clock in the morning to retard the Royalists March with their Horse By five a clock they Rendezvouzed neer Naseby and immediately great bodies of the Kings Horse were discerned on the top of the hill short of Harborough which shewed that he intended not to draw away but that he would come forward and engage them on the ground where they stood which they presently took the best advantage of possessing the edge of a hill from which they afterwards retreated 100 paces that the Kings Army marching upon plain ground might not well discern in what form their Battel was drawn nor see any confusion therein The King being falsly informed that the Parliaments Army was drawing off in haste and flying to Northampton marched on with the greater precipitancy leaving many of his Ordnance behind him The place of the fight was a large fallow-field on the Northwest-side of Naseby flanked on the left with a hedge which was lined with Dragoons to prevent the annoying of the left flank of the Parliaments Army that was drawn up in this posture Leiutenant-General Cromwel commanded the right Wing of Horse wherein were five Regiments and the addition of Colonel Rossiters Troops who was newly come when the fight began and took his post there Commissary-General Ireton commanded the left Wing of Horse and Dragoons and the General and Major-General Skippon the main Battel of Foot Both the Wings of Horse charged together upon the King 's who were drawn in the same Order and marched swiftly but very regularly upon the Enemy Colonel Whaley being in the right Wing charged first two Divisions of Horse of the Kings left Wing commanded by the Lord Langdale who made a gallant resistance firing at a very close charge and came to the Sword but were by force Routed and driven back to Prince Ruperts Regiment being the Reserve of the Kings Foot But the whole Right Wing of the Parliaments advancing which was with some difficulty by reason of a Coney-warren they passed they were totally routed after a Rally made and put to flight from which they never returned to their ground again so that in this part there was an absolute Conquest The success of the left Wing which charged the right Wing of the Kings was quite contrary Prince Rupert commanding it according to his wonted custome charged furiously and broke in upon and routed the three rightmost Divisions of that left Wing which was also distressed by a Brigade of the Kings Foot in which Ireton himself charged and therein being run through the Thigh with a Pike and into the face with a Halbert was taken Prisoner and kept so till the battel and fortune of the day changing he changed his condition giving his Keeper that liberty which he timely offered and came over to Sir Thomas Fairfax The left Wing being thus routed Prince Rupert pursued his advantage and success almost to Naseby-Town in his return summoning the Train and offering them Quarter who instead of accepting it fired lustily upon him who despairing of forcing it being well guarded by Fire-locks and perceiving the Success of the right Wing of Horse retreated in great hast to the rescue of his friends whom he found in such general distress that instead of attempting any thing in their Relief being close followed in the Rear by the Parliaments Horse of both Wings who were joyned he stopped not until he came to the ground where the King was rallying his broken Forces himself in person In the main Battel the Kings Regiment Sir Bernard Ashley's and Sir George Lisle's Tertia's stood manfully to it their Horse being in the Rear of them but could no way assist them being kept from it by part of the Enemies Horse who kept them in action the other part fell in with their own Foot and joyntly poured their whole strength upon the Kings Infantry which now except one Tertia were all at mercy the Reserves being likewise routed This standing parcel of Foot Cromwel endeavoured to break with his Horse attempting them in Flank Front and Rear but in vain till the Generals own Regiment of Foot came up and fell in with the butt-end of their Musquets the Horse Charging them at the same time and so trampled them down The King had now nothing in the Field but his Horse where he himself was which he had put in as good order as the time and the near pressing of the Enemy would permit which Fairfax perceiving he resolved to stay for his Foot who were a quarter of a mile behind him that he might not put the day in hazard again As soon as they came up the Horse opened at great distance to receive their Foot in the midst of them and stood again in the same form of Battalia as before the commencement of the Fight having not onely the advantage of ground but the Kings Artillery who besides had no Foot to entertain the levelled Volleys against his Cavalry During this respite the Dragoons of Fairfax under Colonel Okey advanced a person miserable by nothing more than his valour which betrayed him to the Artifices of Cromwel in the matter of the King and with notable courage and smartness fired upon the Kings Troops his Majesty now discharging the part of a Souldier animating his men to a second round Charge upon the Horse opposite to him not yet secured by their Infantry but they soon appearing the gallantry of that resolution was lost and the danger and despair of doing any good by any further resistance prevailed against the Kings entreaties and indeed against the reasonableness of the attempt For who can but expostulate the misery of this day the Troops of those calamities that broke in upon the Kingdom sadly upbraiding the relasch and weakness of that Cavalry which might by a generous Bravery have saved themselves their honour the King and the Kingdom and which is more the innocence of the Nation But the Justice and over-ruling Wisdom of Almighty God vouchsafed not his assistance and favour to those Arms reserving the Honour and Reputation of the Cause they defended to his unquestionable all-puissant Arm that it might hereafter be transcribed to posterity from the visible and glorious manifestations of Digitus Dei Read then and peruse with thine eyes O guiltless Posterity the Fates of the flying Royalists on whom for fourteen miles the despicable condition of the Enemy but that morning proving the most potent and formidable strength the Parliamentarians did Execution no parties of them making any notable resistance but were freed from the extremity of the pursuit more by the tire of their enemies Horse than by the celerity of their own The Prisoners taken at this fight were 6 Colonels Commissioned and Reformadoes 8 Lieutenant-Colonels 18 Majors 70 Captains 8 Lieutenants 80 Ensignes 200 other inferiour Officers besides 4 of the Kings Footmen 13 of his houshold 12 pieces of Ordnance 8000 Arms 40 barrels of Powder 200 Carriages all
Redeemer and therefore if you will not joyn with me in prayer my reiterating it again will be both Scandalous to you and me So closing his eyes and holding up his hands he stood a good space at his inward Devotions being perceived to be inwardly moved all the while when he had done he called for the Executioner and gave him money who having brought unto him hanging in a Cord his Declaration and History hanged them about his Neck when he said Though it hath pleased his Sacred Majesty that now is to make him one of the Knights of the most Honourable Order of the Garter yet he did not think himself more honoured by the Garter than by that Cord and Book which he would embrace about his Neck with as much joy and content as ever he did the Garter or a Chain of Gold and therefore desired them to be tied unto him as they pleased When this was done and his arms tied he asked the Officers If they had any more Dishonour as they conceived it to put upon him he was ready to accept it And so with an undaunted Courage and Gravity suffered according to the Sentence past upon him Thus fell that Heroical Person by a most malicious and barbarous sort of cruelty but Sequitur ultor à tergo Deus there is a Fury at hand ready with a Whip of Snakes to punish this Viperous Brood of men For Cromwel having been secretly called for over from Ireland to amuse all parties both the Irish who trembled at his presence and made no considerable resistance against him and his fortune and the General himself at home who expected not such his sudden rivalship to his Command which gave him no time for mature consideration of the designe the Scots who though allarmed by frequent rumours of an English Invasion yet were not so forward in their Levies as having assurance of Fairfax's dissatisfaction was now wasted over into England preventing his Letters he had sent to the States to know their express pleasure for his departing that Kingdom which before we leave we must insert some omissions Colonel Hamond a Kentish Gentleman and firm Royallist who was a Colchestrian and had been imprisoned at Windsor being by the mutiny of his Souldiers the Marquess of Ormonds Regiment which he Commanded forced to render himself and Officers at discretion the Garrison being the Castle before mentioned of Gowran accepting of life from Cromwel and refusing to fight was immediately shot to death one Lieutenant only escaping The like fate suffered a Dutch Colonel one Major Syms and another Lieutenant-Colonel of the Lord Inchiqueens Loyal Party that yet adhered to him being worsted by the Lord Broghil where in fight they lost 600 men near Bandon-bridge Colonel Wogan that noble person who had been so constant a terrour to them having corrupted or converted his Keeper Colonel Phair's Marshal escaped with him to his old friends being reserv'd to the same death by Cromwel but by Providence to be a further plague to them in that another Kingdom place as we shall see in the continuation of this Chronicle About the same time with Cromwel arrived here from Holland the Lord Ioachimi in quality of Embassador from the States General sent on purpose to understand the condition of affairs here what stability this Common-wealth was yet grounded upon or like to obtain and report it to his Superiors Further yet in Ireland After the departure of Cromwel in the Province of Vlster where the Bishop of Cloghor Emir Mac Mahon was Generalissimo the Irish not being to be satisfied till the Conduct of Affairs was wholly left to themselves having gathered an Army of 5000 Foot and 600 Horse was ranging that Country at his pleasure having so ordered and interposed his Forces that Sir Charles Coot the President of Connaught and Colonel Venables who Commanded in Chief in Vlster for the Parliament could not joyn Forces and though other additions had been made to Coot with which they had faced Finagh and that part of that Province some while before yet durst they not engage till Iune on the second of which Month Cloghor being incamped on a boggy ground within half a mile of Sir Charles his Leaguer who was about 800 Horse and as many Foot stood and faced him for almost four hours and then drew over a Pass wherein Coot fell upon his Rear with 250 Horse and charged through two Divisions of Foot and had routed them but that their Horse came in to their rescue and repelled that Party but Colonel Richard Coot likewise advancing both came off with even hand and so the enemy over Faggots passed another way This was but a Trial of Skill but on the 18 of Iune Colonel Fenwick with 1000 having joyned with Sir Charles the matter came to a final decision Cloghor was encamped strongly on a side of a Hill to which Coot approached the Irish courageously descended to Battle but were so most resolutely received that in an hours time this Mitred General was defeated himself mortally wounded and taken with his Lieutenant-General Henry O Neale together with most of the Officers all of them Irish to the total loss of that Province and the utter ruine and destruction of that Rebel-Party that began the War and continued it when it might have expired by the closing with the Marquess of Ormond to the taking of Dublin and London-Derry The remaining Irish War was meerly defensive and of such weak dying efforts that all was given over there for desperate and lost and who cannot must not here acknowledge the unerring certainty of Divine Justice upon that bloody and pitiless people Now appeared in Print as the weekly Champion of the new Common-wealth and to bespatter the King with the basest of scurrilous raillery one Marchamount Needham under the name of Politicus a Iack of all sides transcendently gifted in opprobrious and treasonable Droll and hired therefore by Bradshaw to act the second part to his starcht and more solemn Treason who began his first Diurnal with an Invective against Monarchy and the Presbyterian Scotch Kirk and ended it with an Hosanna to Oliver Cromwel who in the beginning of Iune returned by the way of Bristol from Ireland to London and was welcomed by Fairfax the General many Members of Parliament and Council of State at Hounslo-heath and more fully complemented at his Lodgings and in Parliament by the Thanks of the House and the like significant address of the Lord Mayor c. of London being lookt upon as the only Person to the Eclipse and diminution of his Generals Honour whom we shall presently see paramount in the same supreme Command Prince Rupert was yet in the Harbor of Lisbon whither the Parliament had sent a Fleet to fight him and reduce those Ships to their service which the Prince declining and the King of Portugal refusing to suffer Blake to fall on in his Port
Kings Forces under the Marquess of Newcastle at Wakefield and buoyed up the sinking interest of that Cause Monmouth likewise was taken by the Parliaments Forces under the command of Sir William Waller who also took Hereford and other places This in sum more particularly now Of the West where the Kings interest bore the greatest sway we have hitherto said little It will be now time to turn that way and see from what beginnings the War arose in that quarter where for the most part its principal events and concerns were placed Two Proclamations were about this time published one from the Earl of Cumberland the other from the Earl of Newcastle whereby Ferdinando Lord Fairfax Sir Thomas Fairfax Sir Matthew Bointon Sir Edward Loftus Sir Henry Forbes Sir Thomas Malleverer Sir Richard Darby Sir Christopher Wray Sir Henry Anderson Sir Iohn Savil Sir Edward Rodes Sir Hugh Cholmley Sir Thomas Rennington Sir Thomas Norcliffe and others were declared Traytors which the Parliament retaliate upon the Earls in like manner The menage of the Military matters there were on the Kings part as to the remote Counties of Cornwal and Devon shire after the Retreat of the Marquess of Hertford Lieutenant-General of the Western Association with Sir Lewis Dives out of Sherburn where they were besieged by the Earl of Bedford but in vain in Dorcester-shire was committed to four eminent persons viz. the Lord Mohun Sir Ralph Hopton Colonel Ashburnham and Sir Iohn Barkley by whose joynt Counsels and Forces levyed by their respective Friends and Interests an Army was framed to oppose the Earl of Stamford then coming down from Glocester where he first was made Governour as Lord-Lieutenant joyntly with the Lord Roberts of the same County to settle the Militia for the Parliament having a Commission therefore according to that Ordinance which service was well advanced At the approach of this enemy near Liskard it was taken into consideration to whom the alone charge and ordering of the Battel should be intrusted for four would breed distraction whereupon the business of the day was deservedly devolved upon Sir Ralph Hopton who had been an old Souldier in the Low-Countries and yet before the War had been taken for a Puritan and a Commonwealths-man against the Prerogative he was desired by them all as hitherto they had prevented any such division by an equal moderation to take it upon him After therefore he had commanded publique prayers in the head of every Squadron which was performed he drew up the Foot in the best Order he could placing a Forlorn of Musqueteers in the little enclosures and then winged them with the Horse and Dragoons he had This done two Minion small Drakes being fetched from the Lord Mohuns house were planted within random-shot of the enemy concealed by the Horse from them which were discharged with such success that the enemy quickly quitted their ground and in a rout fled on which the Royalists did sparing execution There were taken 1250 prisoners most of their Colours all their Canon Arms and Ammunition and so the Victor-Army came that night to Liskard Salt-Ash was assaulted and forced by Sir Ralph Hopton where he took ten pieces of Ordnance 700 more Prisoners 400 Arms and a Ship with 16 pieces of Ordnance Litchfield was no sooner delivered to the Parliamentarians but Spencer the valiant Earl of Northampton comes and besieges it again for the King and summons the Governour Lieutenant-Colonel Russel to deliver it to him he refuseth and in the interim Sir Wiliam Brereton and Sir Iohn Gell advance to his relief with 3000 men and upwards against these the Earl draws off a Party from the Leaguer and at Hopton-Heath on a ground full of Cony-boroughs which afforded ill footing for Horse of which the Earls Forces chiefly consisted Charges the Parliamentarians where at last he obtained a Victory with the price of his life a dear bargain for the King and his Cause of which he was a most magnanimous Assertor he was first unhors'd whether by the disadvantage of the Ground or born down by the Enemies is uncertain he refused quarter and was killed by a private unlucky hand His Forces returned afresh to the Siege where soon after they were seconded by Prince Rupert who having coasted the Country from his summons of Glocester into Wales returned back by Litchfield where he so powerfully carried on the Siege that the stout Governour was compelled to hearken to his Terms and surrender that place which continued for the King throughout the War the price it cost being well worth and requiring the safe keeping of the Jewel The rendition was the 16 day of April I would not disjoyn the story for the years sake Colonel Charles Cavendish reduced Grantham to the Kings obedience taking 350 Prisoners with Officers and Colours and then demolished the Fortifications the like fortune had the Parliamentarians in recovering Marlborough from the King which was regained by them but soon after as not tenable was slighted by all parties Anno Dom. 1643. THis year began with the smart actions as before of Prince Rupert who on the third of April entred and Mastered Brimingham Town the residence of a famed Lecturer Some Welchmen were here got together for the Parliament where they made some little defence but were soon beaten up to their Barricadoes which they forsook likewise and fled betwixt 150 killed and taken some good Ammunition but all not worth the life of that stout old Earl of Denbigh who was here killed in the Service of his Soveraign Next ensued a revolt of a notable place in the North to the King as the year before began with a notable revolt of Hull to the Parliament such another parallax was throughout the War in the Western and Northern Battels if one had the better in the West at the same time the other had it in the North. Now Scarborough was delivered to the King by the means of one Captain Brown Bushel who long afterwards paid for it with his head at Tower-hill The Lord Fairfax who commanded in chief for the Parliament in the North after several Velitations and Skirmishes betwixt him and the Earls of Newcastle and Cumberland Generals for the King who had declared this Lord and his Adherents Traytors was overthrown at Bramham-Moor and the Parliaments Cause through this and other losses in those parts greatly endangered whereupon the Scots were hastily sollicited to come into the aid of their English brethren as we shall see at large hereafter Now the Parliament flew high in their consultations at home the Grandees working upon the sober part of the Parliament that the action of the Queen in bringing over Arms Money and other provisions for the assistance of the King was a dangerous destructive business wound up the anger of the two Houses to such a pitch that she was proclaimed Traytor and at the same time down went all the Crosses
it under the conduct of Colonel Gage and Colonel Sir George Buncley who with a party of 800 Horse each having a Sack of Meal behind him resolutely passed through the Leaguer to the House and having unladen themselves as valiantly returned back safe again to Oxford Nevertheless they persisted in the enterprize till after Newbery-fight the King marching that way the Forces left to block it up rose and departed without it Dennington-Castle neer Newbery was Garrisoned by the King wherefore Colonel Middleton Lieutenant-General to Sir William Waller came and sate down before it with the broken remains of Cropredy amounting to three thousand Horse and Foot he presently made his Approaches and seized a Barn from the besieged and then sent in his Summons which for the honour of Sir Iohn Boys the Governour who did the King Knight-service then and afterwards as by and by will appear in that place are here inserted For the Governour of Dennington-Castle SIR I demand you to render me Dennington-Castle for the use of the King and Parliament if you please to entertain a present Treaty you shall have honourable terms My desire to spare-blood makes me propose this I desire your Answer John Middleton For Lieutenant-General Middleton SIR I am entrusted by his Majesties express command and have not learned yet to obey any other than my Soveraign To spare blood do as you please but my self and those that are with me are fully resolved freely to venture ours in maintaining what we are here intrusted with which is the Answer of John Boys Middleton perceived words would not do and therefore advanced with Foot and Scaling-ladders in three places the fight lasting six hours in which he lost one hundred men a Colonel a Major and other Officers leaving them to the disposal of the Governour and broke up his siege and departed Westward to Essex and by the way was met with by Sir Francis Dorrington and Sir William Courtney who had laid an Ambuscado for him in a Lane five miles long beyond Bridgewater where being pelted with their Shot from the Hedges he faced about in some disorder and fell upon the two Knights who routed his Party killed some and took many Prisoners Retreating thence as unable now to effect his business which was to second Essex in the West he fell upon a Party of the Kings Horse neer Sherburn in Dorsetshire which he totally routed and with this different strange success speeded for London Colonel Horton comes next to Dennington and Summons it again as Adjutant-General to Major-General Brown and to as little purpose being answered with scorn this so incensed him that with a furious Battery from the foot of the Hill on that side next Newbery which lasted twelve days every day spending eighty shot he at last beat down their Towers with a part of the Wall and being increased with three Regiments more from the Earl of Manchester he in another Summons acquaints the Governour of his strength but all in vain at last came the Earl himself who removed the Battery on the other side and proceeded by Mines also but the Garrison sallying out sent them out of their Trenches killed a Lieutenant-Colonel and other Officers which made the Besiegers slacken in their heat They continued nevertheless Battering two days after and then seeing it bootless to lye there longer rose from the Siege the Earl to Reading Windsor-Forces to Newbery and Horton to Abingdon About this time the Reformation of the Church in defacing of its Paintings breaking Glass-windows pulling down Communion-Tables and the like was almost brought to pass in London the last Church left was his Majesties Chappel at White-hall which by the order of Sir Robert Harloe the Parliaments Commissioner in that Irreligious business was likewise visited in the same rude manner and several Sculptures and Paintings as guilty of Superstition indeed of other mens Avarice and Theâ—ving were purâ—oyn'd and sold. The King had sent a Message for Peace soon after his success at Lestithiel as he had done before from Evesham This last Message from Tavestock in Devonshire coming to the notice of Somersetshire and Wiltshire Inhabitants they professed their Concurrence with the King and that they would petition the Parliament to comply with the King and end those differences From this root sprung afterwards that Association of the Club-men after the Fatal business at Naseby in the Western Counties Next to Dennington-Siege remarkable was that of Banbury where Col. Iohn Fiennes commanded for the Parliament and where he used Batterings Mines and Stormings against the Castle wherein Sir William Compton was Governour for the King whom he summoned twice and at last had answer that the Governour wondred he would send again Then Granadoes were used which made a breach gave them encouragement to Storm it again which was begun on the 23 of September But they were Repulsed with great loss yet nevertheless they continued their Granadoes and Battery till the Earl of Northampton was come from the Rendezvous neer Newbery and had joyned with the Forces under Colonel Gage newly made Governour of Oxford Upon the approach of the said Earl the Parliamentarians Retreated to the West-side of the Town towards Hanwel while the Foot in some disorder drew out of the Town following their Horse having sent away their Baggage and Artillery the night before The Earl followed them while Sir Henry Gage relieved Banbury The Enemy being briskly Charged made away in haste and dispersed themselves several ways by Cropredy and Compton The Earl of Brainford and Colonel Web were here wounded as also Lieutenant-Colonel Smith and Captain Boâ—eler slain The Enemy lost many men a field-Piece eight Waggons of Ammunition and six barrels of Powder four Cornets and some Horse Thus was this Siege Raised which had continued from the nineteenth of Iuly to the five and twentieth of October While these things were acting hereabouts when there was little motion in any parts else of the Kingdom at least not considerable another design was laid upon Glocester by the united Forces of Worcester-shire and Hereford while Massey was abroad on parties who having notice thereof having got an addition of three hundred and fifty men from Tâ—wksbury to enable him to fight with Colonel Myn a gallant expert Commander followed after him to his quarters at Elderfield By break of day both parties engaged Massey beating the Royalists from their Ambuscadoes put their Horse to flight and so fell upon the Van of their Foot routed their whole body killed and wounded several of them and took many Prisoners The Noble Colonel Myn who commanded a Regiment of English which he brought with him out of Ireland was killed here fighting and bringing up his men and keeping them from the rout with neer two hundred more slain and the like number taken Prisoners This defeat happened by reason the two County-forces aforesaid were not
