BOOKS.

PRINCE RITPERT.*

LORD RONALD GOWER has written this little book because' he thinks that his hero is "worthy of a niche in the temple of fame." Has he not got one Is not his name even printed. in the newspapers at least once a month P Was there not a man-of-war called the 'Rupert' afloat during his lifetime, and is there not now an ironclad so styled ? Does any one ever- think of Cromwell, as a soldier, without conjuring up the brilliant figure of his fiery antagonist ? We have even had in our time a "Rupert of debate," showing how the' Prince's name has become a sort of synonym for dash and reckless impetuosity of onset. In fact, we may say that he lives in the popular mind as a symbol of that unhesitating courage which neither counts cost nor consequence. Then he is known to the- men of science and to the artists, as well as the soldiers and sailors ; and if it be said that few can tell little about him, does- not the remark apply to many much greater men Lord Ronald's "generally well-informed friend" who only knew that Rupert was a son of Charles I., must surely be an exception; but whether he be or not, even on his deceitful memory the name of Rupert had left an indelible impress, and that is fame, in whose temple, we should say, considering how little, relatively, the man did, he has a rather large niche.

Prince Rupert was a child of adversity. He was born at Prague in 1619, a year before the Elector Palatine Frederick V., also called "the Winter King," and "the Queen of Hearts,' his father and mother, were driven out of the Kingdom they had so audaciously accepted. Our author says that the baby was forgotten in the panic, and only saved by a chamberlain, who picked him up and flung him into the last coach, which hurried off through the snow,—a fine- romantic beginning for the little man. His boyhood was passed in Holland with his parents, and he is said, like most other boys of that date, to have been attracted by soldiering; but not much is known about him. Holland was a nursery of captains, and had long been, especially while Maurice lived ;, for when he died, his successor, Frederick Henry, was nothing- like so good a master, and it was Rupert's misfortune that he never had stern discipline in his youth either from an able or an indifferent superior. Hence his great defects were not corrected, his sterling soldierly qualities were not fairly developed by wholesome training under a severe captain, and he commanded before he had learned to obey. Nor was he taught prudence by defeat and failure. His first campaign may serve as a key to his whole career, and show that the boy was the father of the man, with the qualification that even "the man," as he appeared in our Civil War, was still only a boy. It is narrated that in 1638 he raised a little army, himself * Rupert of the Rhine; a Biographied Sketch of the Life of Prince Rupert, Prince Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, &c. By Lord Ronald Gower. London: Regan Paul and Co

commanding a horse regiment, and that in company with Lord Craven, he marched' against the Imperialists, whom he burned to overthrow. They were in superior numbers ; yet Rupert, charging, then as afterwards, straight into the enemy, was worsted and captured, and Lord Craven with him. He was only rising nineteen when he dashed headlong into the hostile army, and can hardly be blamed for imprudence, since he felt his springing courage, but did not know, never having learned, his trade. That combat placed him in the power of Ferdinand of Austria, who kept him a prisoner, more or less closely, for three years, chiefly at Linz. That hard measure deprived him of much-needed schooling. He studied drawing and painting, and gave way to his real bent, scientific research, improving an instrument, for example, invented by Albert Diirer to test perspective ; but that was not the kind of self- education required by a headstrong young man who aimed at becoming a great commander. It is to the want of restraint and firm discipline in youth that we trace Rupert's grave defects as a leader alike of armies and of horse, and his long captivity deprived him of the last chance of profiting by a good master. For, a few months after he rode away from Linz a free man, he landed in England and plunged into the war.

He was very young, only twenty-three, and to youth much must be forgiven; indeed, he had but just completed his twenty- sixth year when he quitted England. He brought energy, confidence, perhaps over-confidence, and some instinctive skill, the dexterity as well as the daring of the hunter, to the aid of his uncle ; but he sadly lacked experience, and the cool judgment which experience should bring. He seems to have been master of himself and his troopers in a skirmish or a foray ; he lost his head too often in battle. His gay, jovial, devil-may-care temper, his prompt decision, and the swift rush of his charge, whether upon a handful of horse, as at Powick, or upon a whole wing of horse and foot, as at Edgehill, suited the Cavaliers, who despised their enemies, and who were as undisciplined as their leader. In a pitched field he and they thought only of the foes immediately before them, and nothing of the main battle. Rupert always went his own way in a fight; overthrew, pursued, plundered, and seemed not to have the least notion that he was part of an army which should act together. Cavalry, no doubt, especially English cavalry, are hard to hold when started forward. Rupert, except in skirmishes, as at Chalgrove Field, does not appear to have made any attempt to restrain and guide himself or his gallant troopers. He rode and they rode in wild career, and the cooler Parliament captains, working with measure as well as vigour, either won the victory—as at Marston Moor, Naseby, and Cheriton—or obtained advantages which made the con- test at the worst a drawn battle. It was hot, young blood, want of knowledge and sound training, which made Rupert hurry himself into the wrong place at decisive moments, so that his crushing charges were of no use. He was fairly beaten at Marston Moor, when be went down before the real soldier whom he named " Ironside ;" but conduct would have enabled him to win Edgehill, and perhaps, though it is doubt- ful, retrieve Naseby ; but in action he never showed conduct proper to a great or even good leader. " Rupert's sole notion of tactics," says Mr. Gardiner, "was to charge the enemy ;" a judgment which may go too far, but one for which much might be said. Certainly in no battle did he show the sterling qualities of a first-rate cavalry commander. Here again it is only fair to remember that he was very young, that he had spent several years in prison, that his experience of war was limited to audacious combats, as at the siege of Breda, and one wild action which landed him in the castle of Linz, where he studied art and made love to the Governor's daughter. The wonder is that a youth brought up so irregularly should have done so well. If he had had the training of Turenne, or even of George Monk, providing that his impetuous spirit could be tamed to obedience, he might have been made into a good captain.

