Part 18 (1/2)
”Monmouth, and God with us,” was the reply
Berkley then cried out, ”Take this with you,” when his own and several battalions opened a heavy fire, and a considerable nuer to stand the fire, they rode off as hard as they could pelt A sed, under the coes, and were also co crossed the ditch, when they went off towards Sutton Hill, where they took up a position to see the issue of the fight The flight of Lord Grey's horse threw many of the infantry into confusion Soreater disaster was in store, for on coons had been left, the drivers, alar told that the Duke's arht, and did not stop till they arrived at Ware and Axbridge, twelve miles off
Shortly after the Duke's horse had dispersed theuided through the glooie of the Rhine they halted, and contrary to orders, began firing away, their fire being returned by part of the royal infantry on the opposite side of the bank For three-quarters of an hour the roar of the uns also opened fire, which was likewise returned by the king's cannon as soon as they could be brought up For a considerable tied, the sturdy Soh they had been veteran soldiers, though they levelled their pieces too high Mon his men by voice and example He by this tie which surprise and darkness had given theons Lord Churchill had made a new disposition of the royal infantry The day was about to break The event of a conflict on an open plain by broad sunlight could not be doubtful; yet, brave as he was, the hope of preserving his life prevailed above all other considerations In a few minutes the royal cavalry would intercept his retreat He mounted and rode for his life, till he was joined by Lord Grey and a few other officers; but his brave infantry still ht and left by the Life Guards and Blues, but the Somersetshi+re cloith their scythes and butt-ends of their th their powder and ball were spent, and cries were heard of ”Aive us a's artillery began playing on theainst the king's cavalry The infantry ca across the ditch, but even then the Mendip miners sold their lives dearly Three hundred of the royal soldiers had been killed or wounded; of Monmouth's men more than a thousand lay dead on the moor
Their leader, it was found, had disappeared, the cavalry had been dispersed, and the survivors fled across the 's cavalry,down those who attempted to make a stand, which some of the brave fellows did, while they captured others, till the whole ar had been co five hundred prisoners had been crowded in the parish church of Weston Zoyland, many of them badly wounded The church bells sent out a peal which must have had very different effects upon the ears of the victors and of the vanquished The battle was over, but not the blood-shedding, for Feversham ordered a number of the prisoners for execution Gibbets were erected in all directions, and the fatal Bussex Tree was long known as the place where numbers were put to death without the for officer, an ensign in the Duke's arility; his poere described to Feversham, who promised him his life if he would submit to be stripped, have one end of a rope fastened round his neck, and the other round that of a wild young colt, and would race the colt as long as it could run He agreed to the ordeal; the brutal Generals and no less brutal soldiers collected round the young man to prepare him for the race, close to the Bussex Rhine in Weston Away they started at a furious rate till the horse fell exhausted by the side of his ill-fated coe, Chedzoy, a distance of three-quarters of ahimself froardless of his pro lady to who of his fate, lost her reason, and forabout the grave in which he and his companions were interred
The inhabitants of Zoyland still speak of the white lady We will not enter into the details of the nuive a prolonged account of Mon the battle-field, he was joined by Buise, as a Ger ere Stephen Battisob and his brother At Chedzoy he stopped a alloped on towards the English Channel Froround on the north of the fatal field he saw the last volley fired by his hapless followers, and before six o'clock he enty emoor Here he and his coe in Wales, but he fancied that he could et across to Holland should he reach the New Forest, where, till he could find conveyance, he could hide in the cabins of the wood-cutters and deer-stealers who inhabited that part of the country
