occasion commanded us to wheel about but our Gentlemen not yet well understanding the difference between wheeling about and shifting for themselves their Backs being now towards the Enemy whom they thought to be close in the Rear retired to the Army in a very dishonourable manner and the next Morning rallied at the Head-quarters where we received but cold Welcome from the General as we well deserved The Night following the Enemy left Worcester and retreated to Shrewsbery where the King was upon which the Earl of Essex advanced to Worcester where he continued with the Army for some time expecting an Answer to a Message sent by him to the King from the Parliament inviting him to return to London This Time the King improved to compleat and arm his Men which when he had effected he began his March the Earl of Essex attending him to observe his Motions and after a day or two on Sunday Morning the 23d of October 1642. our Scouts brought advice that the Enemy appeared and about nine a Clock some of their Troops were discovered upon Edge-hill in Warwickshire Upon this our Forces who had been order'd that Morning to their Quarters to refresh themselves having had but little Rest for eight and forty Hours were immediately countermanded The Enemy drew down the Hill and we into the Field near Keinton The best of our Field-pieces were planted upon our right Wing guarded by two Regiments of Foot and some Horse Our General having commanded to fire upon the Enemy it was done twice upon that part of the Army wherein as it was reported the King was The great Shot was exchanged on both sides for the space of an hour or thereabouts By this time the Foot began to engage and a Party of the Enemy being sent to line some Hedges on our right Wing thereby to beat us from our Ground were repulsed by our Dragoons without any Loss on our side The Enemy's Body of Foot wherein the King's Standard was came on within Musquet-shot of us upon which we observing no Horse to encounter withal charged them with some Loss from their Pikes tho very little from their Shot but not being able to break them we retreated to our former Station whither we were no sooner come but we perceived that those who were appointed to guard the Artillery were marched off and Sir Philip Stapylton our Captain wishing for a Regiment of Foot to secure the Cannon we promised to stand by him in defence of them causing one of our Servants to load and level one of them which he had scarce done when a Body of Horse appeared advancing towards us from that side where the Enemy was We fired at them with Case-shot but did no other Mischief save only wounding one Man through the Hand our Gun being overloaded and planted on high Ground which sell out very happily this Body of Horse being of our own Army and commanded by Sir William Balfour who with great Resolution had charged into the Enemy's Quarters where he had nailed several pieces of their Cannon and was then retreating to his own Party of which the Man who was shot in the Hand was giving us notice by holding it up but we did not discern it The Earl of Essex order'd two Regiments of Foot to attack that Body which we had charged before where the King's Standard was which they did but could not break them till Sir William Balfour at the head of a Party of Horse charging them in the Rear and we marching down to take them in Flank they brake and ran away towards the Hill Many of them were killed upon the place amongst whom was Sir Edward Varney the King's Standard-bearer who as I have heard from a Person of Honour engaged on that side not out of any good opinion of the Cause but from the Sense of a Duty which he thought lay upon him in respect of his Relation to the King Mr. Herbert of Glamorganshire Lieutenant Colonel to Sir Edward Stradling's Regiment was also killed with many others that fell in the Pursuit Many Colours were taken and I saw Lieutenant Colonel Middleton then a Resormade in our Army displaying the King's Standard which he had taken but a Party of Horse coming upon us we were obliged to retire with our Standard and having brought it to the Earl of Essex he delivered it to the Custody of one Mr. Chambers his Secretary from whom it was taken by one Captain Smith who with two more disguising themselves with Orange-colour'd Scarfs the Earl of Essex's Colour and pretending it unfit that a Penman should have the Honour to carry the Standard took it from him and rode with it to the King for which Action he was knighted Retreating towards our Army I fell in with a body of the King's Foot as I soon perceived but having passed by them undiscovered I met with Sir William Balfour's Troop some of whom who knew me not would have fired upon me supposing me to be an Enemy had they not been prevented and assured of the contrary by Mr. Francis Russell who with ten Men well mounted and armed which he maintained rode in the Life-Guard and in the heat of the pursuit had lost sight of them as I my self had also done I now perceived no other Engagement on either side only a few great Guns continued to fire upon us from the Enemy but towards the close of the Day we discovered a body of Horse marching from our Rear on the left of us under the Hedges which the Life Guard whom I had then found having discovered to be the Enemy and resolving to charge them sent to some of our Troops that stood within Musquet-shot of us to second them which tho they refused to do and we had no way to come at them but through a Gap in the Hedg we advanced towards them and falling upon their Rear killed divers of them and brought off some Arms. In which Attempt being dismounted I could not without great difficulty recover on Horse-back again being loaded with Cuirassiers Arms as the rest of the Guard also were This was the Right Wing of the King's Horse commanded by Prince Rupert who taking advantage of the Disorder that our own Horse had put our Foot into who had opened their Ranks to secure them in their Retreat pressed upon them with such Fury that he put them to flight And if the time which he spent in pursuing them too far and in plundering the Wagons had been employed in taking such Advantages as offered themselves in the place where the Fight was it might have proved more serviceable to the carrying on of the Enemy's Designs The Night after the Battle our Army quartered upon the same Ground that the Enemy sought on the day before No Man nor Horse got any Meat that Night and I had touched none since the Saturday before neither could I find my Servant who had my Cloak so that having nothing to keep me warm but a Sute of Iron
my Father's Servants had so well conceal'd at the first breaking out of the War in a private part of my House that they escaped the Search of the Enemy who had plundered all they could find broken all the Windows taken away the Leads and pulled up the Boards in most parts of the House Whilst I was at London that Party which I left in the Country had taken some Wool and other things from the Lord Cottington the Lord Arundel and others which they sold and divided the Money amongst themselves From the Lord Cottington's they brought amongst other things a Horse that had been taken from me before at Warder-Castle The Lord Fairfax the Earl of Manchester and the Scots besieged York of which the Earl of Newcastle was Governour having with him a Garison consisting of six or seven thousand Foot besides Horse After some time spent in the Siege Prince Rupert arrived with about eighteen thousand Men and caused the Besiegers to raise the Siege who joining their Forces resolved to observe his Motions and to fight him if they found an occasion but that they might be a little refreshed and furnished with Provisions which they wanted they marched towards Tadcaster If Prince Rupert who had acquired Honour enough by the Relief of York in the view of three Generals could have contented himself with it and retreated as he might have done without fighting the Reputation he had gained would have caused his Army to increase like the rolling of a Snowball but he thinking this nothing unless he might have all forced his Enemies to a Battel against the Advice of many of those that were with him in which the Lest Wing of the Enemy charging the Right Wing of ours consisting of English and Scots so totally routed them that the three Generals of the Parliament quitted the Field and fled towards Cawood Castle The Left Wing of our Army commanded by Col. Cromwell knowing nothing of this Rout engaged the Right Wing of the Enemy commanded by Prince Rupert who had gained an advantageous piece of Ground upon Marston-Moor and caused a Battery to be erected upon it from which Capt. Walton Cromwell's Sister's Son was wounded by a shot in the Knee Whereupon Col. Cromwell commanded two Field-pieces to be brought in order to annoy the Enemy appointing two Regiments of Foot to guard them who marching to that purpose were attacked by the Foot of the Enemies right Wing that fired thick upon them from the Ditches Upon this both Parties seconding their Foot were wholly engaged who before had stood only facing each other The Horse on both sides behaved themselves with the utmost Bravery for having discharged their Pistols and flung them at each others Heads they sell to it with their Swords The King's Party were encouraged in this Encounter by seeing the Success of their Left Wing and the Parliament's Forces that remained in the Field were not discouraged because they knew it not both sides eagerly contending for Victory which after an obstinate Dispute was obtained by Cromwell's Brigade the Enemies Right Wing being totally routed and flying as the Parliament's had done before our Horse pursuing and killing many of them in their Flight And now the Enemies Left Wing who had been Conquerors returned to their former Ground presuming upon an entire Victory and utterly ignorant of what had befallen Prince Rupert but before they could put themselves into any order they were charged and entirely defeated by the Reserves of Cromwell's Brigade Prince Rupert upon the routing of the Parliament's Right Wing concluding all to be his own had sent Letters to the King to acquaint him with the Victory upon which the Bells were rung and Bonfires made at Oxford Sir Charles Lucas Major General Porter Major General Tilyard with above a hundred Officers more were taken Prisoners by the Parliament's Forces All the Enemies Artillery great Numbers of Arms and a good quantity of Ammunition and Baggage fell also into their hands The Prince's own Standard with the Arms of the Palatinate was likewise taken with many others both of Horse and Foot Fifteen days after this Fight being the 16 th of July 1644. the City of York was surrendred to the Parliament's Forces upon Articles and the Earl of Newcastle having had some Dispute with Prince Rupert before the Engagement wherein some Words had passed which the Earl