CHAPTER X.
THE BIVOUAC ON THE PLAIN.
Shortly after the king's departure, two of the newly-raised regimentsproceeded to the quarters temporarily assigned them in the city. Nextday they encamped on the west side of the river. The regiments leftbehind remained where they were, and commenced their experience ofmilitary life by bivouacking on the plain. They did not undergo muchhardship, since the night was fine and warm, and the moon being nearlyat the full, every object was as distinctly visible as during daytime.
As far as eatables and drinkables were concerned, the newly-enrolledtroops had no reason to complain. Plenty of provisions and an abundantsupply of good liquor--ale, perry, cider, canary, sack, and otherwines, were sent them by the mayor and sheriff. Though novices in theart of war, the new soldiers were adepts in drinking, and could emptytheir cups as well as the oldest campaigner. Every Cavalier was welcometo a share of their runlet of sack or claret--but they did not invitethe Scottish soldiers.
Though the night was fine and warm, as we have described, they kept uptheir fires, and sat around them to a late hour. These groups, witharms piled, and horses picketed beside them, lent a very picturesqueappearance to this part of the plain. Further on could be seen thetents of the Scottish soldiers, bathed in moonlight, but few werestirring near them except the sentinels. It would almost seem as ifthe Scots had retired to rest earlier than their wont to avoid hearingthe songs and laughter of their roystering comrades. A great noise wasundoubtedly made, for a dozen Cavalier ditties were chanted at the sametime by different parties. At last, however, the recruits grew tired ofsinging, and began to talk of the war. Round each fire were collectedindividuals who had fought at both sieges of Worcester, and these nowfavoured their companions with their recollections of those stirringtimes.
"Nine years ago," said a burly-looking young man, who had beenaddressed as Martin Vosper, "I was just nineteen--so you will readilyguess my age now--and I was then 'prentice to Mr. Lysons, the presentworthy mayor of Worcester. The city, as you know, has always beenloyal, and for that reason was regarded from the very first withespecial disfavour by the rebellious Parliament. In 1642, our faithfulWorcester, for I love to call it so, declared for the king, opened itsgates to Sir John Biron and the three hundred Cavaliers he brought withhim, and fortified its walls. The Roundheads did not leave us longalone. Lord Say and Colonel Fynes, with a large force, laid siege tothe city; whereupon the king sent word from Oxford that he would bringfifteen hundred horse and twice as many foot to raise the siege. Oursatisfaction at this agreeable intelligence was damped by hearing thatLord Essex was marching against us with fourteen thousand men; butjust as we were beginning to despair, Prince Rupert, with his brotherMaurice, threw themselves into the city with a large body of troops.Then we felt able to set Old Noll himself at defiance. Two successfulstratagems were practised. But I must first describe an action thattook place on this very plain. Determined to strike a decisive blowbefore Lord Essex could bring up his forces, Prince Rupert, on themorning after his arrival, with fifteen troops of horse, marched forthupon Pitchcroft, and, sounding his trumpets loudly, challenged theenemy to battle. A gallant sight his troops made, I can assure you,when drawn up on the plain, for I watched them from the northern walls.A word about the prince. Never did I behold a fiercer-looking man.His eye went through you like a rapier. But to proceed. At first theenemy appeared to decline the challenge, but they were ready enough tofight, as it turned out, only their forces were dispersed. Lord Say andColonel Fynes were elsewhere, as I shall presently explain, but ColonelSandys and Colonel Austine brought up their regiments, and the conflictbegan. 'Twas a splendid sight. What tremendous charges Prince Rupertmade! How he mowed down the Roundheads! Still he could not break theirranks. The fight lasted for a couple of hours with varying success,but the advantage seemed to be with the prince, when a troop of horsewas descried coming from the Blockhouse fields, and a cry arose thatit was the Earl of Essex with his reinforcements. The alarm provedfalse, for the troops were those of Colonel Fynes, but on seeing them,the prince ordered an instant retreat, and dashed precipitately intothe city, whither he was followed so quickly by the Republicans, thatthe gate could not be shut, and a desperate fight ensued, which lastedtill midnight, the streets resounding all the time with the rattle ofmusketry and the clash of steel. Many a Cavalier died that night, butnot before his sword was reddened with the blood of his adversaries.The corn-market was full of wounded and dying. Prince Rupert mighthave succeeded in driving out the Republicans, if they had not beenstrongly reinforced by Lord Say. At length the prince was compelled toabandon the city, but he rode at the rear of his troops and drove backthe Roundheads who sought to follow him across the bridge."
"Those confounded Parliamentarians _can_ fight, it must be owned,"remarked one of the listeners. "But what were the stratagems you spokeof just now, Vosper?"