joyned who came just in the close of the fight and killed some of Masseys men who followed the pursuit but he himself with his â—ooty and Prisoners got safe to Glocester where he very honourably interred the body of the aforesaid Colonel Myn. Some attempts designs and skirmishes about passes upon the Severn whereabout Prince Rupert was quartered after his deâ—eat at Marston moor hapned every day such being the fortune of war that the Prince who had bid battel but the other day to thirty thousand men now pidled and trifled with a Brigade or two to seek the advantage of a private and commodious march being dogged but with a Squadron or two of Horse at Aâ—t Ferry where betwixt some of his forces and Colonel Massey a bâ—â—kâ—ring fell out wherein Massey prevailed but to no great loss or concernment While Colonel Massey was thus every day upon parties marching up and down one Kirle who for a while before had intelligence with him about the delivery of Monmouth being Lieutenant-Colonel to Holtby the Governour took the advantage of his approach to effect it for Massey having shewed himself thereabouts gave out that the enemy being plundering about Bristol he was constrained to depart whereupon Kirle is sent out with a Troop of Horse to pursue his rear him and his party Massey takes secures his men all but a Coronet who gave the Allarm to Monmouth where Kirle suddenly coming with a hundred Horse of Masseys commands the Gates to be opened to let him in speedily as he said with his Prisoners which after some dispute being done and the Draw-bridge let down he entred and presently declared hinâ—â—â—â— Mastering the Guards and making good the bridge till a body of Horse and Foot close behind came on and entred the Town The Governour escaped over the dry Graft leaving this place the key of South Wales thus in the enemies hands but it was regained from them soon after by as good Conduct as it was lost by base Treachery Several other encounters and velitations there were in those parts wherein Massey's activity and vigilance manifested it self but because they were of no great moment it will be to as little purpose to relate them Come we now to that which is most material and remarkable Hitherto the King seemed to have fortune equal if not favourable and inclinable to him saving in that unfortunate business of Marston-Moor Now the Cause came to be disputed The King in his march out of the West sent part of his Army on several services his reduced enemy still marching before him towards London as far as Basing where they had Arms put again into their hands and râ—câ—â—iâ—s from all parts thereabouts sent them Neer that House they gathered into one body but attempted not the place Here joyned the Earls of Essex Manchester and Sir William Waller with some trayned Regiments of London The King came to Kingsclear Essex to Aldermarston and thence privately over the water to Padworth and so to Bucklebury-Heath and thence to Newberry where the King was On Sunday-morning about a thousand of the Earl of Manchesters forces and London Trained bands came down the hill very early and undiscerned passed over the Kennet and advanced upon some few of the Kings Foot and over-powred them till they were seconded by Sir Bernard Astley who drove the enemy back again over the River and the Reserves that were passed to assist them altogether in the same rout Essex his design was to surround the King toward Sprâ— to which purpose about three a clock in the afternoon four thousand of their Horse and Dragoons and a stand of five hundred Pikes and some Cannon appeared on the West-side of Newberry beyond the King where the Cornish Foot and the Duke of Yorks Regiment commanded by Sir William St. Leger with five field-Pieces and a Brigade of Prince Maurice's Horse charged home but were repulsed and so over-powered with number that they were forced to forsake their ground and their five Field-pieces which the enemy seized and maintained Essex's Horse also were too hard for the Kings whom they discomfited and then with a part of them and some Musqueteers fell upon the Kings Life-guards and Sir Humphry Bennets Brigade they also over-powered Major Leg who was sent with a party of Horse to their reserve and made Colonel Bennet to bear off in some disorder but being seconded by the Lord Bernard Stuart who fell upon the enemies Flanks they routed them killing in the conflict a Captain and several private Souldiers On the Kings side Captain Cathlin was slain and Captain Walgrave wounded On the East-side of Newberry the Parliaments forces were not less successful against whom General Goring and the old Earl of Cleaveland opposed themselves with the said Earls brigade which consisted of the Regiments of Colonel Thornhill Colonel Hamilton Colonel Culpepper and Colonel Stuart In this dispute the Kings forces had the better killing Major Hurry Colonel Hurry's Kinsman but fresh supplies coming in the Earl was forced to recede and was at last taken Prisoner and the Kings person very neer the same condition Let us cast a view now into the bloodiest parts of the field on the North-East of Newbery where Manchester and the London Trained bands â—ought against the Lord Ashley and Sir George Lisle who had secured one Mr. Dolmans house as a place of some advantage having Colonel Thelwel for his Reserve Manchesters Horse and Foot descending the Hill with the aforesaid Trained bands advanced hastily upon those Foot of Sir Georges and worsted them but Sir Iohn Brown with Prince Charles his Regiment coming in time gave a stop to their fury diverting some part of their Horse to the relief of their Foot which he fell upon and so retreated when the Reserve under Thelwel made good his beginnings and Colonel Lisle animating his own Regiment by his example by pulling off his doublet brought them three several times to the Charge and maugre all the force and fury of the enemy could not be beaten from his ground which he quitted not before command Several times here it came to the butt-end with very great resolution on both sides which ceased not while they had any light to see what they did In the Covert of night the King drew all his Artillery Ammunition and Waggons under the walls of Dennington-Castle and marched away to Wallingford though his Rear staid that night in the place till almost morning and so to Oxford This was a most fierce and bloody Battel though of short continuance but of four hours from four a clock in the afternoon till eight at night wherein the Parliamentarians strove to revenge their disgraceful defeat at Lestithiel and the Royalists to redeem their loss at Marston-Moor but it was observed that none fought so eagerly as those Souldiers who took the engagement never to bear Arms against the King at their rendition in Cornwal so
and gave the Fairfaxians entrance where the Foot first entred and then the Horse who there joyntly charged the enemy drawn up in the Town the Lord Hopton commanding the Rear to make their retreat good in which action he had his Horse shot dead under him Here the Parliament-foot were forced back again to the Barricadoes where Colonel Hammond opposed himself and by the assistance and timely supply of Major Stephens beat Horse and Foot into the Town again from whence the Foot marched away but the Horse made several stands and charged in at several Avenues of the Town and at the Barricadoes which themselves had deserted In fine all their Horse marched over a Bridge and at several other passes of the River and so Westward the Parliamentarians not adventuring to pursue them but contented themselves with those Prisoners whom they took in the Town being disordered and divided from their Body by the darkness of the night who being put into the Church where the Lord Hoptons Magazine of 80 Barrels of Powder was kept and there guarded by some of the Parliaments Forces the said Powder either casually or by design was fired the Church blown into the Air those Prisoners and the Guard killed and the whole Army all over the Town endangered by the stones timber and lead which with the blast were-carried up very high and scattered throughout and beyond the Town so that neer as much mischeif was done by this Powder as by the Powder and Bullet together in the Fight scarce a stone being left standing of the Church which since is raised from its ruines The Royalists fought resolutely here the Cornish not forgetting the reputation they had formerly got during the War For here were not taken in all above 400 Prisoners the chief whereof were Lieutenant-Colonel Wood eight Captains Commissary Boney six Lieutenants one Cornet three Ensignes one Chyrurgion four Serjeants fifty two Troopers one hundred twenty seven Gentlemen and about 150 common Souldiers and six Colours The slain were Major Threave and Captain Fry the Lords Hopton and Capel wounded and the Lord Hopton's Commission to be General under the Prince and 500 pounds in money left in Portmantles came also to the hands of the Victors The Lord Hopton after this Encounter made back into Cornwal where he rendezvouzed his Army again whither the Princes Regiment of eight hundred Horse and some other additional Cavalry of the County not before joyned with them came in and so made up a new entire Body of five thousand Horse able to give Battel again to their enemy on convenient Champion ground or at least in such a condition as to make their own terms And the policy of the Lord Hopton was as eminent as his valour in the late service having thereby given a fair earnest for a Victory and made them consider of his Forces if reduced to a necessity of fighting as of couragious brave spirits to whom Fortune could not but be obliged to a favourable aspect and her least inconstancy would undo the Fairfaxians We will now draw off from those main Bodies this whole Winter in the field and return to the Garrisons who thick and threefold rendred themselves to the Parliament We will begin with Shelford-house where Colonel Stanhop akin to the Earl of Chesterfield was Governour which after Summons refused was stormed by Major-General Poyntz who put all to the Sword they met with some Gentlemen getting within a Seiling till the fury was over found quarter the Governour himself was killed in the defence after the House was entred and the House demolished On the 4 of December the magnanimous Countess of Derby who had endured a Siege off and on for two years last past rendred Latham-house to the Parliament upon very fair terms the Governour Officers and Souldiers to march out either to the Garrison of Tidbury or Ashby de la zouch In this Siege I may not omit one Military neat Stratagem The besiegers at dinner-time were jearing the Garrison with Shoulders of mutton and fresh-meat they shewed them whereupon a Captain sallied out took both the guests and the provision and two Colours and brought them into the House Whereupon the Assaylants took the Alarm both great and small Guns playing on both sides This continuing for a while the Captain caused the Colours he had taken to be set on the Works backward from the Post where he had surprized them which they of that quarter seeing and imagining their men on the other side had entred the House and erected their Ensigns they fell on without fear or wit and were presently cut down in heaps and beaten to their Trenches Bolton-Castle and Beeston-Castle in Lancashire were likewise delivered to the Parliament and Hereford-City surprized by another Stratagem the manner thus The Garrison was strong and well appointed the inlet also for the Kings Welch Forces and therefore much aimed at and to that purpose intelligence had been held by some within from Colonel Birch and Colonel Morgan Governour of Gloucester but their greedy and impatient desire of the present possession abrupted all those practices and put them upon an honester and safer way With 2000 Horse and Foot they came from Gloucester in one day and night where they had provided six men in Country-habits with a seventh like a Constable in pursuance of Warrants directed the day before to the adjacent Villages for some Labourers to be sent in to break the Ice in the Trenches and such other work by morning to present themselves at the Gates and as seconds to them were placed 150 Firelocks which in the covert of the night were lodged as neer as possible out of discovery and next them a Body of men ready at hand to succeed in the attempt and enter with them Accordingly the stratagem took effect the Draw-bridge was let down to the Constable and his crew with their Pickaxes and Spades which they no sooner possessed but the Guard began to suspect and make some resistance but the Reserves powring in upon them after three of them were killed the Town was entred first by Colonel Birch and his Firelocks and then by Morgan The Garrison amazed presently submitted and yeilded themselves Prisoners the chief whereof were the Lord Brudenel fourteen Knights Judge Ienkins of whom more hereafter four Lieutenant-Colonels five Captains Officers and Gentlemen neer a hundred more besides eleven Pieces of Ordnance mounted with Provision sutable to the strength and quality of the place This loss was very much regretted by the Royalists who now perceived that Fortunes right and left hand Valour and Policy were lifted up against them The next place of importance which followed the fate of the Kings declination was the City of Chester which had been long besieged and thrice attempted to be relieved and still rendred worse by the loss and slaughter of their friends that came to its rescue as we have said before
how diffusive the Kings Royal care was for the good of his Subjects as well far distant as neer home Mr. Warren employ'd for that purpose had now for the benefit of the English Trade in Africa made a Peace with Sancta Cruze Sophia and Morocco In the last of which Places when the Emperour heard that the English Agent was come to make a Peace with him he ordered a Guard of 500 Horse to Conduct him to his Court which attended the Agent above Fourscore Miles And all this while the Mediterranean Sea were secured by a strong Squadron of Ships under the Command of Sir Ieremy Smith Sir Christopher Mimms missing of the Dutch at home sail'd away for the Coast of Sweden where coming to an Anchor at the Mouth of the Elve with a Charge of Merchants under his Convoy General Wrangle made it his business to travel 30 miles to give him a visit Aboard his Ship whom the English Admiral entertain'd according to his Dignity The Parliament in Scotland Issued out a Proclamation Commanding all Ministers who had entred before the Year 49 and since the Restitution of the Church-Government by Archbishops and Bishops had Relinquish'd their Ministery or had been Deposed by their Ordinary to remove themselves within Forty days after their Relinquishment or Deposal out of the Parishes where they were Incumbents and not to Reside within Twenty miles of the same nor within six Miles of Edenburgh or any Cathedral nor within Three Miles of any Burgh Royal nor to Inhabit Two in one Parish upon Penalty of Incurring the Laws made against movers of Sedition This Proclamation was occasion'd by the Insolent Carriage of one Alexander Smith a Depos'd Minister who being taken at a Conventicle was conven'd before the High Commission-Court but gave such reviling Language against the Archbishop of St. Andrews who sate there as President that the Lord Commissioner ordered him to be put in Irons Twenty four hours in the Theives Hole In Ireland the Parliament being likewise Sate fell upon the Examination of certain of their Members who were said to have been in the Plot in the Year 1663. Robert Shapcott Alexander Staples and five others were call'd to the Bar and for that Reason were Expell'd the House and made incapable of ever sitting in any Parliament of that Kingdom Forein Affairs 1665. The King of Poland having made a fruitless and very unsuccessful expedition against the Muscovites the event thereof was That being deserted by his Tartars and Cossacks for fear of being surrounded by the Muscovites who having intelligence of his condition had gathered their Forces together with the same intention he was forc'd to make his retreat through a vast Desert of twenty Leagues over wherein meeting with neither Forrage nor other conveniencies his whole Cavalry was utterly ruin'd and all his Nobility and Gentry highly discontented to see themselves in that manner lost without a stroke dispersed themselves and left him This Calamity which they say broke his Heart was follow'd by the revolt of Lubomirsky a great Souldier and of high repute in that Country whose dignities and Estate the King had Confiscated as not conformable to his Government Lubomirsky takes Arms gathers together a very formidable Body and though now grown considerable both in his own Forces and the affections of the Polish Nobility tenders his service to the King offers to make use of his power against the Common Enemy the Muscovite on condition he might be restored to his Territories and Charges But the King giving no heed to his Proposals raises and Army marches against him and being come now within four miles of Lubomirskie with an intention to give him Battle he assembled his Nobility and Gentry and in a long Oration endeavour'd to encourage them to behave themselves resolutely against the Enemie of their Country and Rebel to himself But they gave him for answer That they acknowledged it was their duty to hazard their Lives against any publick Enemy whatsoever but to fight against their fellow-Subject and Citizen whom they could not finde to have committed any crime worthy so high a punishment as was inflicted on him they could not adventure at all This Answer so disturb'd the King that he withdrew himself and posted directly for Warsaw destitute of Counsel or Assistants and was at length forc'd to the Restauration of Lubomirskie to avoid the hazard of greater Inconveniencies This year a great Quarrel broke forth among the Princes of the Empire as the Electors of Mentz Triers Collen and others But as those difference were long a brewing so it was not an easie work to compose them though the Emperour was very diligent in his Mediation He had no reason to desire War who was in daily expectance of the arrival of his Contracted Empress the Infanta of Spain of whose hastening into Germany he had received certain intelligence from her Father In February he sent his power into Spain to the Duke de Medina de las Torres for the Marrying of her but she arrived not at Vienna this year But returning to feats of War we finde the Duke of Beaufort encountring in the Mediterranean-Sea with a Squadron of Argier Men of War five in number but two of them ran themselves aground the other three he caus'd three of his Captains to set upon who did so well acquit themselves that the Admiral of the Pyrates carrying 600 Men and 50 pieces of Cannon lost in the dispute above half her men the rest threw themselves into the Sea and set fire on the ship Nor did the other two carrying 400 Men and 30 Guns apiece run a better fortune being both sunk and burnt Nor did it serve their turns that they had withdrawn themselves within Carabine-shot of the very Forts belonging to Tunis This was an honourable undertaking and as successfully performed However the Victory which the Portugueses obtain'd against the Spaniard made a greater noise in the World which most not be forgotten as obtain'd by the Valour of the English At first the Spaniards Charg'd the Portuguez and French Horse so home that they beat them into the Rear but the English coming to charge recovered all the ground which the other had lost and kept it which so encourage'd the rest that they came on again afresh and then the English charging again with the same success as before caus'd the Enemy to quit the Field Major Trelawney charged the Prince of Parma at the head of his own Battalia kill'd most of his men and brought off his Standard He had his Horse â—lain under him but was remounted by his Lieutenant The General of the Horse was taken five thousand Prisoners all their Baggage and seven pieces of Cannon together with 3000 Mules But in the Imperial Court there was no small distraction by reason of the death of Duke Sigismunâ—â— the Emperour's Brother whom some supposed to have been taken away by Poison though others
