[Footnote 1:  Rushworth, vi. 18-22.]

[Footnote 2:  Clarendon, ii. 604, 633, 636, 642, 661, 668.  “Good men are so scandalized at the horrid impiety of our armies, that they will not believe that God can bless any cause in such hands.”—­Lord Culpeper to Lord Digby.  Clarendon Papers, ii. 189.  Carte’s Ormond, iii. 396, 399.]

on the part of the parliamentary leaders; who, the moment it could be done without danger, pronounced such associations illegal, and ordered them to be suppressed by military force.[1]

On the other side, the army of the parliament had been reformed according to the ordinance.  The members of both houses had resigned their commissions, with the exception of a single individual, the very man with whom the measure had originated,—­Lieutenant-General Cromwell.  This by some writers has been alleged as a proof of the consummate art of that adventurer, who sought to remove out of his way the men that stood between him and the object of his ambition; but the truth is, that his continuation in the command was effected by a succession of events which he could not possibly have foreseen.  He had been sent with Waller to oppose the progress of the royalists in the west; on his return he was ordered to prevent the junction of the royal cavalry with the forces under the king; and he then received a commission to protect the associated counties from insult.

[Footnote 1:  Clarendon, ii. 665.  Whitelock, March, 4, 11, 15.  Rushw. vi. 52, 53, 61, 62.  But the best account of the Clubmen is to be found in a letter from Fairfax to the committee of both kingdoms, preserved in the Journals of the Lords, vii. 184.  They wore white ribbons for a distinction, prevented, as much as they were able, all hostilities between the soldiers of the opposite parties, and drew up two petitions in the same words, one to be presented to the king, the other to the parliament, praying them to conclude a peace, and in the meantime to withdraw their respective garrisons out of the country, and pledging themselves to keep possession of the several forts and castles, and not to surrender them without a joint commission from both king and parliament.  Fairfax observes, that “their heads had either been in actual service in the king’s army, or were known favourers of the party.  In these two counties, Wilts and Dorset, they are abundantly more affected to the enemy than to the parliament.  I know not what they may attempt.”—­Ibid.  At length the two houses declared all persons associating in arms without authority, traitors to the commonwealth.—­Journals, vii. 549.]

While he was employed in this service, the term appointed by the ordinance approached; but Fairfax expressed his unwillingness to part with so experienced an officer at such a crisis, and the two houses consented that he should remain forty days longer with the army.  Before they expired, the great battle of Naseby had been fought:  in consequence of the victory the ordinance was suspended three months in his favour; and afterwards the same indulgence was reiterated as often as it became necessary.[1]