could not well digest soon after left England and the Prince retired to Bristol The Earl of Essex was marched with his Army into Cornwall yet to what publick end I could never understand for the Enemy there had already dispersed themselves Some said that he was perswaded to march thither by the Lord Roberts to give him an opportunity to collect his Rents in those Parts Upon this the King drew out what Forces he could from Oxford designing to join them with some others in the West by which Conjunction the Parliament apprehending their Army under Essex to be in danger ordered Sir William Waller to observe the King's Motions But whether the Neglect of relieving him at the Devizes or the Affront put upon him by commanding him to follow the King after he had been ordered to attend the Service of the West or what else it was that had sower'd him I cannot say yet visible it was that so much Care and Expedition was not used in attending the King in his Marches as was requisite However Lieutenant General Middleton then under Sir William Waller was sent with a Party of Horse to the Assistance of the Earl of Essex but he kept at such a distance from him that he afforded him little Help Neither was there that Diligence as should have been then used by the Earl of Essex himself to engage the King before his Conjunction with the Western Forces or to fight them when they were united they not much if at all exceeding ours in Number and in Courage and Affection to the Cause engaged in much inferiour But the Earl of Essex and the Lord Roberts having led the Army into a Corner of Cornwall betook themselves to the Ships with which the Earl of Warwick attended the Motion of the Army Being thus deserted the Horse broke through the Enemy under the Conduct of Sir William Balfour the Foot and Train of Artillery being left with Major General Skippon about Bodmin who was forced about the latter end of September 1644. to make the best Terms he could with the Enemy for them agreeing to leave their Arms and Cannon behind them and to be conducted into the Parliament's Quarters with whatsoever belonged to them but before the Convoy had done with them they lost most of their Clothes and in that condition arrived at Portsmouth where they found their General the Earl of Essex The Parliament soon caused them to be armed and clothed again and the Horse having forced their way as before mentioned the Army was speedily recruited scarce a Man having taken Arms on the other side The Earl of Manchester and Sir
Officers were either omitted by the Parliament or had quitted their Commands in the Army judging himself Master of the Field marched towards Leicester and by this time was grown so considerable that the Committee of both Kingdoms thought it high time to look after him and to that end commanded the General with the Army to march and observe his Motions but before he could overtake him the King had made himself Master of Leicester by storm and plundered it with the loss of about seven hundred Men on his side and about one hundred of the Town Being encouraged with this Success and with the consideration that he was to encounter with an unexperienced Enemy upon advice that our Army was in search of him he advanced towards them and both Armies met in the Field of Naseby on the 14 th of June 1645. Some days before one Col. Vermuyden an old Souldier who commanded a Regiment of Horse had laid down his Commission whether through diffidence of Success or what other Consideration I know not and in the beginning of the Engagement Major General Skippon the only old Souldier remaining amongst the chief Officers of the Army received a shot in the Body from one of our own Party as was supposed unwillingly whereby he was in a great measure disabled to perform the Duty of his Place that day tho extreamly desirous to do it Under these Discouragements the Horse upon our Left Wing were attacked by those of the Enemies Right and beaten back to our Cannon which were in danger of being taken our Foot giving ground also But our Right Wing being strengthned by those of our Left that were rallied by their Officers fell upon the Enemies Left Wing and having broken and repulsed them resolving to improve the Opportunity charged the main Body of the King's Army and with the Assistance of two or three Regiments of our Infantry entirely encompassed the Enemies Body of Foot who finding themselves deserted by their Horse threw down their Arms and yielded themselves Prisoners By this means our Horse were at leisure to pursue the King and such as fled with him towards Leicester taking many Prisoners in the pursuit who with those taken in the Field amounted in all to about six thousand and amongst them six Colonels eight Lieutenant Colonels eighteen Majors seventy Captains eighty Lieutenants eighty Ensigns two hundred inferiour Officers about one hundred and forty Standards of Horse and Foot the King's Footmen and Servants and the whole Train of Artillery and Baggage This Victory was obtained with the Loss of a very few on our side and not above three or four hundred of the Enemy In the Pursuit the King's Cabinet was taken and in it many Letters of Consequence particularly one from the Lord Digby advising the King before any Act of Hostility on either side to betake himself to some Place of Strength and there to declare against the Parliament by which Men perceived that the Design of making War upon the Parliament was resolved upon early the King having followed this Council exactly The Parliament had impeached Finch of High Treason for advising the illegal Tax of Ship-money soliciting the Judges to declare it lawful and threatning those who refused so to do for which good Service the King had preferred him to be Keeper of the Great Seal but the Place being vacant upon his Flight the King would not entrust it with Littleton before he had obliged him by an Oath to promise to send the Seal to the King whensoever he should by any Messenger require it of him which I am inclined to believe to have been the Cause why Littleton left the Parliament not daring to stay after he had according to his Oath sent the Seal to the King by one Mr. Elliot dispatched to him by the King for that purpose The Seal being thus carried away the Parliament finding Justice obstructed through the want of it declared that the Seal ought to attend them during their Sitting and therefore that all that was or should be done since it was carried to the King was null and void Upon which a new Seal was ordered to be made and Commissioners nominated for the keeping of it and putting it in execution to all Intents and Purposes the Parliament thereby exercising the Supreme Authority in virtue of their frequent Declarations That the King doth nothing in his personal Capacity as King but in his politick Capacity according to Law of which the Judges of Westminster-hall are Judges in the Intervals of Parliament and during the sitting of Parliament the Two Houses being the Great Council both of King and People are the sole Judges thereof In the King's Cabinet were also found Letters from the Queen blaming him for owning those at Westminster to be a Parliament and warning him not to do any thing to the prejudice of the Roman Catholicks with a Copy of his Answer wherein he promised his Care of the Papists and excused his owning the two Houses at Westminster to be a Parliament assuring her that if he could have found two of his Mongrel Parliament at Oxford as he called them of his mind therein he would never have done it and that tho he had done it publickly the Parliament refusing to treat with him otherwise yet he had given Order to have it entred in the Journal of his Council that this notwithstanding should not be of any Validity for the enabling them to be a Parliament Another Paper was found with them giving some Account of the Troubles in Ireland wherein the Papists who had taken Arms being qualified Rebels that term was struck out and the word Irish added by the King himself There was likewise a Letter to the French King complaining of the Unkindness and Ingratitude of the Queen and of the Reasons of the Removal of her Servants that she brought over with her of which it had been Discretion in the King to have kept no Memorials such Matters when buried in Oblivion being next best to the not having any Differences between so near Relations Many more Letters there were relating to the Publick which were printed with Observations by Order of the Parliament and others of no less Consequence suppressed as I have been credibly informed by some of those that were instructed with them who since the King's Return have been rewarded for it One Paper I must not omit which was here found being that very Paper which contained the principal Evidence against the Earl of Strafford and had been as before mentioned purloined from the Committee appointed by the House of Commons to manage the Charge against him having these Words written upon it with the King 's own Hand This Paper was delivered to me by George Digby tho he as well as the rest of that Committee had solemnly protested that he had neither taken that Paper away nor knew what was become of it The Prisoners and Standards taken in the Fight were brought through London to Westminster The Standards
