WE WAIT FOR THE END.
I have said that my father from the beginning unto the end of this
business was as one beside himself, being in an ecstasy or rapture
of mind insomuch that he heeded nothing. The letters he sent out to
his friends, the Nonconformists, either brought no answer or else
they heaped loads of trouble, being intercepted and read, upon those
to whom they were addressed. But he was not moved. The defection
of his friends and of the gentry caused him no uneasiness. Nay, he
even closed his eyes and ears to the drinking, the profane oaths,
and the riotous living in the camp. Others there were, like-minded
with himself, who saw the hand of the Lord in this enterprise, and
thought that it would succeed by a miracle. The desertions of the
men, which afterwards followed, and the defection of those who
should have joined--these things were but the weeding of the host,
which should be still further weeded--as in a well-known chapter
in the Book of Judges--until none but the righteous should be left
behind. These things he preached daily, and with mighty fervour, to
all who would listen; but these were few in number.
As regards his wife and daughter he took no thought for them at all,
being wholly enwrapped in his work; he did not so much as ask if we
had money--to be sure, for five-and-twenty years he had never asked
that question--or if we were safely bestowed; or if we were well.
Never have I seen any man so careless of all earthly affections when
he considered the work of the Lord. But when the time came for the
army to march, what were we to do? Where should we be bestowed?
'As to following the army,' said Robin, 'that is absurd. We know
not whither we may march or what the course of events may order.
You cannot go home without an armed escort, for the country is up;
the clubmen are out everywhere to protect their cattle and horses,
a rough and rude folk they would be to meet; and the gipsies are
robbing and plundering. Can you stay here until we come back, or
until the country hath settled down again?'
Miss Blake generously promised that we should stay with her as long
as we chose, adding many kind things about myself, out of friendship
and a good heart; and so it was resolved that we should remain
in Taunton, where no harm could befall us, while my father still
accompanied the army to exhort the soldiers.
'I will take care of him,' said Barnaby. 'He shall not preach of a
morning till he hath taken breakfast, nor shall he go to bed until
he hath had his supper. So long as the provisions last out he shall
have his ration. After that I cannot say. Maybe we shall all go on
short commons, as hath happened to me already; and, truth to tell,
I love it not. All these things belong to the voyage, and are part
of our luck. Farewell, therefore, mother. Heart up!--all will go
well! Kiss me, Sis; we shall all come back again. Never fear. King
Monmouth shall be crowned in Westminster. Dad shall be Archbishop
of Canterbury, and I shall be Captain of a King's ship. All our
fortunes shall be made, and you, Sis, shall have a great estate, and
shall marry whom you please--Robin or another. As for the gentry who
have not come forward, hang 'em, we'll divide their estates between
us and so change places, and they will be so astonished at not being
shot for cowardice that they will rejoice and be glad to clean our
boots. Thus shall we all be happy.'
So they marched away, Monmouth being now at the head of an army
seven thousand strong, and all in such spirits that you would have
thought nothing could withstand them. And when I consider, and
remember how that army marched away, with the cheers of the men and
the laughter and jokes of the young recruits, the tears run down my
cheeks for thinking how their joy was turned to mourning, and life
was exchanged for death. The last I saw of Robin was that he was
turning in his saddle to wave his hand, his face full of confidence
and joy. The only gloomy face in the whole army that morning was
the face of Humphrey. Afterwards I learned that almost from the
beginning he foresaw certain disaster. In the first place, none
of those on whom the exiles of Holland had relied came into camp.
These were the backbone of the Protestant party--the sturdy blood
that had been freely shed against Charles I. This was a bitter
disappointment. Next, he saw in the army nothing but a rabble of
country lads, with such officers as Captain Hucker, the Serge-maker,
instead of the country gentlemen, with their troops, as had been
expected; and from the beginning he distrusted the leaders--even the
Duke himself. So he hung his head and laughed not with the rest. But
his doubts he kept locked up in his own heart. Robin knew none of
them.
It was a pretty sight to see the Taunton maids walking out for a
mile and more with their lovers who had joined Monmouth. They walked
hand-in-hand with the men; they wore the Monmouth favours; they had
no more doubt or fear of the event than their sweethearts. Those
who visit Taunton now may see these women (now grown old) creeping
about the streets lonely and sorrowful, mindful still of that Sunday
morning when they saw their lovers for the last time.
