: PRESENT
My Lords and Gentlemen,-Being (in prosecution of the common Enemy) advanced, with the Army under my command, to the borders of Scotland, I thought fit, to prevent any misapprehension or prejudice that might be raised thereupon, to send your Lordships these Gentlemen, Colonel Bright, Scoutmaster-General Rowe, and Mr. Stapylton, to acquaint you with the reasons thereof: concerning which I desire your Lordships to give them credence. I remain, my Lords, your very humble servant,
Colonel Bright and Scoutmaster Rowe are persons that often occur, though somewhat undistinguishably, in the Old Pamphlets. Bright, in the end of this month, was sent over, ‘from Berwick’ apparently, to take possession of Carlisle, now ready to surrender to us.[2] ‘Scoutmaster’ is the Chief of the Corps of ‘Guides,‘ as soldiers now call them. As to Stapylton or Stapleton, we have to remark that, besides Sir Philip Stapleton, the noted Member for Boroughbridge, and one of the Eleven, who is now banished and dead, there is a Bryan Stapleton now Member for Aldborough; he in January last[3] was Commissioner to Scotland: but this present Stapleton is still another. Apparently, one Robert Stapylton; a favourite Chaplain of Cromwell’s; an Army-Preacher, a man of weight and eminence in that character. From his following in the rear of the Colonel and the Scoutmaster, instead of taking precedence in the Lieutenant-General’s Letter, as an M.P. would have done, we may infer that this Reverend Robert Stapylton is the Cromwell Messenger,—sent to speak a word to the Clergy in particular.
Scoutmaster Rowe, William Rowe, appears with an enlarged sphere of influence, presiding over the Cromwell spy-world in a very diligent, expert and almost respectable manner, some years afterwards, in the Milton State-Papers. His counsel might be useful with Argyle; his experienced eye, at any rate, might take a glance of the Scottish Country, with advantage to an invading General.
Of the Reverend Mr. Stapylton’s proceedings on this occasion we have no notice: but he will occur afterwards in these Letters; and two years hence, on Cromwell’s second visit to those Northern parts, we find this recorded: ‘Last Lord’s Day,‘ 29th September 1650, ‘Mr. Stapylton preached in the High Church’ of Edinburgh, while we were mining the Castle!—‘forenoon and afternoon, before his Excellency with his Officers; where was a great concourse of people; many Scots expressing much affection at the doctrine, in their usual way of groans.‘[4] In their usual way of groans, while Mr. Stapylton held forth: consider that!—Mr. Robert, ‘at 10 o’clock at night on the 3d September’ next year, writes, ‘from the other side of Severn,‘ a copious despatch concerning the Battle of Worcester[5], and then disappears from History.
The following Letter, of the same date, was brought by the same Messengers for the Committee of Estates.