Part 17 (2/2)

”The chief of the counsel was the fear that some men had that the soldiers would take from them the influence they now possess with the King.”[49]

{172}

It was in accordance with the perversity of Charles's fate that just when the Parliamentary army had thrown off civilian shackles, he was ceasing to be ruled by the military counsels of his nephew. Rupert again urged a march to the North. Digby and the Councillors of Oxford, ever eager to keep the army in the South, recommended an attack on the Eastern counties. The King remained at Daventry hesitating between the two counsels, and in the meantime Fairfax and Cromwell were advancing towards him. Rupert's unaccountable contempt for the New Model Army prevented him from taking the proper precautions, and he remained absolutely ignorant of Fairfax's movements, until he was quartered eight miles from Daventry. Then the King decided to move towards Warwick, and that night he slept at Lubenham, Rupert at Harborough. On the same evening Ireton surprised and captured a party of Rupert's men, as they were playing at quoits in Naseby. A few who escaped, fled to warn the King, and the King hastened to Rupert. With unwonted prudence, Rupert advised retreat; reinforcements might be found at Leicester and Newark, and there was yet a hope that Goring might march to their aid. He did not know, as Fairfax knew through an intercepted despatch, that Goring was unable to leave the West. But Digby and Ashburnham were for fighting, and once again the civilian triumphed.

On June 14th took place the fatal battle of Naseby.

Very early the royal army was drawn up upon a long hill which runs two miles south of Harborough. Here Astley intended the battle to be fought, resolving to keep on the defensive. But the enemy did not appear, and Rupert, growing impatient, sent out his scout master to look for them, about eight o'clock in the morning. The man returned, after a perfunctory search, saying that Fairfax was not to be seen.

Then Rupert, unable to bear inaction any longer, rode out to look for him in person, with a small party of horse. At Naseby he found the whole army of the Parliament. {173} It was just then engaged in s.h.i.+fting its position, and Rupert jumped to the conclusion that it was in full retreat. Lured on by this idea, he established himself on a piece of rising ground to the right, and summoned the rest of the army from its well-chosen position to join him there. This was perhaps the chief cause of the defeat that followed. Rupert and Maurice charged together on the right, and swept the field before them, till they reached the enemy's cannon and baggage waggons. Here Rupert was mistaken for Fairfax, for both were wearing red cloaks, and some of the Puritan reserve rode up, asking, ”How goes the day?” The Prince responded by an offer of quarter, which was met by a volley of musket shot. But Rupert could not stay to complete his conquest. His part of the battle had been won, but behind him Cromwell had scattered the Royalist left, and was trampling the infantry of the centre in ”a dismal carnage.”[50] The King was turned from the battle too soon, his whole army was disheartened and overwhelmed, and Rupert returned too late, to find Cromwell in possession of the field. The Royal army was destroyed, and the war almost at an end. That night the King retreated to Ashby, and the next day, Sunday, he reached Lichfield, whence he hastened on to Raglan Castle. Rupert went on westward to the Prince of Wales at Barnstaple.