throughout England particularly the third of this moneth Cheapside-Cross was demolished And for the better carrying on of the work of Reformation Mr. Henry Martin a Member of Parliament enters violently into the Abby-Church at Westminster defaces the Ornaments of the Church and breaking open two doors makes his way to a private place where the Crowns Scepters and other Utensils of State used by Kings on their day of Coronation were but Mr. Wheeler perswaded him to be more moderate he only secured them by sealing up the Doors After this beginning of Reformation the Parliament took the Solemn League and Covenant at Westminster It was first framed in Scotland and was generally taken by them in the Year 1639. The main drift of it was against the Episcopal Dignity and was now for the mutual indearment of the two Nations assurance being promised the Parliament from Scotland pressed upon all in England where the Parliaments power was Paramount being taken throughout London the fifth of this moneth The Earl of Essex advanceth from Reading to Tame where a general sickness seized upon the Army during their quartering there about Prince Rupert fell into part of their quarters but the Essexians taking the Alarm and drawing out the business came to a Fight in Chalgrave field where Colonel Hambden that great stickler against Shipmoney was mortally wounded It was observable that in this place the said Colonel Hambden first Listed and Trained his men in the beginning of the War The Lord Keeper Littleton having departed with the Great Seal to Oxford according to the Kings Command the Parliament voted a new Great Seal to be made To cast an eye to the affairs of the West Sir Ralph Hopton after his little victory at Liskard having made sure of the County of Cornwal and established all things to the advantage of the Kings affairs there marched into Devonshire to oppose the Earl of Stamford and Major-General Chudleigh for the Parliament with whom on Tuesday May 16 a Battel happened at Stratton in that County The Kings Forces had the disadvantage both in want of Ammunition and being necessitated to March up a steâ—p Hill open to all oppositions to come to fight being in number not above 3000 the sixth part whereof was Horse and Dragoons The Enemy were above 5000 with the same quantity of Horse but supplied that defect with the strength of the Hill on which they were fortified The Royalists attempted their ascent four several ways and were as resolutely beaten down the fight continuing from five in the morning till three in the after-noon without any certainty of event or success on either party Major General Chudleigh charged stoutly against a stand of Pikes commanded by Sir Bevil Greenvile to the disordering of his Party and the overthrowing of his Person but in time came Sir Iohn Berkley and restored the fortune of the day by taking Major-General Chudleigh Prisoner Towards the end of the day the several parties met at the top of the Hill with great shouts of joy which the routed Enemy confusedly forsook and fled There were taken seventeen hundred Prisoners all their Cannon and Ammunition being thirteen brass Pieces of Ordnance seventy barrels of Powder with a Magazine of Bisket and other provisions proportionable By this opportune Victory all that Nook of the West was reduced to the Kings entire obedience except Plymouth and for which important service the King presently honoured Sir Ralph with the Title of Baron Hopton of Stratton from the place where he atchieved his honour The Parliament had appointed first Colonel Thomas Essex then Colonel Nathaniel Fiennes to be Governour of Bristol of which in the beginning of the troubles they had possest themselves and having discovered a Plot of delivering the City to Prince Rupert who accordingly was drawn down near the place expecting the Signal which was ringing of a Bell and opening a gate surprized and secured the intelligencers viz. Mr. Robert Yeomans and Mr. George Bourcher two of the Citizens and soon after notwithstanding the King and his Generals mandates and threats of retaliation disloyally executed them in that City Iames Earl of Northampton defeats a body of Parliamentarians in Middleton Cheiny Town-field under Colonel Iohn Fiennes killed 200 took 300 more with their Arms while the rest fled to Northampton and brought them into Banbury his Garison At this time also Wardour-Castle in Wilt-shire was taken by the Parliaments Forces and not long after retaken by Sir Francis Dorrington But enough to be said of such petty places Sir William Waller was now advanced into the West with a well-furnished Army to prevent those dangers which the growing Fortunes of the Lord Hopton threatned to the Cause and the well-affected in those Counties By force partly and partly by perswasion he had screwed himself into a great many Towns chiefly Taunton and Bridge-water which he Garisoned whereupon the Lord Hâ—mpton joyning with Prince Maurice and the Marquess of Hartford advanced East-ward and at a place called Landsdown met with Sir William drawn up in a place of great advantage with Forlorns Sir Bevil Greenvil and Sir Nicolas Slanning advanced first upon them and some Horse but Sir William had so lined the Hedges and the Horse were so galled with Musquet-shot that they were forced to retreat disorderly towards the Rear of their Foot when the Cornish-men came on with resolution and beat them out of their Hedges and pursued them up an ascent where they had almost regularly fortified themselves by Hedges and laid Stone-walls From hence Waller charged with a body of Horse and again disordered them yet they rallied and received another Repulse in one of which Major Lowre that commanded part of the Horse was slain in the Head of them as also that noble person Sir Bevil Greenvil in the Head of his stand of Pikes with which he had done signal Service so oâ—ten divers Gentlemen of less note falling with him until in conclusion night drawing on nay quite spent for it was one of the clock in the morning and past before they gave over the Battel might be said or a continued Skirmish it was to be drawn betwixt them the Royalists continuing in the Field all â—ight having possession of the Field dead and of 300 Arms and nine barrels of Powder leâ—t by the Enemy which by some accident or treachery was fired and the Lord Hopton thereby hurt and endangered Here were slain besides on the Kings part Mr. Leak son to my Lord Deincourt now Earl of Scars-dale Mr. Barker Lieutenant-Colonel Wall Capt. Iames Capt. Cholwel and Mr. Bostard That which on the other side seems to say that Sir William Waller had the better of it is that within two days after he had cooped up my Lord Hopton in the Devises this again is imputed to the want of Ammunition the Royalists being forced as they were taught by
thereabout they resolved to send him to Hull In the way thither Colonel Cavendish brother to the Earl of Devon-shire with a party pursued the Pinnace to a shallow which she could not pass and demanded her and the Earls surrender which being refused a Drake was discharged which unhappily killed the said Earl and one of his servants being placed on purpose on the Deck to deter the Royalists from shooting whereupon they presently struck Sail and yeilded but with a just revenge were all sacrificed to the Ghost of that most Loyal and Noble Peer Notice of this party and their design being given to the Garrison a sufficient number under Colonel White a Lincoln-shire Gentleman were hastned to relieve the Boat or recover it if taken who accordingly encountred with the Royalists and being too many for them this right valiant Personage was forced to take the Trent with his Horse which swam him safe to the other side but there stuck in the owze and mud and as soon as the Colonel had got ashore off his Horse-back the Enemy was come round by Ford and seeing him desperately wounded offered him quarter which he magnanimously refusing and throwing his Blood he wip't off his Face among them was killed outright upon the place To return the Earl of Manchester with his Horse approaching these parts and this particular place most part of the Earl of Newcastles Army then quartering thereabouts advanced to meet him but the Associate Horse were so well disciplined and such chosen able men that after a very sharp and sore conflict near Horn-Castle in Lincoln-shire the Royalists were forced to flye having sustained a great loss viz. 30 Colours the Parliamentarians said 35 taken 400 slain the chief of whom were Sir Ingram Hopton Sir George Bowls and Lieutenant-Colonel Markham with other inferior Officers 1000 Horse taken and as many Arms and 800 Prisoners After this Victory the Earl of Manchester marched to Lincoln and beleaguered it round and summoned it which the Towns-men slighted hereupon a storm was resolved on after a weeks patience and expectation of a surrender and on the 20th of October put in execution just at day-break all round the City which was speedily entred by Manchester's Regiment of Foot who slew all they found in Arms and most cruelly plundred the Town leaving it not worth a farthing The Minster and Close were surrendred after a little resistance upon quarter onely and 2500 Arms taken therein and presently Gainsborough was quitted and deserted by the Royalists and Sir Iohn Meldrum possest it â—or the Parliament as not long after my Lord Willoughby of Parham took in Bullingbrook-Castle These successes in those parts the Parliamentarians making opposition afresh in York-shire assisted by the Mancashire-Forces under Colonel Rigby and Suttleworth and who had fortified Lanchester and other places in the County which was generally for the Parliament as to the vulgar in hatred of the Roman Catholick Gentry with which it abounded caused the King to send away Sir Lewis Dives and Colonel Hurrey with a party of two or three thousand Horse into Bedford-shire and so to make an eruption into the Associated Counties thereby to divert Manchesters further Progress who was now with Cromwel and Sir Iohn Meldrum set down before Newark but upon this invasion was presenty recalled for the danger was judged very great at London which instantly took an Alarm and by Essex's order the Hartford-shire-Trained Bands were presently raised to oppose this unexpected enemy Sir Lewis came first to Ampthill thence to Bedford where he entred and took Sir Iohn Norris and some other Officers who would have encouraged the Towns-men to a resistance but they fared the better for their compliance whether out of their Loyalty or discretion I will not say Thence this flying party came to Sir Samuel Lukes house and served that as Sir Lewis was served before in the same County by the Sequestrators and so proceeded as far as to face Hitching in Hartford-shire and having soundly frighted those parts informed of Manchesters return they speeded back again to Oxford The Members at Westminster were so vexed with this incursion that they voted Sir Lewis Dives a Traytor for levying War against the Parliament as they had voted the Judges Sir Robert Heath Justice Forster Sir Iohn Banks and Serjeant Glanvile who declared and affirmed at Salisbury in the Circuit the several Treasons of Essex Manchester and other superior Officers of their Army to be guilty of the same Crime charged upon them which was the recriminative temper of those times And those persons that were threatned with the Curse of the Law were animated in their Disloyal service by the thanks of the House There had been a dangerous Insurrection in Iuly this year in Kent about the heart of that County towards Sevenoke but quasht by the early prevention of Major-General Brown just as they were seizing most of the Parliement-affected Gentry having already Sir Thomas Walsingham a member of the House in custody who was sent with two London-Râ—giments to suppress them A small skirmish or two happened but not worth notice for he had no Commission to fight it sufficed him to keep them from joyning with more of that Maleconâ—ent party and driving them further towards Canterbury whence by the care and diligence of the Committees a party of their own Country-men came and reduced them at Feversham with some little Execution Several persons either fled or suffered for this Râ—sing but the greatest damage fell upon Sir Edward Hales who was accused of promoting it as the like Loyal principle had in the beginning of the War endangered the Estate of Sir Edward Dering a person formerly very eminent in the House for his defence and assertion of Episcopacy These tendencies and offers of these Kentish-men towards their duty invited the King at some of their own instances also to send my Lord Hopton thitherward as he had done Sir Lewis Dives into Bedford-shire to make a new diversion and the Parliament to obviate such proceedings though in the depth of Winter dispatcht away both Essex and Waller with recruited Armies to their several charges Wallers Forces consisted chiefly of Volunteers which lifted themselves in the new Artillery-ground London where he was greatly beloved and favoured presently after his defeat at Roundway Essex marched by the way of St. Albans where Colonel Fiennes the late Governour of Bristol was Condemned and Sentenced by a Council of War for cowardize in delivering it in Ianuary and so to Newport-Pagnel which had first been Garrisoned by Prince Rupert and was of great convenience and accommodation to the intelligence and commerce besides hindrance dividing and distracting of the enemy between London and Oxford the chief Garrison for the King but now presenâ—ly abandoned upon his approach and so to Tositer and Northampton Waller to Farnham and those parts to attend the motion of the Lord Hâ—pton who
with the Parliament but Hamilton was over-trusted Much ado he had to pass the ways being so strictly guarded while the Scotch Army was in England At his arrival in the Highlands being supplyed with 1100 men from the Marquess of Antrim out of Ireland and another addition under the Lord Kilpont and the Earl of Perths Son he marched to find out the Army of Covenanters then gathered under the command of Tullybarn the Lord Elch and Drummond consisting of a great Force into Perth-shire where at Tepper-Moor he obtained a great Victory his Souldiers for want of Arms and Ammunition making use of the Stones lying advantagiously on the Fighting-ground Here he killed no less then 2000 men whereupon Perth-City opened its Gates to the Conquerour To withstand and repress so dangerous an Enemy within the Bowels of the Kingdom another Army was raised and put under more Experienced Captains In the mean while Montross had fallen into Argyles Country where he made miserable havock intending utterly to break the Spirits of that people who were so surely Engaged to Arguiles side Here the Earl of Seaforth followed him with an Army and the Marquess of Argyle had another of the other side Montross therefore resolved to fight with one first and so fell upon that party under Argyle which he totally routed killed 1500 on the place the rest escaped and so the Marquess of Montross bent his way after the other Army which he defeated at Brechin being newly put under the command of Colonel Hurry afterwards offers Battel to Bayly who had another Army ready to fight him but he waited for advantages whereupon he marches after Hurry who had recruited and was pressing upon the Lord Gourdon having taken Dundee in his way and at Alderne discomfits him killing 1800 and dispersing the rest He seeks out Bayly to whom was joyned the Earl of Lindsey and at Alesford-hills forced them to fight utterly routed them and obtained a remarkable Victory But that which lessened the Triumph was the death of the Lord Gourdon one that was as the right hand of Montross A very Loyal Right Noble Gentleman being Eldest Son to the Marquess of Huntley After this he comes to St. Iohnstons where he alarm'd the Parliament there sitting and so into the Lowlands where the Kirk had another Army in readiness under the command of the aforesaid Bayly At a place called Kilsith both Armies met and a cruel Battel it was but in conclusion Success and Victory Crowned Montross's Head and almost 6000 of his Enemies were slain in this fight the pursuit being eagerly followed for a great way the Covenanters at first fighting very resolutely but the fortune of Montross still Prevailed The Nobility now every where readily assisted him and the Towns and Cities declared for him so that the Kingdom which afforded men and assistance for the Invasion of another Kingdom was not now able to defend it self the Governour so was Montross dignified being seized of all places almost of strength even as far as Edinburgh where some Royal prisoners were delivered to him The Estates of Scotland therefore sent for David Lesley while Montross expected Forces from the King under the Lord Digby which staid too long and were afterwards defeated at Sherburn in York-shire Upon the arrival of Lesley most of the Forces under Montross not dreading any Enemie so soon out of England were departed home so that Lesley finding Montross in a very weak condition at Philips-Haugh fell upon him before he could retreat almost before his Scouts could give him intelligence and there routs him He at first resolved to lose his life with the field but being perswaded of better hopes he resolutely charged thorow and brought the flying remains of his Army safe into the High-lands where he began new Levies But the fortune of the King failing every where he was the next year ordered by the King then in the Scots custody to disband and depart the Kingdom And so we leave him till a more unhappy revolution of time In the beginning of this year Colonel Massey received a defeat at Lidbury the manner thus Prince Rupert who had for some time quartered thereabouts to make new Levies had intercepted some Scouts and by them understood the Col. had taken up his quarters there intending to fall upon Sir Iohn Winter who had been his restless adversary throughout the War in Gloucester-shire and who being called into the Army had tired his house which he had maintained as a Garison against all opposition When the Prince was within half a mile of the Town Massey took the Alarm commanded his Horse to mount and gave order for his Foot to march that the Royalists might not get before them which the Prince aimed at A furious Charge the said Horse maintained consisting principally of Officers among whom was Kirl that betrayed Monmouth at last Massey was forced to flye narrowly escaping taking Major Backhouse his great second being mortally wounded with divers others and some common Souldiers taken Prisoners the rest fled to Gloucester in haste with the Governour But that which deservedly ought to begin the year was the investiture of Sir Thomas Fairfax in the supreme Command of the Army It was the first of April when he received his Commission and on the twenty third of April he went from London to Windsor to perfect the new Model where he continued in that troublesome affair to the end of the month In the mean time Colonel Cromwel who had been commanded out of the West by the Ordinance of the Parliament against Members continuance in any Military command whose limitations of forty days was then expired came thither to salute the General and next morning was stopped there with a dispensation from his attendance on the House for forty days longer which was extended to the length For Prince Rupert and his brother Maurice had gathered a competent Army of Horse in Worcester-shire and the confines of Wales and were ordered by the King to come and fetch him off with his Infantry and Train of Artillery from Oxford To which purpose a Convoy of Horse was presently dispatched consisting of near 2000 being the Regiments of the Queen the Earl of Northampton the Lord Wilmot and Colonel Palmer while the Princes advanced in a body after them Upon advertisement thereof the Committee of both Kingdoms recommended it to the General to send Lieutenant-General Cromwel with some Horse to march beyond Oxford and lye on the way to Worcester to intercept the same Convoy With a party of Horse and Dragoons therefore then on the field neither mustered nor recruited as of the new Model Cromwel immediately marched found the enemy and engaged them neer Islip-bridge routed them took 400 Horse and 200 Prisoners and the Qeens Standard And to make up this a kind of a victory presently summoned Blechington-house within four miles of Oxford where Colonel Windebank
and private concernment the King not able or unwilling to be enured to by a constant sight of them departed with his flying Army towards Wales again intending for the relief of Chester with this purpose on the 19 of September he came to Ludlow and there understood that General Pointz out of the North was dogging him at the heels being thereto appointed by the Committee of both Kingdoms expecting an advantagious juncture of time and place to fight him which upon the Kings neer advance to Chester offered it self It was fore-thought that his design was there and therefore it was agreed by the besiegers and Poyntz that as soon as the King should approach he should instantly engage and upon signal accorded on they should draw off leaving a convenient force to make good the Leaguer and joyn with him in the fight At Routon-heath within two miles of Chester the King made a halt to give notice to the besieged likewise when Poyntz desperately fell on and being far engaged was presently worsted and beaten the Kings Horse which was all his strength fighting couragiously but while he was Rallying again in the very nick of a compleat Victory to the King which had disowned and forsook him in come his Reserves commanded by Colonel Iones and Louthian with neer 1000 Horse and Foot which gave so much encouragement to Poyntz broken Forces that they returned to another Charge While the King was a musing what to do being beset in Front and Rear in fine he made another brave Charge where though he had the worst yet he made thereby his Retreat good in part though in some disorder and with loss particularly of that thrice-Noble Lord Bernard Stuart Earl of Litchfield the last of the three Illustrious Brothers of the Duke of Richmond late deceased and so got into Chester with the remains of his Army where there was no safety for him to continue but upon advice it was held expedient to depart again for Wales of the fixed affection of which people the King had had constant experience After so many disasters upon the neck of one another yet did not the King despair of his Arms nor with pusillanimity give himself over to the complaints of his hard Fortune Though he had lost Armies in the field and Fortresses and Cities in every Corner of the Kingdome yet was he inexpugnable and invincible in his own mind and in the Loyal affection and constant sincerity of his Friends and good Subjects whose firm adherence till he totally disarmed them himself by his express command and Gods Soveraign assistance and strengthning of him within when there was no help from without was admirable and more admirably improved in his Meditations on this subject FRom small beginnings on my part he let me see that I was not wholly forsaken by my peoples love or his protection My sins sometimes prevailed against the justice of my Cause and those that were with me wanted not matter and occasion for his just chastisement both of them and me Nor were mine enemies less punished by that prosperity which hardned them to contrive that Injustice by open Hostility which was begun by most riotous and Vnparliamentary Tumults I never had any Victory which was without my sorrow because it was on mine own Subjects who like Absalom died many in their sin And I never suffered any defeat which made me despair of Gods mercy and defence When Providence gave me or denyed me vitory my desire was neither to boast of my power nor charge God foolishly whom I beleived at last would make all things work together for my good I wished no greater advantages by the War than to bring my Enemies to moderation and my Friends to peace I was affraid of the temptation of an absolute Conquest and never prayed more for Victory over others than over my self When the first was denyed the second was granted me which God saw best for me For notwithstanding these sad losses so thick together the King by moving up and down recollecting the scatterings of several parties had gotten together a good body of Horse with which on the 10 of October he marched to Texford thence to Welbeck and quartered part of his Army at Blits the 13 day and rendezvoused the 14 at Walsop where to answer the instant request of the Marquess of Montross who was deâ—â—ated as beforesaid at Philipshaugh for some assistance in Horse he divided his Army and appointed Sir Marmaduke Langdale and the Lord Digdy to march Northwards and with all convenient speed to joyn with the said Marquess This they attempted while the King went for Newark taking such a way as amazed the Parliaments Forces whither they were designed or how they should way-lay them and intercept their passage About Sherburn they wheeled off and beat up a guard intending to rendezvous at Bramton-Brierly the whole number of their Horse amounting to neer 1600. At this Camisade they surprised at Sherborn and Mylford 800 Foot and disabled Colonel Wren's Regiment of Horse All their Arms they endeavoured to have carried off laying them in heaps on the street till they could get Carriages to convey them away While they were providing Colonel Copley and Colonel Lilburn who had attended their Motion fell upon them with the like number of fresh Horse and after a sharp dispute where Copley's Regiment were first defeated the Royalists were forced to give back and so fled Northwards the enemy recovering all their Arms and Prisoners took 400 of them Prisoners among the slain was Sir Francis Carnaby and Sir Richard Hutton with 40 more the Countess of Niddisdale and four or five Colonels twelve Captains and Officers and the best prize of all was the Lord Digby's Coach wherein besides the rich spoil were also the Trophees of other mens shame private Letters of the King 's which were published with those taken at Naseby to the great scandal of all ingenuous and civil people But as the War began with Tumults so it was to be ended with worse indignities those base and Vulgar Prostitutions The Lord Digby was met and routed again at Carlisle-Sands and from thence with 20 men got to the Isle of Man and so to the Marquess of Ormond in Ireland The King was at Newark where a dissention happned concerning this very misfortune as if it had not been calamitous enough it self while the King and the Lord Bellasis then Governour of that Town sided with the reputation of the Lord Digby against the imputation with which the two Princes Rupert and Maurice the Lord Gerrard Sir Richard Willis formerly Governour of the same charged him as disloyal and treacherous For upon tâ—â—s difference which was grown to a quarrel the Lord Gerrard and Sir Richard Willis with some hundreds more withdrew themselves in a discontent and laid down their Commissions and the two Princes as they were coming to take their leave of the King in the same mood were treating
