I introduce this poem by Thomas Babbington Macauley about the battle of Naseby during the English Civil war and how army supremecy during the battle influenced English politics there after
The Battle of Naseby an assessment of its significance in English Politics by M.A.Meddings
The battle of Naseby 14th June 1645 was arguably the most decisive battle of the English civil war. Not only did it establish the ascendency of the common peoples right to determine, through parliament, Sovereignty of the Nation, but it also ensured indirectly, that never again would the army wield significant political power. It is a principle by which this nations politics have been framed. It came about as a direct result of Cromwells army becoming so powerful in the aftermath of the war.
The war produced what was in essence the first national proffessional army.
It had through General Ireton, and Cromwell himself the power to subdue any dissent as to the new order. It was through the armies hard line contingents that successful prosecution of the king and his ultimate execution became possible.
It is a known fact that Cromwell himself was of the view that the nation needed a King as a head of state and that Charles I if he could have been persuaded to accept his position as a 'constituttional' Monarch, would have made a good king.
Cromwells more radical allies wanted revenge on 'The man of Blood ' as Charles was Known, for his absolute disdain for the interests of the comman man, and therefore insisted he be tried for crimes against his people.
Even after his trial and conviction Cromwell was of the view that execution of the natural monarch was not the way forward.
After the execution Cromwell, was so ridden with grief that he visited the King lying in his coffin his coffin.
After the Execution Cromwell took a back seat as it were from frontline politics and assumed the identity of commander in chief of the 'New Model Army', a role that was to suit his ultimate and inevitable role as Lord Protector.
On the 20th of April 1653 Cromwell attended the Rump parliament with a view to hearing for himself the rumour that it had become a disorganised rabble of arguing parties unable to agree anything that might make for a better nation.
After 20 minutsof observing mayhem, and as commander in chief of the Army he summoned major general Thomas Harrison with a troop of soldiers and unilaterally divolved parliament under force of arms.
His famous speech
'You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!" was consigned to the annals of history as was his final aside when he saw the speakers golden mace, a symbol of parliamentary power in England for a century or more
"Take away that fool's bauble"
Less well known is his final meeting with Lord Fairfax as his former ally left the chamber. On seeing Cromwell face to face
Fairfax is reputed to have said
'Oliver it seems we chopped off a kings head for such as this'
Cromwell did not answer his critic.
He ruled England successfully as a strong leader oftimes ruthless towards her enemies, for a period of almost 6 years. until his death in 1659.
During that time he gave the nation discipline and re established a national identity.
That leadership often described as a benevolent dictatorship was nonetheless successful because of the political power of the army and of Cromwells absolute control of it
The national army did Cromwells bidding and that alone established the principle of the army as a servant of the state. Cromwell had a great sense of nationhood and the head of state as seperate entities. He was at pains to retain parliament as supreme sovereignty, after all they had just fought a dreadful civil war to establish that principle.
Nevertheless upon his death his third son Richard took over as Lord Protector and attempted to rule in the footsteps of his father. He called the Third Pretectorate Parliament in 1659. However, along with the Army, it was unable to form a stable government and after seven months the Army removed him from office.
On the 6th of May the army reinstalled the Rump Parliament. The Rump Parliament issued a declaration establishing a "Commonwealth without a king, single person, or house of lords". After a few months however,divisions in the Commonwealth were settled by force of arms, and on the 12th of October the Rump voted to declare the seven commissioners' responsibility for the Army void and appointed Charles Fleetwood commander-in-chief under the Speaker of the House.
The next day the Army in London under the command of John Lambert and assisted by Charles Fleetwood excluded members of the Rump parliment from the house of commons by locking the doors to the Palace of Westminster and stationed armed guards outside.
The Army had taken the ultimate step towards military rule.
Many of the nobility, middle class tradesmen even army officers themselves were disgusted with rule by force and whilst the generals found it impossible to unite behind a single policy, there was always the possibility of further strife. Nevertheless, the demands of the army that Richard Cromwell be removed from office led to his resignation as Lord Protector on 25th of May 1659 after parliament granted him free passage and agreed to pay his depts.
