Page 14 - Hampdens Monument Unveiled

much altered; his nature and carriage seeming much fiercer than
it was before: and without question, when he first drew his
sword, he threw away the scabbard."-A bloody grave closed upon
this great man in the first year of the war-and the war was
left to be closed by perhaps less scrupulous hands. When I
speak of the cause in which Hampden was engaged, 'tis no
contested doctrine I have to speak of-when I speak of the right
of resistance to unconstitutional and unjust infringements of
public liberty, I am sure there is no man in England that would
dispute it. Why, the Crown of our Queen -and may, He who wears
the crown of universal and eternal dominion establish hers and
to all her lawful successors for ever-is established by an Act
of Parliament founded upon the doctrine of resistance; and he
who propounds a doctrine contrary to this, propounds treason
against the stability of the Crown, by subverting the
principles of public liberty upon which it is based (cheers).

In this way, gentlemen, I have taken the liberty to indicated
the use of the term, the "free monarchy of England." Hampden
displayed in the field the same genius, courage, and virtue,
which distinguished him in public and private life. He
displayed great ability and success in Buckinghamshire,
Nottinghamshire, and Warwickshire. He stopped the advance of
the King's army at Brentford, when the King in violation of his
pledges advanced to attack London, where the Parliament was
sitting in the confidence of a truce. Thus the Royal
expedition, begun with the dishonour of treachery, ended in the
dishonour of defeat (cheers). This month two hundred years ago,
Hampden was endeavouring to strengthen the line of the
parliamentary forces, between Wycombe and Thame, and to raise
up the spirit of the troops against the inroads of the King's
army from Oxford. On Saturday evening, June the 17th, Rupert
marched with 2,000 of the King's cavalry, and before day-break
consumed the villages of Chinnor, Lewknor, &c. and on meeting
with the pickets of the Parliamentary forces, he put them to
the sword. Towards the morning of the 18th Hampden, who had
been out with a single trooper, saw the flames from Lewknor
arise: instantly he gave the alarm sent off to Lord Essex to
send a body of men to Chiselhampton bridge, while he collected
all the cavalry, which did not exceed 300; with these he met
the Prince on this field, after passing Golder-Hill, who gave
him battle. All his hopes rested on the arrival of Lord Essex,
and therefore he wished to delay Rupert. Hampden attacked the
flank of Rupert's force in the lane from Warpsgrove House, and
there he received his death wound. He was seen with his head
hanging on his horse's neck, which Clarendon says was a thing
he never used to do, by which it was concluded that he was
hurt. He arrived at Thame, where he died on the 24th. He spent
his time before his death in writing letters of counsel to the
Lord General and officers of the parliamentary forces, urging
them the most strenuous exertions and decided course in
fulfilling the object on which his heart was set. But his last