I was obliged to walk about all Night which proved very cold by reason of a sharp Frost Towards Morning our Army having received a Reinforcement of Colonel Hampden's and several other Regiments to the number of about four thousand Men who had not been able to join us sooner was drawn up and about Day-light we saw the Enemy upon the top of the Hill so that we had time to bury our Dead and theirs too if we thought fit That Day was spent in sending Trumpeters to enquire whether such as were missing on both sides were killed or Prisoners Those of ours taken by the Enemy were the Lord St. Johns who was mortally wounded and declared at his Death a full Satisfaction and Cheerfulness to lay down his Life in so good a Cause Colonel Walton a Member of Parliament and Captain Austin an eminent Merchant in London of whom the last died through the hard Usage he received in the Goal at Oxford to which he was committed It was observed that the greatest Slaughter on our side was of such as ran away and on the Enemy's side of those that stood of whom I saw about threescore lie within the compass of threescore Yards upon the Ground whereon that Brigade fought in which the King's Standard was We took Prisoners the Earl of Lindsey General of the King's Army who died of his Wounds Sir Edward Stradling and Colonel Lunsford who were sent to Warwick-Castle That Night the Country brought in some Provisions but when I got Meat I could scarce eat it my Jaws for want of use having almost lost their natural Faculty Our Army was now refreshed and Masters of the Field and having received such a considerable Addition of Strength as I mentioned before we hoped that we should have pursued the Enemy who were marching off as fast as they could leaving only some Troops to face us upon the top of the Hill but instead of that for what reason I know not we marched to Warwick of which the Enemy having notice sent out a Party of Horse under Prince Rupert who on Tuesday Night fell into the Town of Keinton where our sick and wounded Souldiers lay and after they had cruelly murdered many of them returned to their Army The King as if Master of the Field marched to Banbury and summoned it and tho about a thousand of our Men were in the Town yet pretending it not to be sufficiently provided for a Siege they surrendred it to him From thence the King went to Oxford and our Army after some Refreshment at Warwick returned to London not like Men that had obtained a Victory but as if they had been beaten The Parliament ordered them to be recruited and about the same time sent to the King who was advanced with part of his Army to Maidenhead or thereabouts to assure him of their earnest Desire to prevent the effusion of more Blood and to procure a right Understanding between his Majesty and Them The King in his Answer which was brought by Sir Peter Killegrew professed to desire nothing more and that he would leave no means unattempred for the effecting thereof Upon which Answer the Parliament thought themselves secure at least against any sudden Attempt But the very next day the King taking the advantage of a very thick Mist marched his Army within half a Mile of Brentford before he was discovered designing to surprize our Train of Artillery which was then at Hammersmith the Parliament and City which he had certainly done if two Regiments of Foot and a small Party of Horse that lay at Brentford had not with unspeakable Courage opposed his Passage and stopt the March of his Army most part of the Afternoon During which time the Army that lay quarter'd in and about London drew together which some of them and particularly the Life-Guard had opportunity the sooner to do being at that very time drawn into Chelsey-Fields to muster where they heard the Vollies of Shot that passed between the Enemy and our little Party the Dispute continued for some Hours till our Men were encompassed quite round with Horse and Foot and then being over-power'd with Numbers on every side many brave and gallant Men having lost their Lives upon the Place the rest chusing rather to commit themselves to the Mercy of the Water than to those who were engaged in so treacherous a Design leap'd into the River where many Officers and private Souldiers were drowned and some taken Prisoners However the Enemies Design was by this means defeated and they discouraged from any farther Attempt that Night The Parliament also were alarm'd in such a manner with the Danger and Treachery of this Enterprize that they used all possible Diligence to bring their Forces together so that by eight of the Clock the next Morning we had a Body of twenty thousand Horse and Foot drawn up upon Turnham-green a Mile on this side Brentford Those of ours also that lay at Kingston were marching to us by the way of London The Enemy drew out a Party of theirs towards the Hill at Acton which we attacked and forced to retire in Disorder to their main Body And here again in the opinion of many judicious Persons we lost as at Edge-hill before a favourable opportunity of engaging the Enemy with great Advantage our Numbers exceeding theirs and their Reputation being utterly lost in the last Attempt But the Earl of Holland and others pretending to encourage our Army by their Presence made use of their time to disswade the Earl of Essex from fighting till the rest of our Forces arrived magnifying the Power of the Enemy to him and thereby giving them an opportunity to draw off their Forces and Artillery towards Kingston which they did as sast as they could leaving only a body of Horse to face us between the two Brentfords the rest having secured themselves by a timely Retreat Upon this Party some of our great Guns guarded by a Regiment of Foot were towards the Evening ordered to be fired The like Guard was drawn up in the High-ways to secure our Foot from any Attempt of Horse that might be made upon them which some Great Men who pretended a Resolution to fight in that Troop blamed charging the Advisers thereof with Rashness in hazarding them in such a Pound where they must inevitably be cut off if the Enemy should advance upon them But I fear this great care was only counterfeit and that those Persons well knew the Enemy to be in a flying and not in a charging Condition as it quickly appeared for our Cannon no sooner began to play upon them but they retired to the main Body of their Army the Rear of which had by that time recovered Hounslow-heath The Enemy took up their Head-quarters at Kingston where by the advantage of the Bridg over the Thames they hoped to be able tho inferiour in Number to defend themselves against a more numerous Army if they should be attacked and to put in execution
The Enemy not being at that time ready to make any Attempt upon us retreated to their main Body of which tho the Marquiss of Hertford carried the name of General that thereby the Country might be encouraged to come in yet Prince Maurice as he had then the principal Influence over them so he was soon after placed in the head of them as more likely to promote that Arbitrary and boundless 〈◊〉 which the King endeavoured to set up over the People Having notice that some of the King's Forces were at Salisbury I went out with six of my Troop to procure Intelligence and to do what Service I could upon the Enemies Straglers When I came to Sutton I was informed that six of them were gone up the Town just before Whereupon we made after them and by their Horses which we saw tied in a Yard supposed them to be in the House to which it belonged upon which I went in and was no sooner within the door but two of them shut it upon me but my Party rushing in they ran out at another and escaped a third mounted one of my Mens Horses and rid away the other three who were in a Room of the House upon promise of quarter for Life surrendred themselves with whom and six Horses we returned to the Castle Our Army after they had possest themselves of Reading did nothing remarkable that Summer only there hapned some Skirmishes in one of which that most eminent Patriot Col. Hampden lost his Life by a Shot in the Shoulder Sir William Waller commanded a Party in the West with which he did considerable Service tho it was so small that he marched for the most part in the Night to conceal his Weakness He reduced Higham-house a place of Strength garisoned by the Enemy and protected the Gentlemen of the Country whilst they were raising Forces for the Parliament And being joined by Sir Arthur Hasterig's Regiment of Horse and the Forces of Wilts Somerset and Dorset with as many as could be spared from Bristol he was become so considerable as to put a stop to the March of the King 's Western Army which coming to the Town where my Father's House was wholly ruined it and destroyed his Park But upon their Removal from thence conceiving I might take some Straglers or some way or other annoy the Enemy I went thither the Night after with about forty Horse where tho I could hear of no Men yet I found much Provision which a Gentlewoman had obliged the People of the Town to bring together and which she was preparing to send to the King's Army with Horses and Carts ready to carry it amongst which there was half a dozen Pasties of my Father's Venison ready baked which with as much of the other Provisions as we could we carried away with us The two Armies before-mentioned engaged about Lansdown where the Success was doubtful a good while but at last ours obtained the Victory The Cornish-men commanded by Sir Bevil Greenvil stood their Ground till they came to push of Pike but were then routed and Sir Bevil killed The Enemy retreated to the Devizes and ours pursued them The News of this Action being brought to us I marched out with my Horse towards Warmister and in the way searching the Houses of some Persons disaffected to the Publick we found two of our most active Enemies whom we carried away Prisoners But the great Hopes we had conceived of enjoying some Quiet in the West by the means of this Victory were soon blasted for a body of Horse sent from Oxford not being attended by any from our Army tho as I have heard commanded so to do engaged our Horse on Roundway-hill where the Over-forwardness of some of our Party to charge the Enemy upon disadvantageous Ground was the principal Cause of their Defeat The Horse being routed our Foot also quitted their Ground and shifted for themselves many of whom were taken and many killed the rest retreated to Bristol where they made the best Preparation they could to defend themselves expecting suddenly to be besieged as it fell out Sir William Waller with what Horse he had left marched to London where no means were omitted to recruit them Exeter was surrendred to the Enemy upon terms and Bristol besieged which being stormed on one side and ours not doing their Duty part of the Enemy being entred the Governour desired to capitulate and delivered up the Town upon Articles which were not well kept in retaliation as they pretended for the like breach by ours at the taking of Reading The Governour of Bristol was hereupon tried and condemned by a Court Martial how justly I know not but the Parliament ordered the execution of the Sentence to be suspended About this time a Gentleman of the Country related to the Lord Cottington desired a Conference with me wherein he endeavoured to perswade me to surrender the Castle of Warder promising me any Terms I would desire and assuring me that several of the Western Gentlemen finding our Affairs desperate had made their Peace with the King and that the Kentish Men who were risen for him would be sufficient to accomplish his Work tho he had no other Army Also Colonel Robert Philips my Friend and Kinsman coming before the Castle some time after with a Party of Horse and desiring to speak with me was earnest with me to the same effect my Answers to both were that I had resolved to run all Hazards in the discharge of that Trust which I had undertaken The two Houses of Parliament notwithstanding the many Difficulties they met with at home having sent over Forces to subdue the Rebels in Ireland thought it also their Duty to send Recruits thither and at the same time presented the Earl of Ormond with a Jewel as a Testimony of their acceptance of his Service at the Battle of Rosse where there was above forty of his own Name and Kindred killed upon the place and the Enemy totally routed tho for a long time they had much the better of the day The Earl of Leicester having been voted Lieutenant of Ireland by the Parliament and approved by the King wanted nothing but his Commission to begin his Journey for that Kingdom which after several Delays he received from the King but being at Chester in order to take Shipping the Carriages and Draught-Horses which lay there for that Service as also the Clothes and other Provisions designed by the Parliament for the Souldiers in Ireland were seized by the King's Order and made use of for his Service here whilst his Agents there endeavoured to perswade the English Souldiers in that Country that they were neglected by the Parliament Upon which false Suggestion he prevailed with them to serve him in England against the Parliament and contrary to his Engagement to both Houses not to treat with the Rebels without their Concurrence made a Cessation with them and brought over many of them to serve in his Army against the
