[Footnote 1:  Rushworth, vii. 1341, 1350.  Whitelock, 358.]

[Footnote 2:  Journals, Dec. 1, 2, 3, 5.  Clarendon Papers, ii.  App, xlviii.  Cobbett, Parl.  Hist. 1152.  In some of the previous divisions, the house consisted of two hundred and forty members; but several seem to have retired during the night; at the conclusion there were only two hundred and twelve.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1648.  Dec. 2.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1648.  Dec. 5]

But the victors were not suffered to enjoy their triumph.  The next day Skippon discharged the guards of the two houses, and their place was supplied by a regiment of horse and another of foot from the[a] army.  Colonel Pride, while Fairfax, the commander-in-chief, was purposely employed in a conference with some of the members, stationed himself in the lobby:  in his hand he held a list of names, while the Lord Grey stood by his side to point out the persons of the members; and two-and-fifty Presbyterians, the most distinguished of the party by their talents or influence, were taken into custody and conducted to different places of confinement.  Many of those who passed the ordeal on this, met with a similar treatment on the following day; numbers embraced the opportunity to retire into the country; and the house was found, after repeated purifications, to consist of about fifty individuals, who, in the quaint language of the time, were afterwards dignified with the honourable appellation of the “Rump."[1]

Whether it were through policy or accident, Cromwell was not present to take any share in these extraordinary proceedings.  After his victory at Preston he had marched in pursuit of Monroe, and had besieged the important town of Berwick.  But his real views were not confined to England.  The defeat of the Scottish royalists had raised the hopes of their opponents in their own country.  In the western shires the curse of Meroz had been denounced from

[Footnote 1:  Whitelock, 358, 359.  Commons’ Journals, Dec. 6, 7.  This was called Pride’s purge.  Forty-seven members were imprisoned, and ninety-six excluded.—­Parl.  Hist. iii. 1248.]

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1648.  Dec. 6.]

the pulpit against all who refused to arm in defence of the covenant; the fanatical peasants marshalled themselves under their respective ministers; and Loudon and Eglington, assuming the command, led them to Edinburgh.[1] This tumultuary mass, though joined by Argyle and his Highlanders, and by Cassilis with the people of Carrick and Galloway, was no match for the disciplined army under Lanark and Monroe; but Cromwell offered to advance to their support, and the[a] two parties hastened to reconcile their differences by a treaty, which secured to the royalists their lives and[b] property, on condition that they should disband their forces.  Argyle with his associates assumed the name and the office of the committee of the estates; Berwick and Carlisle were delivered to the English[c] general; and he himself