His departure from the King was due to a new quarrel with Digby, who attributed the disaster to the fault of the Prince. ”Let me know what is said among you, concerning our last defeat,” Rupert wrote to Legge, at Oxford; ”doubtless the fault of it will be put upon me... Since this business I find Digby hath omitted nothing which might prejudice me, and this day hath drawn a letter from the King to Prince Charles, in which he crosses all things that befell here in my behalf. I have showed this to the King, and in earnest; and if thereupon he should go on {174} and send it, I shall be forced to quit Generals.h.i.+p and march towards Prince Charles, where I have received more kindness than here.”[51] At the same time, Legge received a long account of the battle from Digby himself, in which the Secretary, very cleverly, charged all the misfortune of the day to the Prince, while pretending to acquit him. ”I am sure that Prince Rupert hath so little kindness for me, as I daily find he hath, it imports both to me and mine to be much the more cautious not to speak anything that may be wrested to his prejudice. I can but lament my misfortune that Prince Rupert is neither gainable nor tenable by me, though I have endured it with all the industry, and justness unto him in the world, and I lament your absence from him. Yet, at least, if Prince Rupert cannot be better inclined to me, that you might prevail with him so far that his heats, and misapprehensions of things may not wound his own honour, and prejudice the King's service. I am very unhappy that I cannot speak with you, since the discourse that my heart is full of is too long for a letter, and not of a nature fit for it. But I conjure you, if you preserve that justice and kindness for me which I will not doubt, if you hear anything from Prince Rupert concerning me, suspend your judgment. As for the particular aspersion upon him, which you mention, of _fighting against advice, he is very much wronged in it_, ... and for particular time, place and circ.u.mstance of our fighting that day, His Highness cannot be said to have gone against my Lord Astley, or any other advice; _for I am confident no man was asked upon the occasion_,--I am sure no council was called. I shall only say this freely to you, that I think a princ.i.p.al occasion of our misfortune was the want of you with us.... But really, dear Will, I do not write this with reflection, for indeed we were all carried on at that time with such a spirit and confidence of victory as though he that should have said {175} ”consider” would have been your foe. Well, let us look forward! Give your Prince good advice, as to caution, and value of counsel, and G.o.d will yet make him an instrument of much happiness to the King, and Kingdom, and that being, I will adore him as much as you love him.”[52] But ”Honest Will” was quite shrewd enough to read between the lines of this elaborate epistle, and he answered with a spirit and candour worthy of his character. ”I am extremely afflicted to understand from you that Prince Rupert and yourself should be upon so unkindly terms, and I protest, I have cordially endeavoured, with all my interest in His Highness, to incline him to a friends.h.i.+p with your Lords.h.i.+p, conceiving it a matter of advantage to my Master's service, to have a good intelligence between persons so eminently employed in his affairs, and likewise the great obligation and inclination I had to either of you. But truly, my Lord, I often found this a hard matter to hold between you; and your last letter gives me cause to think that your Lords.h.i.+p _is not altogether free from what he accused you of_, as the reason of his jealousies. Which was that you both say and do things to his prejudice, _contrary to your professions, and not in an open and direct line, but obscurely and obliquely_; and this, under your Lords.h.i.+p's pardon, I find your letter very full of.

For where your Lords.h.i.+p would excuse him of the particular and general aspersions, yet you come with such objections against the conduct of that business, as would, to men ignorant of the Prince, make him incapable of common-sense in his profession. For my part, my Lord, I am so well acquainted with the Prince's ways, that I am confident all his General officers and commanders knew beforehand how, and in what manner, he intended to fight; and when, as you say, all mankind were of opinion to fight, it was his part to put it into execution. Were any man in the army dissatisfied in his directions, {176} or in the order, he ought to have informed the General of it, and to have received further satisfaction. And for the not calling of a Council at that instant, truly, the Prince having before laid his business, were there need of it, the blame must be as much yours as any man's.” And, after a great deal more to the same purpose, Legge concludes with the stout declaration, ”and a.s.sure yourself you are not free from great blame towards Prince Rupert. And no man will give you this free language at a cheaper rate than myself, though many discourse of it.”[53]

[1] Clarendon, Bk. VII. p. 96, _note_.

[2] King to Rupert, 26 May, 1644. Rupert Correspondence. Add. MSS.

18981

[3] Warburton, III. p. 16.

[4] Add. MSS. 18981. Digby to Rupert, Aug. 15, 1644.

[5] Carte's Letters, I. 63. 13 Sept. 1644.

[6] Carte's Ormonde, IV. 190. 13 Aug. 1644.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Carte's Ormonde. VI. 206. 13 Oct. 1644.

[9] Ibid. Vol. VI. 203. 3 Oct. 1644.

[10] Add. MSS. 18981. King to Rupert, Aug. 30, 1644.

[11] Ibid. Sept. 23, 1644. Digby to Rupert.

[12] Rupert to Legge. Oct. 16, 1644. Warburton, III. p. 27.

[13] Warburton, II. 172, and III. 16.

[14] Warburton, III. p. 52.

[15] Warburton, III. p. 73. Rupert to Legge, Mar. 31, 1645.

[16] Clarendon, Bk. IX. p. 30.

[17] Carte's Letters, I. 86-87, 25 May, 1645.

[18] Warburton, III. p. 21.

[19] Ibid. p. 22.

[20] Rupert Transcripts. Richmond to Rupert, Sept. 14, 1644.

<script>