But the
King still hesitated, and while he hesitated the moment passed. Kirke,
who commanded the advance guard at Warminster, flatly refused to obey
the orders sent him from Salisbury, and a rumour spread that he had gone
over to William with all his men. The King broke up the camp and began
his retreat to London; and before he had got farther on his way than
Andover, Ormonde and Prince George had joined the deserters, taking with
them young Drumlanrig. Douglas did not himself go over; but one of his
battalions did, without any attempt on his part to stop them. He had
sounded Dundee on the expediency of making terms for themselves with
William; but as he had done so under an oath of secrecy, Dundee felt
himself bound in honour to keep silence, and we may suppose made it a
part of the bargain that Douglas should stay where he was.
James left no orders behind him, and after his retreat the movements of
his army are somewhat confused. Dundee marched his cavalry to Reading,
where he was joined by Dumbarton. Thence they were ordered to Uxbridge
to consult with Feversham on the chances of a battle. But hardly had
they got there when the latter received orders to disband the army, and
heard at the same time of the King's flight from London. The Scottish
troops clamoured for Dundee to lead them back to their country.
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