Old Mortality, Volume 2.

by Walter Scott

  CHAPTER XI.

  As e'er ye saw the rain doun fa', Or yet the arrow from the bow, Sae our Scots lads fell even down, And they lay slain on every knowe. Old Ballad.

  Ere Morton or Burley had reached the post to be defended, the enemy hadcommenced an attack upon it with great spirit. The two regiments ofFoot-Guards, formed into a close column, rushed forward to the river; onecorps, deploying along the right bank, commenced a galling fire on thedefenders of the pass, while the other pressed on to occupy the bridge.The insurgents sustained the attack with great constancy and courage; andwhile part of their number returned the fire across the river, the restmaintained a discharge of musketry upon the further end of the bridgeitself, and every avenue by which the soldiers endeavoured to approachit. The latter suffered severely, but still gained ground, and the headof their column was already upon the bridge, when the arrival of Mortonchanged the scene; and his marksmen, commencing upon the pass a fire aswell aimed as it was sustained and regular, compelled the assailants toretire with much loss. They were a second time brought up to the charge,and a second time repulsed with still greater loss, as Burley had nowbrought his party into action. The fire was continued with the utmostvehemence on both sides, and the issue of the action seemed very dubious.

  Monmouth, mounted on a superb white charger, might be discovered on thetop of the right bank of the river, urging, entreating, and animating theexertions of his soldiers. By his orders, the cannon, which had hithertobeen employed in annoying the distant main body of the presbyterians,were now turned upon the defenders of the bridge. But these tremendousengines, being wrought much more slowly than in modern times, did notproduce the effect of annoying or terrifying the enemy to the extentproposed. The insurgents, sheltered by copsewood along the bank of theriver, or stationed in the houses already mentioned, fought under cover,while the royalists, owing to the precautions of Morton, were entirelyexposed. The defence was so protracted and obstinate, that the royalgenerals began to fear it might be ultimately successful. While Monmouththrew himself from his horse, and, rallying the Foot-Guards, brought themon to another close and desperate attack, he was warmly secondedby Dalzell, who, putting himself at the head of a body ofLennox-Highlanders, rushed forward with their tremendous war-cry ofLoch-sloy.

  [Note: This was the slogan or war-cry of the MacFarlanes, taken from a lake near the head of Loch Lomond, in the centre of their ancient possessions on the western banks of that beautiful inland sea.]

  The ammunition of the defenders of the bridge began to fail at thisimportant crisis; messages, commanding and imploring succours andsupplies, were in vain dispatched, one after the other, to the main bodyof the presbyterian army, which remained inactively drawn up on the openfields in the rear. Fear, consternation, and misrule, had gone abroadamong them, and while the post on which their safety depended requiredto be instantly and powerfully reinforced, there remained none either tocommand or to obey.

  As the fire of the defenders of the bridge began to slacken, that of theassailants increased, and in its turn became more fatal. Animated by theexample and exhortations of their generals, they obtained a footing uponthe bridge itself, and began to remove the obstacles by which it wasblockaded. The portal-gate was broke open, the beams, trunks of trees,and other materials of the barricade, pulled down and thrown into theriver. This was not accomplished without opposition. Morton and Burleyfought in the very front of their followers, and encouraged them withtheir pikes, halberds, and partisans, to encounter the bayonets of theGuards, and the broadswords of the Highlanders. But those behind theleaders began to shrink from the unequal combat, and fly singly, or inparties of two or three, towards the main body, until the remainder were,by the mere weight of the hostile column as much as by their weapons,fairly forced from the bridge. The passage being now open, the enemybegan to pour over. But the bridge was long and narrow, which renderedthe manoeuvre slow as well as dangerous; and those who first passed hadstill to force the houses, from the windows of which the Covenanterscontinued to fire. Burley and Morton were near each other at thiscritical moment.

  "There is yet time," said the former, "to bring down horse to attackthem, ere they can get into order; and, with the aid of God, we may thusregain the bridge--hasten thou to bring them down, while I make thedefence good with this old and wearied body."

  Morton saw the importance of the advice, and, throwing himself on thehorse which cuddie held in readiness for him behind the thicket, gallopedtowards a body of cavalry which chanced to be composed entirely ofCameronians. Ere he could speak his errand, or utter his orders, he wassaluted by the execrations of the whole body.

  "He flies!" they exclaimed--"the cowardly traitor flies like a hart fromthe hunters, and hath left valiant Burley in the midst of the slaughter!"

  "I do not fly," said Morton. "I come to lead you to the attack. Advanceboldly, and we shall yet do well."

  "Follow him not!--Follow him not!"--such were the tumultuous exclamationswhich resounded from the ranks;--"he hath sold you to the sword of theenemy!"

  And while Morton argued, entreated, and commanded in vain, the moment waslost in which the advance might have been useful; and the outlet from thebridge, with all its defences, being in complete possession of the enemy,Burley and his remaining followers were driven back upon the main body,to whom the spectacle of their hurried and harassed retreat was far fromrestoring the confidence which they so much wanted.