When I consider the history of this expedition I am amazed that it
did not succeed. It was, surely, by a special judgment of God that
the victory was withheld from Monmouth and reserved for William. I
say not (presumptuously) that the judgment was pronounced against
the Duke on account of his sinful life, but I think it was the
will of Heaven that the country should endure for three years the
presence of a Prince who was continually seeking to advance the
Catholic religion. The people were not yet ripe, perhaps, for that
universal disgust which caused them without bloodshed (in this
island at least) to pull down King James from his throne. When, I
say, I consider the temper and the courage of that great army which
left Taunton, greater than any which the King could bring against
it; when I consider the multitudes who flocked to the standard at
Bridgwater, I am lost in wonder at the event.
From Sunday, the 21st, when the army marched out of Taunton, till
the news came of their rout on Sedgemoor, we heard nothing certain
about them. On Tuesday the Duke of Albemarle, hearing that the army
had gone, occupied Taunton with the Militia, and there were some
who expected severities on account of the welcome given to the Duke
and the recruits whom he obtained here. But there were no acts of
revenge that I heard of--and, indeed, he did not stay long in the
town. As for us, we remained under the shelter of Miss Blake's roof,
and daily expected news of some great and signal victory. But none
came, save one letter. Every day we looked for this news, and every
day we planned and laid down the victorious march for our army.
'They will first occupy Bristol,' said Miss Blake. 'That is certain,
because there are many stout Protestants in Bristol, and the place
is important. Once master of that great city, our King will get
possession of ships, and so will have a fleet. There are, no doubt,
plenty of arms in the town, with which he will be able to equip an
army ten times greater than that which he now has. Then with--say,
thirty thousand men--he will march on London. The Militia will, of
course, lay down their arms or desert at the approach of this great
and resolute army. The King's regiments will prove, I expect, to be
Protestants, every man. Oxford will open her gates, London will send
out her train-bands to welcome the Deliverer, and so our King will
enter in triumph and be crowned at Westminster Abbey, one King James
succeeding another. Then there shall be restored to this distracted
country'--being a schoolmistress, Miss Blake could use language
worthy of the dignity of history--'the blessings of religious
freedom; and the pure Word of God, stripped of superstitious
additions made by man, shall be preached through the length and
breadth of the land.'
'What shall be done,' I asked, 'with the Bishops?'
'They shall be suffered to remain,' she said, speaking with a voice
of authority, 'for those congregations which desire a prelacy,
but stripped of their titles and of their vast revenues. We will
not persecute, but we will never suffer one Church to lord it over
another. Oh! when will the news come? Where is the army now?'
The letter of which I have spoken was from Robin.
'Sweetheart,' he said, 'all goes well so far. At Bridgwater we have
received a welcome only second to that of Taunton. The Mayor and
Aldermen proclaimed our King at the High Cross, and the people have
sent to the camp great store of provisions and arms of all kinds.
We are now six regiments of foot with a thousand cavalry, besides
the King's own body-guard. We have many good friends at Bridgwater,
especially one, Mr. Roger Hoar, who is a rich merchant of the place,
and is very zealous in the Cause. Your father preached on Sunday
evening from the text (Deuteronomy vii. 5), "Ye shall destroy their
altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and
burn their graven images with fire." It was a most moving discourse,
which fired the hearts of all who heard it.
'They say that our chief is downhearted because the nobility and
gentry have not come in. They only wait for the first victory,
after which they will come in by hundreds. But some of our men look
forward to depriving them of their estates, and dividing them among
themselves; and already the Colonels and Majors are beginning to
reckon up the great rewards which await them. As for me, there is
but one reward for which I pray--namely, to return unto Bradford
Orcas and to the arms of my sweet saint. Lord Churchill is reported
to be at Chard; there has been a brush in the Forest of Neroche
between the scouts, and it is said that all the roads are guarded
so that recruits shall be arrested or at least driven back. Perhaps
this is the reason why the gentry sit down. Barnaby says that so
far there have been provisions enough and to spare; and he hopes
the present plenty may continue. No ship's crew can fight, he says,
on half rations. Our march will be on Bristol. I hope and believe
that when we have gotten that great town our end is sure. Humphrey
continueth glum.'
Many women there were who passed that time in prayer, continually
offering up supplications on behalf of husband, brother, lover or
son. But at Taunton the Vicar, one Walter Harte, a zealous High
Churchman, came forth from hiding, and, with the magistrates, said
prayers daily for King James II.
To tell what follows is to renew a time of agony unspeakable. Yet
must it be told. Farewell, happy days of hope and confidence!
