Cromwell still at a distance, was advancing toward Manchester.  On the 16th the duke with his advanced guard was at Preston, with Langdale on his left.  Cromwell attacked Langdale with his whole force next morning, and the Royalists after fighting stoutly were entirely defeated.  Then he fell upon the Duke of Hamilton and the force under him at Preston, and after four hours’ sharp fighting in the inclosures round the place, defeated and drove them out of the town.  That night the Scots determined to retreat, and at once began to scatter.  General Baillie, after some hard fighting around Warrington, surrendered with his division.  The duke with three thousand men went to Nantwich.  The country was hostile, his own troops, wearied and dispirited, mutinied, and declared they would fight no longer; the Duke of Hamilton thereupon surrendered, the Scotch invasion of England came to an end.

CHAPTER XVI.

The execution of king Charles.

The news of the failure of the Welsh insurrection and the Scotch invasion, while the risings in Kent and Essex were crushed out, showed Harry Furness that, for the time at least, there was no further fighting to be done.  Cromwell, after the defeat of the Scotch, marched with his army to Edinburgh, where he was received with enthusiasm by Argyll and the fanatic section, who were now again restored to power, and recommenced a cruel persecution of all suspected of Royalist opinions.  Now that the Scotch had been beaten, and the Royalist rising everywhere crushed out, the Parliament were seized with fear as to the course which Cromwell and his victorious army might pursue.  If they had been so arrogant and haughty before, what might not be expected now.  Negotiations were at once opened with the king.  He was removed from Carisbrook to a good house at Newport.  Commissioners came down there, and forty days were spent in prolonged argument, and the commissioners returned to London on the 28th of November with a treaty signed.  It was too late.  The army stationed at St. Albans sent in a remonstrance to Parliament, calling upon them to bring the king to trial, and stating that if Parliament neglected its duty the army would take the matter into its own hands.  This remonstrance caused great excitement in the Commons.  No steps were taken upon it however, and the Commons proceeded to discuss the treaty, and voted that the king’s concessions were sufficient.  On the 29th a body of soldiers went across to the Isle of Wight, surrounded the king’s house, seized him and carried him to Hurst Castle.  The next day Parliament voted that they would not debate the remonstrance of the army, and in reply the army at Windsor marched on the 2d of December into London.  On the 5th the Commons debated all day upon the treaty.