He, Lord Grey, and Buise consequently separated from the rest, who took different courses He and his coalloped on till they reached Cranbourne Chase, where their horses broke down Having concealed the bridles and saddles, and disguised themselves in the dresses of countrymen, they proceeded on foot to the New Forest The direction they had taken had been discovered, and a large body of militia surrounded them on every side Lord Grey was first captured, and a short tied that he had parted from the Duke only a few hours before The pursuers recoth a tall gaunt figure was discovered in a ditch Some of theup, forbade them to use violence He was dressed as a shepherd, his beard, several days' groas prerey He trembled, and was unable to speak Even those who had often seen the Duke of Mon his pockets, the insignia of the George was discovered, with a purse of gold and other articles, aathered to satisfy his hunger This left no doubt who he was He and Lord Grey were kept at Ringwood strictly guarded for two days, and then sent up to London Broken-down in health and spirits, he wrote abject letters to his uncle entreating for pardon, and begging that the king would see hiht into the presence of James, his arms secured by a silken cord He had fancied that should the king see him, his life would be spared, and he made the most abject proposals to obtain it James had resolved that the hated rival should be put out of the way as soon as possible, and refused to listen to his plea Lord Grey behaved with far e than the Duke Both were sent to the Tower; the Duke was ordered for execution, Lord Grey was allowed to live, and ultih hundreds ere certainly less guilty in the eye of the laere mercilessly put to death The Duke was beheaded a couple of days after being sent to the Tower As his blood flowed on the scaffold, the crowd rushed forward to dip their handkerchiefs in it, and hischerished by those who had risen in arms to support his cause, while no inconsiderable nuain to lead thee of this belief, represented Monate to Tyburn; another, who had raised considerable contributions, was thrown into prison, where he was maintained in luxury by his deluded followers So ends the ill-starred Monmouth's sad history
We must now return to the more prominent characters of our tale
Stephen and his brother Andrew, on parting froreed that it would behoton Park, search would be er for sheltering thely try to conceal theer to which he would be exposed should they be discovered They agreed at length that their safest course would be to push to the north coast of Devon or Cornwall, where they es of the fisherenerally favourable to the Protestant cause, and thence cross over to the Welsh coast
”Let us then commence our ers that surround us” They rode on rapidly without speaking Both their hearts were sad; they had lost many friends and faithful followers, whom they had led to join the ill-fated expedition
Stephen was full of self-reproaches He thought of Alice, who had warned and besought hie on several occasions, but following the example of his chief, he had fled from the field of battle, and he felt asha reht to the last, and fallen a theth, as they had to rein in their steeds while they ascended a steep hill
”Done what?” asked Andrew
”Died on the field, as I wish that the Duke and Lord Grey had done rather than run away,” replied Stephen
”As we are doing,” remarked Andrew; ”for my part, I think it is the wisest course we could have pursued I hope they will escape to fight in the saained nothing by re if we should have either been killed or captured”
”We should have preserved our honour,” said Stephen
”I do not consider that we have lost that, since every man who had a horse to carry hi the subject At present we must exert our wits to preserve our lives, and any honour we have lost enerally an answer for his brother's reain pushed forward, keeping as near the coast as the nature of the ground would allow, and avoiding all villages and hah they hoped that the news of their defeat would not have preceded the of that fatal day was drawing on when they saw before thee by the seaside Both their horses were knocked up, and they thery Still Stephen was unwilling to approach the cottage without first ascertaining the character of the inmates
”Ride on a short distance to the south and wait for me there,” he said to his brother; ”I will then turn back and see if the people are likely to treat us hospitably I will tell thehbourhood, and that if they will find some oats or beans or other provender for our horses, and provide us with some food, ill be thankful and pay thee was a boat-house, which appeared to be high enough to serve as a stable, and they hoped that their horses ly, after proceeding a little distance beyond the cottage, Stephen turned back and rode up to the door, and gave a couple of knocks with the hilt of his sword The next instant it was opened, and a grey-headed old man in a fisherman's dress appeared
”What do you want here,the old man, answered as he had intended
”Food for a horse I don't keep in store, and for a ive you some bread and cheese,” said the old fisherman
”We will pay you for whatever you can supply us with and be thankful,”
said Stephen
”Two men and horses; why, you will eatforth at Andrehom he could see in the distance
”My son, however, will be in anon froood haul there will be food enough, and as for the horses, why, now I coot out of a vessel not far off; if your anie to eat them”