king. And he invited all the
people to join in opposition to his tyranny.

The duke of Albemarle, son to him who had restored the royal family,
assembled the militia of Devonshire to the number of four thousand men,
and took post at Axminster, in order to oppose the rebels; but observing
that his troops bore a great affection to Monmouth, he thought proper to
retire. Monmouth, though he had formerly given many proofs of personal
courage, had not the vigor of mind requisite for an undertaking of this
nature. From an ill-grounded diffidence of his men, he neglected to
attack Albemarle; an easy enterprise, by which he might both have
acquired credit, and have supplied himself with arms. Lord Gray, who
commanded his horse, discovered himself to be a notorious coward;
yet such was the softness of Monmouth's nature, that Gray was still
continued in his command. Fletcher of Salton, a Scotchman, a man of
signal probity and fine genius, had been engaged by his republican
principles in this enterprise, and commanded the cavalry together with
Gray; but being insulted by one who had newly joined the army, and whose
horse he had in a hurry made use of, he was prompted by passion, to
which he was much subject to discharge a pistol at the man; and he
killed him on the spot. This incident obliged him immediately to leave
the camp; and the loss of so gallant an officer was a great prejudice to
Monmouth's enterprise.

The next station of the rebels was Taunton, a disaffected town,
which gladly and even fondly received them, and reenforced them with
considerable numbers. Twenty young maids of some rank presented Monmouth
with a pair of colors of their handiwork, together with a copy of the
Bible. Monmouth was here persuaded to take upon him the title of king,
and assert the legitimacy of his birth; a claim which he advanced in his
first declaration, but whose discussion he was determined, he then
said, during some time to postpone. His numbers had now increased to six
thousand; and he was obliged every day, for want of arms, to dismiss a
great many who crowded to his standard. He entered Bridgewater, Wells,
Frome; and was proclaimed in all these places: but forgetting, that
such desperate enterprises can only be rendered successful by the
most adventurous courage, he allowed the expectations of the people to
languish, without attempting any considerable undertaking.

While Monmouth, by his imprudent and misplaced caution, was thus wast