  In the meanwhile, the forces of the King crossed the bridge at theirleisure, and, securing the pass, formed in line of battle; whileClaverhouse, who, like a hawk perched on a rock, and eyeing the time topounce on its prey, had watched the event of the action from the oppositebank, now passed the bridge at the head of his cavalry, at full trot,and, leading them in squadrons through the intervals and round the flanksof the royal infantry, formed them in line on the moor, and led them tothe charge, advancing in front with one large body, while other twodivisions threatened the flanks of the Covenanters. Their devoted armywas now in that situation when the slightest demonstration towards anattack was certain to inspire panic. Their broken spirits anddisheartened courage were unable to endure the charge of the cavalry,attended with all its terrible accompaniments of sight and sound;--therush of the horses at full speed, the shaking of the earth under theirfeet, the glancing of the swords, the waving of the plumes, and thefierce shouts of the cavaliers. The front ranks hardly attempted oneill-directed and disorderly fire, and their rear were broken and flyingin confusion ere the charge had been completed; and in less than fiveminutes the horsemen were mixed with them, cutting and hewing withoutmercy. The voice of Claverhouse was heard, even above the din ofconflict, exclaiming to his soldiers--"Kill, kill--no quarter--think onRichard Grahame!" The dragoons, many of whom had shared the disgrace ofLoudon-hill, required no exhortations to vengeance as easy as it wascomplete. Their swords drank deep of slaughter among the unresistingfugitives. Screams for quarter were only answered by the shouts withwhich the pursuers accompanied their blows, and the whole field presentedone general scene of confused slaughter, flight, and pursuit.

  About twelve hundred of the insurgents who remained in a body a littleapart from the rest, and out of the line of the charge of cavalry, threwdown their arms and surrendered at discretion, upon the approach of theDuke of Monmouth at the head of the infantry. That mild-tempered noblemaninstantly allowed them the quarter which they prayed for; and, gallopingabout through the field, exerted himself as much to stop the slaughter ashe had done to obtain the victory. While busied in this humane task hemet with General Dalzell, who was encouraging the fierce Highlanders androyal volunteers to show their zeal for King and country, by quenchingthe flame of the rebellion with the blood of the rebels.

  "Sheathe your sword, I command you, General!" exclaimed the Duke, "andsound the retreat. Enough of blood has been shed; give quarter to theKing's misguided subj
ects."

  "I obey your Grace," said the old man, wiping his bloody sword andreturning it to the scabbard; "but I warn you, at the same time, thatenough has not been done to intimidate these desperate rebels. Has notyour Grace heard that Basil Olifant has collected several gentlemen andmen of substance in the west, and is in the act of marching to jointhem?"

  "Basil Olifant?" said the Duke; "who, or what is he?"

  "The next male heir to the last Earl of Torwood. He is disaffected togovernment from his claim to the estate being set aside in favour of LadyMargaret Bellenden; and I suppose the hope of getting the inheritance hasset him in motion."

  "Be his motives what they will," replied Monmouth, "he must soon dispersehis followers, for this army is too much broken to rally again.Therefore, once more, I command that the pursuit be stopped."

  "It is your Grace's province to command, and to be responsible for yourcommands," answered Dalzell, as he gave reluctant orders for checking thepursuit.

  But the fiery and vindictive Grahame was already far out of hearing ofthe signal of retreat, and continued with his cavalry an unwearied andbloody pursuit, breaking, dispersing, and cutting to pieces all theinsurgents whom they could come up with.

  Burley and Morton were both hurried off the field by the confused tide offugitives. They made some attempt to defend the streets of the town ofHamilton; but, while labouring to induce the fliers to face about andstand to their weapons. Burley received a bullet which broke hissword-arm.

  "May the hand be withered that shot the shot!" he exclaimed, as the swordwhich he was waving over his head fell powerless to his side. "I canfight no longer." [Note: This incident, and Burley's exclamation, aretaken from the records.]

  Then turning his horse's head, he retreated out of the confusion. Mortonalso now saw that the continuing his unavailing efforts to rally thefliers could only end in his own death or captivity, and, followed by thefaithful Cuddie, he extricated himself from the press, and, being wellmounted, leaped his horse over one or two enclosures, and got into theopen country.

  From the first hill which they gained in their flight, they looked back,and beheld the whole country covered with their fugitive companions, andwith the pursuing dragoons, whose wild shouts and halloo, as they didexecution on the groups whom they overtook, mingled with the groans andscreams of their victims, rose shrilly up the hill.

  "It is impossible they can ever make head again," said Morton.

  "The head's taen aff them, as clean as I wad bite it aff a sybo!"rejoined Cuddie. "Eh, Lord! see how the broadswords are flashing! war'sa fearsome thing. They'll be cunning that catches me at this warkagain.--But, for God's sake, sir, let us mak for some strength!"

  Morton saw the necessity of following the advice of his trusty squire.They resumed a rapid pace, and continued it without intermission,directing their course towards the wild and mountainous country, wherethey thought it likely some part of the fugitives might draw together,for the sake either of making defence, or of obtaining terms.