wearied it was not thought fit to advance after the Royalists but to set down before Exeter During this siege which was at a good distance blocking up the City by Forts round about it an Accommodation was endeavoured by the Prince with the Lord Fairfax by a Letter sent to him from the Lord Capel for Passes and such other previous things to a Treaty which he desired should take effect betwixt the King his Father and the Parliament but Fairfax refused that saying he was a Souldier and but the servant of the Parliament who alone might so allow or consider of such desires This was seconded by General Goring whose design was like that intended before when the Earl of Essex was at Lestithiel to have both Armies joyn and make the King and Parliament come to a conclusion and peace but this with no other effect than formerly Soon after this General Goring passed over into France leaving his Troops to the command of the Lord Wentworth resolving to return with supplyes by Spring but providence had otherwise determined of the Kings affairs The King was very industrious but his Councels so distracted with the refractoriness of his Fortune that he could effect nothing nevertheless to shew his willingness and to be doing he sent a party of Horse Westward which for a while rambled up and down about Oxford fetching in Contribution to the regret of the Parliament who complained of it to their General who presently sent away a party of Horse who fell upon some of those Horse neer Corf-Castle and rescued the Committee-men of Dorset at Warâ—ham taken by them and seeing no further danger of those Horse returned to their Army there being some likelihood of engagement For it was now resolved by the Prince by all means to free Exeter about which City some inconsiderable skirmishes had happened till the taking of Pouldram-Castle Captain afterwards Colonel Deane Comptrouler of the Ordnance appearing therein very active and it was informed the Lord Hopton that the Army was wasted with sickness which indeed was true but they never wanted recruits nor any other necessary so that the Prince having come as far as Okehampton in his way understanding the force of the Army drew back again whereupon Fairfax presently set down before Dartmouth being so far advanced and gave notice of the Princes retreat to Plymouth to encourage them in their defence who having been long besieged and bar'd of all Trade by land were impatient of the Siege but had lately made a successful Salley and expected a final deliverance from their General now something neer them which accordingly happened without the Generals presence for the onely Rumour of his coming served turn The Prince being marched back without any encounter save that Cromwel beat up one of my Lord Wentworth's Brigades quarters at Bovey-Tracy and took some 50 Prisoners and 300 Horse and a skirmish by Sir Hardress Waller where he took some Prisoners also the General resolved to attaque Dartmouth a Port-Town and where supplies from France or else-where might be landed and therefore summoned Sir Hugh Pollard the Governour who refused to treat which put him in a resolution to storm it He came thither on the 12 of Ianuary and on the 18 at eleven at night furiously assaulted it having no Artillery with him yet his men went on against 100 Pieces ready mounted which being but once discharged against them they got under them and quickly turned them against the Town which they presently mastered together with the Castle which commanded the River There were two other great Forts wherein were 34 pieces of Ordnance that stood a mile from the Town who beat a Parley but in the hurry and noise could not be heard at last one of them in which was Sir Henry Cary had Conditions to march away he and his Officers with Arms but the Governour the Earl of Newport Colonel Seymor and Mr. Denham in the other could gain no other Conditions but Quarter Here the General practised a civil Stratagem giving all the Cornish-men their liberty and two shillings a man to carry them home they being the onely standing as they had been constant enemy to 〈◊〉 Parliament The General went on board Vice-Admiral Batten who â—â—â—ked â—he place up by Sea and was nobly treated From thence the Parliament-Army marched to Totnes and so back again to the Siege at Exeter but were from thence diverted again by another action for news came that the Prince was fully resolved to attempt something in relief of that City and to that purpose had made up his Army neer 10000 strong having mustered and assembled a great many of the Cornish at Launceston and were come as far as Torrington and Letters were intercepted from the Lord Wentworth to Sir Iohn Berkley the Governour encouraging him with expectation of Relief On the 15 of February the Parliaments Army rendezvoused within two miles of Torrington where the Lord Hapton continued and an eye was kept by Colonel Cook who for that purpose lay about Barnstable that they should not break through On the 16 of February the Army marched and by five in the evening drew up their Van in the Park and Forlorns were sent out betwixt Torrington and Mr. Roll's house to line Hedges to make good the retreat of the Horse The Lord Hopton likewise drew out of the Town four or five Closes off and lined the Hedges within a Close of the enemy and flankt his Foot with Horse whereupon the Enemy sent good Reserves lest by the advantage of the ground they might be encompassed Towards night the Lord Hopton drew off from some of the Closes he formerly possessed which the enemy entred and made a halt intending not to venture upon the Town barricadoed and such a strength within it in the dark but hearing a noise in the Town as if the Royalists were retreating and being loth that they should go off without some taste of their old Fortune and Success the Parliamentarians sent a party of Dragoons to fire on the enemy neer the Hedges and Barricadoes and withal to get some intelligence of the estate of the Royalists in the Town This being accordingly attempted the Dragoons were answered with a round Volley of Shot thereupon their Forlorn Hope of Foot went and engaged themselves to bring off the Dragoons and the Reserve fell on to bring off their Forlorn The Royalists also drew out Supplies and Seconds and reinforced the Hedges standing as before Both Armies far engaged the Parliamentarians manifesting a resolution to go on for all their disadvantage of the night it came at last to a plain Fight the Regiments successively falling on which continued a hot service for two hours till at last the Royalists were beaten from their aforesaid Hedges and up to their Barricadoes where they again disputed it manfully maintaining them at push of Pike and with the But-end of their Musquets and then by command drew off
and War having eaten things most reluctant to nature till the Kings affairs 1645 being desperate he accepted of no less honourable than his York Conditions and was now deservedly and as the onely fit person intrusted with this chief Bulwark and Fortress of Loyalty By him many additions were made to render it impregnable one most dangerous to the enemy was that he had caâ—sâ—d the ground before the Trenches to be broke and digged into pits wherein he had driven stakes so that it was neither safe for Horse nor man if they should attempt to storm to approach the Works But all this strength availed not against the Fate upon the Kings Cause besides that there was some Division among the Nobles at Court to whom the King had left a power of Treating with the Enemy insomuch that after a Summons the Governour by the advice of the Lords condescended to a Treaty which was managed at Marston at Mr. Crooks House by Commissioners on both sides and after a long debate all Hostility being exercised in the mean time especially when it was thought they would agree the besieged shot their great Guns continually by which they did some hurt killing a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Works and Prince Rupert received a shot in a Salley that he made rather to take the air than out of any great designe the Treaty came to a conclusion upon very noble Terms which Fairfax was willing to grant not knowing but that he might have been forced to continue there till the depth of Winter at which time the over-flowing of the Rivers which were now diverted might make him rise and leave the Siege there being plenty of all provisions in the Town to maintain it beyond that time The Articles being tedious and like those of Exeter need no repetition On Wednesday the 23 of Iune according to Agreement Sir Thomas Glemham marched out with a Body of 3000 compleat Foot through two Files of the Enemy which were placed at the East-Gate and extended to Shotover-hill where their Horse were drawn up in the Rear in a Solemn Military posture and having marched to Tame 900 of them laid down their Arms and had Passes to their own houses the rest or the most part of them took service under Colonel Tillier one of the Garrison for the French and some for the Spaniard A thousand more marched out at the North-gate whose habitations were in Glocester-shire and the Counties that way Prince Rupert and Maurice departed on the Monday before to Oatlands upon special Articles for themselves and a number of Gentlemen on Tuesday besides near 2000 that staid aâ—â—er the Army was entred for Passes so that there could not be less than 7000 men besides three Auxiliary Regiments of Scholars and Townsmen which were disarmed by the General upon his entrance then in the Town being the very flower and the Chivalry of the Kings Army There marched out likewise the Duke of York the Marquess of Hartford the Earls of Dorset and Southampton the Duke of Richmond and Earl of Lindsey being comprised in the said Articles who departed Oxford some while before the Siege and rendred themselves the Lords Cottington Lane and Dunsmore Secretary Nicholas Sir George Lisâ—e and abundance of brave Gentlemen and Officers so that it was a pleasant martial fight and many were the spectators from London to behold their exit The Duke of York was conveyed to St. Iames's to his Royal Brother and Sister under the Government of the Earl of Northumberland from whence by means of Colonel Ioseph Bamfield he was conveyed away according to the directions of the Queen his Mother into Holland as some while before the Princess Henrietta after married to the Duke of Orleans was by the Lady Dalkeith her Governess privately carried into France In these Articles Faringdon was also included the Governour Sir George Lisle being then in Oxford ratifying the same Colonel Poyntz and Colonel Rossiter had joyned their Forces and with the access of the Scottish Army resolved to besiâ—ge Newark upon which they long had a hankering desire They began the Siege in December which was continued with all obstinacy the Town defending it self resolutely and by often Salleys annoyed the besiegers doing notable Execution upon them The Scots lodged on the North-side with 6000 men making good Muschams bridge Poyntz on the South-side Colonel Rossiter and Lebunt at Blechington Claypool the first time he appears in service now put on by Cromwel with Leicester and Ely forces at Bennington the Nottingham Brigade at Stoak where the Lord Bellasis the Noble stout Governour gave them such a Camisade by a sudden eruption that he totally routed their Horse Poyntz being there and had near surprized the Foot but that Rossiter came opportunely in and designing to get between the Salliers and the Town made them leave their Victory and make home in their way whither they defeated the said Colonel Rossiter and safely returned in at their Works Nevertheless and though General Leven with his Army was drawn off from Newark disgusted for want pay Poyntz would not give over but having turned the River Trent quite from the Town on the North-side and the Scots having taken Sands Fort before who paid dear for their Approaches and the other River being also turned aside and several Forts and Batteries new raised within Musquet-shot of the Town a second Summons was sent in unto the Governour which had not prevailed for all their bravado's of danger had they not been reinforced with a command from the King to his Lordship to make as good Terms as he could and deliver the place for that the Peace of the Kingdome might the sooner be râ—stored Accordingly on the 4 of May a Treaty was entred into the Articles very fair but not so comprehensive as those given by Fairfax but yet such as signified the noble Governours resolution and pointed at his great desert he having approved himself an eminent Souldier and Servant of his King and Country throughout the War and was afterward his Majesties Governour of his Town of Hull While the Army was marching to Oxford Colonel Whaley with a thousand Foot and-four Troops of Horse was sent to besiege Banbury who lay before it ten weeks ere the Governour would hearken to any Terms as nobly angry with the Fortune of his Cause as disdainfully vext with the disparagement of the Siege the Castle able to defie their entire Army and which had often disappointed and beaten several united strengths that beleaguered it But I cannot so regretfully partake with that Loyal Garrison as Mr. Sprig doth zealously with the Town in a Paragraph of his worthy observation and which mâ—â—â— very justly be construed in a better sense than he meant it being a full â—ccount of that once-famous place for Zealotry Banbury once a great and fair Market-Town before the late Troubles but now having scarce the one half standing to gaze on the Ruines of
most upon it who were then in a readiness with a Petition to the same tenor believing the Parliament would never so far vary from that principle they had so mainly held forth and asserted viz. the Peoples right of declaring their grievances to that High Court But now sadly convinced of that opinion they resolved to save their honour and their Journey to London not to be baffled by Red-coats or to travel up on a fools errand but with their swords in their Hands which was the onely reason then prevailing to reduce those by force to their duty they could not induce by the most urgent and winning intreaties and accordingly appointed a Rendezvous neer Rochester to resolve upon the affair and chuse their Officers On the 24 of May they assembled together and named the Lord Goring Earl of Norwich then upon the place for their General being their next Countryman of Sussex though they had pitcht upon the Duke of Richmond then at Cobham who declined it out of his incapacity for action or that Command Hither also resorted many hundreds of London-Prentices the chief and flower of the Youth with many of the Old Cavalry and many thousands more had gone but that all the ways from London thither were so laid that there was no passage the River of Thames being guarded with the like diligence and several adventurers and well-willers to the King and the quarrel intercepted 'T was therefore thought hazardous to dally with such an Enemy who increased every hour being already formidable not for the number onely but the considerableness experience and gallantry of them so that the General himself with all the Forces he could make being 8000 six of Foot and two of Horse drew out against them which advantage as it was designed and hoped the Citizens might have taken but it seems the Army was sensible of that and since they could not keep it were contented to part with the Militia and leave it according to that establishment which they so abominably quarrelled before which artificial kindness so obliged the City that though several promises had been made of their concurrence with the grand designe Colonel Culpeper negotiating and pressing their speedy resolution and Declaration for the King and Kingdom at the very same time at Guild-hall to his no little danger and honour yet would they not by any means or arguments of their Honour and Safety be drawn into any publike undertaking not minding that story of Polyphemus to Vlysses whose onely favour to him was that he should be eaten up last And it was a strange confidence in them to think that their Militia could secure them which before had seen so scurrilously and contumeliously wrested from them when they were upbraided in 47 that they were not able therewith to preserve the City much less the Parliament or the King However they now undertook both the former Skippon instead of noble Brown being accepted a meer bosom-Traytor to them as their Major-General at the salary of 600 l. per annum Fairfax therefore securely and resolutely advanceth against these Kentish Forces and understanding that the Body of the Army quartered about Rochester whose Bridge was broke he resolved to pass the River of Medway something lower neer Maidstone and so march toward them But the Royalists sensible and fore-judging he would attempt that way had manned it with 1500 men of the resolutesâ— and willingest of their Army consisting chiefly of London-Auxiliaries who though surprized by Fairfax's sudden approach who had received intelligence from some Traitors within the Town at what distance and in what security the Army lay dispersed did yet make a most manful resistance The first Dispute after a slight skirmish at Crayfield-heath by Gravesend happened at Northfield-bridge the pass to Maidstone whither Fairfax sent Major Husbands with a strong party before him himself marching with a full Body not trusting altogether to his Kentish intelligence Major Husbands after a sharp and hot contest prevailed more for fear of the approach of the whole Army than his own strength when yet that handful of men daringly engaged this whole Body and fought very much of their ground with such pertinacious valour that Fairfax then troubled with the Gout was forced to light out of his Coach and to lead his men on in person for their animation the service proved so tedious and desperate At last the Royalists fresh supplies overpowring them were beat up to the Barricadoes of the Town where they made a more bloudy defence than in the Fields and Hedges repelling the Enemy twice And being thence beaten into the Town did worser annoy them than ever before firing out of the Windows and Leads and using all those ready Engines of death which the Houses afforded to the very great slaughter of the Red-coats so that it was 6 hours compleat before the Town was fully gained and had the Royalists from Rochester moved to their relief it was more than probable the Army had been utterly baffled and the Quarrel at an End Of the Kentish were killed 300 and almost 1000 taken Prisoners with 400 Horse 8 pieces of Ordnance and some Ammunition Fairfax confessed they were the toughest Enemy he had met with in England The Fight began at 7 a clock at night and lasted till midnight But the main Body under the Earl of Norwich instead of coming to their rescue marched in hast away for Black-heath where most of the Kentish-men leaving him not above 500 deserted him The reason of their not seconding their Fellows was reported to be this The one half of them was marched to Dover and those places to seize on those Castles and secure that Country and so weakened the remaining Party For seeing few come in to his assistance which was to be ascribed to the strict care and industry of Major-General Skippon they thought then of the safest course From Black-heath the Earl sent a Message to the City of London desiring free passage through it and declaring the intentions of his undertaking But they flatly refused any such thing though some former assurances had been given of their joyning in the designe whereupon the Royalists were forced to Ferry and Swim their Horses and Boat themselves into the Isle of Dogs and so to Mile-End-Green whence afresh they Sollicited the City to partake in this Honourable Confederacy but they were deaf to all such perswasions their Major-General and his Tarriers inveagling them with the honesty and good resolutions of the Army both to them and the Kingdom Thence the Earl marched to Stratford-Bow where joyned with him the Essex-Forces under the Command of Sir Charles Lucas whom they had unanimously chosen for their General being under colour of a Muster Rendezvouzed by Colonel Far a Gentleman of that County whence they were drawn to this place to countenance and favour any Loyal attempt in the City and to encourage them to shew themselves Men and Subjects But that
