instructing, and visiting their parishioners, can never be sufficiently commended. The whole nation was civilized, and considerably improved in sound knowledge, though bishop Kennet and Mr. Echard are pleased to say, that heresies and blasphemies against heaven were swelled up to a most prodigious height. "I know (says Mr. Baxter*) you may meet with men who will confidently affirm, that in these times all religion was trodden under foot, and that heresy and schism were the only piety; but I give warning to all ages, that they take heed how they believe any, while they are speaking for the interest of their factions and opinions against their real or supposed adversaries." However, the parliament did what they could to suppress and discountenance all such extravagances; and even the officers of the army, having convicted one of their quartermasters of blasphemy in a council of war, sentenced him to have his tongue bored through with a hot iron, his sword broke over his head, and to be cashiered the army. But bishop Kennet says, even the Turkish Alcoran was coming in; that it was translated into English, and said to be licensed by one of the ministers of London. Sad times! Was his lordship then afraid that the Alcoran should prevail against the Bible? or that the doctrines of Christ could not support themselves against the extravagant follies of an impostor? But the book did no harm, though the commons immediately published an order for suppressing it; and since the restitution of monarchy and episcopacy, we have lived to see the life of Mahomet and his Koran published without mischief or offence. His lordship adds, that the Papists took advantage of the liberty of the times, who were never more numerous and busy; which is not very probable, because the parliament had banished all Papists twenty miles from the city of London, and excepted them out of their acts of indulgence and toleration; the spirit of the people against Popery was kept up to the height; the mob carried the pope's effigy in triumph, and burnt it publicly on queen Elizabeth's birthday; and the ministers in their pulpits pronounced him antichrist; but such is the zeal of this right reverend historian !+ * Life, p. 86. In thisplace we may notice, that colonel Lilburne, who in the reign of Charles I. felt the severe effects of regal and episcopal anger, now incurred the displeasure VOL. IV. The beginning of this year, the marquis of Montrose was taken in the north of Scotland by colonel Straughan* with a small body of troops, and hanged at Edinburgh on a gallows thirty feet high; his body was buried under the gallows, and his quarters set upon the gates of the principal towns in Scotland; but his behaviour was great and firm to the last. The marquis appeared openly for the king in the year 1643, and having routed a small party of covenanters in Perthshire, acquired considerable renown; but his little successes were very mischievous to the king's affairs, being always magnified beyond what they really were: † his vanity was the occasion of breaking off the treaty of Ux of a republican government. On October 26, 1646, he was tried for transgressing the new statute of treasons enacted by the commonwealth. He was acquitted by the jury; and Westminster-hall, on the verdict being given, resounded with the acclamations of the people. A print was struck on the occasion, representing him standing at the bar on his trial: at the top of it was a medal of his head, with this inscrip tion, "John Lilburne, saved by the power of the Lord, and the integrity of his jury, who are judges of law as well as fact, October 6, 1646." On the reverse were the names of the jury. He was a very popular character; as appears from the many petitions presented to the house in his favour during his imprisonment; one of which came from a number of women. When some were sent to seize his books, he persuaded them, "to look to their own liberties, and let his books alone;" and on his trial, he behaved with singular intrepidity. After he was discharged by the jury, he was, by the order of parliament, committed to the Tower. He seems to have been a bold and consistent oppugner of tyranny, under whatever form of government it was practised. He died a Quaker, at Eltham, August 28, 1658. The following character was given of him by sir Thomas Wortley, in a song, at the feast kept by the prisoners in the Tower, in August 1647. John Lilburne is a stirring blade, John loves no power prerogative, Granger's History of England, vol. 3. p. 78, 8vo. Whitelocke's Mem. p. 383, 384, and 405. Dr. Grey, vol. 1. p. 167, and vol. 3. p. 17.—ED. *This is not accurate. Colonel Straughan's forces in conjunction with others fell on lord Montrose's party, routed them, and took six hundred prisoners: but the marquis himself escaped, though with difficulty, for his horse, pistols, belt, and scabbard, were seized and two or three days after the fight, he was taken sixteen miles from the place of engagement, in a disguise, and sorely wounded: having been betrayed, some say by lord Aston, but, according to bishop Burnet, by Mackland, of Assin. Dr. Grey; and Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 438, 439.—ED. + If his successes were magnified beyond the truth, his character has also been handed down with the highest eulogiums. The marquis of Montrose (says Mr. Granger) was comparable to the greatest heroes of antiquity. We meet with many instances of valour in this active reign; but Montrose is the only instance of heroism. Amongst other circumstances of indignity, which accompanied his execution, the book of his exploits, a small octavo written in elegant Latin, which is now very scarce, was tied appendant to his neck. Dr. Grey; and Granger's History of England, vol. 2. p. 245, 246, 8vo.-ED... bridge, and his fears lest king Charles II. should agree with the Scots, and revoke his commission before he had executed it, now hurried him to his own ruin. } The young king being in treaty with the Scots covenanters at Breda, was forced to stifle his resentments for the death of the marquis, and submit to the following hard conditions: (1.) "That all persons excommunicated by the kirk should be forbid the court. (2.) "That the king by his solemn oath, and under his hand and seal, declare his allowance of the covenant. (3.) "That he confirm those acts of parliament which enjoin the covenant. That he establish the Presbyterian worship and discipline, and swear never to oppose, or endeavour to alter them. (4.) "That all civil matters be determined by parliament; and all ecclesiastical affairs by the kirk. (5.) "That his majesty ratify all that has been done inthe parliament of Scotland in some late sessions, and sign the covenant upon his arrival in that kingdom, if the kirk desired it."