replied They could not answer to his Majesty the giving of such Conditions to us Sir William Waller having lately refused to receive Arundel-Castle from some of the King's Party upon any other Terms than at Mercy who they knew to have been in a much better state of Defence than we were and therefore pressed us to deliver our selves upon the same Condition promising us much Favour To this I answered That some related to us had already experienced the Favours they extended to their Prisoners That the Compliance of those at Arundel ought to be no Precedent to us and that unless we might march off we would not surrender They told me the longer I held out the worse it would be for me and Mr. Plott who as he since informed me had prevailed with them to propose this Treaty earnestly pressed me to lay hold on the Opportunity intimating by his Words and Gestures that if I refused it I should not have another but I resolving to defend the Place as long as I could our Treaty came to nothing I had some thoughts of charging through the Enemy in the beginning of the Night in order to force our way to the nearest of our Garisons which I presumed might have been effected by the Morning but the desperate Condition in which we must have left our sick and wounded Men diverted me from putting that Design in execution And now the Spirits of my Souldiers began to flag my Gunsmith desiring leave to go home and several others making choice of one amongst them to speak for them were very importunate with me to surrender with which expressing my self displeased I acquainted them that I would take the best time to do it for their Advantage and thereby quieted them so that they resolved to move me no more about it yet ceasing not to complain to each other of their Wants and Hardships the Enemy became acquainted therewith as they afterwards told me On the Lord's-day in the Afternoon the Besiegers discoursed with some of our Men who were upon the Leads endeavouring to draw as many of them as they could thither that the Breaches being left unguarded they might have an opportunity to take us by storm which I perceiving made use of it to animate our Men afresh and succeeded so well therein that the Enemy by our Cheerfulness began to suspect that we had some notice of Relief approaching This Suspicion caused them to continue discoursing with my Souldiers most part of the Night to get the Truth out of them promising them liberty to march away if they would deliver Mr. Balsum our Minister or my self to them The next Morning many of them came up to one of the Breaches to perswade us to surrender which Opportunity being willing to improve having ten Doors blown open by the first Mine our Walls that stood being cracked in several places and another Mine ready to spring that would probably level the most part of the Castle with the Ground not having Provision sufficient for one day left nor any hopes of Relief I propounded to them to yield my self their Prisoner if they would consent that those with me might march off To which they answering That tho my good Nature led me to make that Offer yet they could not accept of it I told them that unless I might have four things granted I would not deliver the Castle 1 st Quarter without distinction for the Lives of every one 2 dly Civil Usage for all my Party 3 dly Not to be carried to Oxford 4 thly A speedy Exchange They promised me I should have all these made good to the full and Col. Barns said that if I pleased to come out to them I should find more Friends than I expected whereupon requiring my Men to be upon their Guard and not to suffer any to come near them till my Return I went out to them and they brought me to the Lord Arundel and Sir Francis Doddington who were without the Garden-wall where my Lord Arundel assured me that what was agreed should be made good to me and was pleased further to add that tho he preferred my Conversion before the Enjoyment of his own Children yet if I thought fit to persist in the way I had begun he would do his utmost to endeavour that I might be exchanged for his two Sons who were then Prisoners with Sir William Waller To this I answered that if I were convinced that the Cause I had engaged in was not good I should soon recede from it but till then I could not but persist in the prosecution thereof Sir Francis Doddington told me he was glad to see me alive but sorry to find so much Resolution employed in so bad a Cause I let him know that my Apprehensions concerning the Cause were very different from his else I had not hazarded my self as I had done He also promised the performance of the Articles to the utmost of his Power and for my self that whilst I was in his Custody I should have no other Prison but his own Lodgings Thus all things being agreed upon I returned to the Castle and ordered my Souldiers to lay down their Arms which being done the Enemy directed them to draw together into a certain Room in the Castle where they set a Guard upon them but gave me the liberty of the Place upon my Parole offering me one or two of my own Company to associate with me whereupon I desired that my Cousin Gabriel Ludlow Mr. Balsum and a Servant might be permitted to come to me which was granted Their Civility to me was such especially that of the Lord Arundel that I discovered to him the Plate and other things that I had hid in the Castle but I cannot say that they performed their Articles with me in relation to my Men for the second day after their entrance they threatned to take away the Lives of two of them who having been formerly pressed by them and their Consciences not giving them leave to serve them chose rather to come to us and be besieged with us than to have liberty to range and oppress the Country with them The poor Men made their Condition known to me and I went to the chief Officers of the Enemy and charged them with it as a breach of that Article by which we were to have all our Lives secured to us in virtue of these words Quarter without distinction Capt. Leicester to whom I principally applied my self because he pretended to most Experience in things of this nature told me that I only conditioned for my Souldiers and that these who ran from them were not mine but theirs I replied that they were never theirs tho they had forced them to be with them having pressed them into their Service which they had no Power to do but tho it should be granted that they had been theirs yet they were now ours and the words of the Article were Quarter without distinction He answered that if I had
considering that the Entercourse between London and the West was much interrupted by that Carison The Enemy contrary to all expectation appeared again in a Body near Newbury where our Army lay who drew out to oppose them Some small Skirmishes happened between them but a general Engagement was opposed in a Council of War by some of the greatest amongst us Whereupon the King in the face of our Army twice as numerous as his had time to send his Artillery from Dennington-Castle towards Oxford without any opposition to the Astonishment of all those who wished well to the Publick But by this time it was clearly manifest that the Nobility had no further Quarrel with the King than till they could make their Terms with him having for the most part grounded their Dissatisfactions upon some particular Affront or the prevalency of a Faction about him But tho it should be granted that their Intentions in taking Arms were to oblige the King to consent to redress the Grievances of the Nation yet if a War of this nature must be determined by Treaty and the King left in the Exercise of the Royal Authority after the utmost violation of the Laws and the greatest Calamities brought upon the People it doth not appear to me what Security can be given them for the future Enjoyment of their Rights and Privileges nor with what Prudence wise men can engage with the Parliament who being by Practice at least liable to be dissolved at pleasure are thereby rendred unable to protect themselves or such as take up Arms under their Authority if after infinite Hardships and Hazards of their Lives and Estates they must fall under the Power of a provoked Enemy who being once re-established in his former Authority will never want means to revenge himself upon all those who in Desence of the Rights and Liberties of the Nation adventure to resist him in his illegal and arbitrary Proceedings In the Council of War before-mentioned things were managed with such heat as created great Differences between the principal Officers of the Army by which this favourable Conjuncture was lost and the Season being far advanced the Army was dispersed into Winter-quarters The Blockade of Basinghouse was also ordered to be broken up after which I returned with those under my Command into the County of Wilts In the Winter the Parliament caused Abingdon to be fortified of which Place Col. Brown was Governour who holding Correspondence with the Lord Digby then Secretary to the King promised him that so soon as he had finished the Fortifications and received all things necessary from the Parliament to defend it he would deliver it to the King by which means he kept the King's Forces from interrupting him till he had perfected the Work But then as is probable by his Carriage since observing the Affairs of the Parliament in a better posture than those of the King he altered his Resolution and in desiance of the Lord Digby published the Correspondence that had been between them about that matter The Dissatisfaction that arose upon the permission given the King to carry off his Artillery rested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the House of Commons was made acquainted with it by Col. Cromwell who commanded under the Earl of Manchester whom he charged with the breach of his Trust but he and his Friends endeavoured to lay the blame on others the Earl of Essex and his Party adhering to the Earl of Manchester Whilst I was before Basing some of the Enemies under the Conduct of Col. Coke came to Salisbury and