nants, seventeen cornets, two quarter-masters, a hundred and ten ensigns, and fifteen sergeants. He also took two hundred stands of colours, and thirty-two pieces of ordnance, together with all their arms, ammunition, tents, and baggage. In opposition to the enormous loss of the Scottish army, Cromwell had only about thirty men killed.

The first of Cromwell's actions after the battle, was to call his men together on the field, and return public thanks to the Almighty for so glorious an instance of his favour. His next care was to provide for the relief of the wounded, and the disposal of the prisoners. Not only did he set all his surgeons to work upon the former, but he permitted their relations to come to the field, with carts, and transport them away to their own homes. Being encumbered with the number of his prisoners, he sent a thousand of such as were wounded, in a compliment, to the Countess of Winton, to be disposed of as she might think proper; and he released four thousand more, chiefly old men and boys, upon their parole. The rest he sent under a guard into England; whither they went, says Whitelocke, "cursing their king and clergy for ensnaring them in misery." A great portion of these unhappy persons afterwards fell victims to a disease which attacked them at Durham, in consequence of eating too freely of raw cabbage. The rest were sold by the English parliament, as slaves, and sent to Barbadoes.

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Cromwell spent the next day at Dunbar, in writing letters to the House of Commons, and to his own relations, regarding his victory. The parliament was so much overjoyed at the intelligence, as to return him a public vote of thanks, and to order that all the colours he had taken

might be hung up beside those taken two years before at Preston, in Westminster Hall. They also ordered medals, with suitable devices, to be distributed among the common soldiers, in token of their approbation and gratitude.

CHAPTER XIII.

CONCLUSION.

"Grievous has the expiation been."

HOME.

THE wreck of the Scottish army, which, as might be supposed, chiefly consisted of horse, fell back upon Stirling, without attempting to defend Edinburgh, which Cromwell therefore obtained possession of, without striking another blow. Milton, in a panegyric which he wrote upon the republican general, says, that the fame of his victory at Dunbar, did more for him than the victory itself, as thunder is attended with more fatal effect, in the terror which it produces, than what is even experienced from the vivid and immediate lightning. A week, indeed, had not elapsed after "the Tyesday's chase"-for so the battle was called by the Scots-before he had made himself master of all that valuable part of Scotland which lies to the east and south of Falkirk, including Leith and the capital, and only excepting Edinburgh castle.

Severe, however, as the blow might be considered to the country, it was by no means a matter of universal lament in Scotland. The destroyed army had consisted almost exclusively of the rigid Pres

byterians, who proposed to admit Charles to his government with the heavy restrictions, civil and ecclesiastical, which have been described. By their destruction, so long as the Engagers and loyalists remained, Charles was rather relieved from thraldom than deprived of support. Accordingly, both he and the loyalists secretly rejoiced in the affair. They rightly anticipated, that, to defend the country from Cromwell, and to push the Royal and the Covenant interests, recourse must be had to them. By that means, he and his friends would naturally become possessed of the chief power of the country; and, in the event of a triumph over Cromwell, would be able to mould the proposed reformation of the British monarchy to their own will,

Cromwell would have pushed his conquest to Stirling, and expelled the members of government who resided there; but he was prevented by the weather, and by the strength of their position. He had to content himself, during what remained of the season, with laying siege to Edinburgh castle. Here, a most amusing affair took place. The ministers of the district had, after the battle of Dunbar, taken refuge in this castle. Cromwell, with a generous and liberal wish to provide for the instruction of the people, sent up a simple note to the Governor, engaging to protect his clerical guests, provided that they would come out and resume their ordinary duties. They returned a wordy answer, through the Governor, professing a nonreliance upon his promise, and farther treating him and his religious party with much abusive language. Cromwell received this letter with all the surprise which men generally feel, when an intended act of kindness is anticipated by a rude refusal. It was the policy, however, of his consti

tuents, and it seems to have been consistent with his own wishes, to endeavour by all possible means to conciliate and reduce the unreasonable spirit which had now got into the Scottish Presbyterians; and he thought proper, in a reply at greater length, which he wrote with his own hand, to argue the point with them, and renew his proffer. A controversy then took place between the two parties, which scarcely any person now living could read without a feeling of admiration for the fair and straight-forward good sense of Cromwell, and of pity for the mean and crooked arguments of his adversaries. But the most remarkable point about the whole affair, was the attempt which each party made to convince the other, that it was "the favoured of the Lord"-the Israel of modern times. Cromwell, with a spirit of malicious waggery, asked them whether the Lord had not declared against them, by the issue which he had seen fit to give to the late battle. They answered by pretending that that was only a trial of their faith the Lord, they said, had thought proper to hide his face from the sons of Jacob for a time. Cromwell, however, reminded them of some expressions they had used before the battle, by which it appeared, that they were prepared to consider a victory on their part, as an unequivocal indication of Almighty favour; and he demanded, with great reason, that they should now esteem their defeat as a proof of the reverse. A regular appeal had been made by the two contending parties to the Almighty, for the purpose of discovering which he was inclined to approve; and he, by granting victory to the Independents, had fairly given the world to understand, that they were henceforth his chosen people.