REBELLION

rebellion, and the battle itself under its own heading. leven's great reputation, wisdom and tact made him an ideal commander for the allied army formed by the junction of leven's, fairfax's and manchester's in yorkshire. after the battle the allied forces separated, leven bringing the siege of newcastle to an end by storming it. in 1645 the scots were less successful, though their operations ranged from westmorland to hereford, and leven himself had many administrative and political difficulties to contend with. these difficulties became more pronounced when in 1646 charles took refuge with the scottish army. the king remained with leven until he was handed over to the english parliament in 1647, and leven constantly urged him to take the covenant and to make peace. presbyterians and independents had now parted, and with no more concession than the guarantee of the covenant the scottish and english presbyterians were ready to lay down their arms, or to turn them against the "sectaries." leven was now old and infirm, and though retained as nominal commander-in-chief saw no further active service. he acted with argyll and the "godly" party in the discussions preceding the second invasion of england, and remained at his post as long as possible in the hope of preventing the scots becoming merely a royalist instrument for the conquest of the english independents. but be was induced in the end to resign, though he was appointed lord general of all new forces that might be raised for the defence of scotland. the occasion soon came, for cromwell annihilated the scottish invaders at preston and uttoxeter, and thereupon argyll assumed political and leven military control at edinburgh. but he was now over seventy years of age, and willingly resigned the effective command to his subordinate david leslie (see