hope proving more and more vain so wretchedly stupid were the Londoners they marched into Essex and by the way seized upon the Arms and Ammunition that then lay in the Earl of Warwick's House at Leez as then in open hostility against the Prince and so further into the County until at last they setled in the Town of Colchester Fairfax understanding of this Go-by and their conjunction having dispatcht away Colonel Rich and Colonel Barkstead with their Regiments to reduce and free those Castles which the Kentish-men as aforesaid had taken with all hast passed his Army over at Gravesend to make the quicker pursuit after them having underhand received recruits and supplies both of men and money from Skippon to re-inforce him who every day privately listed men for the Service At Colchester the Lord Capel with some Horse of his own raising met him and a Troop of Veterane Royalists from London who fought their way at Epping with some Army-Horse laid to obstruct all additions from the City by that Road came also entire at the same time just as the Van of Fairfax his Army was Skirmishing at the Towns-end where they so peppered the Enemy that in great confusion he ran to the Body having had an Essay what Sparks he had to deal with Sir George Lisle was made Major-General of the Essex-Forces and the rest of the Army distributed into Regiments and distinct Commands and had their posts and places assigned them The Town was inconsiderable either in it self as being intenible and undefensive nothing but a Brest-work cast up about it and as to the adjacent parts of the County to receive any provisional relief or great Force into it so that there was no hopes of setling or planting in it for in all probability it was not thought possible to hold out a Month to an end nevertheless by their industry courage vigilance and patience it held out three compleatly against a victorious Enemy recruited as aforesaid and assisted with the Forces of the Neighbouring County of Suffolk on whom deservedly the slaughter principally fell for so basely engaging against whom they had promised to joyn with these Essex-Royalists Several attempts were made by Fairfax to take the place by Force and many Sallies were in requital made by the Besieged who both in assayling and defending did great Execution From the beginning to the ending of the Siege scarce a day passed without actions from within at first to fetch in Cattel then to cut Grass which was stained all over with Blood for the Besieged would have it who had now planted some Cannons upon St. Mary's-Steeple whence they cruelly annoyed the Leaguer Insomuch that Fairfax seeing the loss of his men and the courage of the Defendants gave over his resolution of Storming proceeding with his Approaches to begirt them close and fortifying his Camp to starve them and also to fire them out which forced the Besieged to burn the Suburbs that he intended for shelter but he possest the Lord Lucas his House Sir Charles his Brother and ruined it The provision they had in the Town besides what they fought for and brought in afterwards would not suffice for above a Month and all hopes were abandoned of getting in more yet the courageous and generous sufferance of these Loyal Souldiers resolved to undergo all misery rather than yield and so free the Army to march against the Scots who were now entred England upon the same account Their main support was the sauce and relish to their meat good store of Prunes and Plums with which the Town was stored that did a little palate their Hors-flesh to them which they were forced to kill and dress for their victuals a good while before their Surrender there was also some Corn which Sir Charles charitably distributed among the Towns-folk but the Souldiers borrowed it again in their extremity in which we must leave these Noble Gentlemen and take a view of other concurrent endeavours for the King and Kingdom The Fleet which the Parliament had stollen and debauched from their Duty by their first pretences perceiving that indeed they were but such and no more repenting of their past service did to satisfie for their former offences now turn sides and rendred themselves to the Prince now made Captain-General of His Fathers Forces The Parliament had some inkling thereof and therefore had Commissioned Colonel Rainsborough a Sea-man formerly to the Command thereof whom the Loyal Mariners fairly put on Shore having posed him with this Question of engaging for their Soverain and at the same time their former Vice-Admiral Sir William Batten now Knighted by the Prince being disbanded by the Independent Rulers as more honest than they would have him brought some other Ships to His Majesties Obedience With this Naval Force the Prince departed from Holland and came into Yarmouth-Road where it was deliberated whether he should land and attempt the Relief of Colchester There were then in company with Him His Illustrious Brother the Duke of York who in April before had happily escaped from St. Iames's where heâ— was kept by the Earl of Northumberland his Guardian by the conduct of Colonel Bamfield who was employed therein by the Queen the Duke pretending to play in the dusk of the Evening was disguised in Maiden-habit and landed safely at Dort in Holland Prince Rupert the Earl of Brainford the Lords Hopton Wilmot Willougbby who had deserted the Parliament having been charged imprisoned and affronted by the Army and Culpeper and other Gentlemen but understanding that Colonel Scroop was attending thereabout they concluded it hazardous to venture the reputation of the Princes first Arms upon so well-appointed an Enemy and thereupon weighed Anchor and stood into the Downs The Navy consisted of 20 Ships of War most of the first and second Rate the other Frigats well manned and furnished which anchoring neer the Mouth of the Thames put the City into great fear no Ships possibly going in or out without the Princes permission a Hamborough-bound Ship richly laden being seized on by him In all haste thereâ—ore the Parliament order their old Admiral Robert Rich Earl of Warwick to Equip another Fleet then in the River and to set to Sea hoping by his Authority and influence to reclaim their Revolters or if not upon the coming of more Ships from Portsmouth which accordingly joyned with him to fight the Prince In pursuance of this Command Warwick appears with his Fleet about Quinborough but for all his former indearedness to the Sea-men and their affection his Masters confided in he durst not engage lest a total defection might have ensued for the Mariners were grown sensible how Trade and consequently Navigation was decayed by the long continuance of the War and had more kindness besides for Batten than they had for the Earl which the Prince was sensible of and therefore in civil terms by a Message required him to submit
ways remedy being constrained to humor and comply with that party as being a people so ticklish and unsteady that if disgusted might probably either side with Iones or retiring to their own Garrisons compel the Army to withdraw from Dublin by declaring themselves for the Parliament of which Grudge slightly hinted before Sir Thomas Armstronge and the Lord Moor being come in to the Lord Inchiqueen Colonel Mark Trevors that was but newly declared for the King having got notice of a choice party of O Neals sent to Dundalke to convey thence such Arms and Ammunition as Monke had undertaken to supply him withal invited the Lord Inchiqueen to intercept them who came so opportunely thither that he gained O Neals supply of Ammunition with the utter deâ—eat of his Party whereupon soon after the gaining of Drogheda which ensued immediately upon O Neales defeat Dundalke it self being summoned the Souldiers compelled Monke to a Surrender and themselves took Arms for the King Immediately after this defeat of his Party O Neale hastneth towards the Relief of Derry which was the onely Town in that Province untaken all the rest being already reduced by the Lord of Ards Sir George Monrâ— and Colonel Trevors who were now hindered onely by O Neales Army and the Siege of Derry from bringing up a considerable Body of Horse and Foot to the Leaguer of Dublin Where may be observed how great a prejudice the Faction of those men who desiring out of animosities and ends of their own to stave off O Neal and his party from the benefit of the Peace stood chaffering with him about his Command of 4000 or 6000 men and other trifles have done to the Kings service and to the whole Kingdom in depriving themselves thereby not onely of the forementioned assistance of the Scots but also of the possession of London-Derry together with so considerable an addition of Forces as O Neal could then have brought whereby not onely the whole Province of Vlster would have been secured to the King but Dublin it self either reduced or so strongly surrounded that it would have been impossible either for Iones to relieve himself or Cromwel to invade the Kingdom Which notwithstanding all these forementioned disadvantages was upon the matter even gained already and would have been entirely without any manner of question if it had fortuned that His Majesty had seasonably come thither himself in Person which by all parties was desired with infinite passion but especially by those whose prudence made them best able to Judge how effectual his presence would be not onely for the animating of his own Loyal Party but also suppressing of all Factious humours and uniting all Interests chearfully and unanimously to go on against the common Enemy which must soon have put a period to that War and made his Authority absolute in that Kingdom without dispute for as upon his arrival His Majesty should have found Munster entirely in the Irish and the Lord Inâ—hiqueens possession Vlster all reduced but the Fort of Culmore and Derry into the Hands of the Scots Connaght by the Marquess of Clanricards fortunate gaining the strong Fort of Slego with what else the Enemy had then remaining in that Province wholly cleared In Leinster nothing left for Rebellion to nestle in but Dublin and Ballisannon both which were so well attended upon that the Defendants had but little pleasure to air themselves without the circuit of their Works so by his coming he would undoubtedly have diverted Owen O Neal who would immediately have submitted unto the person of the King from relieving London-Derry and thereby have secured both that Town and Province with Dublin also as it is thought for they that had reason to know Iones's minde apprehended that his leaving the Kings party did proceed from a Pique â—â—â—her against the Lord-Lieutenant or Sir Robert Byron about a Lieutenant-Colonels place which was conferr'd over his head upon another and that then the Scene being altered in England and his old Friends out of Authority there his new terms with the Independents also yet unmade he himself would come over if the King had been there in person or if not yet his Party would have all deserted him and the work have been done one way or other that Kingdom wholly reduced without a blow all Factions as I said before extinguisht and his Majesty had had an Army of above 20000 men to have employed where he pleased After the taking in of Trim which followed soon upon the surrender of Dundalke the Lord Inchiqueen brings up his Forces now much improved in number to the Army before Dublin whereupon his Exellency leaving a part of his Army at Castleknock under the command of the Lord Dillon of Costelo a person of much Gallantry to keep them in on that side the Water removes his Camp to the other side the Town to distress the Enemy that way also Which whilst they are endeavouring to do upon intelligence that Cromwel was ready with an Army to Embark himself for Ireland and that he intended to land in Munster the Lord Inchiqueen thought if fit that he should with a good party of Horse go down into those parts to secure his Garrisons and provide for the worst His Lordship was no sooner gone but the Lord-Lieutenant designing to shut up the Enemy within his Works and quite impede as well their getting in Hay as the Grasing of their Cattel without their Line gave order to Patrick Purcell Major-General of the Irish Foot to march with a sufficient Party of men and an Engineer to Baggot-Rath there to possess himself of that place immediately and cast up such a Work as had been already designed Sir Wiliam Vaughan Commissary-General of the Horse had order likewise to draw together most part of the Troops that were on that side the Water and to keep them in a Body upon a large plowed Field looking towards the Castle of Dublin there to countenance the Foot while the Works were finishing and to secure them in case the Enemy out of the Town should attempt to interrupt them These were the Orders given but not executed for notwithstanding it did not much exceed a mile whither the Foot were to go yet through the ignorance or negligence of the Officers that were to conduct them many hours were spent ere they came at the place whither when they were come they found the Work so wretchlesly advanced by Master Welsh the Engineer and to help all themselves kept such negligent Guards that many judged it was done on purpose and that these neglects proceeded from those lurking seeds of discord between the Kings and the Nuntio's Parties For it is certain that about that time upon an apprehension that things went on too prosperously with the Lord Lieutenant there were Letters written to Owen O Neal about broaching a New War in case Dublin had been taken Whatever the grounds of these failings were the Enemy never stood to examine but
but as it were upon courtesie all his Authority in effect consisting in the awing one Faction with another the best of which he found to be on so uncertain and unsetled terms that you will I doubt not when you reflect upon it easily grant that the Lord-Lieutenant could not in prudence do an act that was likely to give so great and general a distast as indeed to have proceeded against Major-General Purcell would have been to the Confederates amongst whom he had so many alliances and friends and the running away of the rest was so universal a fault that it was hard to discover who deserved punishment most and harder to find a Court of War to censure them During this short residence at Kilkenny his Excellency having taken Order with the Lord Inchiqueen to bring up what Forces he could possibly make and with the Commissioners for the recruiting drawing together and arming their dispersed Forces as soon as could be to the end they might be sent after him he speeds away himself in the Company onely of 20 or 30 Horse towards Trim and Drogheda as the places both neerest the Enemies attempts and likeliest to totter back if not secured in time At Tecroghan a House of Sir Luke Fitzgarretts he makes a stay till those several Bodies that he then expected were come up and upon notice of their coming removes to Trim where he meets with news of Iones his being before Drogheda who soon after upon intelligence that the Lord-Lieutenant was at Trim and supposing his Forces to be greater than indeed they were drew off in the night and returned immediately to Dublin The next day his Excellency went through to Drogheda where a party of the Scotch Horse and Foot under the Command of the Lord of Ards and the Lord Clanbrazill came up unto him but whilst they were consulting what to do they received assurance of Cromwels landing with very considerable Forces Whereupon concluding that Town necessary to be kept to entertain the Enemy before whilst they made up their Army as they hoped to do very considerable and soon enough to come to the Relief of the place of which if they should fail no question was made but after the gaining of time which was then precious they in the Town should be able to make Honourable Conditions for themselves whilst Cromwel is refreshing his own men in Dublin and reducing Iones's There is put into Drogheda a Garrison of 2500 Foot and 300 Horse which was thought sufficient and so having furnisht it with Provisions as well as that short time would give them leave his Excellency commits the charge of that place to Sir Arthur Aston as a person whose Experience Courage and approved Fidelity did worthily deserve the highest Trust. These things thus ordered his Excellency returns to Trim and from thence he dispatched away Colonel Daniel O Neal then Governour of that place with a Commission to set on foot the Treaty again with Owen O Neal if it were possible and to endeavour the reducing of the Vlster-Army even upon any conditions a person esteemed by all best qualified for that employment as well in regard of his singular ability and approved Fidelity to the King as for the great Interest he was supposed to have in his Unkle who managed the business with that dexterity as he won his Unkle to hearken again unto an Agreement whereupon Sir Richard Barnewell and Sir Nicholas Plunkett are sent after to make an absolute conclusion with him though by the way this may not be unworthy of observation that those persons who were formerly most opposite to this Agreement were now become the greatest sticklers to promote it with his Excellency being grown sensible of the imminent and approaching danger that now threatned them Tecroghan is the next Stage his Excellency removes unto here he makes a stand as being the most â—â—portune place to draw his Army together in and lying most convenient after that was done to Relieve Drogheda or make any other attempt upon the Enemy Where besides the remains of the Irish Army already somewhat recruited there joyned unto him a good Regiment of the Lord Marquess Clanrickards of above 1000 Foot together with 300 Horse likewise that party of the Scots before mentioned Sir Thomas Armstrong and Colonel Trevors together with what Forces the Lord Inchiqueen could bring out of his Precincts these being got together and daily additions being still expected to the making them up a more considerable Body than they were at Dubllin the Lord-Lieutenant received several advices from Sir Arthur Aston to precipitate nothing for he doubted not of finding Cromwel play a while as certainly he had done had not Colonel Wall 's Regiment after the Enemy had been twice bravely Repulsed upon the unfortunate loss of their Colonel in the third Assault being so happily dismaid as to listen before they had need unto the Enemy offering them Quarter and admitted them in upon these Terms thereby betraying both themselves and all their Fellow-Souldiers to the slaughter For Cromwel being Master of the Town and told by Iones that he had now in his hands the Flower of the Irish Army gave order to have all that were in Arms put to the Sword Where besides the gallant Governour Sir Arthur Aston Sir Edmund Varney whose Name-sake was Standard-bearer to King Charles the first Colonel Warren Colonel Fleming and Colonel Brin Lieutenant-Colonel Finglasse and Major Tempest together with many other excellent Officers and Gentlemen there were Butchered neer 3000 Souldiers and those truly reputed the best that Kingdom affordâ—d This Massacre at Drogheda having lopt off a principal Limb of the Lord-Lieutenants Army and the loss of that Town letting the Enemy loose caused his Excellency to remove his Army from Castle-Iordan down towards the Counties of Wexford and Kilkenny there not onely to lye secure till General O Neal's Army came up unto them with whom now at last he having been rejected by the Parliament and the Commissioners and whipt to Reason with adversity there was an Agreement made and he submitted to the Kings Authority but also ready to be drawn into either Wexford or Kilkenny as there should be occasion for upon one of those places after the Enemies retreat from Drogheda to Dublin it was concluded they would tall on next For which reason his Excellency for many days Courts the Town of Wexford to take in a Garrison Kilkenny having received one already but they affirming they were able to defend their Town themselves would never be brought to admit of one till the Enemy was at the Walls and then tumultuarily Sir Edmund Butler with neer 1500 men was received in as Governour whom to re-inforce after the Enemy was now set down before it the Lord-Lieutenant comes with new supplies within sight of the Town and had put them in to the infallible preservation of the place if before his Excellencies eyes the Town had not
been given up into the hands of the most Cruel and Faithless Enemy who Butchered there also after they were Admitted in above 2000 more There was nothing more remaining to be done the Vlster Army being not yet come up and several Troops of the Lord Inchiqueens being since the Siege of Drogheda run away to the Enemy but to put a Garrison into Rossâ— which was sent in under the Command of Luke Tâ—â—se with orders for the place was judged scarce Tenable against powerful â—n Enemy to make Conditions when they saw themselves able to resist no longer as at last they did when the breach was made and the Enemy ready to give an Assault having Terms to march away with their Arms. About Graigge and Thomas Town his Excellency hovered with his Horse and the small remainder of his Foot until the coming up of the Vlter Army under the Command of Lieutenant-General Farrell the General himself lying then a dying This new Conjunction with Owen O Neal and so great an accession of Forces brings the Lord-Lieutenant into a condition not onely of putting a stop upon Cromwels hasty progress but even of gaining ground upon him as questionless he would have done had not another misfortune greater than any of the former intervened to frustrate all which was this the Lord Inchiqueen having as I said before conditioned to have the ordering of those Garrisons and Forces that he brought in with him to the Kings Obedience 〈◊〉 wholly to himself out of desire as is believed to keep himself still considerable upon a bottome of his own would never hearken unto any Proposition of admitting a proportion of Irish into any of his Towns Kingsale onely excepted into which place at the importunity of Prince Rupert he at last admitted some Being confident that the English Forces under his Command having served under him so long upon several scores all or the most of the Officers whereof being either creatures of his own or men obliged and indeared unto him upon a long account would never separate themselves from his Fortune or abandon his Service But his Lordship it seems took wrong measures for the most part of them being steered wholly be self-Interest and knowing the way already how for advantage to serve against the King whose business they saw so much declining that no more was likely to be got that way whilst Cromwel was full of money and success Conspired together how to possess themselves of the Lord Inchiqueens Person together with the Towns under his Command that they might make a surrender of all at once unto the Enemy Youghall begins the dance and taking occasion to mutiny against the English Royalists under Wogan's Command that were quartered there imprisoned and disarmed them all and afterwards stood upon their Guard Whilst the Lord Inchiqueen is by all gentle means endeavouring to reclaim back this Town several of his Officers combine to seize upon him then lying secure at Lieutenant-General Barries house of Castle Lions but they and their designe being discovered to his Lordship by one of their complices were so far prevented as to be seized upon all themselves Whereupon the Town of Youghall seeing Cromwel yet at too great a distance and the time of his coming into Munster uncertain offered to submit upon assurance of Indemnity the relief of the Imprisoned Officers and removal of the Royalists which his Lordship either wanting the means to compel them or being willing with kindness and fait means to win upon them and keep them in Order Assented unto After which having visited his Garrisons and believing all things so secure as not to require either his stay further there or the bringing any proportion of the Irish into those other Towns he returns unto his charge in the Army And now Cromwel having newly received an affront before Duncannon through the Courage and Gallantry of Wogan with those English Gentlemen that were put in with him upon that occasion was retired back to Rosse there under the Protection of the Town to make a Floting-Bridge over the River to the end that by having a passage to the other side he might at his pleasure either compel his Excellency to divide his Army to attend upon his motions and so give him an opportunity of setting upon one part or other of it or at least if it kept together of getting a passage into Munster where he expected to finde a general Revolt of those Garrisons under the Lord Inchiqueens Command as it afterwards happened The Lord Taafe was sent with a part of the Army to hinder the work but what through want of Powder and indeed all sorts of Ammunition which was now grown exceeding scarce extremity of soul weather distempers amongst his men and other ill concurring accidents he was not able to effect it The Lord-Lieutenant through Cromwels sudden retreating in the night from before Duncannon having lost the opportunity of fighting him as he was then resolved finding his Army chearfully desiring the occasion had nothing left him now to do but wait upon the Enemies motion and endeavour to cut off his Provisions which the Country-people allured by the orderliness of his Souldiers who had money to pay for what they took and Command it seems to do so brought them in as fast as could be whilst his Excellency having no money to pay his Army nor indeed a competence of Bread to give them was constrained to let them take their sustenance where they could finde it During this intermission of Action Corke Youghall and all the English Towns of Munster even through the incitation of those Officers that were but lately released being openly Revolted and the Lord Broghall with some men landed in those parts very many of the Lord Inchiqueens party both of Horse and Foot deserted the Lord-Lieutenant and ran daily over to the Enemy insomuch that both the Commanders and Souldiers of the Irish not without reason grew very jealous of the rest that remained behind fearing that if ever they came to Engage against the Enemy they would turn upon them and betray them there wanted not divers also though doubtless very unjustly that extended their jealousies unto the Lord Inchiqueen himself grounding their accusations upon his Lordships not punishing the Conspirators when he had them in his Power upon so fair a warning and just an occasion as was then given him his not putting Irish into his Garrisons upon his Wife his Family Plate and Goods being sent him safely out of Corke into the Irish Quarters upon his not consenting to the dismounting and disarming the rest of his men when some of the Commissioners prest the doing of it upon his delivering his advice in Council as they heard for his Excellencies coming to Conditions with Cromwel and making this an Argument for it That his men would fight no longer and lastly upon an impertinent accusation without Head or Tail as appeared when he came to be