were sortifying the Close for the King of which Major Wansey having advice marched thither with the Forces which I had sent into Wiltshire and falling upon them caused them to retire in haste but finding the Gates fortified against him he set fire to them and seizing upon all their Horse took the Colonel and fourscore more Prisoners and sent them to Southampton At my Return into Wiltshire I received Orders from the Committee of both Kingdoms to send what Men I could spare out of my Regiment to reinforce a Party commanded by Major General Holborn who was ordered to march into the West to the Relief of Col. Blake besieged by the Enemy in Tauntoa I drew out two hundred Horse for that Service and was necessitated to march with them my self my Major who had got possession of good Quarters at Deane a House belonging to Sir John Evelyn being not willing to remove Col. Edward Popham Col. Starr Col. Brewin and Sir Anthony Ashley came from London with this Party In our March we were joined by the Forces of Dorsetshire When we were advanced near the Enemy my Troop was ordered to a Quarter of which they were in possession but quitted it upon our Approach as they did also the Siege soon after contrary to our expectation We made use of the Opportunity and furnished the Town with Provisions and all things necessary which being done the Forces of Wilts and Dorsetshire marched back to the said Counties Being returned to Salisbury I was informed that the Enemy had put a Garison into Langford-house two Miles from thence whereupon I resolved to fortify the Belfrey in the Close where I might keep a small Guard to secure it for a Horse-Quarter and to that end had summoned Workmen to perform that Work At Night having drawn up my Regiment in order to acquaint them with the necessity that lay upon them to be more than ordinarily diligent in their Duty at that juncture as also to divide their Watches between them and to appoint the Guard for that Night I received an Alarm of the Enemies Approach and that they were advanced as far as Amesbury Of which desiring to have certain Information I sent threescore Horse under the Command of Capt. Sadler the only Captain of my Regiment then with me some of them being absent with leave and others without to advance towards the Enemy till by taking of Prisoners or some other way he might get some certain Intelligence concerning them and then to come back to me With the rest of my Men I marched slowly after him being unwilling to retire into our Quarters till I had made a further Discovery concerning the Enemy Capt. Sadler according to his Instructions marched to Amesbury and sent me word from thence that he had advice the Enemy was not far off I sent to him to continue his March with the same Orders as before my self with the rest of the Regiment following and being come to Nether-Haven as I think it is called I received notice from Capt. Sadler that he had engaged an advanced Party of the Enemy and could not get off which unexpected News and contrary to my Orders caused me to advance with all Diligence to his Relief who had approached so near their main Guard as to give them an Alarm to draw together and yet had not pursued his Charge which if he had done he might easily have dispersed the Guard and prevented the
rest from coming together but he having only alarm'd them stood looking upon them whilst they drew up their Body which when I came up I perceived to be more numerous than all ours However thinking it unfit to shew any Backwardness at such a time I advanced with that Party that was with me which was not above one half the rest following as fast as they could in order to charge the Enemies Body but they before we came within Pistol-shot faced about and ran away Thereupon I divided my Men into two Parties giving the Command of one of them to one Marshall my Major's Lieutenant the chief Officer then with me except Capt. Sadler with whose Conduct the Troopers were so far dissatisfied that they refused to follow him The other Party I headed my self and gave Orders to both not to pursue farther than the Town where we agreed to rally falling into it by several ways My Party halted according to Order after having killed and taken Prisoners about thirty of the Enemy with several of their Horses But that Party commanded by Lieutenant Marshall not observing his Orders having pursued the Enemy at least two Miles met with other Bodies of the Enemies Horse drawn together upon the Alarm who killed and took some of ours Prisoners the rest retreating in a disorderly manner At my Return to Salisbury I commanded all my Men to be upon the Guard till the Morning without unbridling or unsadling their Horses after which I disposed my Prisoners into the Belfrey and placed a Guard upon them and having set our Sentinels I received a Letter from Col. Norton desiring me to send some Horse to his Assistance against some of the King's Forces which as I was reading one of my Sentinels brought me word that the Enemy appeared at the Town's-end Whereupon I immediately mounted with six more ordering the rest to make ready and riding up by the three Swans heard a great noise of Horses in the Street that leads into the City from Old Sarum which caused me to return to the Market-place where finding many of the Enemies Horse I went by the back-side of the Town-house through a Street called the Ditch to my Guard which was drawn up in the Close but very short of the Number I expected for some contrary to Orders were gone to bed and others taking the advantage of the Night had stoln away so that those remaining were not much above thirty Horse Of these I sent ten under a Cornet to charge them my self following after with the rest and ordering a Trumpet to sound in our Rear as if more were coming on Passing by the chief Cross where we were forced to march one by one and entring the Market-place I found the Cornet pickeering with the Enemy whom I with five or six of mine charged on the Left Flank so that they gave ground and thereby pressed so hard upon their own Men on the Right and they on their File-leaders that the whole Party was soon routed and ran before us We followed them close in the Rear and tho they made many shot at me yet I received no Wound in the whole Action About a hundred of them ran through Winchester-Gate to their main Body and about twice that Number fled up a Street called Endless-street whom I pursuing my Horse fell backwards with me by a Check I gave him but my own Men being in my Rear I soon recovered on Horseback and continued the Pursuit till I found the Enemy to make a stand the Street according to its name being walled up at the farther end and one of them breaking back upon me and leaping the Brook but his Horse losing his Fect threw him down and he perceiving himself to be at my Mercy desired his Life His Horse I gave to one of my Men who had been dismounted and having examined him I found that he was a Lieutenant Colonel his name Middleton and a Papist He assured me that there were three hundred Men in that Party which we had routed three hundred appointed to second them and three hundred more attending at the Town's-end as a Reserve and that the whole Body was commanded by Sir Marmaduke Langdale I acquainted him that my Party being not so considerable he might probably be rescued and therefore I could not give him Quarter unless he would engage himself to be a true Prisoner which he did upon condition that he might be my Prisoner which I promised him And now most of my Men being dispersed I lodged my Colours at an honest Man's House of the Town delivering my Prisoner and wounded Men to the Guard in the Belfrey and with five or siz made my Retreat through the Close by one Mrs. Sadler's at whose House I quartered where I found a Boy standing at the door with my Sute of Arms which I put on Upon Harnham-hill I found a Cornet with about twelve of our Men with whom I resolved to return and march after the Enemy but when we came to the Belfrey and were encouraging our little Guard to oppose the Enemy we discovered three of their Troops marching into the Close from the North-Gate their whole Body following them Whereupon having commanded the Guard to fire upon them I charged the Enemy with as many of my Party as were willing to follow me exchanging several shot with them Their first Squadron soon began to give ground but my Guard not firing upon the Enemy according to my Orders and it being now grown light they soon perceived the Smalness of our Number and refused to run as before so that I was forced to retire as fast as I could with my Men one of whom carried away a Sword of the Enemy which was run through his Arm. Before they came to Harnham-bridg they overtook one of my Servants whose Name was Stent who after he had long defended himself delivered up his Sword upon promise of Quarter after which contrary to their Word they gave him several Cuts on the Head so that above threescore Splinters of Bones were afterwards taken out of his Scull Being come to the other side of the Bridg I turned and faced the Enemy with one of my Pistols in my hand upon which they halted a little whereby my Men had time to recover almost to the top of Harnham-hill In this posture I stood till the Enemies were come within half Pistol-shot of me and then made my Retreat Another of my Servants called Henry Coles who entred into my Father's Service two days after I was born fell also into the Enemies hands being mortally wounded and died two or three days after My Groom also was taken by them Upon the descent of the Hill beyond Odstock I missed the Road by reason of the Snow which lying upon the Ground had covered the beaten way so that I was obliged to cross some plow'd Lands to get into it again which while I was doing one of the Enemy came up within shot of me and calling me by my Name
