Page images
PDF
EPUB

on the Wednesday, eve of that, is a Letter accidentally preserved.

[ocr errors]

LETTER CLXXXI.

DUBITATING Wharton, he also might help to rally forces; his name, from Upper Winchington in Bucks,' or wherever he may be, might do something. Give him, at any rate, a last chance. Tom Westrow,' here accidentally named; once a well-known man, familiar to the Lord General and to men of worth and quality; now, as near as may be, swallowed forever in the Night-Empires ;-is still visible, strangely enough, through one small chink, and recoverable into daylight as far as needful. A Kentish man, a Parliament Soldier once, named in military Kent Committees; sat in Parliament too, recruiter' for Hythe, though at present in abeyance owing to scruples. Above all, he was the Friend of poor George Wither, stepson of the Muses; to whom in his undeserved distresses he lent beneficent princely sums; and who, in poor splayfooted doggrel, — very poor, but very grateful, pious, true, and on the whole, noble, preserves some adequate memory of him for the curious.1 By this chink Tom Westrow and the ancient figure of his Life, is still recoverable if needed.

[ocr errors]

Westrow, we find by good evidence, did return to his

1 Westrow Revived: a Funeral Poem without Fiction, composed by George Wither, Esq.; that God may be glorified in His Saints, and that -&c. &c. (King's Pamphlets, 12mo, no. 390: London, 1653-4, dated with the pen 3 January'): unadulterated doggrel; but really says something, and even something just; - by no means your insupportablest 'poetic' reading, as times go!

6

place in Parliament;'-quitted it too, as Wither informs us, foreseeing the great Catastrophe; and retired to country quiet, up the River at Teddington. Westrow and the others returned Wharton continued to dubitate;-and we shall here take leave of him. 'Poor foolish Mall,' young Mary Cromwell, one of my two little Wenches,' has been on a visit at Winchington, I think ;- thanks to you and the dear Lady' for her.

For

my

honoured Lord Wharton: These.

MY LORD,

Stratford-on-Avon, 27th August, 1651.

I know I write to my Friend,— therefore give me leave to say one bold word.

In my very heart: Your Lordship, Dick Norton, Tom Westrow, Robert Hammond have, though not intentionally, helped one another to stumble at the Dispensations of God, and to reason yourselves out of His service!

Now 'again' you have opportunity to associate with His people in His work; and to manifest your willingness, and desire to serve the Lord against His and His people's enemies. Would you be blessed out of Zion, and see the good of His people, and rejoice with His inheritance,-I advise you all in the bowels of love, Let it appear you offer yourselves willingly to His work! Wherein to be accepted, is more honour from the Lord than the world can give or hath. I am persuaded it needs you not,-save as your Lord and Master needed the Ass's Colt, to shew His humility, meekness and

1Admitted to sit;' means, readmitted after Pride's Purge: Commons Journals (vii. 27, 29), 10 October, 1651.

condescension: but you need it, to declare your submission to, and owning yourself the Lord's and His people's!1

If you can break through old disputes,—I shall rejoice if you help others to do so also. Do not say, You are now satisfied because it is the old Quarrel ;—as if it had not been so, all this while!

I have no leisure; but a great deal of entire affection to you and yours, and those named 'here,'—which I thus plainly express. Thanks to you and the dear Lady, for all loves, and for poor foolish Mall. I am in good earnest thankful;' and so also

[ocr errors]

Your Lordship's

Faithful friend and most humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.*

Charles's Standard has been floating over Worcester some six days; and now on Thursday, 28th of August, comes in sight Cromwell's also; from the Evesham side; with upwards of Thirty-thousand men now near him; and some say, upwards of Eighty-thousand rising in the distance to join him if need were.

1 Grammar, in this last clause, lost in the haste: Ass's Colt' is Beast' in orig.

* Gentleman's Magazine (London, 1814), lxxxiv. p. 419.

LETTERS CLXXXII., CLXXXIII.

BATTLE OF WORCESTER.

THE Battle of Worcester was fought on the evening of Wednesday, 3d September, 1651; anniversary of that at Dunbar last year. It could well have but one issue: defeat for the Scots and their Cause ;-either swift and complete; or else incomplete, ending in slow sieges, partial revolts, and much new misery and blood. The swift issue was the one appointed; and complete enough; severing the neck of the Controversy now at last, as with one effectual stroke, no need

to strike a second time.

The Battle was fought on both sides of the Severn; part of Cromwell's forces having crossed to the Western bank, by Upton Bridge, some miles below Worcester, the night before. About a week ago, Massey understood himself to have ruined this Bridge at Upton; but Lambert's men 'straddled across by the parapet,'-a dangerous kind of saddle for such riding, I think!-and hastily repaired it; hastily got hold of Upton Church, and maintained themselves there; driving Massey back, with a bad wound in the hand. This was on Thursday night last, the very night of the Lord General's arrival in those parts; and they have held this post ever since. Fleetwood crosses here with a good part of Cromwell's Army, on the evening of Tuesday, September 2d; shall, on the morrow,

t

attack the Scotch posts on the Southwest, about the Suburb of St. John's, across the River; while Cromwell, in person, on this side, plies them from the Southeast. St. John's Suburb lies at some distance from Worcester; west, or southwest as we say, on the Herefordshire Road; and connects itself with the City by Severn Bridge. Southeast of the City, again, near the then and present London Road, is 'Fort Royal,' an entrenchment of the Scots: on this side Cromwell is to attempt the Enemy, and second Fleetwood, as occasion may serve. cester City itself is on Cromwell's side of the River; stands high, surmounted by its high Cathedral; close on the left or eastern margin of the Severn; surrounded by fruitful fields, and hedges unfit for cavalry-fighting. This is the posture of affairs on the eve of Wednesday, 3d September, 1651.

Wor

But now, for Wednesday itself, we are to remark that between Fleetwood at Upton, and the Enemy's outposts at St. John's on the west side of Severn, there runs still a River Teme; a western tributary of the Severn, into which it falls about a mile below the City. This River Teme Fleetwood hopes to cross, if not by the Bridge at Powick which the Enemy possesses, then by a Bridge of Boats which he is himself to prepare lower down, close by the mouth of Teme. At this point also, or within pistol-shot of it,' there is to be a Bridge of Boats laid across the Severn itself, that so both ends of the Army may communicate. Boats, boatmen, carpenters, aquatic and terrestrial artificers and implements, in great abundance, contributed by the neighbouring Towns, lie ready on the River, about Upton, for this service. Does the reader now understand the ground a little?

Fleetwood, at Upton, was astir with the dawn, September 3d. But it was towards three in the afternoon' before the boatmen were got up; must have been towards five before those Bridges were got built, and Fleetwood set fairly across

« PreviousContinue »