When none but lady——staid to fight,
We knew oar queen was come in sight
When with Carnarvon, who still hit
With his keen blade and keener wit.
Stood Wilmot, Byron, Crawford, who
Struck yesterday a glorious blow.
When Waller could but bleed and fret.
Then—then the sacred couple met."
A medal was struck at Oxford to commemorate the queen's arrival, and there she kept her court till April of the next year. In their domestic relations Charles and his queen were an example of affection and amiability worthy of all admiration. Charles was proud of his queen, and loved to lean on her opinions. He had no longer any great favourites or counsellors but her, and with his spirit of attachment to somebody, and his habit of relying on some one's advice, he now concentrated all this trust and regard on the queen, who was too much guided by her passions to be a safe adviser. Clarendon takes a very clear view of this—"The king's affection to the queen was a composition of conscience, generosity, and gratitude, and all those noble affections which raise the passions to the greatest height, inasmuch that he saw with her eyes, and determined with her judgment. Not only did he pay her this adoration, but he desired that all men should know that he was swayed by her; and this was not good for either of them. The queen was a lady of great beauty, excellent wit and humour, and made him a just return of her noblest affections, so that they were the true idea of conjugal attachment in the age in which they lived. . . . . It was her majesty's misfortune, and that of the kingdom, that she had no one about her to advise and inform her of the temper of the people." She discovered this, and bitterly bewailed it when it was too late.
It was imagined that Charles, being now reinforced by a number of French and Walloons who came with the queen, and strengthened by victory, would make a grand attempt on the capital. There was no little alarm there: Essex, who had done nothing through the summer but watch his men melt away from his standard, recommended parliament to come to terms with him, and the lords were greatly of his opinion. Many of them were ready to rim off to the king on the first opportunity—Bedford, Holland, Northumberland, and Clare, father of Denzell Hollis, were strongly suspected, and soon after proved that it was not unjustly. Four nobles had been appointed to raise new forces, but, seeing how things were going, all declined their commissions except lord Kimbolton, now by the death of his father become earl of Manchester. He accepted the command of the eastern association, having Cromwell and three other colonels under him, and soon had a fine force in those counties.
Parliament, listening to neither Essex nor the faint-hearted fears of the peers, refused to open fresh negotiations with the king. They called on the Londoners to invigorate their train-bands, and to put the city into a state of defence; and their call was zealously responded to. Ladies, as well as gentlemen, turned out and handled spades and pickaxes in casting up an intrenchment all round the city. Pym and St. John were sent to the army, and seemed to infuse a new spirit into Essex, pronouncing him sound in the cause. Charles, if he ever thought of attacking the city, seeing the spirit there, turned his attention to the west, and invested the city of Gloucester. Essex was despatched to relieve that city, and made a march much more active and efficient than was his wont. He set out on the 26th of August, and on the night of the tenth day—though he had been harassed on his way by the flying troopers of Rupert and lord Wilmot—that is on the 5th of September, the people of Gloucester saw his signal fires on the top of Presbury Hill, amid the rain and darkness. The king also saw them, fired his tents in the morning, and marched away. From that hour the prospects of Charles grew gloomier.
Essex having relieved Gloucester, and left a good garrison there under the brave governor, colonel Massey, made the best of his way back again, lest the king should outstrip him, and take up his position before London. Charles had not neglected the attempt to cut off his return. At Auborne Chase he was attacked by the flying squadrons of Rupert, and after beating them off, he found the king posted the next day across his way at Newbury. The royal army was posted along the bank of the river which runs through the place, to prevent his passage. Every part where there was a chance of the parliamentary forces attempting a crossing, was strongly defended by breastworks, and muskeeteers lined the houses facing the river. It was supposed that Charles could easily keep the roundheads at bay, and force them to retreat or starve. Essex drew up his forces, however, to great advantage upon an eminence called Bigg's Hill, about half a mile from the town, and Charles was prepared to wait for a chance of taking him at an advantage. But the rashness of the young cavaliers under such men as Digby, Carnarvon, and Jermyn, led to skirmishes with the parliamentarians, and very soon Charles found himself so far involved, that he was obliged to give orders for a general engagement. The royal horse charged that of Essex with a recklessness amounting almost to contempt; but though they threw them into disorder, they found it a different matter with the infantry, consisting of the train-bands and apprentices of London. They received the cavaliers on their pikes, and stood as immovable as a rock, and showed such resolute and steady spirit, that they soon allowed the horse to recover itself, and the whole army fought with desperation till it was dark. The effect was such, that Charles would not risk another day of it. Waller was lying at Windsor with two thousand horse and as many foot, and should he come up as he ought, he would be hemmed in, and placed in imminent peril. But Waller lay perfectly still, and as many thought purposely, leaving the earl of Essex to take care of himself, as the earl had formerly left him at Roundaway Hill. In the morning, therefore, Essex found the king's forces withdrawn and the way open. Charles had retreated again towards Oxford, having deposited his guns and ammunition at Donnington Castle, Chaucer's old residence, which lay within sight, and ordered Rupert to harass the parliament army on its march. Essex made his way to Reading, whence he hurried up to town to complain of the neglect of Waller, and to offer the surrender of his commission. This was not accepted, but the only alternative was adopted, that of withdrawing the command from Waller, which, after much reluctance, was done on the 9th of October.