Farewell, the sweet exchange of dreams! Farewell to our lovely hero,
the gracious Duke! All the troubles that man's mind can conceive
were permitted to be rained upon our heads--defeat, wounds, death,
prison--nay, for me such a thing as no one could have expected or
even feared--such a fate as never entered the mind of man to invent.
When the Duke marched out of Bridgwater, across Sedgemoor to
Glastonbury, the weather, which had been hot and fine, became cold
and rainy, which made the men uncomfortable. At Glastonbury they
camped in the ruins of the old abbey. Thence they went to Shepton
Mallet, the spirits of the men still being high. From Shepton Mallet
they marched to a place called Pensford, only five miles from
Bristol. Here they heard that the bridge over the Avon at Keynsham
was broken down. This being presently repaired, the army marched
across. They were then within easy reach of Bristol.
And now began the disasters of the enterprise. Up to this time
everything had prospered. Had the Duke boldly attacked Bristol--I
speak not of my own wisdom, having none in such matters, but from
others' wisdom--he would have encountered no more than twenty
companies or thereabouts of Militia, and a regiment of two hundred
and fifty horse. Moreover, Bristol was full of Dissenters, who
wanted nothing but encouragement to join the Protestant champion.
Not only the Duke's friends, but also his enemies, agree in
declaring that it wanted nothing but courage to take that great,
rich, and populous city, where he would have found everything
that he wanted--men and money, arms and ammunition. I cannot but
think that for his sins, or for the sins of the nation, a judicial
blindness was caused to fall upon the Duke, so that he chose, of
two ways open to him, that which led to his destruction. In short,
he turned away from Bristol, and drew up his forces against Bath.
When he summoned that city to surrender, they shot his herald, and
scoffed at him. Then, instead of taking the town, the Duke retired
to Philip's Norton, where, 'tis said, he expected some great
reinforcements. But none came; and he now grew greatly dejected,
showing his dejection in his face, which could conceal nothing. Yet
he fought an action with his half-brother, the Duke of Grafton, in
which he was victorious, a thing which ought to have helped him.
In this action Lieutenant Blake, Miss Blake's cousin, was killed.
From Philip's Norton the army marched to Frome, and here such was
the general despondency that two thousand men--a third of the whole
army--deserted in the night and returned to their own homes. I
think, also, it was at Frome that they learned the news of Lord
Argyle's discomfiture.
Then a council was held, at which it was proposed that the army
should be disbanded and ordered to return, seeing that the King had
proclaimed a pardon to all who would peacefully lay down their arms
and return home; and that the Duke, with Lord Grey, and those who
would be certainly exempted from that pardon, should make the best
of their way out of the country.
Alas! here was a way open to the safety of all those poor men; but
again was the Duke permitted to choose the other way--that, namely,
which led to the destruction of his army and himself. Yet they say
that he himself recommended the safer course. He must have known
that he wanted arms and ammunition; that his men were deserting;
and that no more recruits came in. Colonel Venner, one of his
principal men, was at this juncture sent away to Holland in order
to get assistance in arms and money. And the King's proclamation of
pardon was carefully kept from the knowledge of the soldiers.
On July the 4th the army returned to Bridgwater, and now Dr. Hooke,
chaplain to the army, and some of the officers were sent away
secretly in order to raise an insurrection in London and elsewhere;
the only hope being that risings in various parts would call away
some of the King's forces from the West. Some of the Taunton men in
the army rode from Bridgwater to see their friends. But we women
(who, for the most part, remained at home) learned no news save
that as yet there had been no signal victory: we did not hear of
the large desertions nor of the Duke's despondency. Therefore, we
continued in our fool's paradise and looked every day for some great
and crowning mercy. Those who are on the side of the Lord are always
expecting some special interference; whereas, they ought to be
satisfied with being on the right side, whether victory or defeat be
intended for them. In this enterprise I doubt not that those godly
men (there were, I dare say, some godly men) who fell in battle, or
were afterwards executed, received their reward, and that a far, far
greater reward than their conduct deserved--for who can measure the
short agony of death beside the everlasting life of glory and joy
unspeakable?
The last day of this fatal expedition was Sunday, the fifth day
of July: so that it took no more than three weeks in all between
its first beginning and its failure. Only three weeks! But how
much longer was it before the punishment and the expiation were
concluded? Nay, are they even yet concluded when thousands of
innocent women and children still go in poverty and mourning for the
loss of those who should have worked for them?
In the morning my father preached to the soldiers on the text
(Joshua xxii. 22), 'The Lord God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He
knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in
transgression against the Lord, save us not this day.'
And now the time was come when the last battle was to be fought.
