Enraged and disappointed, Rupert appealed to the Stadtholder, who lent
him another ship, commanded by Captain Colster. This time Maurice
insisted on accompanying his brother, and the two Princes, having
provided themselves with an engineer, a "fire worker," and a large
store of arms, muskets, and powder, set sail for Scarborough. Near
Flamborough Head they were spied by some Parliamentary cruisers, and a
ship called the "London" came out to hail them. Colster hoisted the
Dunkirk colours, but the other Captain, still unsatisfied, desired to
search the small vessel in which the arms were stored. Rupert, who had
been extremely, and even dangerously, ill throughout the voyage, {60}
struggled on deck "in a mariner's cap" and ordered out the guns, saying
he would not be searched. On this the "London" shot to leeward, and
two other ships came out to her aid. But Rupert succeeded in running
into Tynemouth, and, anchoring outside the bar, landed by means of
boats. His little vessel also escaped, and landed her stores safely at
Scarborough in the night.[1]
When they reached Tynemouth it was already late, but Rupert's eagerness
would brook no delay. "The zeale he had speedily to serve His Majesty
made him think diligence itself were lazy."[2] Accompanied by Maurice,
an Irish officer, Daniel O'Neil, and several others, he started at once
for Nottingham. But the stars, in their courses, fought against him.
As ill luck would have it, Rupert's horse slipped and fell, pitching
him on to his shoulder. The shoulder was discovered to be out of
joint, but, "by a great providence," it happened that a bone-setter
lived only half a mile away. This man, being sent for in haste, set
Rupert's shoulder in the road, and, "in conscience, took but one-half
of what the Prince offered him for his pains." Within three hours the
indefatigable Rupert insisted on continuing his journey.
Arrived at Nottingham, he retired to bed, but he was not destined long
to enjoy his well-earned rest. A curious dilemma now brought him into
contact with the two men who were to prove, respectively, his warmest
friend and his bitterest foe, in the Royal Army,--namely, Captain Will
Legge, and George, Lord Digby. The King, who was at Coventry, had sent
to Digby, demanding a petard. Odd though it may appear, a petard was
to Digby a thing unknown--"a word which he could not understand." He
therefore sought out the weary Prince to demand an explanation.
Rupert, at once, got out of bed to search the arsenal; but no such
thing as a petard was to be found. Then, {61} Captain Legge, coming to
the rescue, contrived to make one out of two mortars, and sent it off
to the King.[3] Rupert, following the petard, found his uncle at
Leicester Abbey, and there formally took over charge of the cavalry,
which then consisted of only eight hundred horse. On the next day,
August 22nd, they all returned to Nottingham, where the solemn setting
up of the Royal Standard took place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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