“I entirely agree with your lordship that it will be best to leave Preston,” said Sir Thomas Tyldesley; “but I thought it was your intention to take Blackburn, and then proceed to Bolton.”
“Manchester is far more important than either Blackburn or Bolton,” rejoined the earl. “And if I march against the town now, I will either take the place, or lay my bones there. Are you of my mind, gentlemen? Will you all go with me?”
“After our former experience,” remarked Lord Molineux, “I think the attempt on Manchester very hazardous—”
“The town must be captured—sooner or later,” said Lord Derby, “or the whole county is lost to the king. At this moment, Colonel Holland and Colonel Assheton are unprepared.”
“Well, I will raise no further objections,” said Lord Molineux.
“I will go wherever your lordship chooses to lead me,” said Sir Thomas Tyldesley.
“And I,” added Sir Gilbert Hoghton, and several others.
“Then we will set out to-night with all our force,” said the earl, “and proceed to Chorley. Tomorrow we will move on to Wigan, and give out that we mean to assault Bolton, but ere another dawn shall break the rebels shall find us at Manchester.”
Preparations were then secretly made by the Royalists for their departure, and at nightfall, Lord Derby, with his whole force, marched to Chorley, where they took up their quarters for the remainder of the night.
After a few hours’ repose, the army pursued its march to Wigan without meeting any opposition.
This town still remained faithful to Lord Derby, and here he had placed a strong garrison under the command of Major Blair, and had recently fortified it with new gates and outworks, so that the town was in an excellent state of defence, and the commander laughed at the threats of the rebels.
But scarcely had Lord Derby entered Wigan than all his plans were frustrated.
Lord Goring, with a small guard, had just arrived from Oxford, bearing a despatch from his majesty. The earl received him in the presence of Lord Molineux and all the other commanders.
“You are welcome, my lord,” he said. “I trust you bring good news from his majesty?”
“Not such good news as I could desire, my lord,” replied Goring. “The king has instant need of aid, and enjoins your lordship, on your allegiance, to send him forthwith all the men you can spare. The despatch I have just given you is an order to that effect, as you will find. Lord Molineux is also commanded to rejoin his majesty with all his officers and men.”
“I am quite ready to obey the order, my lord,” said Lord Molineux; “though I must mention that I have engaged with Lord Derby to make another assault on Manchester.”
The earl was unable to conceal his chagrin, though he controlled himself as well as he could.
“I am ready as ever to obey his majesty’s behest,” he said; “and will bring him all the troops I can muster—horse and foot. But I must pray for three or four days’ delay, during which I shall endeavour to take Manchester; and the importance of that capture will, I trust, satisfy his majesty.”
“There must be no delay, my lord,” said Lord Goring, haughtily. “You make sure of taking Manchester, but you were not successful on a former occasion. As I have already told you, his majesty requires at once all the force he can muster.”
“My lord, I believe if I had an opportunity of speaking to his majesty, he would approve of my purpose—”
“Then you refuse to obey?” said Lord Goring, sternly.
“No, my lord, but I must strongly remonstrate,” said Lord Derby. “An opportunity will be lost that may never occur again.”
“I am bound to say,” remarked Lord Molineux, “that, in my opinion, Manchester is so strongly garrisoned, and so well defended, that it cannot be taken under a month.”
“You hear, my lord?” said Goring, looking at the earl. “How say you, Sir Thomas?” he added, to Tyldesley. “You have had experience of this rebel town.”
“My experience leads me to the same conclusion as Lord Molineux,” replied Sir Thomas. “Manchester cannot be taken by a coup de main. Colonel Holland and Colonel Assheton are too much on the alert.”
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