Sir Francis Willoughby who commanded that Party under him to that purpose but he being an old and experienced Commander well acquainted with the Treachery of that Nation and particularly of those of the Popish Religion knowing how easy it would be for the Irish to cut them off in the Quarters assigned for them resolved not to consent to the dispersing of his Men and therefore desired of the Earl of Ormond that he might quarter with them in the Field or where his Lordship should appoint desiring if this would not satisfy he might have Liberty to return home advising him not to trust his Person with them notwithstanding their fair Words My Lord hereupon leaves the Care of quartering his Men to Sir Francis Willoughby but resolves himself to stay at Kilkenny Sir Francis draws the Troops into Goran a Town five Miles from Kilkenny where he kept his Guards with as much Caution as if he had been in an Enemies Country The Enemy being by this means disappointed of their Design to cut off the Party by surprize resolved to attempt it by open Force and all the favour that the Earl of Ormond could get amongst his Relations was to have notice to shift for himself which with much difficulty he did sending Orders to his Forces to march towards Dublin in which he was very readily obeyed by them having had advice that the Country was rising upon them which they did in such numbers that if Col. Bagnal Governour of Loughlyn had not permitted them to pass the Bridg there they had in all appearance been cut off When they had recovered their own Quarters they discovered a piece of Treachery as Sir Francis Willoughby who gave me this account judged it to be tho he knew not on whom to charge it for they found that they had not been in a condition to make any Opposition if the Enemy had fallen upon them the Powder with which they were furnished having no force in it which came to be discovered upon the trial of a Musquet at a Mark by the small report it gave and the fall of the Bullet half way from it Whereupon searching further into the matter they found all their Store to be of the same sort The Irish seized upon all the Earl of Ormond's Plate and whatsoever he had with him at Kilkenny his Haste not permitting him to save any thing By this Usage his Zeal for the prosecution of the Treaty with the Rebels became much abated The King's Commission to the Earl of Ormond was not of so large an extent as he was willing to allow in case the Treaty with the Irish came to any effect and therefore the Earl of Glamorgan afterwards Earl of Worcester was impowered by private Instructions from him to promise them the Liberty of the Romish Religion with divers other Advantages to the Irish Rebels upon which he treated with them But because this when it came to be publickly known in England was highly resented by many even of the King's Party the Lord Digby who was ordered by the King to assist in that Affair finding that the Treaty was not like to take effect to give a specious Colour to the matter as if Glamorgan had in that particular exceeded his Commission accused him of High Treason and procured him to be imprison'd by the Earl of Ormond but in Letters intercepted from the Lord Glamorgan to his Lady he desired that she would not entertain any Fears concerning him for that he doubted not if he could be admitted to be heard that he should be able to justify his Proceedings to the Confusion of those who had caused his Imprisonment The English Officers and Souldiers provoked by the late Treachery of the Irish and apprehending that without Assistance from England they might fall into their hands would not be satisfied unless a Message were sent to the Parliament to treat about Conditions for the putting of Dublin and the Protestant Forces of Ireland into their Hands In order to which the Parliament sent over Commissioners to treat with the Earl of Ormond and the Council But tho the Earl was not willing that any thing should be concluded at that time yet Sir Francis Willoughby was as I have heard him say so far convinced of the Necessity and Duty that lay upon them so to do that he promised our Commissioners to preserve the Castle of Dublin of which he was then Governour for the Service of the Parliament whensoever they should command it Montross having obtained a Victory against those whom the Scots had left to preserve the Peace of Scotland by the means of which he was become Master of a great part of that Kingdom David Lesley was sent thither from Hereford with most of the Scotish Horse where he defeated the Army of Montross and reduced that Nation to its former Obedience After the Surrender of Bristol to the Forces of the Parliament Prince Rupert who had been Governour thereof returned to Oxford where he found so cool a Reception from the King by reason of the Loss of that Place that Col. Leg then Governour of Oxford was turned out of that Command for being of his Faction and the Government of that City put into the Hands of Sir Thomas Glenham The Prince was for some time forbidden to wear a Sword and tho he was soon after restored to that Liberty yet he was never more intrusted with any Command The House of Commons finding their Business to increase and their numbers to diminish by the Death of some and Desertion of others to the King at Oxford ordered the Commissioners of the Seal to issue out Writs to such Counties Cities and Boroughs as the House by their particular Order should direct for the Election of Members to serve in Parliament They ordered also a Jewel to be prepared of the Value of about seven hundred Pounds to be presented to Sir Thomas Fairfax it had the House of Commons represented on one side and the Battel of Naseby on the other three Members of Parliament were deputed to carry the Present to him the Opportunity of whose Guard I took to go into the West without disturbance which was difficult to do at that time many of the King's Party hovering about the Downs from whence they were called Col. Downs his Men who rendring the Rode unsafe I procured a Guard of twenty or thirty of the County Horse to accompany me during my stay in those Parts So small a Number not being sufficient either to defend me or to make any Attempt I betook my self to Col. Massey's Party commanded at that time by Col. Edward Cook where I had not been long before an Alarm was given that a Party of Horse from Oxford had marched by with a design to relieve Corse-Castle besieged at that time by our Forces But before we could get our Men together they had surprized part of ours in Warham and beaten off the Guard between that Place and the Castle which they relieved with
killed neither did this quiet them till some Horse and Foot arrived to strengthen the Guard and dispersed them Lieutenant Colonel Cobbet who commanded the Guard being called into the House to give an account of what had passed went to the Bar bleeding from the Wounds which he had received and related the Passages before-mentioned but some Friends of the Petitioners within doors informing the House that the matter of Fact was otherwise than had been represented by the Lieutenant Colonel the Parliament appointed a Committee to examine the Truth of it Those of the secluded Members who were in England being returned to the House divers hard Words passed between them and others of the Parliament and one day Commissary General Ireton speaking something concerning them Mr. Hollis thinking it to be injurious to them passing by him in the House whispered him in the ear telling him it was false and he would justify it to be so if he would follow him and thereupon immediately went out of the House with the other following him Some Members who had observed their passionate Carriage to each other and seen them hastily leaving the House acquainted the Parliament with their Apprehensions whereupon they sent their Serjeant at Arms to command their Attendance which he letting them understand as they were taking Boat to go to the other side of the Water they returned and the House taking notice of what they were informed concerning them enjoined them to forbear all Words or Actions of Enmity towards each other and to carry themselves for the future as Fellow-members of the same Body which they promised to do Lieutenant General Cromwell perceiving the Clouds to gather on every side complained to me as we were walking in the Palace-Yard of the Unhappiness of his Condition having made the greatest part of the Nation his Enemies by adhering to a just Cause But that which he pretended to be his greatest Trouble was that many who were engaged in the same Cause with him had entertained a Jealousy and Suspicion of him which he assured me was a great Discouragement to him asking my Advice what Method was best for him to take I could not but acknowledg that he had many Enemies for the sake of the Cause in which he stood engaged and also that many who were Friends to that Cause had conceived Suspicions of him but I observed to him that he could never oblige the former without betraying that Cause wherein he was engaged which if he should do upon the account of an empty Title Riches or any other Advantages how those Contracts would be kept with him was uncertain but most certain it was that his Name would be abominated by all good Men and his Memory be abhorred by Posterity On the other side if he persisted in the prosecution of our just Intentions it was the most probable way to subdue his Enemies to rectisy the Mistakes of those that had conceived a Jealousy of him and to convince his Friends of his Integrity that if he should fall in the Attempt yet his Loss would be lamented by all good Men and his Name be transmitted to future Ages with Honour He seemed to take well what I said and it might have been no Disservice to him if he had acted accordingly but his Design was rather to perswade me for the present of the Rectitude of his Intentions than to receive Counsel from me concerning his Conduct About this time we obtained some Advantages in Ireland where Col. Michael Jones who had been order'd by the Parliament to command at Dublin when the Earl of Ormond delivered it up with the Forces he had fought the Rebels tho double his Number at Dungon-hill killed some thousands of them and totally routed the rest Of which when the Parliament had received Information they ordered five hundred Pounds by Year of the forseited Lands in Ireland to be settled upon Col. Jones as a Reward for his good Service In England the Defection began to increase Capt. Henry Lilburn who commanded for the Parliament in Tinmouth-Castle which lies at the Mouth of the Harbour and is a Key to Newcastle declaring for the King but notice thereof being brought to Sir Arthur Haslerig at Newcastle of which Town he was Governour he with great Expedition drew down a Party before the Place and attacking it unexpectedly took it by Assault before the Men had been throughly confirmed in their Revolt by the Governour whom he put to the Sword and placed another Garison therein Many of those who had been for the Parliament in South-wales now joining with the King's Party they grew to be a considerable Body whereby Major General Laughern who upon some Suspicion had been under Confinement was encouraged to get away and join himself to them Major General John Stradling Sir Henry Stradling Col. Thomas Stradling and several other Gentlemen of those Parts falling in with them Col. Horton with about two thousand five hundred Horse Foot and Dragoons was sent into Wales to engage them Lieutenant General Cromwell following with as many more Forces as could be spared from the Army who being within three or four days March of Col. Horton received Advice that the Enemy to the number of about seven thousand had engaged the Colonel at St. Faggons in Glamorganshire that upon the first Attack our Forces gave ground but well considering the Danger they were in the Country being full of Enemies and encouraged by their Affection to the Cause wherein they were engaged they charged the Enemies Van consisting of the best of their Men with so great Bravery and Resolution that they forced them to give way which those that were in their Rear who were for the most part new-raised Men perceiving began to shift for themselves Upon this ours followed their Charge with so much Vigour and Success that the whole Body of the Enemy was soon routed and dispersed many of them were killed in the Pursuit and many taken Prisoners amongst the latter was Major General Stradling and divers other Officers The News of this Success was very welcome to all those that wished well to the Publick and proved a great Discouragement to the contrary Party The Petitioners of Surrey drew into a Body and in conjunction with the Kentish-men of the King's Party appointed their Rendezvouz upon Black heath But Sir Thomas Fairfax with that part of the Army which he had with him disappointed that Design by possessing himself of that Ground before them However the Enemy had brought together a considerable Body of Men many of whom were induced to come in upon Assurances given that they should be commanded by Mr. Hales a Gentleman of a great Estate in Kent tho afterwards the Lord Goring appeared at the Head of them as had been designed from the beginning Upon the Advance of Sir Thomas Fairfax his Army the Enemy who exceeded him in Number by one half at least divided their Body sending one part to possess themselves of Maidstone and