examined in the business brought against him by the Marquess of Antrim for holding correspondence and having made Conditions underhand with the Enemy Upon these Foundations and such as these did many of the Irish represent unto the Lord-Lieutenant the necessity of discharging the Lord Inchiqueen of his Command and securing his person which his Excellency being more tender of the Kings Honour and his own than upon bare surmises and suspitions to deal in that manner with a person that had but lately deserved so well both of the King and him would not be brought unto chusing rather to run any adventure than to be guilty of breach of Conditions with him which he must needs have been if before a Conviction of apparent Treachery he should upon the score of the Lord Inchiqueen's over-sights or the uncertain jealousies of the Irish have condescended unto either of the things proposed This Temper and Justice in the Lord-Lieutenant in not suffering himself to be led by the clamors and importunity of the people and Souldiers involves him also at last under their displeasure and mistrust so that out of want of confidence in their Chief Commanders and out of diffidence in one another the Army was now fallen into a very unfit condition of hazarding a battel with the Enemy if an occasion should offer it self and to make it worse the Scots that were there being tired out with the necessities the whole Army suffered and receiving news of the Enemies prevalence in their Country desired leave to return into the North which after great importunity at last being granted them they immediately withdrew their Forces and hasted homewards where they were no sooner come and Sir George Monro joyned with them but they received so sore a blow from Coote with so much loss and dispersion of their men that they were never able to make Head in Vlster aâ—ter Cromwel now finding the Army so much weakened by the desertion of so many of the Lord Inchiqueens men and the departure of the Scots and likewise knowing that it was in such disorder through the distrust and animosities that were amongst them so that in reason he was like to have much the advantage if they should fight him adventures over his Bridge at Rosse into the County of Kilkenny where by facing the Lord Lieutenants Army and moving after it up and down he amazed the Irish whilst Iones his Lieutenant-General with parties took in the Castles of the Country and had Carrick given into his hands wretchedly by Martyn that Commanded there Upon notice whereof Cromwel hastens thither to pass his Army over into Munster which was now his business for notwithstanding his purse to buy provisions of the Country and his Ships that wherever he went waited continually upon him his Army through the unseasonableness of the weather and want of Quarters was so much harassed and wasted many of his men falling sick and dying daily that it he did not hasten to his Winter-quarters he would in probability have perished without a blow which nevertheless to make sure work the Lord-Lieutenant whose Army also was quiâ—â—tired out with wants sufferings and continual marches nearing that he was gone towards Carrick intended to bestow upon him before necessity forced him to disperse his men and to that end his Excellency marcht speedily after the Enemy with designe to sâ—t on him whist he was either Engaged before Carâ—ick or else incumbâ—â—â—d at some other Pass upon the River but after all this diligence when his Excellency came neer the Town he then learnt that the place was lost before and that Cromwel leaving a competent Garrison therein had onely past his Army over and was gone towards Waterford which Town during Cromwels Residence aâ— Rosse through the perswasion as it is said of Geoffry Baron and Hugh Rochford had underhand begun a treaty with him for the delivery of the Town unto him which Treaty onely stuck upon the free exercise of their Religion and the Churches denied unto them by Cromwel The knowledge of this caused the Lord-Lieutenant now to hasten thither with no small danger to his person to press them to admit of a Garrison which being a long time denied and the Lord Castlehaven with divers others that his Excellency propounded being utterly rejected by them yet at last they were content to admit of Farrell and the Vlster-men who accordingly were sent immediately unto them After Farrells admittance he upon notice of the Enemies motion that way fearing some commotion in the Town and thinking himself not strong enough to resist the Enemy without and master them within writes unto his Excellency for a supply of men and these his Excellency seeing Cromwel so unexpectedly got over into Munster through the Treachery of the Garrison of Carrick intends now to conduct himself out of hand into Waterford before which the Enemy was supposed to be thereupon some Principal Officers of the Army desired leave that they might in the interim attempt the re-gaining of Carrick against whom his Excellency objecting the want of materials necessary for such an enterprize was assured they had enough to serve their turn for that work yea and some of them positively undertook the taking of the place that night Wherefore leaving them to their business his Lordship bends his course for Waterford where he arrived when it was late upon notice whereof Cromwel despairing of doing any good upon that Town and finding many of his men fall sick and dye of the Flux which then raged amongst them draws off in the night and hastens towards his Winter-quarters at Corke and Youghall in which march as he gained Dungarvan so he loâ—â— Iones his Lieutenant-General During the Lord-Lieutenants absence the Army at Carrick assaults the place the Foot falling on with extraordinary gallantry and resolution where after the loss of many of them they failed of carrying the place onely for want of a few Pickaxes and Spades which being call'd for were no where to be found which necessitated the poor Foot after having done so handsomely and stood under the Walls some hours to quit the business and draw off when extreme want of Food they having eaten nothing almost for two days enforced them to march away towards Clonmell all the Country betwixt Carrick and Kilkenny being totally spoiled already This Carrick was gained and now defended by Colonel Reynolds The removal of the Army hence without sending notice of it to the Lord-Lieutenant had like to have put his Excellency into the Enemies hands for he making full account of the regaining of Carrick upon the former assurance that was given him was upon his way directly thither where the Enemy had 300 Horse and he not 40 in his Company when Colonel Milo Power by good fortune found him out and told him of the ill success of the Enterprize and the motion of the Army thence whereupon he altered his course another way And then considering that the
Levies and Aids those mighty preparations for the Invading of a Kingdom settled in a posture of War and well forewarned of his intentions amounted not above the number of six or seven hundred at the most strangers and all The Common Souldiers which adventured over with him most of them Holsteyners or Hamburgers He had sent him by the Queen of Sweden for the arming of such Gentlemen as should upon his arrival betake themselves to his Party as before 1500 Arms compleat for Horse Back Brest Head-piece Carbines Pistols and Swords all which after his defeat in Cathnes were taken untouch'd With this small preparation it was a desperate action to attempt so mighty a business And although his touching first upon the Island did encrease his number and gave him almost the beginning of an Army yet were those barbarous people so raw and unacquainted with Discipline that they proved in a manner useless and unserviceable 'T is true the Inhabitants of those Isles were a people in former times very fierce and warlike and have under their own Captains made many great Impressions into the very heart of the Kingdom But whether it was the policie of the late Kings to leave them untrained of purpose to break their natural fierceness or because their own Captains being quelled or cut off they cared not much to engage under any other certain it is that Kingdom for 200 years last past hath not made less use of any they had under their Jurisdiction nor have they at this present less opinion of any Scots for Military courage and valour And this may be alledged as a great cause of their remissness and unweildiness whilst they were in the Marquesses Service I told you a little before of Montross's whole strength which did accompany him from Germany whereof two ships with near upon a third part were sent before but by storm of weather which is both frequent and dangerous amongst those Northern Islands they were lost with all the men and Arms nothing saved This was another check and as it were a warning and a forerunner of the sad event which followed But the business being fatal he must needs contribute his own endeavours towards that destruction which his cruel fortune had provided for him For he being nothing terrified with this success sends out a second party which making a more prosperous Voyage landed at Orkney and entred the Island without any resistance there being at that time no Garrison or defence placed in any of those Islands by the States of Scotland together with these he sent several Commissions for levying Horse and Foot Immediately there were several dispatched to Scotland and the Islands adjacent for that purpose the people of the Country being in no condition to resist these Officers endeavoured in hopes of favour as much as they could to further the designe And those who were not so earnest were by their own neighbours favourers of the Cause and these violent Commissioners forced to take up Arms. Not long after landed the Marquess himself with the rest of his Company together with those Gentlemen which were resolved to partake of his fortune amongst whom were several persons of note Colonel Hurry was there a man who had engaged in all Quarrels but never prospered in any the Lord Frendraught for his Kinsman the Lord Napier was left in Holland Colonel Iohnson a resolute man and an old Souldier Colonel Gray a German Souldier Harry Graham his own natural Brother Colonel Iames Hay of Naughton Sir Francis Hay of Dalgety George Drummond of Ballach For he had employed as was thought Colonel Sibbalds his Companion heretofore as his Agent in Scotland but he was apprehended at Musselburgh and did accompany his General in death upon the same Scaffold The Marquess continued a considerable time in Orkney raising of Forces and strengthning himself with such Recruits as the place would afford Neither was there any preparation at all made in Scotland to dispossess him of these Islands either because it might be thought a difficult business to assail him within those places naturally guarded with a rough and dangerous Sea or because they knowing his strength expected a better opportunity of him as they found indeed within the Country After this poor rabble of silly creatures was amassed he resolved at last to Embarque and to that purpose gathers all the Boats he could finde ships his men and in a short space Lands them all upon the point of Cathnes which is the farthest land to the North-west of Scotland The people having some experience of the carriage of his former souldiery and now far more dreading the name of Forrainers partly by the terrible reports which were constantly given out of him fled away in heaps many of them not stopping till they came to the chief City Edenborough and there gave the terrible Alarm to the Parliament then sitting The Commanders were immediately summoned and charged with all possible hast to get the standing Forces in readiness and a Rendezvouze in order to the States Command was hereupon presently enjoyned at Brechin Northward Colonel Straughan who was then in high esteem with the great ones for his Valour lately expressed in the English service and his Zeal to the Presbyterian Cause much extol'd at that time had an ample and particular Commission granted to him by the Parliament to command a choice party of Horse which should not be subject to David Lesly's Orders but might Engage and Fight with the Enemy at his best advantage With these being not above 300 he advanced before the Army David Lesley with the rest of the Horse and Holborne with the Foot marching after him In the mean time the Marquess advanced but very slowly and that he might not be mistaken since all the world was much astonished at this Invasion now whilst the King was upon a Treaty he published a second Declaration wherein he laboured to clear himself of any aspersion of sinister ends That his intention was onely against some particular persons who had against the Laws of the Kingdom raised and maintained a War against the Kings Father and did now by their subtile practises endeavour to destroy the Son also That he intended nothing against the Generality of the Kingdom Lastly Exhorting all Subjects of that Nation to endeavour to free themselves from the Tyranny of those who for the present ruled the State and the oppression of the Ministry But the Country for several Causes did not come to second him as he expected For the Earl of Sunderland a potent man in those parts his Lands being next to the place where the Marquess then was raised a great power of his Tenants and Friends and did his best to terrifie and hinder all that were willing to joyn with him And though he found himself unable to deal with the Marquess's Forces yet did he stop all intercourse betwixt him and his Friends And those Gentlemen who had heretofore
and receive satisfaction therein otherwise to decide the Iustice of that Cause by Battle To which when no Answer would be returned he advanced on the 10 of August having recruited his Army by those Provisions that were plentifully brought by sea the Fleet sailing an even pace with him and observing the same Signals on the West-side of Edenburgh up to the Line of the Scotch Army playing his Cannon which were likewise Answered and Encamped on Pencland-hills a little above Edenburgh-Castle intending to march for Queens-ferry but the Passes were so difficult and other considerations intervened that he proceeded no further Next morning came a Letter to the General with a Declaration from the Estates and Kirk by sound of Trumpet Declaring that the Quarrel being now stated and the King ready to consent to their demands they were resolved to put it to the Issue and that the world may see what that was like to prove it will be worthy the memory of those transactions to particularize them in this short abstract In the Declaration of the Kirk or Commissioners of the General Assembly to Cromwel as the state of the Quarrel they most undutifully set forth to the giving up the merit of the Cause That the King stumbling at and refusing to Subscribe unto the Declaration offered him by the Committee of Estates and Commissioners of the Kirk concerning His former carriage and resolution for the future is cause of just grief and offence in reference to the Cause of God and the Enemies and Friends thereof And therefore they do Declare that they do not nor will not Espouse any Malignant Party or Quarrel but that they Fight meerly upon their former grounds and Principles in the Cause of God and the Kingdom nor will they own the King nor his Interest further than be owns and prosecutes the Cause of God c. Concluding that they will Answer Oliver Cromwel 's Letters and clear themselves from the Falshoods contained therein as if they owned the late Kings proceedings and were resolved to prosecute His present Majesties Interest upon any other terms than as above mentioned And this peremptory Kirk-resolution was Signed by A. Ker then one of the chief Colonels of the Scotch Army To this Cromwel takes very good occasion to reply and help out their Sophistry with some more of his own and to let the Scots see of how neer affinity the Kirk and the Congregational way were in this respect to the King he permitted nay caused their Declaration to be publikely read to his Army putting the Scotch-remonstrants upon these Dilemma's namely That their professed disowning of Malignants and receiving and assisting their Head and Chief in whom all their hope lies cannot consist in common sence or prudence reciting as evidence thereof the late Popish affairs in Ireland and Prince Rupert 's raving at Sea That suppose He the King should give security of his turning it must be some other way than by a few and faigned formal submissions for it is his necessity and his old Complices that Counsel him to that Compliance Nor is it possible for the Scots in the way that they are now in to be able to secure themselves or England and concludes that upon this Quarrel if they be ready to fight his Army attends there for that purpose and therefore the Scots cannot complain for want of an opportunity These pestilent and alike dangerous Papers which in effect seemed rather an Agreement than cause of quarrel between the Antagonists were warily considered by some even of themselves who loved the King as of sudden and desperate consequence to His Majesties Person and Government so highly vilified and disregarded so that a Declaration to the liking of the Kirk was extorted from him that there might no cause of pretence remain either for their obstinate carriage towards Him or ready Compliance with the Enemy Hereupon the English Army advanced again and though several Bodies of Scotch Horse appeared yet they presently withdrew upon their approach which that it might not be altogether frustrate Cromwel in sight of them caused a Garrison called Red-house within a mile and a half of Edenburgh to be storm'd wherein were taken 60 Foot and the House made Tenable and manned by the English while the Scots being necessitated for Provisions and to joyn with some other Forces from Fife and the West had marched two miles beyond Edenburgh having a great Hill on the one side and the City and a River on the other so that it was very hazardous to Engage them being drawn up in Battalia the great Guns playing on both sides In which posture and attendance the Scots and English stood and neither changed ground till Provisions growing exceeding scarce Cromwel retreated to Pencland-hills Lambert having had some discourse and conference with Straughan c. about the former equity of their Cause de lana Caprina and thence with some difficulty by reason of bad weather to Mussleborough for provant and thence a few days after to Dunbar with intention by shipping or any other way to get into England being now closely followed by the Scoth Army in their Rear who rightly guessing the English to be weakned with long marches and want of Victual made cock-sure of a total Victory which snatching at before it was ripe for them fearing nothing more than that they would escape them they saw themselves miserably frustrated and their despairing Enemy a most insulting Conquerour On Sunday at night the first of September the English making at most not above 12000 men came to Dunbar whither the Scots keeping close at their Heels came also and drew up their whole Army consisting of between 20 and 24 thousand men upon a high Hill within a mile of the Town to the great amazement at first of the English but despair adding resolution to their Courage they presently drew out in Battalia in the Corn-field neer adjoyning and so stood all night being Encamped upon a neck of Land whose breadth was not a mile and a half from Sea to Sea so that they were by Land quite cooped up In confidence therefore of an assured Victory David Lesley who Commanded this Kirk-Army in chief began to advance as early as the Sun next morning and drew down the Hill fixing at the foot thereof and about four a clock in the afternoon brought down his Train there being a great Ditch betwixt both the Armies That night the English by Command placed themselves close to the Ditch and placed their Field-pieces likewise in every Regiment that they might be in a readiness in case the Enemy should attempt any thing upon them who were vainly expecting terms of a Rendition boasting that they had them in a worle Pound than the King had the Earl of Essex at Lestithiel in Cornwall The Ministers having their Voice in the Council of War held by this Kirk-Army most earnestly urged the Engagement and Fight against those that were of opinion to
