wealth almost wholly fubdued, and thofe who

mentary ·Hiftory, vol.

prefbyterian government; and the herefies and blafphemies charged on them by fome ftatifts, as they style them, are refuted: and the King and his adherents are represented as influenced by popifh counfels. They then add, Is there not now just cause for all good men with you to fear that one fo bred, fo engaged and interested, and meerly in fuch a way coming in to you, doth but watch his opportunity (to fpeak nothing of the weight of blood of the faints under the altar, crying • ftill for vengeance upon him and that family) till by his influence upon your army, which you know how compofed, he may gain his ends upon you; and how likewife the generality of the people of Scotland are af<fected, is not unworthy of your most serious confide- (4) Parlia ration, nor of a friendly intimation from us (k)' Cromwell alfo, at his arrival in Berwick, published ano- xix. p. 36. ther declaration to the people of Scotland, in which referring to the grounds of the army's marching thither as fet forth by the parliament in their declaration abovementioned, he takes notice of the unjuft reproaches and falfe flanders caft on the army under his command; and in order to refute them, appeals to his known conduct, when in their country two years before, towards the people in general, and the best affected in particular. He then goes on to affure the gentry and commonalty of Scotland, That he will not offer the leaft violence or injury to their perfons, goods or poffeffions, they being innocent in his opinion, and invites them to ftay and abide in their own habitations, where, fays he, they may and shall enjoy what they have in peace; ⚫ and not to fuffer themfelves to be mislead by the craft and fubtilty of any, into that which must needs prove their inevitable lofs and ruin, and a great hazard to their country ().'

But thefe were things of little confequence in comparison of the after actions of Cromwell and his army. For they made it appear to Scotland and the world, that

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thefr

who had bid defiance to their own princes,

were

their difcipline and valour were unparalleled. The country people were treated with great kindness by the general; their wants fupplied; and fuch as in the least injured them, very feverely punished. On the 22d day of July, 1650, Cromwell entered Scotland, and endeavoured by a variety of ways to bring the Scots to a battle. But they, though there were fome fmart fkirmishes, kept themselves from a general engagement, and thought by that means to occafion the English, as the winter approached, to return through want of provifions. They probably judged rightly; and had they kept their refolution, Cromwell might have had the mortification of finding himself unable to execute his defigns.

But prudence or fortune failed them, Cromwell began to find himself in fuch difficulties that he thought it proper to retreat towards Dunbar; the Scots followed him clofe, with an army greatly fuperiour. They now thought they had Cromwell in their power, and they were determined not to let him escape.--What condition the English were in, what the hopes of the Scots, and at the fame time the high enthufiafm of Cromwell, will beft appear from his own letter to Mr. Speaker Lenthall, dated Dunbar, Sept. 4, 1650. towards Dunbar, he adds,

Speaking of his retreat Their [the Scots] whole and indeed our drawing addition of three new much heighten their

army was in march after us back in this manner, with the regiments added to them, did confidence, if not prefumption and arrogancy. The enemy that night we perceived gathered towards the hills, labouring to make a perfect interpofition between us and Berwick; and having in this pofture a great advantage, through his better knowledge of the country, which he effected by fending a confiderable party to the ftrait pafs at C prerfpath, where ten men to hinder are better than forty to make their way. And truly this was an exigent to us, whereby the enemy reproach.d us with that cond tun the parliament's ar

'my

were forced to fubmit to a foreign (but not a griev

my was in when it made its hard cónditions with the • King in Cornwall. By fome reports that have come to us, they had difpofed of us and of their bufinefs, in ⚫ fufficient revenge and wrath towards our perfons, and ⚫ had swallowed up the poor intereft of England, believ<ing that their army and their King would have marched to London without any interruption; it being told us, we know not how truly, by a prifoner we took the night before the fight, that their King was very fud'denly to come amongst them, with those English they allowed to be about him; but in what they were thus lifted up, the Lord was above them. The enemy lying in the posture before mentioned, having thofe advantages, we lay very near him, being fenfible of ' our difadvantages, having fome weakness of flesh, but yet confolation and fupport from the Lord himself, to our poor weak faith, wherein I believe not a few • amongst us fhared, that because of their numbers, because of their advantages, because of their confidence, 'because of our weakness, because of our strait, we • were in the mount, and in the mount the Lord would be feen, and that he would find out a way of deliverance and falvation for us; and indeed we had our (m) Parlia• confolations and our hopes (m).' Nor were their mentary History, vol. hopes vain. On the third of September, Cromwell, with xix. p. 344an army of about 7500 foot, and 3500 horse, attacked the See AppenScotch army, confifting, as 'twas faid, of 6oco horfe, and dix. 16,000 foot at least, and in less than an hour put the whole army into confufion, totally routed them, and had the chafe and execution of them near eight miles. In this battle the Scots had 3000 killed, 10000 made prifoners, exclufive of officers, all their baggage and train taken, with 200 colours.This victory, fo unexpected in Scotland and England, filled the friends of the commonwealth and Cromwell with great joy. Our 'prayers are heard,' faid Mr. Sympfon in a letter to the Lord General, dated Sept. 10, 1650, our truft on R 3