the Place beat a Parley and sent out Commissioners to treat Articles were agreed and signed on both sides whereby it was concluded that the Town with all the Arms and ammunition therein should be delivered up the next Morning to such of our Forces as should be appointed to receive the same After this Agreement was made and signed the General was informed that Col. Hugh O Neal Governour of the Place with all the Garison had marched out at the beginning of the Night towards Waterford before the Commissioners came out to treat It something troubled the Commanders to be thus over-reach'd but Conditions being granted they thought it their Duty to keep them with the Town Dungarvan and Carrick were next reduced where Col. Reynolds being left with his Regiment of Horse the Lieutenant General with the Army marched towards the County of Waterford The Enemy having observed ours marching on the other side of the River took that Advantage to draw together a considerable Body of Horse and Foot with which they marched with all diligence to Carrick and stormed it not at all doubting to carry the Place wherein there was nothing but Horse armed only with Swords and Pistols to defend a Wall of great compass Yet did our Men manage their Defence so well making use of Stones and whatsoever might be serviceable to them that the Enemy was beaten off with loss so that tho Forces were sent from the Army to relieve their Friends upon the first notice of their Danger yet they found the Work done at their Arrival The Army began now to prepare for the Siege of Waterford but by the hard Service of this Winter and other Accidents being much diminished and those that remained being but in a sickly Condition it was thought fit to send Orders to Dublin requiring the Forces there who were in better Health to march towards Wexford in order to reinforce the Army before Waterford The Lord Inchequin who had notice of their March having formed a Body of two thousand five hundred Horse and some Foot resolved to fall upon them which he did between Arclo and Wexford our Forces not amounting to more than fifteen hundred Foot and five hundred Horse The Enemies charged our Horse with such Fury and Numbers that they were forced to retreat to their Foot after which falling upon our Foot they obliged them to retire to the Rocks that were on the Shore in great Disorder but some of our Horse with a part of our Foot rallying again charged a Body of their Horse with such Vigour that they broke them and killed many of them amongst whom were divers considerable Persons which so discouraged the rest that tho they were the choicest of the Enemies Men and many of ours so distempered with the Flux that they were forced to fight with their Breeches down yet durst they not make any farther Attempt against them but drew off and permitted ours to march to their designed Rendezvouz without any more Interruption By which it eminently appeared of what Importance it is towards the obtaining Success to fight in the Cause of our Country for these very Men as long as they were engaged with us performed Wonders against the Rebels and now being engaged with them were almost as easily overcome as they had beaten the Irish before and this was so visible even to the Irish themselves that some time after at a Consultation of the Chief Officers of Leinster where it was debated what Course to take in order to destroy our Army some advising to draw into a Body and fight us others to betake themselves to the Woods and Bogs and from thence to break our Forces by Parties the Lord of Glanmaleiro assured them of a way which if taken would certainly effect it and that was to induce us to make Peace with them for said he they are a successful Army and our Men are dispirited and not likely to get any thing by fighting with them and to weary them out by our Surprizes and Depredations is impossible as long as the way from England is open for their Supplies but the other way proposed will infallibly ruin them for did not our Ancestors by the same means render the Conquests of Queen Elizabeth fruitless to England and have we not thereby ruined the Earl of Ormond and Inchequin already who having been always successful when against us have been famous for nothing since their Conjunction with us but the Losses and Repulses which they have sustained so that if we can perswade this Army to make a Truce or League with us they will become as unfortunate as the fornier Whilst the Lieutenant General was making Preparations for the Siege of Waterford a Letter was brought to him from the Parliament requiring his Attendance in England In order to which he left the Command of the Army with Commissary General Ireton to carry on the remaining part of the Work going himself to visit those Places in Munster which had lately submitted to the Parliament with intention to settle the Civil as well as Military Affairs of that Province To this end he impowered John Coke Esq to be Chief Justice of Munster and having accomplished such things as he designed embarked for England and soon after landed at Bristol In the mean time the Treaty between Prince Charles and the Presbyterian Party in Scotland hastening towards a Conclusion the Forces which they had raised by the Encouragement of our Army after they had rescued them from the Power of the Hamiltonian Party fell upon Montrose killed many of his Men and took him with divers other Officers Prisoners and amongst them Major General Hurry and Capt. Spotiswood who was said to have been concerned in the Assassination of Dr. Dorislaus our Agent in Holland They were all three condemned to death and hanged Montrose being carried to the Place of Execution in an ignominious manner with the Declarations issued out by him for the King tied about his Neck where he was executed on a Gibbet of thirty Foot high His Quarters were placed upon the Gate through which their King was to pass at his coming to Edinburgh which could not but move his Indignation if he had the least Sense of Honour because he had acted by his Commission and in order to vest him with that absolute and uncontrolable Power which Kings think to be most for their Advantage but the King being instructed with other Maxims struck up the bargain with the Presbyterians and engaged to take the Covenant whereupon they cried him up for a great Convert Some Sycophants in the English Parliament a Race of Men never wanting in great Councils pressed earnestly for settling two thousand five hundred Pounds a Year upon the Lieutenant General according to a Vote formerly passed in the House or that it might at least be read once or twice before his Arrival at Westminster he being then upon his way from Bristol Upon this Motion I took the liberty to acquaint the House
Crawford and others were met at Elliot to consult of means to relieve that Town he sent a Party of Horse and Dragoons commanded by Col. Alured and Col. Morgan to surprize them which they did and the principal of them being taken were sent Prisoners to London where they were committed to the Tower After this he summoned the Town of Dundee but the Place being well fortified and provided with a numerous Garison refused to surrender whereupon he storm'd it and being entred put five or six hundred to the Sword and commanded the Governour with divers others to be killed in cold Blood Tho the News of these Successes much discouraged our Enemies in Ireland yet those in Limerick were not without some hopes that either the Plague or Scarcity of Provisions together with the badness of the Weather might constrain us to raise the Siege and therefore resused to accept such Conditions as we were willing to grant The Line which we had made about the Town and the Forts being in a condition of Defence the Deputy resolved to look after the Enemy in the County of Clare and if possible to get some Provisions from thence for the Relief of the Army He took me with him knowing I had been in those Parts before and between three and four thousand Horse and Foot At our Approach to the Places where the Enemies usually were we divided our Body the Deputy being at the Head of one and I at the Head of the other Party hoping by this means so to encompass the Enemy that they should not escape us but tho we sometimes came within sight of them and used our utmost Endeavours to engage them yet by reason of the Advantages they made of the Woods Rocks Hills and Bogs for their Retreat we could do them little hurt save by seizing their Horses and Cattel In the absence of this Party from the Army the Enemy with two thousand Foot made a Sally out of Limerick so unexpectedly upon our Men that they had almost surprized our Guard of Horse but ours immediately mounting and being not accustomed to be beaten charged them and notwithstanding the Inequality of the Forces they being much superiour to us in Number put them to a stand till a Party of Horse and Foot came to their Relief and forced the Enemies to retreat under the Walls of the Town from whence their Men fired so thick upon ours that their own Men had time to get into the Town When this Account was brought from Sir Hardress Waller to the Deputy he was upon his Return to the Army before Limerick having left me with about two thousand Horse and Foot as well to ease our Quarters about the Town not knowing how long we might lie before it as to endeavour to perswade the Garison of Clare-Castle a strong Place