"You shall hear, Simon Terret," replied the other. "But first give mea cup of sack to drink the king's health, and confusion to all rebels.From what I am about to relate you will perceive that the conflicton Pitchcroft was part of a cleverly-devised scheme, that ought tohave succeeded better than it did. Prince Rupert having ascertainedfrom his scouts that Lord Say had taken a detachment of a thousandmen to Powick, while another equally large detachment had been takenby Colonel Fynes to Perry Wood--the object of the two Republicancommanders being to surround the prince, as his highness perfectlyunderstood--he endeavoured to out-manoeuvre them. With this design aclever spy was sent to Powick, who represented himself as a servantto the Earl of Essex, and stated, with an air of great plausibility,that Cromwell had entered Worcester--and that, if Lord Say advancedimmediately, the retreat of the Royalists would infallibly be cut off.Duped by the man's apparent sincerity, Lord Say acted on the advice,and fell into an ambuscade that cost him five-and-twenty men. ColonelFynes was imposed on in much the same manner. A messenger galloped upto Perry Wood and informed him that Prince Rupert was advancing withten thousand men, whereupon he fell back four miles. But he found outthe stratagem rather too soon. It was his force that subsequentlyalarmed Prince Rupert and caused his highness to retreat into the city.Had not this discovery occurred, the prince would have beaten the enemyin detail."
"I think I have heard that those two clever spies were hanged,"remarked Terret.
"Ay marry, were they," replied Vosper. "They were hanged with severalother good citizens and staunch Royalists on a gallows as high asHaman's, which was set up in the market-place by Old Noll."
"Would Old Noll were hanged on a like gallows!" cried several voices.
"The _Jus Furcarum_ was an enviable privilege," remarked one of thecircle. "If I possessed the right, as did the old priors of St. Mary, Iwould hang every Roundhead rogue of them all."
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the others.
"Ah! never shall I forget the barbarities practised by Essex's soldierswhen they took the city," observed Vosper. "Heaven preserve us froma repetition of such dreadful usage. But all these severities did notcheck the loyal spirit of the citizens. You recollect the second siegein 1646, Trubshaw," he observed to another person near him, "whenWorcester was invested by Sir William Brereton and Colonel Birch?"
"Ay, Colonel Henry Washington was governor at the time," repliedTrubshaw--"as brave a man as ever drew sword, and as loyal.[4] Severalskirmishes occurred outside the walls, but there was an affair atSt. John's in which I, myself, took part. The Parliamentary generalshad blockaded the city on that side, lining the approaches to St.John's with musketeers, and quartering a large force behind the tower.Determined to dislodge them, Governor Washington sallied forth onenight with a couple of hundred horse, of whom I myself was one, andfive hundred foot. Tybridge-street, which you know leads to the bridgefrom St. John's, was strongly barricaded by the enemy, but we droveback their advanced guard to Cripplegate, where being reinforced byhorse and foot, they made a stand, but they could not resist our bravecommander, who attacked them with such vigour that he quickly routedthem, and would
have put them all to the sword if they had not soughtrefuge in the church. We set fire to the houses in Cripplegate, so theycould no longer find shelter there. In this sortie we killed a hundredof the enemy, and took ten prisoners. Our own loss was trifling.Governor Washington gained much credit by the achievement."
"Not more than he deserved," remarked another of the interlocutorsnamed Barkesdale. "Governor Washington was a man of undauntedresolution, as his answer shows, when he was summoned to surrenderthe city. 'It may be easy,' he wrote to General Fairfax, 'for yourexcellency to procure his majesty's commands for the disposal of thisgarrison. Till then I shall make good the trust reposed in me. As forconditions, if necessitated, I shall make the best I can. The worst Iknow, and fear not.'"
"A brave answer!" cried Vosper. "Did you know Captain Hodgkins? 'WickedWill,' as he was called by the Roundheads?"
"Know him! ay," rejoined Barkesdale. "Captain Hodgkins drank deeper,and fought harder, than any Cavalier of his day. One night, afterhe had emptied half a dozen flasks of claret, he crossed the bridgewith a small band of boon companions, surprised the enemy's guardat Cripplegate, drove them back as far as the Bull Ring, which youknow is close to St. John's, and put several of them to the sword. Inreturning, he fell from his horse in Tybridge-street, and not beingable to walk, was tossed into a boat and rowed across the Severn.In another sally, being somewhat more sober, he brought back sevenprisoners."
"Seven prisoners! ha! ha!" laughed the whole circle.
"'Tis a pity he did not die a soldier's death," observed Trubshaw. "Hisbody was found in the Severn below the city, near Bunshill. Whether hewas accidentally drowned, or thrown into the river, is uncertain."
"Wicked Will's death was a judgment," observed a deep voice behind them.
Trubshaw and some others turned at the remark, and perceived a tall,thin man, moving away in the direction of the river. Hitherto thisperson had eluded observation as he had been standing among the horses.
"A spy has been amongst us!--a Roundhead!" cried Vosper, springing tohis feet.
"Seize the rogue and make him give an account of himself," criedTrubshaw, likewise starting up. "What ho! stand!" he shouted.
The spy paid no heed to the summons, but speeded towards the river. TheScottish sentries were too far off to challenge him, and did not fire.
Vosper and Trubshaw started in pursuit. But the spy reached the riverbefore them, and jumped into a boat, which he had doubtless moored tothe bank.
When his pursuers came up he was pulling vigorously across the stream.A pistol was fired at him by Vosper, but without effect.
With a mocking laugh he then altered his course, and rowing down thestream, soon disappeared beneath one of the narrow arches of the bridge.
Boscobel; or, the royal oak: A tale of the year 1651 Page 13
