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of horse being in some readiness, came to a grabble with them; where indeed there was a gallant and hot dispute; the Major-General1 and Colonel Whalley being in the rear; and the Enemy drawing out great bodies to second their first affront. Our men charged them up to the very trenches, and beat them in. The MajorGeneral's horse. was shot in the neck and head; himself run through the arm with a lance, and run into another place of his body,—was taken prisoner by the Enemy, but rescued immediately by Lieutenant Empson of my regiment. Colonel Whalley, who was then nearest to the Major-General, did charge very resolutely; and repulsed the Enemy, and killed divers of them upon the place, and took some prisoners, without any considerable loss. Which indeed did so amaze and quiet them, that we marched off to Musselburgh, but they dared not send out a man to trouble us. We hear their young King looked on upon all this, but was very ill satisfied to see their men do no better.

We came to Musselburgh that night; so tired and wearied for want of sleep, and so dirty by reason of the wetness of the weather, that we expected the Enemy would make an infall upon us. Which accordingly they did, between three and four of the clock this morning; with fifteen of their most select troops, under the command of Major-General Montgomery and Strahan, two champions of the Church :-upon which business there was great hope and expectation laid. The Enemy came on with a great deal of resolution; beat in our guards, and put a regiment of horse in some disorder: but our

1 Lambert.

men, speedily taking the alarm, charged the Enemy; routed them, took many prisoners, killed a great many of them; did execution 'to' within a quarter of a mile of Edinburgh; and, I am informed, Strahan1 was killed there, besides divers other Officers of quality. We took the Major to Strahan's regiment, Major Hamilton; a Lieutenant-Colonel, and divers other Officers, and persons of quality, whom yet we know not. Indeed this is a sweet beginning of your business, or rather the Lord's; and I believe is not very satisfactory to the Enemy, especially to the Kirk party. We did not lose any in this business, so far as I hear, but a Cornet; I do not hear of four men more. The Major-General will, I believe, within few days be well to take the field. And I trust this work, which is the Lord's, will prosper in the hands of His servants.

I did not think advisable to attempt upon the Enemy, lying as he doth: but surely this would sufficiently provoke him to fight if he had a mind to it. I do not think he is less than Six or Seven thousand horse, and Fourteen or Fifteen thousand foot. The reason, I hear, that they give out to their people why they do not fight us, is, Because they expect many bodies of men more out of the North of Scotland; which when they come, they give out they will then engage. But I believe they would rather tempt us to attempt them in their fastness, within which they are entrenched; or else hoping we shall famish for want of provisions; which is very

1 We shall hear of Strahan again, not killed.' This Montgomery is the Earl of Eglinton's son Robert, of whom we heard before (Letter LXXVIII. vol. ii. p. 86); neither is he 'slain,' as will be seen by and by.

likely to be, if we be not timely and fully supplied.

remain,

My Lord,

Your most humble servant,

OLIVER CROMwell.

I

'P.S.' I understand since writing of this Letter, that Major-General Montgomery is slain.*

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Cautious David Lesley lies thus within his Line 'flankered' from Leith shore to the Calton Hill, with guns to scour' it; with outposts or flying parties, as we see, stationed on the back slope of Salisbury Crags or Arthur's Seat; with all Edinburgh safe behind him, and indeed all Scotland safe behind him for supplies: and nothing can tempt him to come out. The factions and distractions of Scotland, and its Kirk Committees and State Committees, and poor Covenanted King and Courtiers, are many: but Lesley, standing steadily to his guns, persists here. His Army, it appears, is no great things of an Army altogether governed by the Committee of Estates and 'Kirk,' snarls an angry Uncovenanted Courtier, whom the said Committee has just ordered to take himself away again; ‘altogether governed by the Committee of Estates and Kirk,' snarls he, and they took especial care in their levies not to ' admit any Malignants or Engagers' (who had been in Hamilton's Engagement); placing in command, for most part, 'Ministers' Sons, Clerks and other sanctified creatures, who 'hardly ever saw or heard of any sword but that of the spirit!'1 The more reason for Lesley to lie steadily within his Line here. Lodged in Bruchton Village,' which means Broughton, now a part of Edinburgh New Town; there in a cautious solid

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*Newspapers (in Cromwelliana, pp. 85, 6).

Sir Edward Walker: Historical Discourses (London, 1705), p. 162.

manner lies Lesley; and lets Cromwell attempt upon him. It is his history, the military history of these two, for a month

to come.

Meanwhile the General Assembly have not been backward with their Answer to the Cromwell Manifesto, or 'Declaration of the English Army to all the Saints in Scotland,' spoken of above. Nay, already while he lay at Berwick, they had drawn up an eloquent Counter-Declaration, and sent it to him; which he, again, has got some godly Ministers' of his to declare against and reply to: the whole of which Declarations, Replies and Re-replies shall, like the primary Document itself, remain suppressed on the present occasion. But along with this 'Reply by some godly Ministers,' the Lord General sends a Letter of his own, which is here:

LETTER CXXXVI.

To the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland; or, in case of their not sitting, To the Commissioners of the Kirk of Scotland: These.

Musselburgh, 3d August, 1650.

Your Answer to the Declaration of the

SIRS,

Army we have seen.

Some godly Ministers with us did, at Berwick, compose this Reply;2 which I thought fit to

send you.

Titles of them, copies of several of them, in Parliamentary History, xix.

2 The Scotch Answer' which we have seen,' dated Edinburgh, 22 July, 1650, Answer unto the Declaration of the Army;' and then this English Reply' to it now sent, entitled Vindication of the Declaration of the Army' in King's Pamphlets, small 4to, no. 475, § 15 (Printed, London, 16 August, 1650).

That you or we, in these great Transactions, answer the will and mind of God, it is only from His grace and mercy to us. And therefore, having said as in our Papers, we commit the issue thereof to Him who disposeth all things, assuring you that we have light and comfort increasing upon us, day by day; and are persuaded that, before it be long, the Lord will manifest His good pleasure, so that all shall see Him; and His People shall say, This is the Lord's work, and it is marvellous in our eyes: this is the day that the Lord hath made; we will be glad and rejoice therein.-Only give me leave to say, in a word, thus much :'

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You take upon you to judge us in the things of our God, though you know us not, though in the things we have said unto you, in that which is entitled the Army's Declaration, we have spoken our hearts as in the sight of the Lord who hath tried us. And by your hard and subtle words you have begotten prejudice in those who do too much, in matters of conscience, wherein every soul is to answer for itself to God, -depend upon you. So that some have already followed you, to the breathing-out of their souls:1and' others continue still in the way wherein they are led by you, we fear, to their own ruin.

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And no marvel if you deal thus with us, when indeed you can find in your hearts to conceal from your own people the Papers we have sent you; who might thereby see and understand the bowels of our affections to them, especially to such among them as fear the Lord. Send as many of your Papers as you please amongst 1 In the Musselburgh Skirmish, &c.

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