and situated upon the River to surrender To that end being arrived in the Army he sent one Lieutenant Colonel White who had served the Enemy and now had a Commission to raise Forces for the King of Spain with an Order to me to permit him to go to the said Garison that he might inform them of the Impossibility of their receiving any Relief and of the Necessities to which Limerick was already reduced and thereby prevail with them to make speedy provision for themselves and to list under him but his Design proving ineffectual I found my self obliged to return to the Camp before Limerick where we made provision for a Winter-Siege Great Numbers of People endeavoured to get out of the Town sent out by the Garison either as useless Persons or to spread the Contagion amongst us The Deputy commanded them to return and threatned to shoot any that should attempt to come out for the future But this not being sufficient to make them desist he caused two or three to be taken out in order to be executed and the rest to be whipped back into the Town One of those that were to be hanged was the Daughter of an old Man who was in that number which was to be sent back He desired that he might be hanged in the room of his Daughter but that was refused and he with the rest driven back into the Town After which a Gibbet was erected in the sight of the Town-Walls and one or two Persons hanged up who had been condemned for other Crimes that those within might suppose that Execution to be for coming out and by this means they were so terrified that we were no farther disturbed on that account The Deputy upon Information received that some in the Town were desirous to surrender and that others did violently oppose them endeavoured by Letters and Messages to foment the Division declaring against several Persons by name that were most active and obstinate for holding out that they should have no Benefit by the Articles to be agreed upon severely inveighing against a Generation of Men whom he called Souldiers of Fortune that made a trade of the War and valued not the Lives or Happiness of the People This wrought the desired effect and so encouraged the complying Party that it was carried for a Treaty and Commissioners again appointed on each side We insisted that about seventeen of the principal Persons in the Place should be excepted out of the Articles of which number were Col. Hugh O Neal the Governour the Mayor of the City the Bishops of Limerick and Emmene Major General Purcel Sir Geoffrey Galloway Sir Jeffrey Barrow one Wolf a Priest Sir Richard Everard and others But these made so strong a Party that the Treaty was broke up without any Agreement and no other way left to reduce them but by Force In order to which the Deputy caused the great Guns to be landed from the Ships and others to be brought from the adjacent Garisons With these he erected a Battery against the Town in the most convenient Place that could possibly have been found being against a part of the Wall which tho it was of the same Height and Thickness with the rest of it and also as well flanked yet it proved not to be lined with Earth within as all the other Parts were nor had any Counterscarp without In the mean time the Parliament seeing a Period put to the War in England and Scotland and that of Ireland drawing towards a Conclusion resolved to gratify such Officers as the General recommended to their Favour and thereupon settled a thousand Pounds yearly on Major General Lambert three hundred on Major General Overton the same on Col. Pride and Col. Whalley five hundred Pounds annually on Commissary General Reynolds a thousand Pounds per annum on the Lord Broghil They also settled four thousand Pounds a Year on the Lord General himself out of the Estates of the Duke of Buckingham and Marquiss of Worcester besides the two thousand five hundred Pounds a Year formerly granted This they did to oblige him by all means possible to the performance of his Duty or to leave
and the other being very much shatter'd sunk down as our Men were carrying her off The Council of State having received an Account of this Action made their Report of it to the Parliament who passed a Vote for the justification of General Blake and resolving to have Satisfaction for this Assault placed a Guard upon the Dutch Ambassadors at their Lodgings in Chelsey and sent General Cromwell and Mr. Denis Bond a Member of Parliament down to the Fleet with Assurances that nothing should be wanting for their Encouragement The Event of this Undertaking not answering the Expectations of the Hollanders serving only to provoke the English Nation and to publish their own Dishonour they endeavoured to make the World as well as the Parliament believe that the Quarrel was begun by General Blake or at least that what had been done was not by their Orders and therefore desired that the Treaty might go on and that the Prisoners taken in the late Fight might be restored To this end they sent over the Heer Paw of Heemsted to carry on the Treaty in conjunction with the Ambassadors they had sent before into England This Minister was received with all the usual Demonstrations of Honour and being admitted to Audience pressed for an Accommodation of all Differences and a Cessation of all Acts of Hostility between the two Nations assuring the Parliament that his Masters had given Orders to their Ships to strike to the English Flag in the same manner as had been practised in former times But being demanded to shew his Powers he produced nothing save Letters of Credence and Passports referring himself to the other Ambassadors in that Point with whom he made some General Propositions to the Parliament and desired them to declare their Demands By these Proceedings of the Dutch the Parliament perceiving that this Difference was not like to be decided by a Treaty contented themselves to require Satisfaction for the Injuries received and Assurance that nothing of that nature should be attempted for the future which if the Ambassadors would consent to they declared themselves ready to proceed in the Treaty and to grant a Cessation of Arms. But so little were they disposed to give the Satisfaction demanded that they made no farther mention of the Cessation which they had so earnestly pressed and having taken their Audience of Leave they broke off the Treaty abruptly and returned home In Ireland tho the Number of those that submitted on condition to be transported into foreign Service was so great that they became a great Burden to us before we could procure Shipping for their Transportation and tho the Enemy had received several Defeats by our Forces during the Winter wherein many of them had been killed and taken yet they continued to make Incursions into our Quarters carrying away Cattel and other Booty and having lately seized upon the Horses belonging to two Troops of Dragoons they were so encouraged that Sir Walter Dungan Commissary General of the Enemies Horse and Capt. Scurlock a forward Officer and one who had done us much Mischief with five hundred Foot and two hundred and fifty Horse marched into Wexford with a Design to plunder that County Lieutenant Colonel Throgmorton who commanded in those Parts having informed us of their March we sent two Troops of Horse to his Assistance who with them and about four hundred Foot charged the Enemy upon their Return and after some Dispute routed them killing two hundred of them upon the Place and many more with divers Officers in the Pursuit besides several of the Irish taken Prisoners with the Loss of about twenty killed and a hundred wounded on our side The Booty which the Enemy had gotten consisting chiefly in five hundred Cows was all recovered The Season of Action advancing the Commissioners of Parliament went to Kilkenny as well to confer with the Officers from all Parts of Ireland as to make the necessary Preparations for the ensuing Service of which the Earl of Westmeath who commanded the Enemies Forces in Leinster having notice sent to desire a safe Conduct for Commissioners to be named by them to treat with us at Kilkenny on their behalf which being granted they appointed Commissary General Dungan Lewis Viscount of Glanmaliere Sir Robert Talbot Sir Richard Barnwel Col. Walter Bagnol Col. Lewis Moor and Col. Thomas Tyrrell to be their Commissioners And on our part Commissary General Reynolds Col. Hewetson Col. Lawrence Col. Axtel Adjutant General Allen Major Henry Owen and Mr. James Standish Deputy-Treasurer of the Army were commissionated to treat and conclude with them in conformity to such Instructions as they received from a General Council and after several days Conference the Commissioners on each part came to an Agreement upon Terms that were the same in substance with those formerly granted to Col. Edmund Odonryer and his Party with liberty left for the Lord Muskerry Major General Taaf and other Commanders of the Irish in the Provinces of Mâ—nster Connaught and Vlster yet in Arms to come in and accept of the same Conditions within a limited time The Articles were approved by the Earl of Westmeath on the behalf of the Irish and on the part of the Commonwealth of England by Me as Commander in chief of their Forces in Ireland In the mean time the Committee appointed by the Parliament for the Reformation of the Law in England made a considerable progress in that matter Judges were also sent into Scotland for the Administration of Justice there which they performed to the great satisfaction of that People The Parliament also appointed a Committee to consider of means to set at work all the Poor throughout the Nation and to make Provision for such as were not able to work that there might be no Beggar in England In Scotland our Forces having reduced the Castle of Dunotter which was the last Garison of that Nation that held out against the Parliament of England it was resolved to make four considerable Forts one at Inverness another at Leith a third at Ayre and a fourth at St. Johnstoâ—n and because the Enemy being entirely beaten out of the Field was retired to the mountainous Parts which to that time had been accounted inaccessible by the English it was agreed to endeavour to clear those Places of them also being perswaded that where any went before others might follow after To this end our Men were divided into three Parties the first consisted of Colonel Overcon's Regiment of Foot and a Regiment of Horse commanded by Major Blackmore The second of Colonel Hacker's Regiment of Horse and one of Foot commanded by Colonel Lilburn and the third was composed of the Regiment of Horse of Major General Dean and of a Regiment of Foot belonging to Lieutenant General Monk Each of these having a Party of Dragoons to attend them rendezvouzed at Loughaber and from thence fell separately into the Enemy's Quarters where they killed many of them and burned their Provisions pursuing them so