let the English escape and not venture the fortune of War upon an Enemy made desperate of which there were so many sad examples saying that God had delivered Agag meaning Cromwel into their power and if they let him go would require him at their hands On Tuesday-morning at four of the Clock a Brigade of the English Army drew down to possess themselves of a Pass upon the Road between Edenburgh and Berwick which being had they might with the more ease and advantage make their way home and in order thereto pass over to the Enemy to fall upon them This Brigade consisted of three Regiments of Horse of Major-General Lambert's Commissary-General Whaley's and Colonel Lilburn's and two of Foot This gave the Scots a great Alarm and a sore dispute happened about the Pass which lasted above an hour the great Guns playing in the mean time against both the Bodies At length that stout Brigade gained and possessed the Pass much gallantry and bravery being shewed on both sides This Pass lay at Copperspeth in the English way homewards to impede which they had drawn off their best Horse upon the right Wing to receive the English whose Word was The Lord of Hosts theirs The Covenant The Enemy charged hereupon with their Lanciers so that the Horse gave way a little but immediately Rallied and the Foot advancing to second them the Scots were charged so home that they put them presently to the rout it being about six a clock in the morning the left Wing of Horse without striking one stroke following the same way the Foot seeing this rout and flight of the Horse and not able in any order by reason thereof to Engage were all of a sudden so confused and confounded that without any resistance or offer of Engagement they threw down their Arms and fled giving the English the full pursuit of them above eight miles beyond Haddington The number of the slain were 4000 9000 Prisoners many whereof were desperately wounded and 10000 Arms all their Ammunition Bag and Bagage Prisoners of Note were Sir Iames Lumsdale Lieutenant-General of the Army the Lord Libberton imployed by the Estates to the King lately and died of his wounds presently after the Fight at Dunbar Adjutant-General Bickerton Scout-master Campbel Sir William Douglas Lord Cranston and Colonel Gurden 12 Lieutenant-Colonels 6 Majors 42 Captains 75 Lieutenants 17 Cornets 2 Quarter-masters 110 Ensignes Foot and Horse Colours 200 27 Guns some Brass Iron and Leather with the loss of not above 300 English and one Major Rookisly who died after of his Wounds There was likewise taken the Purse to the great Seal of Scotland which was presently sent up to London and the Colours with those taken before at Preston ordered forthwith to be hung up in Westminster-hall The full Contents of all which was signified in a Letter from the General in his usual strain of devout zeal tending very much to strengthen the Independent against the Presbyterian at home and the advancement of a Commonwealth to the imitation of the rest of the World the latter part thereof for the severe aspect it had towards the Ministry in favour of Anabaptists with which the Army swarmed I have here inserted The Ministers of Scotland have hindered the passage of those things meaning his Affection to the good people of Scotland to those to whom we intended them and now we see that not onely the deceived people but some of the Ministers three or four are fallen in the fight This is the great hand of the Lord and worthy of the consideration of those who taking into their hands the Instrument of a foolish Shepherd to wit medling with worldly policies and mixtures of Earthly powers to set up that which they call the Kingdom of Christ which is neither it nor if it were it would such be found effectual to that end and neglect or trust not to the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit which is alone able and powerful to that end and when trusted to will be found effectually able c. This is HUMBLY offered for their sakes who have lately turned too much aside that they might return again to Preach Iesus Christ c. and then no doubt they will discern and finde your protection and encouragement Which Humble offer was to command a strict Inquisition upon them as those most probable to obstruct the new Model and his future greatness The glory of this field though it were by his own party ascribed to his Valour yet it laid a great blemish on his Conduct and indeed the rescue of his honour is principally to be referred to Colonel Monke whose company he had obliged in this Expedition being very understanding in the choice and as subtile in the shaking off his Friends and Familiars He had newly had a Regiment conferred on him made up of recruits and other impâ—rfect Compâ—â—â—es and did now at the Generals request draw and designe the fight and embattle the Army and seconded that deliberate speculation with forwardest of action for which indeed most of the Officers were very praise-worthy After the fight Cromwel used some catching courtesies to the wounded Souldiers and the feebler sort of Prisoners but the poor Highlanders and such-like paid dear for that partial kindness shewed their Country-men as many as with difficulty lived being sold for slaves Nor were their Lords and Superiours at home in much better condition of minde being confounded and distracted at this strange and most unexpected disaster The Kirk immediately ran to her old trick of humiliation assigning their vain confidence in the arm of flesh to be the sole and most just cause of this their defeat not considering their disloyal arrogance to and most unnatural diffidence in their Leige-Lord and Soveraign was that accursed thing which God made inquisition after in this blood though they had hidden it and most hypocritically vail'd it under the covering of the Covenant These were the rigid Kirk-men whose peevish obstinacy this remarkable success of the English was so far from reclaiming that in the conclusion they totally prevaricated from the interest of their Nation Others the more sober being taught by this Lesson what it was to set up and maintain parties and factions when the Enemy was at the door and so Victoriously potent were for the perfect reconciling and uniting them which necessary most incumbent and pressing affair was yet unhappily hindred by even those men themselves who when they began to consider how they must part with that Supream and extraordinary power they had so long Usurped made so many nice difficulties by their Cavils and Disputes about the admission of the Royal party that Cromwel had fixed such â—ooting in their Country that made it a difficult task to them to keep any part for themselves The Royalists onely and the King himself by all manner of tenderness and condescentions studying the common preservation and suffering any thing from
to the charge of the Lord Gray of Grooby who afterwards sold his own Inheritance to purchase some of this Lord's whom the Parliament had peremptorily summoned to appear by a day at Westminster which he wisely declining as having heard sufficiently of their High Court of Iustice they proceeded to sale and although afterwards he convicted the abovesaid Villain of wilful Perjury and afterwards prosecuted his right before a Committee appointed to adjudge claims where Bradshaw had the Chair who to captate an opinion of Justice seemed to favour the merit of the Cause and gave a resolution accordingly yet could his Lordship by no means recover his possession being baukt and wearied with a fruitless Suit and Attendance during the Usurpation To single also out of the number of the Honourable the Loyal Commoners Sir Iohn Stawel who for all the Honour of the Sword his Articles at Exeter which as they saved his Life should in the same manner have preserved his Estate was now put into this Black Bill of Forfeiture and Attainder the Estates of them all being vested in the hands of William Skinner William Robinson Sampson Sheffield Samuel Gookin Henry Seely William Lisle and Arthur Samuel as Trustees Robert Manwaring Register-Accountant Randal Manwaring Comptroller and Iohn Baker Surveyor-General These were again named to the same trusts in the second Edition of this libellous Act which began with a Preface of Treason and Rebellion against the Commonwealth and great fear there was that such Acts would at last become as constant as those of the Monthly Assessments till they had not left a Royalist but what was enslaved and sold. And that they might appear the more like to what they had reduced them in this emptiness and meanness of Estate they Enacted the stripping them of those Honours which their Loyalty and worth had purchased them that they might be fit Peers to sit with any Lower-House and the Gentry be sutable Mates and Company to their finical Rabble who had now Coached their Fellow-Servant-maids with all the other distinctions of Gentility even to the laughter of the enraged people who perceived they had Fought for those that were so much uninteressed in the Quarrel as to what they had to lose as the meanest of those wretches who sneak in for Drink to Games and Matches have in the Stake and Adventure It was made by these men a penalty of 5 l. for any Knight proportionably 50 l. for a Duke to receive a Title which had been conferred on him since Ianuary 1641. And the several Patentees or Titulado's were Commanded to bring in their Patents by such a time or else to incur worser Forfeitures But this not being such an Affront and Indignity as the abrogating the power of the whole Peerage was taken but for a bravado nor did I ever hear any one that paid for giving or receiving this due civility which even such of them as had Breeding and Manners would be guilty of themselves In Ireland the Lord Broghal had given a notable defeat to the Lord Muskerry who having beaten up his Quarters could not so conveniently and nimbly retire but Brogal was at his Heels It was a dispute with all Cavalry no Foot on either side which before had not happened in Ireland there was loss on both sides but the least thereof with the Victory fell to the English About the same time Sir Charles Coot having attended a Pass over the Shanon which was guarded all along the other side by the help of three Cotts and a Boat landed some few Forces upon one of the Enemies Guards who suspected no Boats possible to be had without danger of sinking as they passed and mastered it whereupon all the Irish Forces disposed thereabouts in several Posts ran away to Limerick leaving the River free which was laid over presently with a Bridge to bear Horse and Artillery Athlone a week before had been delivered by the Lord Dillon to the said Sir Charles by which means the whole Irish Council and the Marquess of Clanriekard and Castlehaven were put into great straights and confusion of Councils The English Army in Scotland was now in motion for grass and marched upon their old designe of Sterling to Newbridge so to Lithgow from whose Castle-Battlements they might espy the Tents of the Scotch Army Encamped in Tor-wood some four miles off this side Sterling whither Warriston was now summoned by the Commissioners of the Assembly peremptorily by the third of Iuly having cast up a regular and well-fortified Line with Bulworks mounted with Guns and having a River behind them which they might pass at pleasure in this posture they awaited the English who coming up and facing them the third of Iuly in the night following the Scots drew up their Cannon and planted them on the brow of the Hill and next morning saluted Cromwel with 50 Great Guns but with little Execution which made him quickly draw out of shot and give over his once-begun resolution of attaquing them at so much disadvantage The English therefore marched back again Major-General Lambert being sent from Glascow a week after to view the Passes which he reported by reason of the boggy approaches there to be very hazardous Upon their departure from Lithgow to Glascow the Scots removed from Tor-wood and Encamped at Kilfith a place environed with insuperable desences having a Bog on one hand and craggy Mountains on the other but the English Army having eaten up all at Glascow and those parts and trod down the Corn standing that the Scots might finde no sustenance that way if they should march appearing and marching with great noise on the one side they imaging the English meant to clap in between them and Sterling hastened back again to their old Line at Tor-wood Iuly 13 whither Cromwel followed and to provoke them to an Engagment Stormed Calendar-house in their view and put all the Defendants except the Governour to the Sword and then seeing there was no possibility of fighting with them but that they were resolved to keep them in play till Winters scarcity of Horse-meat should make them give over and depart the Kingdom he Encamped himself awaiting the success of his designe by Boat into Fife In the mean while Newark-house lying before Dunbarton-Castle was taken and two Houses more Prince Rupert and Captain Pen Commander of a Fleet in the Streights for the Parliament were now both at Sea together but it was not their fortune to meet one another The Prince had lately taken a Spanish Ship worth 100000 Crowns and had put forth a Declaration shewing the reason thereof satisfying partly his own Revenge for the Spanish injuries towards the Palatinate which were First That Kings giving Protection and Free Port to the Kings Rebels and Owning them and denying the like to His Majesties ships contrary to the Treaty between both Crowns his forcing the Marriners that were put on shore by Blake on
after the Battle the names of which were the Lord Widdrington Major-General Sir Thomas Tildesly Colonel Mat. Boyton Sir Francis Gamul Lieutenant-Colonel Gallyard and Major Trollop and Chester the Prisoners were Sir William Throckmorton Colonel Richard Leg Colonel Robinson Bayns Gerard Lieutenant-Colonel Rigby Constable and Major Gower and some 300 Prisoners among whom were some Reformadoes and some 80 slain for the chief slaughter fell on the other side during the fight The Earl of Derby having lost his George and Garter fled with some 30 towards Worcester having by the good providence of God who alone is able to bring Evil out of Good sheltered himself one night in a house called Boscobel which Heaven by this means had prepared for the Kings retreat and preservation By this time Cromwel had surrounded that City with his spreading Host in as neer a compass as the Rivers and Passes would suffer him the Kings Army as yet lying out of the Town a mile in the fields The first Pass endeavoured to be taken was Vpton-Bridge on Fleetwoods side which Major-General Lambert attempted with 500 Horse and Dragoons and after a brisk dispute wrested from Col. Massey who in defence thereof received a wound in his Hand the first mark of his redeemed honour in that member which had been so unhappily active and successful against the King The Scots having thus abandoned the place it was presently possest by a strong party of Horse and Foot in order to the present advance of the rest of the Army The Scots now drawn closer to Worcester made many Salleys breaking down two or three Bridges over the River Team and shewing a well-ordered and governed courage but September the 3 that ominous day being arrived Cromwel resolved to venture the event upon its former auspicia and to that purpose having his Boats in readiness pass'd over his men in the afternoon of that day he drew out from his own Post and having given the signal to the whole Army to fall on began the Fight in this manner Cromwel himself in person about three a clock with his Life-Guard and Colonel Hacker's Regiment of Horse with part of his own Regiment and Colonel Ingoldsby's and Fairfax's entire passed over his Bridge of Boats upon the Severn and marched towards the City after him Lieutenant-General Fleetwood who had been most part of that day marching of five miles from Vpton to Powick-bridge which the Kings Army had broken down passed with Colonel Goff's and Major-General Dean's Regiments and joyntly advanced the Kings Forces encountering them at the Hedges and disputing every field with them in such order and with such gallantry that these already over lest they should not be wholly discouraged with the hotness of the Service were relieved by Reserves and they by others no considerable progress yet made the Highlanders proving excellent fire-men and coming to the But-end at every foot till weary and their Ammunition spent the King being then upon the place Commanded them in some haste into the City and hastened himself to the other side where Colonel Hayn's Regiment with Cobbet's stood about Powick-Bridge and were entertained with no less manhood and slaughter and though Colonel Matthews was the Reserve to the other two Regiments yet did the Scotch Foot fairly drive them from their ground till their little Army being every way engaged and no seconds or supplies to be expected after some wheelings in a careless regard of the Enemy as if they feared not to make which way they pleased they drew likewise into the Town as did that Brigade which opposed the Regiments of the Lord Gray Colonel Blague Gibbons and Marsh. But they stayed not long there but as if their pent spirits had broke out with greater fury they sallied out in great Bodies upon the Generals side who had now brought the Militia-Forces into play the Veterans wisely detrecting to engage first upon the Storm which was then intended but there was yet field-matter enough to do In the head of one of those Squadrons the King himself Charged with that gallantry which would have become our admiration in other men and shewed he had not forgot the Discipline of War in which he had been brought up from his youth In one of those Charges he made Duke Hamilton a better Souldier and noble gallanter person than his Brother received a shot in his Thigh whereof presently after he died The loss that was sustained by the Enemy fell principally upon the Essex-Foot and those of Cheshire and Surrey who returned in thin Troops and Companies to their Counties but fresh and entire Brigades and Regiments in Reserves namely Desborough's Regiment of Horse Cromwel's of Horse Major-General Lambert's of Horse Whaley's Harrison's and Tomlinson's Brigades with other Foot re-inforcing them the Scots by the over-powering multitude were driven into the Town Lesley with 2000 Horse upon what account not known not stirring out of the Town to relieve them when the Enemy entred pell-mell with them and gained the Fort-Royal about seven a clock at night at which time the King left the Town it being dusk and accompanied with some 60 Horse of the chiefest and most confident of his Retinue though many more pressed to bear him Company departed out of St. Martins gate and it was reported that Cobbet very narrowly mist of him as the King left his Lodging whither he first hastned The Enemies Foot was now got into the Town and according to their order fell a Plundering the Town in a most barbarous manner as if Turks were again Sacking of Constantinople and giving no Quarter to any they found in the Streets Through this their greediness of spoil they kept the Horse out lest they should have shared the better part and to that purpose kept the Gates fast as they were and so favoured as God would have it the Kings escape Some Scots who had got into one of the Churches held out till next morning when they obtained Quarter for Life by which time there was not an Inhabitant in Worcester Friend or Foe left Unplundered but the Loyal Inhabitants soon recovered themselves being supplied with fresh Wares to their desires from London without any scruple of credit or payment and their Debts forborn till such time as God should enable them which the Gentry and Inhabitants round about them endeavoured to bring to pass by thâ—iâ— more than ordinary resort to that Market for all necessaries and upon all occasions The Mayor being Knighted by the King and Aldermen were Committed to Prison and the Wife of one Guyes who for betraying the designes of the King in that Garrison was Hanged was rewarded with 200 l. per annum and 200 l. down There were slain in Field and in Town in the last the most and in pursuit some 2000 and some 8000 taken Prisoners in several places most of the English escaping by their Shibboleth the principal were Duke Hamilton who presently died of his wounds
