The History of England, from the Accession of James the Second - Volume 1, Thomas Babington Macaulay [ebook pc reader txt] 📗

/> Oxfordshire. John Fell, Bishop of Oxford, who was also Dean of

Christchurch, summoned the undergraduates of his University to

take arms for the crown. The gownsmen crowded to give in their

names. Christchurch alone furnished near a hundred pikemen and

musketeers. Young noblemen and gentlemen commoners acted as

officers; and the eldest son of the Lord Lieutenant was

Colonel.388


But it was chiefly on the regular troops that the King relied.

Churchill had been sent westward with the Blues; and Feversham

was following with all the forces that could be spared from the

neighbourhood of London. A courier had started for Holland with a

letter directing Skelton instantly to request that the three

English regiments in the Dutch service might be sent to the

Thames. When the request was made, the party hostile to the House

of Orange, headed by the deputies of Amsterdam, again tried to

cause delay. But the energy of William, who had almost as much at

stake as James, and who saw Monmouth's progress with serious

uneasiness, bore down opposition, and in a few days the troops

sailed.389 The three Scotch regiments were already in England.

They had arrived at Gravesend in excellent condition, and James

had reviewed them on Blackheath. He repeatedly declared to the

Dutch Ambassador that he had never in his life seen finer or

better disciplined soldiers, and expressed the warmest gratitude

to the Prince of Orange and the States for so valuable and

seasonable a reinforcement This satisfaction, however, was not

unmixed. Excellently as the men went through their drill, they

were not untainted with Dutch politics and Dutch divinity. One of

them was shot and another flogged for drinking the Duke of

Monmouth's health. It was therefore not thought advisable to

place them in the post of danger. They were kept in the

neighbourhood of London till the end of the campaign. But their

arrival enabled the King to send to the West some infantry which

would otherwise have been wanted in the capital.390


While the government was thus preparing for a conflict with the

rebels in the field, precautions of a different kind were not

neglected. In London alone two hundred of those persons who were

thought most likely to be at the head of a Whig movement were

arrested. Among the prisoners were some merchants of great note.

Every man who was obnoxious to the Court went in fear. A general

gloom overhung the capital. Business languished on the Exchange;

and the theatres were so generally deserted that a new opera,

written by Dryden, and set off by decorations of unprecedented

magnificence, was withdrawn, because the receipts would not cover

the expenses of the performance.391 The magistrates and clergy

were everywhere active. the Dissenters were everywhere closely

observed. In Cheshire and Shropshire a fierce persecution raged;

in Northamptonshire arrests were numerous; and the gaol of Oxford

was crowded with prisoners. No Puritan divine, however moderate

his opinions, however guarded his conduct, could feel any

confidence that he should not be torn from his family and flung

into a dungeon.392


Meanwhile Monmouth advanced from Bridgewater harassed through the

whole march by Churchill, who appears to have done all that, with

a handful of men, it was possible for a brave and skilful officer

to effect. The rebel army, much annoyed, both by the enemy and by

a heavy fall of rain, halted in the evening of the twenty-second

of June at Glastonbury. The houses of the little town did not

afford shelter for so large a force. Some of the troops were

therefore quartered in the churches, and others lighted their

fires among the venerable ruins of the Abbey, once the wealthiest

religious house in our island. From Glastonbury the Duke marched

to Wells, and from Wells to Shepton Mallet.393


Hitherto he seems to have wandered from place to place with no

other object than that of collecting troops. It was now necessary

for him to form some plan of military operations. His first

scheme was to seize Bristol. Many of the chief inhabitants of

that important place were Whigs. One of the ramifications of the

Whig plot had extended thither. The garrison consisted only of

the Gloucestershire trainbands. If Beaufort and his rustic

followers could be overpowered before the regular troops arrived,

the rebels would at once find themselves possessed of ample

pecuniary resources; the credit of Monmouth's arms would be

raised; and his friends throughout the kingdom would be

encouraged to declare themselves. Bristol had fortifications

which, on the north of the Avon towards Gloucestershire, were

weak, but on the south towards Somersetshire were much stronger.

It was therefore determined that the attack should be made on the

Gloucestershire side. But for this purpose it was necessary to

take a circuitous route, and to cross the Avon at Keynsham. The

bridge at Keynsham had been partly demolished by the militia, and

was at present impassable. A detachment was therefore sent

forward to make the necessary repairs. The other troops followed

more slowly, and on the evening of the twenty-fourth of June

halted for repose at Pensford. At Pensford they were only five

miles from the Somersetshire side of Bristol; but the

Gloucestershire side, which could be reached only by going round

through Keynsham, was distant a long day's march.394


That night was one of great tumult and expectation in Bristol.

