fire upon the enemy's works, and burned the suburbs, after withdrawing the people, that they might not afford them any shelter. Among the transactions of the siege, the Scots distinguished themselves, and with characteristic prudence, in an attack near Meikle-gate-bar, brought away a booty of cattle and horses. The most severe loss. which occurred, arose from the misconduct of Crawford, Manchester's major general, who was intrusted with a mine, which he exploded prematurely, and the rest of the army not expecting it at the time, were not prepared to support him in the assault. The breach, though not practicable, was resolutely defended, and the assailants finally repulsed.

All hopes of the besieged depended upon prince Rupert, who had greatly distinguished himself by his relief of Newark, the capture of Longford, and the storming of Bolton, at which last, however, his cruelty formed a striking contrast to the humanity of Manchester. The garrison was not only refused quarter in the town, but for miles round, the savage victors, in outhouses, fields, highways, and woods, put to death the unresisting fugitives. Liverpool also fell into his hands, and the unbridled soldiery were let loose upon the inhabitants, because the governor had wisely secured the military stores. An order from the king brought him from the scene of his victories, to attempt the deliverance of York.

Collecting all the forces he could on his route, and joined by Sir Charles Lucas, and the Marquis of Newcastle, the prince advanced with an army nearly twenty thousand strong. Towards the evening of Sunday, June 30th, the allied generals were first certainly apprized of his approach, and that, on that night, he would halt with

in about twelve or fourteen miles of their encampment. Instantly adopting the resolution of giving him battle, they raised the siege, and marched with their whole force to Marston moor-a great moor, five miles distant from York, on the south-west side of the Ouse-to intercept his progress, expecting that he would advance by this route; but the prince anxious to relieve the city, caused a party of his horse to amuse the enemy near a bridge, while he dexterously threw himself into it, and brought his army within five miles, on the north-east bank of the river. Having effected his object, the Marquis of Newcastle is said to have advised him to remain satisfied, and wait the issue of the dissensions, which he knew to exist in the enemies' camp, and the arrival of re-enforcements daily expected from the north. Rupert, in answer, told him he had the absolute command of his majesty to engage, and was bound in duty to obey. Whether the prince could have long avoided being brought to an engagement under more disadvantageous circumstances, or whether he judged rashly, in seeking a battle while his army was flushed with victory, and he had the choice of the field, is a question of very little importance, and one upon which we are not now competent to pronounce, had he been successful-and he was very nearly so*the action might have decided the war, and ranked him among the first generals of his day; that he was not so, does not prove that he acted unskilfully in his manœuvres, or unwisely in his hazard, when the stake was so high.

Disappointed in their expectations, by the adroitness

* When the fate of the day was determined, prince Rupert is reported to have said "I am sure my men fought well, and know no reason of our rout but this, because the devil did help his servants.”—Rushworth.

of their opponent, the parliamentary army resolved to march to Tadcaster, Cawood and Selby, on purpose to obtain the command of the river, prevent all supplies from the East Riding, intercept his march southward, and hem him in as the Earl of Denbigh, with the Lancashire forces, were advancing from the west. It appears pretty evident, had this plan succeeded, that prince Rupert's army, accustomed as it had been to licentious indulgence, would have perished without a blow. To wait, did not suit the temper of the prince, more than his situation; and on the 2nd of July, 1644, when the combined army were on their march to Tadcaster, the Scots in front, and had arrived within a mile of the town, about nine o'clock in the morning, notice was given, that the van of his army, five thousand horse, had arrived on Marston moor, and pressed hard on their rear, while he was arranging the rest in order of battle. The march of the confederates was immediately countermanded, and orders issued to prepare for an engagement; but the prince had possession of the moor, and they were forced to draw up part of their men in a field of rye adjoining; their right leaned upon the town of Marston, and the line extended about a mile and a half fronting the moor. Between two and three o'clock, both armies were formed, their numbers nearly equal, each being about twenty-five thousand men. The royal army was commanded by Rupert on the right, by Sir Charles Lucas, and Colonel Harvey on the left, which consisted of horse; the centre was under Generals Goring, Porter, and Tilyard-where the Marquis of Newcastle fought, is uncertain. The right wing of the confederates, composed of horse, partly Scottish, was commanded by Sir Thomas