courage and it being resolved before to deliver it as the Earl had proffered that former resolution daâ—ht any other so that though Sir Thomas Armstrong who was come thither out of Ireland a famous Souldier offered to have maintained Rushen-Castle where the Lady was yet upon very slender terms it was rendred Into such distractions do the continued strokes of persecuting Fortune drive the most resolute mindes that the most constant magnanimity for which this Countess was highly famous as at Latham-house is at last depressed and forced to submit to her arbitrary and uncontrolable Tyranny The Isle of Barbadoes where the King had been Proclaimed and was now in open defiance of the Parliament and prosecuted their Trade onely with the Hollanders was the next and onely place to be reduced with some other of the Caribbe-Islands there adjacent About the 16 of Octob. Sir George Ayscue having coasted several places about Spain and Portugal to finde out Prince Rupert arrived at Barbadoes in Carlisle-bay where he found fourteen sail of Hollanders in the Road and to prevent their running on shore sent in the Amity Frigat commanded by Captain Peck with three other ships to seize them who presently Commanded the respective Masters aboard and so gained the Vessels and kept them as prize for Trading with the Enemies of the Common-wealth in that Island with three other Hollanders as they were sailing to the other Islands The Fleet having plied up and down in the sight of the Islanders who were now in Arms to the number of 4000 Horse and Foot came to anchor at Spikes-bay and the Virginia-Merchant-Fleet arriving in December Sir George advised it very advantageous for the Service by the countenance of those ships which seemed as his reserve of Men of War to attempt a landing which accordingly was done by a Regiment of 700 men made up with 150 Scotch Slaves the rest being Seamen This was effected on the 17 of December and the Islanders beaten up to their Fort which on a sudden was by them deserted after the loss of some 60 men on both sides and the same Fort and four pieces of Ordnance gained by them and then the Seamen retreated again to the ships which lay crusing up and down continually to intercept any Trade or Traffick coming thither That inconvenience made some of the Islanders weary of the War which Sir George very well understanding negotiated with one Colonel Muddyford a chief man in one part of the Island about a peace and accommodation and the conclusion of that transaction was Muddyford's publike declaring for Peace and joyning with Sir G Ayscue to bring the Governour the Lord Willoughby to reason as it was called Sir George and his Forces made up 2000 Foot and 100 Horse so that to avoid the uncertainty of battel and the Effusion of blood both parties agreed to treat and the 11 of Ian. agreed upon the Rendition on Articles every day comprehensive and honourable Commissioners names for Sir George were Captain Peck Mr. Searl left Governour there Colonel Muddyford and Mr. Colleton and for the Lord Willoughby Sir Richard Peers Mr. Charles Pym Colonel Ellice and Major Byham his Lordship having his desired Conditions of Indemnity and freedom of Estate and person not long after returned into England as did Sir George having visâ—â—ed Mevis and St. Christophers Before his coming Major-General Poyntz newly Governour thereof had shipt himself for Virginia the onely retreat for Royalists as lying so far up in the Continent and affording subsistence of it self Thus nothing remained of all the British Dominions either of profit honour or security to the Nation which their Handmaid Success had not attained to and that in as short a space of time as the most indulgent Fates ever apportioned to their greatest and whitest Favourites whose Glories of Conquest they increased by sparing and lessening their sweat and travail in the Atchievement In Scotland the Major-Generals Lambert Dean and Lieutenant-General Monke had brought things to that pass that the people were rated by Assessments towards the charge of the Army and this the Kirk in their new Assembly since it could not be otherwise would permit to be paid but expresly forbad the people to comply or give meeting or cause any to be â—ad in order to the closing with the Declaration of the Commissioners who were to receive from the Deputies of each Shire who were ordered to chuse such their Subscriptions to the projected Union now directly remonstrated against besides other arguments yea and from the Covenant from this main one because that incorporation would draw with it a subordination of the Kirk to the State in the things of Christ for here the Shop painfully wrung them This was dated Ian. the 21. The Parliament to correct this perversness and in pursuance of their Commissioners Declaration to the same purpose Decreed 1. An Act for the Vnion Abolishing Kingly Goverment c. and for punishing such as should contravâ—ne or offend against the meaning and purpose of the said Act. 2. That in Complyance with the said Vnion the Shires or Burghs should Chuse their Deputies or Burgesses in a proportionable number as the Parliament should think fit to represent them in Parliament and this was stiled a great favour and a freeing the Nation from the villanage of their Heritors Lairds and Lords most of whose Estates that were in the two late Invasions with Hamilton and at Worcester they had declared Confiscate together with all the Crown-lands and Houses to the use of the Commonwealth of England towards the defraying of the charge of this their labour of Love in the reducing of that Kingdom The Bishops lands could not be found for the Kirk had mingled and mixt them with their own sacred rights and perquisites so that the most quick-sighted sacriledge could hardly discern them By these Summons the Deputies of the Shires of this side and the other side Tay were ordered the most remote to appear on the 26 of February and in the mean time about the black 30 of Ianuary the Commissioners proceeded with their instructions and issued out several Proclamations against the King's and Monarchical Government and that Writs should no longer run in His Name and Mutatis mutandis in Scotland as in England His Arms defaced and for an English Judicature to be there established and to keep the Sessions which was the Term. Thus far the Political and Civil Government was provided for already nor was there any thing of Note among the Martialists save the taking in Dumbarton-Castle which was rendred by Sir Charles Erskin upon Articles Ianuary the 5 with a Salvo to the Duke of Lenox and Richmond of his Goods and Great Guns therein as being the proper Goods of the said Duke This surrender opened a way to the same terms with Bass-Island the most dangerous place in the Frith to the English Navigation some time after Some Forces under Colonel Overton landed in the Isles
of Voluntiers there In the mean time General Venables formed a new Regiment of Seamen to serve upon occasion at Land these were put under the conduct of Vice-Admiral Goodson the rest of the Regiments brought out of England were easily compleated to a full number likewise a Troop of gallant Horse were raised by the Islanders at their own cost and charges the Carcases of which were afterwards buried in the Souldiers Bellies for want of better food But these were not all the strength for the Planters Servants understanding that if they would serve the State their time should still go on and that at last in spight of their Masters they should enjoy their Freedoms in as ample a manner as if they had served them this spurred them on to become Souldiers of Fortune and many were presently listed into several Regiments accordingly The Fleet was also augmented by twenty sail of Dutch Vessels which were made prize for presuming to traffique with Prohibited Goods contrary to the Articles of Peace betwixt the two Nations The Land-Army being now in readiness their number was found to be so great that every ships share was as many as it could carry March 31 they set Sail from Barbadoes and in six days after came by the Lee under St. Christophers Here joyned with them about 1300 more which came off from several Islands in hopes to be made for ever from hence they shaped their course directly for Hispaniola On the 13 of April the whole Navy came fair by the Island and plainly discovered the sown of Sancta Domingo Immediately hereupon a Council was called and the Guides consulted withal here it was concluded that General Venables should to Land According to which resolution the next day he landed about ten Leagues to the West-ward of the Town with 7000 Foot a Troop of Horse and three days Provision of Victuals No sooner were they landed but every mans Tongue was tipt with Gold nothing could be thought on but the plunder of Plate and Jewels small things could not enter their minds as for Hangings Housholdstuff c. they would be cumbersome to carry and therefore they resolved to leave such things behinde them In this extasie of joy was the Souldiery when behold upon a sudden there appeared a Procâ—amation from the General commanding that when they entred the Town of Sancta Domingo no man should plunder either Money Plate or Jewels neither kill any tame Cattle on pain of Death This made the Army look Sower on their imaginary Sweetness their Golden Hearts were now turned to Leaden Heels so that it was indifferent to them whether they went farther or tarried there yet for all this on they marched through Woods of incredible thickness meeting no Enemy except the excessive heat of the Sun which caused an intolerable drought that oppressed them sorely having not had one drop of Water in many miles march but what they carried in their own Bladders so that Urine was as White-wine to them that could swallow it General Pen after the landing of these men set ashore three Regiments more under the Command of Colonel Buller in a Bay where a fair Fresh-water-River disburdened it self this was within two Leagues of the Town and appointed to be the place for conjunction of the whole Army It was not long before the General according to the appointment having peaceably past the Woods came to the River and joyned himself with Buller's Brigade Here upon view the Army was sound to be 9700 but few fighting men From this River the Army hasted away to take possession of the Town which in imagination was already won there marched on before the rest a Forlorn Hope consisting of 500 men afterward followed the main Body of the Army In this order they marched within four miles of the Town when on the sudden a small party of Spaniards encountered the Forlorn Hope and in an instant forced them in confusion through the next Regiment which was also routed the Body of the Army coming up to their rescue made the Enemy to retire to a Fort hard by in the Woods without any considerable loss at all to the Spaniards On the English side was slain Captain Cox the chief Guide for the place and many others The General having now seen the imbecility of his men through want of Water and many other necessaries he caused them to march back again to the River from whence they came to refresh themselves in order to a full prosecution of the designe in hand To which end Scaling-Ladders were made and two small Drakes mounted with a Morter-piece and Granado-shells which were landed from the Fleet these were conveyed by Water to be set on shore at a convenient place neer the Fort. All things being now in readiness to try conclusions the Army once again dislodged and were by the Guides promised to be brought upon the Town of St Domingo by a private way where they might pass thorough the Woods free from any Fort. Such a way there certainly was but these blinde Guides taking another to be it the whole Army were brought neer to the place where before they had been shamefully repulsed The Spaniards in the mean time having certain intelligence by Negroes and Molattoes of the English march prepared to entertain them in their passage April 25 1655. the whole Army approached near to a Fort which the Spaniards had in the Wood built of Brick in a triangular form without Flankers in it were nine pieces of good Ordnance and 300 resolute fellows to manage them The English Army a little before noon approaching neer this Fort were upon the sudden charged by a party of the Enemy that lay undiscovered among the Trees These resolute Spaniards being about seventy in number at first fired a round Volley of small shot upon the Forlorn Hope and then flew in like mad-men with their sharp Steel-Lances upon the English who were already even suffocated with Thirst and hardly able to stand much less to fight so that in a moment the General 's running-Regiment with half the Army flew back to the Rear and possest their fellows there with such a Pannick fear that every one began to shift for himself Mean while the Spaniards pursued the Victory with the greatest slaughter they were able to make for meeting with no resistance but what that ever-Renowned Gentleman Major-General Hayns was able to make with twelve men whom he engaged by the honour of their Country one whereof was Ensigne Boys who died not unrevenged in the midst of their Enemies they wreaked their fury at pleasure on these frighted men till at last being overcome with killing they retreated back in Triumph with seven English Colours the evident Trophies of their Victory The retreat of the Enemy gave opportunity for the Living to number the Dead Upon view it was found that 600 were slain outright 300 Wounded most in their backs and besides 200 more crept into Bushes and ran away
year besides that their Admiral Morosini with Twenty five Gallies some few Galliasses and several Fireships engaging above One hundred of the Turks Gallies with Sixty Saicks burnt sunk and took the greatest part of them among the rest of his Prisoners Two Bashaws with six Months Provision and Ammunition for supply of the Besiegers The success of Gayland an Enemy of the English must not be omitted who being at Argilla and hearing of a great Defeat given by Taffalette to Ben Buker wherein Ben Buker himself was taken Prisoner and that there was little hopes of getting another Army into the Field to oppose the Conquerour and finding how the ill news work'd upon his own people who began to threaten to desert him unless their wants were supplied he got out of Argilla with 300 men and Transported himself for Argier At this time about the beginning of March the King of Portugal having caus'd his Brother the King to resigne married the Queen and was by the three Estates of that Kingdom confirm'd in his Regency and in a solemn manner they swore Obedience to him accordingly Now though all things went well at home on the French side yet they had not the success which they promis'd themselves at Madagascar where by engaging themselves in other peoples Quarrels they not onely lost many Men but carrying themselves too high and imperious and forcing the Inhabitants to carry their Arms for them the Natives taking hold of the opportunity fell so heartily upon their new Lords that they destroy'd the greatest part of them But Queen Christina having disintrigu'd her self out of these Hurly-burlies at the latter end of the Year arriv'd at Rome where her entertainment was Pompous and Magnificent Nor did the Pope himself the next day disdain to give her a visit in his own proper person glad no question of so Eminent a Proselyte Anno Dom. 1669. THe 25 th of March being past the Year 1669 begins A Year wherein there could be nothing more calm and quiet than the surface of the English Affairs had not the future effects of its silent contrivances made it appear that though action fail'd 't was busie enough in Council Therefore Envoys and Embassadors were frequently employed a most certain Prognostick of active designes About the beginning of the Year the Earl of Carlisle was sent Embassador Extraordinary to Sweden While he repos'd himself in Copenhagen in which Court he was well known he receiv'd a Letter sent after him by the King of England in return of a very obliging Letter from the King of Denmark with the receipt whereof the King of Denmark was so well satisfied and pleased that at the seasonable instance of his Lordship he was pleas'd to cause his Orders to be dispers'd to all his Ports particularly to his Custom-places and Havens in Norway for restoring the Engish Trading to any part of his Kingdom or Dominions and the same priviledges which they formerly enjoy'd according to the Treaty concluded in the Year 1660. Being arriv'd in Sweden among other Transactions he had a private Audience in which he presented the King of Sweden with the little George worn by the Knights of the Order of the Garter which the King received with great expressions of joy being after that solemnly and publickly by a particular Commission presented and invested by the said Earl with all the peculiar Habits and Ornaments belonging to the said Order Other Embassadors were sent to other parts as Mr. Montague Extraordinary for France Sir Peter Wyche for Muscovy In Iuly the Earl of Winchelsey return'd from his Embassie at Constantinople Nor can History be so ungrateful to Learning as to bury in silence the Honour due to its most bountiful advancers It was therefore this Year that the University of Oxford being assembled in a full Body went to take possession of the New Theatre the magnificent gift of Dr. Sheldon Arch-Bishop of Canterbury where after the reading his Grace's Grant by the Register of the University Dr. South the University-Orator made a Speech sutable to the occasion After which several Panegyricks were pronounc'd in Prose and Verse concluding the Ceremony with several sorts 〈◊〉 Musick both Vocal and Instrumental But in the King's Ears the discords of Schism were more unpleasing for now from several parts of the Kingdom came several Informations that they who separated themselves from the established Worship met in greater numbers than formerly to such a degree as to endanger the publick Peace and greatly to the contempt of the Kings Indulgence to Tender Consciences which forc'd the King to issue out his Proclamation for the suppressing of such Meetings by putting the Laws in execution and proceeding particularly against the Preachers Learning always deserves an honourable Mecaenas and therefore the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury having upon satisfactory reasons refus'd the Vice-Chancellorship of Oxford Dr. Fell with the greatest part of the Body of the Convocation meeting at Worcester-house Install'd the Duke of Ormond Chancellor of that University The King was now diverting himself together with the Duke of York in the New Forest in Hampshire when they both receiv'd an express of the Death of their Mother the Queen Dowager of England who died upon the last of August at Colâ—mbe after a long Indisposition and decay of Health which made them both repair with all speed to Hampton-court Her body was for some time expos'd with usual Ceremonies in the Gallery of St. Columbes after which her Heart was in a Silver-Vessel inscrib'd with her Name and Title carried to the Monastery of Chaliot Her Body was carried to St. DeniÌ„s and plac'd in a Chappel behinde the Quire In November following she was buried after the Form and Magnificence which was formerly used at the Funeral of the Queen-Mother This Moneth brought us news that the Enemy was more than ordinarily busie about Tangier appearing often and in great numbers both of Horse and Foot They laid two considerable Ambushes to have surâ—riz'd the Garrison but one was discovered by the Sentinels the other by the barking of Dogs purposely kept there by the People and Souldiers by which means they were beaten off with considerable loss This not taking effect they appeared next day on the other side of the Town and gave the occasion of a smart dispute for an hour but were thence also forc'd to retire much to their disadvantage This made them quiet for some time when on a suddain they again shew'd themselves behinde a Hill neer a Fort call'd Iames's Fort here as the Onset was powerful so they met with equal resistance and a courage so much superiour as quickly forc'd 'um to leave the Enterprize and many of their men behinde with the loss only of one Corporal which this Year ended all the trouble of that Garrison The Duke of Ormond had been some time since call'd out of Ireland who thereupon left his Son the Lord Ossory to command in his
being troubled to see a Fort designing there where with so much ease they might not onely be kept from all Forrage and succour by Land but intercourse with the Sea also and perceiving the posture they were in destitute of Horse to Guard them resolved upon a desperate Sally to disturb this Work which they happened to make about eight of the clock in the morning when his Excellency who had been on horse-back most part of the night as his constant custom was since his coming neer Dublin was newly laid him down in his Tent to take his rest however the Westminster-Scandals of those days did asperse him The Enemy found the new Fortification so slight and the resistance there so weak that they soon became Masters of the place from whence seeing the Irish fly in such fright and disorder contrary to their first intentions they pursued them up to the Avenues of their Camp where finding the Souldiers also that were in Guard with great security and unconcernment looking on they laid hold on the advantage Charging briskly in and in a trice beat them off their Posts which if they had defended as a far less number might very easily have done the Camp being no way accessible towards the Town excepting by those few Avenews which there purposely had been left open nay some of them thrown open contrary to orders for the conveniency of the Souldiers they could possibly have run no hazard But these Passes being thus lost and abandoned and more men coming out of the Town to re-inforce those that were alrâ—ady so successful the whole Army in the greatest tâ—rrour and confusion that might be falls a running every one a several way and in this condition were all things brought before the Lord Taafe then General of the Ordnance had awaked the Lord-Lieutâ—nant who presently taking Horse together with the Lord Castlehaven who was now returned back to his Command and Colonel Milo Power made towards the Enemy taking all such along with them as they could either by force or fair means perswade to face about with intention to beat them back or at least by making head a while to stop their progress till some considerable part of the Army could be Railâ—â—d and brought up again to oppose them But by that time they came neer the Enemy their followers were gâ—own so thin that his Excellency after the having exposed himself to much danger and recâ—ived a shot upon his Arms in a brisk Charge that he made upon â—â—e foremost of the Enemies Tâ—oops was fain to retire at last and sâ—ek to recover his Army that was gone before Sir William Vaughan being already kiâ—led his Brother Colonel Richard Butler taken and the wholâ— Camp in effect abandoned except by those that could not get them ready oâ— wanted means oâ— flyiâ—g This was â—oâ—ght on the second of August Thus besides the slaughter that was made and the Prisoners that were taken one of which was the lot of moâ—â— oâ— the English that were under the Command of Colonel Wogan whose bâ—â—â—viouâ— that day deserves much commondation who having gotten togâ—â—â—â—r 〈…〉 Body defended themselves so gallantly and with so much râ—sâ—â—â—â—ion against the whole power of the Enemy as at last after a great slaughter th◠〈◊〉 made Conditions â—or themselves before they could be inâ—orced to yield or lay down thâ—ir Arms. The total plunder of the Camp with all the Arâ—ilâ—ery Tâ—nâ—s and Baggage fell into the Enemies hands Most of the Lord Inchiqueens Foot that at first made some resistance seeing the day lost upon this disaster changed sides and revolted to the Enemy All this was done in so short a space and with so little noise that the Lord Diâ—â—on and the resâ— of the Forces that were on the other side the River of the Iâ—iffy knew nothing of what was done till the business was over and some runaways brought him word of it the Irish making such hast every one towards his home and with such distraction that it was impossible for the Lord-Lieutenant to draw any Body of them together and therefore having met with the news of the Surrender of Ballisannon that very day into the hands of his Forces that lay before it he rested at Caterlo that night and went the next day to confer with the Commissioners of Trust and the Lord Inchiqueen at Kilkenny When this great disaster is well considered scarce any other â—ound reason can be given for so sad a misfortune but the good pleasure of Almighty God who if it be lawful to look so far into the Judgements of Heaven knowing the ill intâ—ntions and designes that were in the Hearts of many both of the Irish and English there in case Dublin had been taken saw them unworthy of that Blessing and took that time for their punishment and humiliation not onely this but a torrent of other crosses following in the neck one upon another for besides this mischance before Dublin to the ruine of so great an Army about which same time O Neal Relieves Coot in London-Derry to the immediate loss of that Province and the future scourge of his own followers Not long before likewise the Plague was brought by a Ship out of Spain into Galloway and besides the havock it made in that Town so disperst it self over all the Province of Connaught that the Lord Marquess of Clanrickard being deprived through the Calamities that were upon that Town and Country both of Money and Means to march withal could not for many Months draw his Army together either to act any thing alone or joyn with any other for fear lest by that means the Plague that had made such spoil while they were asunder should Mow them down now when they were all together This rout at Dublin the Relief of Derry and the Plague might be thought competent afflictions to be cast upon a people so impoverished and a Kingdom so wasted bâ—fore yet this sufficeth not there are heavier losses yet to follow and a worse Pestilence to land shortly at Dublin that will sweep away their Men and Towns together But here you may justly interrupt me and say that though it must be confessed that whatsoever befals us in this Vale of misery is to be attributed to the Hand of Heaven or the permission at least of the Divine Providence into the Reasons of whose secret and hidden Counsels our weak capacities are unable to search yet nevertheless those visible causes whereby we draw misfortunes upon our selves by such who through neglect of their Duty and disobedience to their Superiours are apparently the Authors thereof ought not to pass unpunished and therefore you see no reason why those were not called to an account that deserved it both by their cowardise and so shameful omission of their Duty as could admit of no excuse But when you shall be pleased to reflect upon what I said before that the Lord-Lieutenant Commanded this Army and indeed the Kingdom