CHAPTER VII.

THE ROAD TO LONDON.

THE road to London remained clear to the King after the battle of Edgehill. If Essex had been victorious, the Royalists would have been unable to continue their march to the capital; but, as matters turned out, the road was still free for them to travel. No one, however, thought of moving the night after the battle. All, both rebels and royalists, were too weary to stir, and most of them spent the hours of darkness in the open field, under the cold starlight.

It was a bitter night; but soon brushwood, dry sticks, and leaves were gathered by the soldiers, and fires were lighted. The shivering army divided into groups, and pressed round to warm themselves. The King too, and Prince Rupert, were glad to warm themselves before the blazing crackling piles, for the frost was biting and keen. Worse than all, many of the soldiers were half famished with hunger, and there was no refreshment to be had in the camp. Some poor fellows left their fires, and wandered into neighbouring villages in search of food; but the country people in that part of England, as has been mentioned, favoured the Parliament and hated the King's

troops, and it is stated that many of the soldiers were cruelly murdered.

Just before daybreak the King left his humble fireside, and took a short sleep in his coach; but as soon as it was light enough for him to see his way, he roused himself, mounted his horse again, and rode sorrowfully to view. the battle-field of yesterday.

It was a sad sight that met his eye. The dead lay crowded together in confusion--some with the scarf of royal red folded over their breasts, and others marked by the orange colours of Essex. Roundheads and Cavaliers lay quietly together there, and all was still-still, indeed, as death!

But Charles could not remain long to gaze upon this terrible picture. It was necessary to decide, at once, whether or not the battle should be continued on that day. He resolved that first he would send to the rebels the offer of pardon, which had been forgotten in the haste of the day before.

This proclamation offered a free pardon to all rebels who would return to their duty, and the King appointed Sir William Le Neve to go to the enemy's camp, and read it aloud in the ears of the soldiers. But Lord Essex was much too wise to allow such a measure to be carried out. He feared, if his followers were to hear those gracious words, many of them would forsake hin. and return to the King. A troop of horsemen were despatched to meet Sir William, and before he could get within hearing of the rebels, they presented pistols at his head, and bade him, " as he loved his life, not to presume to speak a word to the soldiers." He was then blindfolded, and

led through the enemy's camp to the presence of the General.

When Essex learned what was in the proclamation, he made no particular answer to it; but asked Sir William many questions about the King, before he suffered him to return to his master, blindfolded, as he had come.

Sir William brought back with him one sad piece of news to the King. The brave Lindesay had died from the wounds he had received the day before in battle. Carried off the field, he had been laid on some straw in a cottage, where he had bled to death. Essex had not intended to neglect him, but surgeons could not be found to bind his wounds until too late to save him. son, who was also a prisoner, was with him when he died, and some officers of the rebel army came to his poor bed of straw to offer their assistance But he could not forget that they were traitors, and with his last breath he rebuked them for their rebellion.

His

The battle was not renewed on that day. The hour was already far advanced when Sir William returned to the royal camp with the King's despised offer of pardon. Besides, neither of the armies liked to be the first to recommence the struggle; and so the hours went quietly by until twilight spread over the field, and then Essex retired with his soldiers to Worcester.

Rupert immediately begged leave of the King to follow his enemy. Charles granted his request, and the Prince, at the head of some cavalry, made his way as far as Keinton. It would seem as if Essex had expected to be pursued, for he had

left large quantities of valuable baggage behind him in the village, especially arms and ammunition. Rupert stopped, as he passed through, to take possession of these arms, which were so much wanted by the royal army; and before he could again take the road, a thick fog had filled the air, and he gave up the hope of finding Essex for that day.

The people in London heard a great many different stories about the battle of Edgehill. Some of the runaways, who had fled before the charge of fiery Rupert, went at once to London. These men, who began to fear the Parliament would be very angry with them for running away so soon, took pains to spread terrible rumours of the defeat of the whole rebel army, hoping by this means to make their own conduct seem less cowardly. But their reports soon died away, as by degrees more true accounts reached London, until at last the Parliament received a letter from the rebel camp, saying that they themselves had won the battle. The King's enemies rejoiced over this news, but they were rather uneasy when they learned that, in spite of Essex and Edgehill, Charles was on his march to London.

Rupert was most anxious to reach the city, and he was rather impatient when the King decided it would be better to wait until he had got possession of the town of Banbury before going any further. Banbury was well garrisoned by the enemy, but, nevertheless, it was not long before her gates were opened to the Royalists, and it is said that some of the regiments in the town went over to the King's standard.

After this success, Charles marched to the loyal town of Oxford, where he determined to set his court for the winter, it being then the end of October.

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But this mode of things was much too slow for Rupert. At one time, wishing to see for himself in what state Essex and his army were really left by the battle of Edgehill, he put on the dress of a countryman, and, taking some cabbage-nets in his hands, went into the town of Warwick, where the rebel general then was, and sold his nets in the streets, while he kept his eyes and ears open,

to learn all he could about his enemies.

Again, while the King was delaying at Oxford, Rupert was constantly active. He rode all round the country at the head of a few Cavaliers, and brought home everything he could find of value to the royal camp. Sometimes he brought only news, on other occasions money, forage, or ammunition--in fact, anything he could get which might be useful to his master. Just at this time, too, Rupert made a desperate attempt to obtain Windsor for the King; but though the town was gained for a time, the castle held out so sternly, that the Cavaliers were driven back on all sides, and they plainly told the Prince they would fight men for him, but not stone walls.

While all these delays were taking place, Essex made the best of his time, and managed cleverly to get into London before Charles had arrived in view of the gates of the city. The friends of the Parliament were now greatly relieved, for they had heard that the terrible Rupert was approaching. In one of their newspapers