The partisans of Monmouth knew that he was almost within sight of

their city, and imagined that he would be among them before

daybreak. About an hour after sunset a merchantman lying at the

quay took fire. Such an occurrence, in a port crowded with

shipping, could not but excite great alarm. The whole river was

in commotion. The streets were crowded. Seditious cries were

heard amidst the darkness and confusion. It was afterwards

asserted, both by Whigs and by Tories, that the fire had been

kindled by the friends of Monmouth, in the hope that the

trainbands would be busied in preventing the conflagration from

spreading, and that in the meantime the rebel army would make a

bold push, and would enter the city on the Somersetshire side. If

such was the design of the incendiaries, it completely failed.

Beaufort, instead of sending his men to the quay, kept them all

night drawn up under arms round the beautiful church of Saint

Mary Redcliff, on the south of the Avon. He would see Bristol

burnt down, he said, nay, he would burn it down himself, rather

than that it should be occupied by traitors. He was able, with

the help of some regular cavalry which had joined him from

Chippenham a few hours before, to prevent an insurrection. It

might perhaps have been beyond his power at once to overawe the

malecontents within the walls and to repel an attack from

without: but no such attack was made. The fire, which caused so

much commotion at Bristol, was distinctly seen at Pensford.

Monmouth, however, did not think it expedient to change his plan.

He remained quiet till sunrise, and then marched to Keynsham.

There he found the bridge repaired. He determined to let his army

rest during the afternoon, and, as soon as night came, to proceed

to Bristol.395


But it was too late. The King's forces were now near at hand.

Colonel Oglethorpe, at the head of about a hundred men of the

Life Guards, dashed into Keynsham, scattered two troops of rebel

horse which ventured to oppose him, and retired after inflicting

much injury and suffering little. In these circumstances it was

thought necessary to relinquish the design on Bristol.396


But what was to be done? Several schemes were proposed and

discussed. It was suggested that Monmouth might hasten to

Gloucester, might cross the Severn there, might break down the

bridge behind him, and, with his right flank protected by the

river, might march through Worcestershire into Shropshire and

Cheshire. He had formerly made a progress through those counties,

and had been received there with as much enthusiasm as in

Somersetshire and Devonshire. His presence might revive the zeal

of his old friends; and his army might in a few days be swollen

to double its present numbers.


On full consideration, however, it appeared that this plan,

though specious, was impracticable. The rebels were ill shod for

such work as they had lately undergone, and were exhausted by

toiling, day after day, through deep mud under heavy rain.

Harassed and impeded as they would be at every stage by the

enemy's cavalry, they could not hope to reach Gloucester without

being overtaken by the main body of the royal troops, and forced

to a general action under every disadvantage.


Then it was proposed to enter Wiltshire. Persons who professed to

know that county well assured the Duke that he would be joined

there by such strong reinforcements as would make it safe for him

to give battle.397


He took this advice, and turned towards Wiltshire. He first

summoned Bath. But Bath was strongly garrisoned for the King; and

Feversham was fast approaching. The rebels, therefore made no

attempt on the walls, but hastened to Philip's Norton, where they

halted on the evening of the twenty-sixth of June.


Feversham followed them thither. Early on the morning of the

twenty-seventh they were alarmed by tidings that he was close at

hand. They got into order, and lined the hedges leading to the

town.


The advanced guard of the royal army soon appeared. It consisted

of about five hundred men, commanded by the Duke of Grafton, a

youth of bold spirit and rough manners, who was probably eager to

show that he had no share in the disloyal schemes of his half

brother. Grafton soon found himself in a deep lane with fences on

both sides of him, from which a galling fire of musketry was kept

up. Still he pushed boldly on till he came to the entrance of

Philip's Norton. There his way was crossed by a barricade, from

which a third fire met him full in front. His men now lost heart,

and made the best of their way back. Before they got out of the

lane more than a hundred of them had been killed or wounded.

Grafton's retreat was intercepted by some of the rebel cavalry:

but he cut his way gallantly through them, and came off safe.398


The advanced guard, thus repulsed, fell back on the main body of

the royal forces. The two armies were now face to face; and a few

shots were exchanged that did little or no execution. Neither

side was impatient to come to action. Feversham did not wish to

fight till his artillery came up, and fell back to Bradford.

Monmouth, as soon as the night closed in, quitted his position,

marched southward, and by daybreak arrived at Frome, where he

hoped to find reinforcements.


Frome