• him

grievous) yoke. For 'tis well known that

the

him anfwered, his promife accomplished to judge our 'caufe in the day of battle, when he might have judged our perfons according to our fins.--Our enemies here (the morning of that day before thefe tidings came) run up and down to their friends with news, that you were coming back with fhame; they infulted in their fhops and treet, because that was now come to pafs they always looked for, &c. But whilft their hearts were thus merry in them, their faces grew pałe, () Milton's their countenances cft down, because the sword of the Lord and of his fervants had prevailed (n).'

State Papers, by Nickolls, 7. 22.

(0) Id. p.

Oliver St. John alfo, writing on the fame occafion to the general, obferves, That God had determined the difpute between England and Scotland, in fuch a manner as all may fee and acknowledge that he hath done it ; and therefore you could not fight when and as you defired; but then when your forces were leffened in number, and the remainder weakned by fickness and wants, and thereby much difpirited; and when the enemy thence and by their recruits, became confident, relying upon and boating in the arm of flesh. This feafon did the Lord chufe to give his judgment in, and fignal was it, for fithence thele wars, never was there, as I remember, fo great a victory obtained with fo little lofs of ours (o). Such a victory, indeed, in fuch circumftances, may excufe a little enthusiasm, in minds lefs difpofed to it than Cromwell and his friends! No doubt this appearance of providence, and thefe congratulations received, muft have been highly p'eafing to the lord general. The parliament, fenfible of Cromwell's merit in this affair, on receiving the account, paid him all the refpect the moft ambitious man, one would think, could wish for. They ordered men, money, provifions, medicaments, phyficians, apothecaries, and all other neceffaries for the army in Scotland; they fet apart a day of thankfgiving; appointed that the colours then brought up, together with thofe taken from the

Scots

the government there was far enough from being

Scots at Prefton, to be fet up in Weftminster-hall; refolved that a letter fhould be written to the lord general from the parliament, taking notice of his eminent fervices, with the fpecial acknowledgment and thanks of the house; and moreover referred it to the committee of the army, to confider what medals may be prepared both for officers and foldiers that were in this fervice in Scotland, and fet the proportions and values of them, and their number, and prefent an eftimate of them to) Journal, Sep. 10, the house (p). Nor were thefe empty complements: 1650. the parliament were fully pleafed with Cromwell, and defirous of gratifying him as much as might be. ' never knew,' fays Sir H. Vane in a letter to the lord general, the day on which the above refolutions were taken, any thing take a deeper or more kindly impreffion on the parliament, who in general have good aymes, and are capable of improvement upon fuch wonderful deliverances as these vouchfafed to them.

I

-Never were your friends to whom you directed your letter more enlarged in heart with thankfulness to God, and in love to you and your army, (9) Milton's than State Pafrom the fenfe of this late inexpreffible deliverance (q).' pers, by Whether the officers and foldiers had the medals given Nickolls, them, propofed in the refolution of the houfe juft men- P. 19. tioned, I know not. Certain 'tis, a very excellent medal was ftruck on the victory at Dunbar, on which is Cromwell's head in fine relief, and round it, The word at Dunbar the Lord of Hefts, Sept. 3, 1650. On the reverse is a reprefentation of the parliament of the commonwealth of England. This was the work of the celebrated Mr. Symons, who had the patronage of Cromwell; and was recommended to the committee of the army, by him, for that purpofe, in a letter which will be found in the Appendix.. -But to return.-After the battle of Dunbar, all things gave way to the valour of the English general; Edinburgh, Leith, and many other places furrendered to him; and on the 24th of Dec. it was

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agreed,