“The King hath gotten himself a good army together, and at present his friends seem assured of victory, yet his Majesty hath not a happy look on his countenance, which is always sad and thoughtful. I hear that the Queen hath gone abroad to raise money for the war, and hath taken with her the Crown jewels and ornaments wherewith to further that object. How our army will fare about supplies I know not at present, but up to this time we have had no cause of complaint, and so long as we continue to be successful I think the men will live in good spirits. Moreover, we hope shortly to be in London, but there will be some sharp brushes ere we get there, for the trained bands will certainly oppose our progress, and they are commanded by General Skippon, who, I understand, hath had long experience in the German wars. Doubt not, however, that we shall give a good account of ourselves, for we are not lightly to be put down by these Roundhead knaves. Yet, indeed, Will, this war is a terrible matter, for there are families divided against each other, and it is easily done for father to kill son or son to kill father—”
“Alas!” said my mother; “he is right—a terrible matter it is indeed; would it were well over!”
“And now I have no more news for thee at present, old Will, save that Master Lisle is commander of a company of volunteers, and I am one of his men and likely to be promoted, being, so they say, of good stuff for a soldier. So when I come homewards again I may perhaps come as captain or colonel. Glad indeed I shall be to see ye all again, for in all my wanderings thus far I have seen naught that I liked so well as our own village, with its gray church tower and comfortable alehouse, nor have I met any face that I welcomed as I would welcome one of our own home faces. So thou wilt remember me to everybody—to thy mother and sister and to Mistress Rose and to Jacob; and thou wilt tell Jacob that I have remembered his many admonitions and found them useful; and thou mayest tell Timothy that the horses in these parts are not like ours, and beg thy mother to make the autumn ale extra strong this year, for indeed I am looking forward to it. And now I will say farewell to all of you until another time, when thou shalt hear more, God willing, from thy old friend,
So the letter was read, and we were all glad to hear that our two adventurers were so far well and prosperous. And the servants having gone out, much pleased with what they had heard, I followed them to speed forward the messenger with his despatches for Colonel Lowther, bidding him call upon us the next day as he returned southwards, so that we might give him letters for our friends. And after he had gone we sat down with pens and papers and wrote news to them, assuring them of our joy that so far they had been spared amidst all their dangers.
XIX
Of the Remarkable Conduct of Dennis Watson
During the next few months we heard little news of Philip Lisle and Jack Drumbleforth, for the war made but small progress, the rival armies being for the most part in safe quarters for the winter. Now and then, indeed, we had letters from both our adventurers, but they had little to tell us, nor could they give us any information as to what time we might expect to see them again. So matters went on during that winter, and there were many who prophesied that before spring the sad difference ’twixt King and Parliament would be adjusted, and the nation restored to peace and tranquillity. But there were others, men of keener sight and perception, who knew that the unhappy quarrel now in existence would only be terminated by the complete overthrow of one side or the other. Amongst these men, who proved the true prophets in the end, there were none more sagacious than Oliver Cromwell, the man of whom Jack Drumbleforth had spoken in his letter, and who afterwards came to enjoy great power, so that he ruled England for many years with sterner hand than any king had ever exercised. This Cromwell was a yeoman of Huntingdon, a man of the most surprising powers, so that those who favoured his views looked upon him as nearly divine, and obeyed him as surely no king was ever obeyed. As for his generalship, none will dispute that he was the central figure of this sad war, for he and his Ironsides turned the fortunes of the fight many a time when things were going against the Parliamentarians. Now, during that winter this Cromwell was training his men with a skill and conviction which speedily made his troop unrivalled for bravery and prowess in the field. Such a general, I suppose, never lived, for he refused to have men under him who fought not from conviction, so that his regiment became a body of troopers who struck each blow under the firm belief that their strength was increased by the powers of Heaven. Men who fought for fighting’s sake, old soldiers who fought because to fight was their profession, he would have none of; his Ironsides were men like himself, animated with the sense of a mission from on high. How these men did succeed in the Civil War all England knows at this present time. And