The Earl of Feversham, who had been at Somerton, marched this day
across Sedgemoor and encamped at Weston Zoyland, which is but five
or six miles from Bridgwater.
Now it chanced that one William Sparke, of Chedzoy, hearing of this
advance, climbed the church tower, and, by aid of a spying-glass,
such as sailors use at sea, he discerned clearly the approach of
the army and its halt at Weston. Being a well-wisher to the Duke,
he sent one of his men, Richard Godfrey by name, with orders to spy
into and learn the position and numbers of the Earl's army, and
to carry his information straightway to Bridgwater. This duty the
fellow promised, and most faithfully performed.
The Duke had already learned the approach of Lord Feversham,
and, being now wellnigh desperate with his continued losses, and
seeing his army gradually wasting away, with no fresh recruits,
he had resolved upon not waiting to be attacked, but on a retreat
northwards, hoping to get across the bridge at Keynsham, and so
march into Shropshire and Cheshire, where still he hoped to raise
another army. But (says he who hath helped me with this brief
account of the expedition) the retreat, which would have been
harassed by Lord Feversham's horse, would have turned into flight;
the men would have deserted in all directions; and when the remains
of the army arrived at Keynsham Bridge they would certainly have
found it occupied by the Duke of Beaufort.
The carriages were already loaded in readiness for this march; it
was to begin at nightfall; when the arrival of the man Godfrey, and
the news that he brought, caused the Duke to change everything. For
he now perceived that such a chance was offered him as had never
before occurred since his landing: viz., a night surprise, and, if
he were fortunate, the rout of the King's best troops.
It is said that had the Duke shown the same boldness in the matter
of Bristol that he showed in this night attack, he would have gained
that city first and his own cause next. Nor did it appear at all a
desperate attempt. For, though Lord Feversham had 2,500 men with
him, horse and foot, with sixteen field-pieces, the Duke had nearly
3,000 foot (counting those armed with pikes and scythes) and 600
horse with four field-pieces, and though the King's troops included
many companies of Grenadiers, with a battalion of that famous
regiment the Coldstream Guards, and some hundred horse of the King's
regiment and dragoons, the Duke had with him at least 2,000 men well
armed and resolute, as the event showed. Besides this, he had the
advantage of the surprise and confusion of a night attack. And in
addition, the camp was not entrenched, the troopers had all gone to
bed, the foot-soldiers were drinking cider, and the officers were
reported to be all drunk.
Therefore, it was resolved that the intended flight into Shropshire
should be abandoned, and that the whole matter should be brought to
an issue that very night.
Had the attack succeeded, all might yet have gone well with the
Duke. His enemies boasted that his raw country lads would be routed
at the first charge of regular soldiers; if he proved the contrary,
those who had deserted him would have returned; those who held aloof
would join. It was not the Cause which found men lukewarm; it was
the doubt--and nothing but the doubt--whether the Duke's enterprise
would be supported. And I never heard that any found aught but
commendation of the boldness and spirit which brought us to the
battle of Sedgemoor.
All that day we spent in quiet meditation, in prayer, in the reading
of the Bible, and in godly discourses, and herein I must commend
the modesty as well as the piety of Miss Susan Blake, in that she
invited my mother, as her elder and the wife of an eminent minister,
to conduct the religious exercises, though as the hostess she might
have demanded that privilege. We stirred not abroad at all that day.
The meeting-houses, which had been opened when the Duke marched in,
were now closed again.
In the evening, while we sat together discoursing upon the special
mercies vouchsafed to the people of the Lord, a strange thing
happened. Nay, I do not say that news may not have reached Taunton
already of the Duke's intentions, and of the position of the King's
forces. But this seems incredible, since it was not known--except to
the council by whom it was decided--till late in the afternoon, and
it was not to be thought that these would hurry to spread the news
abroad, and so ruin the whole affair. The window being open, then,
we could hear the voices of those who talked in the street below.
Now, there passed two men, and they were talking as they went. Said
one--and these were the words we heard--
'I tell thee that the Duke will have no more to do than to lock the
stable doors, and so seize the troopers in their beds.'
We all started and listened. The voice below repeated--
'I say, Sir, and I have it first hand, that he hath but to lock the
stable doors and so seize all the troopers in their beds.'
Then they passed on their way.
Said my mother: 'My husband hath told me that not only may the
conscience be awakened by a word which seemeth chance, but the
future may be revealed by words which were perhaps meant in another
sense. What we have heard this evening may be a foretelling of
victory. My children, let us pray, and so to bed.'