Thus his resignation finalised a chapter of English political history where the army had decided who might be the head of state. They had initially opposed Richards Cromwell's appointment as Lord Protector and commander in chief because of his lack of experience. In essence his ‘reign‘ was doomed to collapse from the start
Under the influence of General Monck who fearful of a return to war saw the need for strong leadership and at the same time recognised a popular mood for the restoration of the monarchy, moves were made by the Committee of Safety a temporary parliament set up following the army's closure of parliement to invite Charles the second, heir to the throne back from France.
Monck entered London in February 1660 and opened the doors of Parliament in the following April to those members that were barred ten years earlier. The House of Commons then set up a monarchistic Council of State authorized to invite Charles II to take the crown. The Long Parliament finally dissolved itself following these actions and a Stuart once again sat on the throne.
Charles II ruled a land sick of internal strife and his reign marked and cemented into Enlish politics three principles.
A judiciary free from state infuence
An armed force that had no political 'tenure' whatsoever
And a practical effective Constitutional position of the monarchy as an entity
Parliament was finally established as the only sovereign power in the land
Never again following its supremecy at Naseby would the army wield such political power
Naseby
by: Thomas Babbington Macaulay (1800-1859)
Hi wherefore come ye forth in triumph from the north, With your hands, and your feet, and your raiment all red? And wherefore doth your rout send forth a joyous shout? And whence be the grapes of the wine-press that ye tread?Oh! evil was the root, and bitter was the fruit, And crimson was the juice of the vintage that we trod; For we trampled on the throng of the haughty and the strong, Who sate in the high places and slew the saints of God.
It was about the noon of a glorious day of June, That we saw their banners dance and their cuirasses shine, And the man of blood was there, with his long essenced hair, And Astley, and Sir Marmaduke, and Rupert of the Rhine.
Like a servant of the Lord, with his Bible and his sword, The general rode along us to form us for the fight; When a murmuring sound broke out, and swelled into a shout Among the godless horsemen upon the tyrant's right.
And hark! like the roar of the billows on the shore, The cry of battle rises along their charging line: For God! for the Cause! for the Church! for the laws! For Charles, king of England, and Rupert of the Rhine!
The furious German comes, with his clarions and his drums, His bravoes of Alsatia and pages of Whitehall; They are bursting on our flanks! Grasp your pikes! Close your ranks! For Rupert never comes, but to conquer or to fall.
They are here -- they rush on -- we are broken -- we are gone -- Our left is borne before them like stubble on the blast. O Lord, put forth thy might! O Lord, defend the right! Stand back to back, in God's name! and fight it to the last!
Stout Skippen hath a wound -- the centre hath given ground. Hark! Hark! what means the trampling of horsemen on our rear? Whose banner do I see, boys? 'Tis he! thank God! 'tis he, boys! Bear up another minute! Brave Oliver is here!
Their heads all stooping low, their points all in a row: Like a whirlwind on the trees, like a deluge on the dikes, Our cuirassiers have burst on the ranks of the accurst, And at a shock have scattered the forest of his pikes.
Fast, fast, the gallants ride, in some safe nook to hide Their coward heads, predestined to rot on Temple Bar; And he -- he turns! he flies! shame on those cruel eyes That bore to look on torture, and dare not look on war!
Ho, comrades! scour the plain; and ere ye strip the slain, First give another stab to make your search secure; Then shake from sleeves and pockets their broad-pieces and lockets, The tokens of the wanton, the plunder of the poor.
Fools! your doublets shone with gold, and your hearts were gay and bold, When you kissed your lily hands to your lemans to-day; And to-morrow shall the fox from her chambers in the rocks Lead forth her tawny cubs to howl above the prey.
Where be your tongues, that late mocked at heaven, and hell, and fate? And the fingers that once were so busy with your blades? Your perfumed satin clothes, your catches and your oaths? Your stage plays and your sonnets, your diamonds and your spades?
Down! down! forever down, with the mitre and the crown! With the Belial of the court, and the Mammon of the Pope! There is woe in Oxford halls, there is wail in Durham's stalls; The Jesuit smites his bosom, the bishop rends his cope.
And she of the seven hills shall mourn her children's ills, And tremble when she thinks on the edge of England's sword; And the kings of earth in fear shall shudder when they hear What the hand of God hath wrought for the houses and the word! "Naseby" is reprinted from Historic Poems and Ballads. Ed. Rupert S. Holland. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1912.
Words by lastromantichero
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Written on 2007-05-27 at 16:30
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