or the
exercise of his art and arm. Before this[PF] the King had summoned the
officers to the royal tent, and in his brief speech had said: "My Lords
and Gentlemen here present,--If this day shine prosperously for us, we
shall be happy in a glorious victory. Your King is both your cause, your
quarrel, and your captain. The foe is in sight. Now show yourselves no
malignant parties, but with your swords declare what courage and fidelity
is within you. * * * Come life or death, your King will bear you company,
and ever keep this field, this place, and this day's service in his
grateful remembrance." The King,[a286] wearing a black velvet mantle
over his armour, and steel cap covered with velvet on his head, rode along
the lines of his troops and spoke to them: "Matters are now to be declared
with swords, not by words."[PF] Perhaps, however, the most beautiful of
these records is that of the truly soldier-like prayer of Lord
Lindsay,[a286] "O Lord, Thou knowest how busy I must be this day; if I
forget Thee do not Thou forget me."

[Illustration: I

BATTLE OF EDGE HILL

(Commencement of Battle.)]

The King's centre, under General Ruthven, moved forward as far as the
village of Radway. The six columns of infantry of which it was composed
were under the divisional command of Sir Edmund Verney and Sir Jacob
Astley; Earl Lindsay and Lord Willoughby led their Lincolnshire regiment.
Between these and the right wing were eight other regiments of infantry.
The cavalry of the right wing, under Prince Rupert, commenced slowly the
steep descent of the road through Arlescot wood and the Kineton road, the
base of which is known as the Bullet Hill, and drew up there in a meadow
at the bottom of the hill.[PB] Fiennes states that the better opportunity
for the Parliamentarian attack would have been before the artillery and
rear came down the hill, which they were a long time in doing. The left
wing rested upon the Sun Rising, Col. Ennis and Col. Lisle's dragoons
covering the flank; near by were the Welsh soldiers and Carnarvon's
regiments of pikemen. In advance Wilmot's two regiments of horse were
working across the Vale of the Red Horse, Digby's reserve covering the
crest of the hill.

Lord Essex's artillery were the first to break the peace of the day, a
challenge immediately replied to by the Royalist guns near Radway. Wilmot,
of Adderbury, made the first aggressive movement in a charge upon the
Parliamentarian right, and thoug