As it was, he shone only in partisan warfare. There was a magnetic quality about him which attracted men, a tireless energy which drove them on, for he imparted his quenchless spirit to his troopers, and a freedom of action not overweighted with scruples. He was called "Prince Robber," and he did rob, as all foragers and flying partisans must; but he did not or could not always enforce his orders, and got credit for things he might have prevented. At Birmingham, for example, when he stormed in and ordered his men to spare the beaten foe, they sacked the gallant little town under his eyes and set it on fire. His soldiers plundered Brentford when they had wrested the place from the regiments of Holies, Broke, and Hampden, which came into action one after the other, and were worsted in detail, despite a stout resistance. He was unable or unwilling, probably unable, to restrain them. So it was at Leicester; but at that period the passions of both parties had become inflamed. Rupert was certainly not a man to think much of fire and slaughter compared with success. He had, however, fine feelings on some occasions. When he summoned Caldecot Manor House, owned by Mr. Purefoy, a Parliament officer, Mrs. Purefoy refused to sur- render. The garrison consisted of the lady, a Mr. Abbott, eight man-servants, and a few women :—

"The outer gate was forced," writes Lord Ronald Gower, "but a well-directed fire laid low three officers and many more [? men], and Rupert had to retire. The attack, however, soon recommenced; the wind blowing towards the house, Rupert had some outhouses fired, and under cover of the smoke, returned to the assault. The little garrison, finding resistance hopeless, surrendered ; probably their stock of ammunition had failed ; but throughout the siege Mrs. Purefoy and her maids kept reloading the muskets, and even melted the pewter plates for bullets. When these brave women came forth, and Rupert found how small had been the defending force, he not only gave orders that nothing should be injured or taken from the place, but paid a deserved tribute of admiration to the lady of the house."

We trust the Prince's orders were better obeyed than they

were on subsequent occasions when, steadfastly repelled, he at length overcame. Lord Ronald Gower naturally decides doubtful points in a sense favourable to his hero. He thinks, for example, that Rupert was justified in fighting at Marston Moor by the terms of King Charles's letter of instructions. He sees in the terms of that document an "absolute com- mand." None such are to be found, and though there is a phrase which, if taken alone, might bear the meaning put on it, the words are qualified by others, and no one, now or then, could say what the super-subtle King did really mean. Plainly, however, Rupert had a discretion ; he used it, fought and lost. In fact, a far greater captain, "Old Ironside," routed him and all that was his. The truth is, that young Rupert, really excellent in many things, was not in a. high sense a General at all, and least of all on a battle-field ; yet he had a keen soldierly insight at times, and Mr. Gardiner even says that he suggested the "new and brilliant strategy

of the campaign of 1644." Whether he could have carried out his own notions of warfare, is another question. His brightness, dexterity, speed, and unflinching energy none can gainsay ; but he wanted ballast as well as judgment, which might have come had he served obediently for years under a master of the craft. At sea he roved and fought, whether as "buccaneer," or sea-general with Monk, pretty much as he did on land, and altogether one cannot but look on him as fair

material spoilt for want of training.

How tough he was may be gathered from an incident in his varied life which has escaped the notice of his noble admirer.

Pepys has recorded that the Prince was trepanned in February, 1666-67, "which was in doing," he writes, "just as we passed through the Stone Gallery, we asking at the door of his lodging and were told so." The operation was successful, and under date April 3rd, Pepys says : "This day I saw Prince Rupert abroad in the Vane room, pretty well as he used to be, and looks as well, only something appears to be under his

periwig on the crown of his head." When the Dutch broke into the Medway in June, the recently trepanned Prince, like stout old Monk, was to the fore, and actively engaged in

making the most of the means improvised to counteract them.

Evelyn writes, June 14th: "1 went to see the work at Woolwich, a battery to prevent them [the Dutch] coming up to London, which Prince Rupert commanded, and sunk some ships in the river." Lord Ronald gives his hero the lion's share of such " glory " as there was ; but he gives him too much, and is not fair to Monk and Middleton. On the whole, despite his fiery valour, one cannot help thinking that, had he lived now, fighting Rupert would have been, not a soldier, but a man of science, and a shining light at the Royal Society,

of which, indeed, he was a member. His real bent was in that direction, and he would have been more useful, perhaps more brilliant, as an inventor and philosopher, than ever he was as a warrior.