* The king arrived in Scotland June 23; but before his landing the commissioners insisted on his signing the covenant, and upon parting with all his old counsellors, which he did, and was then conducted by the way of Aberdeen and St. Andrew's to his house at Faulkland. July 11, his majesty was proclaimed at the cross at Edinburgh, but the ceremony of his coronation was deferred to the beginning of the next year. In the meantime the English commonwealth was providing for a war which they saw was unavoidable, and general Fairfax refusing to act against the Scots, his commission was immediately given to Cromwell, with the title of captain-general in chief of all the forces raised and to be raised by authority of parliament, within the commonwealth of England. Three days after, viz. June 29, he marched with eleven thousand foot and five thousand horse towards the borders of Scotland, being re * Besides taking the covenant, it was enacted of the king also to acknowledge twelve articles of repentance, in which were enumerated the sins of his father and grandfather, and the idolatry of his mother; and in which were declarations, that be sought the restitution of his rights for the sole advantage of religion, and in subordination to the kingdom of Christ. Mrs. Macaulay's History of England, vol. 5. p. 62, Bro.-ED. solved not to wait for the Scots invading England, but to carry the war into their country. The Scots complained to the English parliament of this conduct, as a breach of the act of pacification, and of the covenant; but were answered, that they had already broken the peace by their treaty with Charles Stuart, whom they had not only received as their king, but promised to assist in recovering the crown of England. Their receiving the king was certainly their right as an Independent nation; but whether their enga ging to assist him in recovering the crown of England was not declaring war, must be left to the reader. July 22, the general crossed the Tweed, and marched his army almost as far as Edinburgh without much opposition, the country being deserted by reason of the terror of the name of Cromwell, and the reports that were spread of his cruelty in Ireland. Not a Scotsman appeared under sixty, nor a youth above six years old, to interrupt his march. All provisions were destroyed, or removed, to prevent the subsistence of the army, which was supplied from time to time by sea; but the general having made proclamation, that no man should be injured in his person or goods who was not found in arms, the people took heart and returned to their dwellings. The Scots army, under the command of general Lesley, stood on the defensive, and watched the motions of the English all the month of August; the main body being intrenched within six miles of Edinburgh, to the number of thirty thousand of the best men that ever Scotland saw; general Cromwell did every thing he could to draw them to a battle, till by the fall of rain and bad weather he was obliged to retreat to Musselborough, and from thence to Dunbar, where he was reduced to the utmost straits, having no way left but to conquer or die. In this extremity he summoned the officers to prayer; after which he bid all about him take heart, for God had heard them; then walking in the earl of Roxborough's gardens, that lay under the bill upon which the Scots army was encamped, and discovering by perspective glasses that they were coming down to attack him, he said God was delivering them into his hands. That night proving very rainy, the general refreshed his men in the town, and ordered them * Life of Cromwell, p. 178. Burnet's Hist. vol. 1. p. 74. Edinb. edit. to take particular care of their firelocks, which the Scots neglected, who were all the night coming down the hill. Early next morning, September 3, the general with a strong party of horse beat their guards, and then advancing with his whole army, after about an hour's dispute, entered their camp and carried all before him; about four thousand Scots fell in battle, ten thousand were made prisoners, with fifteen hundred arms, and all their artillery and ammunition; the loss of the English amounting to no more than about three hundred men. It is an odd reflection lord Clarendon* makes upon this victory: "Never was victory obtained (says his lordship) with less lamentation; for as Cromwell had great argument of triumph, so the king was glad of it, as the greatest happiness that could befal him, in the loss of so strong a body of his enemies."+ Such was the encouragement the Scots had to fight for their king! Immediately after this action, the general took possession of Edinburgh, which was in a manner deserted by the clergy; some having shut themselves up in the castle, and others fled with their effects to Stirling, the general, to deliver them from their fright, sent a trumpet to the castle, to assure the governor that the ministers might return to their churches, and preach without any disturbance from him, for he had no quarrel with the Scots nation on the score of religion. But the ministers replied, that having no security for their persons, they thought it their duty to reserve themselves for better times. Upon which the general wrote to the governor, "That his kindness offered to the ministers in the castle, *Vol. 3. p. 377. + Dr. Grey adds the reason which lord Clarendon assigns for the king's rejoicing in this victory; which was, his apprehension that if the Scots had prevailed, they would have shut him up in prison the next day: whereas, after this defeat, they looked upon the king as one they might stand in need of, gave him more liberty than they had before allowed, permitted his servants to wait on him, and began to talk of a parliament and of a time for his coronation.-Éd. It is a proof of this, that while Oliver Cromwell was at Edinburgh, he attended divine worship in the great church there, when Mr. William Derham preached, and called Oliver a usurper to his face. He was so far from resenting this, that he invited Mr. Derham to visit him in the evening, when they supped together in great harmony. Oliver observed, however, "that it was well known to him, how much he and his brethren disliked him: but they might assure themselves that, if any of the Stuart line came to the throne, they would find their little fingers greater than his loins." Dr. Gibbons's Account of the Cromwell Family, annexed to his Funeral Sermon for William Cromwell, esq. p. 47.-ED. |