d to himself the wonderful things to be achieved
by the gallantry of Montrose in Scotland, and looked forward with daily
impatience to the arrival of an imaginary army of twenty thousand men from
Ireland. But from such dreams he was soon awakened by the rapid increase of
disaffection in the population around him, and by the rumoured advance of
the Scots to besiege the city of Hereford. From Cardiff he hastily crossed
the kingdom to Newark. Learning that the Scottish cavalry were in pursuit,
he[a] left Newark, burst into the associated counties, ravaged the lands of
his enemies, took the town of Huntingdon,[b] and at last reached in safety
his court at Oxford.[c] It was not that in this expedition he had in view
any particular object. His utmost ambition was, by wandering from place
to place, to preserve himself from falling into the hands of his enemies
before the winter. In that season the severity of the weather would afford
him sufficient protection, and he doubted not, that against the spring the
victories of Montrose, the pacification of Ireland, and the compassion of
his foreign allies, would enable him to resume hostilities with a powerful
army, and with more flattering prospects of success.[1]

At Oxford Charles heard of the victory gained at Kilsyth, in the
neighbourhood of Stirling, by Montrose, who, if he had been compelled to
retreat from Dundee, was still able to maintain the superiority in the
Highlands. The first who ventured to measure[d] swords with the Scottish
hero was the veteran general

[Footnote 1: Clarendon, ii. 677. Rushw. vi. 131. Carte's Ormond, iii. 415,
416, 418, 420, 423, 427. Baillie, ii, 152.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1645. August 21.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1645. August 24.]
[Sidenote c: A.D. 1645. August 28.]
[Sidenote d: A.D. 1645. May 5.]

Hurry: but the assailant fled from the conflict at Auldearn, and saved
himself, with the small remnant of his force, within the walls of
Inverness. To Hurry[a] succeeded with similar fortune Baillie, the
commander-in-chief. The battle was fought at Alford, in the shire of
Aberdeen; and few, besides the principal officers and the cavalry, escaped
from the slaughter. A new army of ten thousand men was collected: four days
were spent in fasting and prayer; and the host of God marched to trample
under foot the host of the king. But the experience of their leader was
controlled by the presumption of the committee of estates; and he, in
submission to their order