Fairfax; the left, likewise cavalry, was under the direction of Manchester, and Cromwell, his lieutenant-general, assisted by major-general David Leslie. The centre

was led by Lord Fairfax on the right, and the Earl of Leven on the left. As the prince's line extended in front somewhat beyond theirs, the Scottish dragoons, under Colonel Frizzle, were stationed to secure the left flank. The field word of the prince was God and the king, that of his opponents, God with us. At three o'clock, the great guns began a distant cannonade, but without much effect. About five they ceased, and both lines being completely formed, an awful stillness succeeded, each in silent, breathless, expectation, waiting the signal of attack; for a ditch and bank, which intersected the field between the combatants, rendered the first assault on either side, disadvantageous. At last, the Earl of Manchester's foot, and the Scots of the main body, advanced in a running march, cleared the ditch, and came briskly to the charge. The horse then rushed forward to the shock. Prince Rupert in person, with his first division, encountered Cromwell. The conflict was severe and long; the troopers fought with ardour, hand to hand, under the immediate eye of their leaders, till at last Cromwell's irresistible band, although attacked on front and flank by the flower of the cavaliers, broke through

* The right wing of the parliament was commanded by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and consisted of all his horse, and three regiments of the Scots horse; the left wing was commanded by the Earl of Manchester and Colonel Cromwell. One body of their foot was commanded by the Lord Fairfax, and consisted of his foot, and two brigades of the Scots foot for a reserve; and the main body of the rest of the foot was commanded by General Leven. The right wing of the prince's army was commanded by the Earl of Newcastle, the left wing by the prince himself, and the main body commanded by General Goring, Sir Charles Lucas, and major-general Porter.-Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 89.

and being nobly seconded by Leslie, the whole of the cavalry in the right wing were put to flight, while Manchester's foot keeping pace with them, went along by their side, cutting down and dispersing the infantry. The Marquis of Newcastle's regiment alone, distinguished by their white uniform, disdained to fly, and their dead bodies covered the space they had occupied while alive.

On the other extremity of the lines, the fortune of the day was reversed, for although Sir Thomas Fairfax and Colonel Lambert, with five or six troops, charged through the royalist, and reached their own left wing, Harvey succeeded in defeating the remainder. He furiously assaulted Lord Fairfax's brigade, which was thrown into disorder by the new raised regiments, who being put to flight, wheeled back upon it, and not only broke their ranks, and trode down the Scottish reserve,

* Major-General John Lambert, a distinguished parliamentary officer, and one of the regicides, was descended from a very ancient family in Yorkshire. According to the register of Kirkby Malhamdale, he was born at Calton Hall, in that parish, Sept. 7th, 1619, and lost his father at the age of thirteen. On the 10th Sept., 1639, he married Frances, daughter of his neighbour, Sir William Lister, of Thornton, in Craven, then in her 17th year, and said to have been a most elegant and accomplished lady. After the restoration, he was tried (1661), condemned, reprieved and banished to the island of Guernsey, at which place he arrived 17th November, 1661, and where, says Dr. Lingard, "he beguiled the hours of banishment, by the cultivation of two arts, in which he delighted,-those of the florist and the painter." Six years afterwards he was removed to the small fortified island of St. Nicholas, commonly called Drake's Island, situate in Plymouth Sound, at the entrance to the Hamoaze, where he remained a prisoner till his death, which took place, says a writer in Notes and Queries, during the hard winter of 1682-3, but according to Dr. Lingard, about the end of March, 1684. John Lambert, son and heir of the majorgeneral, married Barbara, daughter of Thomas Lister, of Arnoldsbigging, and had by her three sons, who all died without issue, and one daughter, Frances, sole heiress of her family (buried at Bolam, June 2nd, 1712), who married Sir John Middleton, of Belsay Castle, Northumberland, Bart., father of Sir William Middleton, Bart., M. P., (see pp. 131-144,) and great grandfather of Sir Charles Miles Lambert Monck, Bart.-Notes and Queries; Hodgson's History of Northumberland; Lingard's History of England, &c.

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