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
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
their Bag and Baggage the Kings Standard and neer 100 Colours of Horse and Foot and the dishonour of the Parliamentarians Triumph the Kings Cabinet of Letters published afterwards in a most impudent manner of which the King most elegantly complained by the irreconciliable Enemies of his and his Kingdoms peace The number of the Common Souldiers taken amounted to 4500 who were afterwards brought to London and enclosed in the new Church-yard in Westminster by Tuttle-fields from whence they were freed by another Captivity the service of forreign Princes This Battel was fought much upon equal advantage for number both of Horse and Foot the ground also as equal For the fury of the fight dispensed with the first commodiousness of the Campania which was uncertainly maintained by the diversity of Success being thereunto very fit by reason of its playnness which was a mile broad from the utmost Flank of the Right to the left Wing of the Parliaments Army who first disposed of it and the neutrality of the Wind favoured both alike The Commanders on both sides behaved themselves worthy of their places nothing can be faulted in matter of courage but the Northern Horse for the King who were disgusâ—ed in the beginning for that they fought unwillingly as resolute upon the enterprize of Pomfret To give them their particular dues will be too filling for this Volume we will onely mention my Lord Bard because this Chronicle hath given no former account of his Honour to which he rose from a Commoner by excellent services done the King and Colonel Iohn Russel of whom before in Marston-Moor the whitest name in the Roll of Fame And since it is by the Victor-party even by the General himself thought a crime this Relation shall not spread it He himself became the Command had it been lawful the other his Officers were men and pity onely they were English Skippon here received a mark of his Disloyalty The next day Colonel Iohn Fiennes with his Regiment was sent up to London by the General with the Prisoners and Colours taken in the fight who had been all along eminent in the services of that side The Kings Forces being thus vanquished Fairfax gave orders for the Army and Train to march after them the next day being Sunday without any more intermission the pursuit of the Victory being of parallel consequence with the obtaining of it These Orders were chearfully obeyed though the long march of the Foot for many days together and the vehemency of the Battel might have made them rest That night they quartered at Great Glyn four miles short of Leicester but the Horse came nearer which so much Alarm'd the Nobility and Gentry that had fled thither for security that they fled thence in great haste leaving the Lord Hastings to defend the place The King in the mean time not judging it safe to lodge at Leicester departed to Ashby de la zouch where he reposed himself some few hours but stayed not there making all speed he could from Litchfield in the night and from thence into Wales The other part of the rout being the Northern Horse under Sir Marmaduke Langdale fled incontinently from the Battel to Newark and narrowly escaped Sir Iohn Gell who was advancing with 2000 Horse from Nottingham to joyn with the General The General Fairfax was once unresolved whether he should presently march to relieve Taunton sorely distressed by the Lord Goring or undertake Leicester He had received full information of the strength of that Army and what a desperate forlorn condition Blake the Governour was in yet knowing that now there was no possibility of juncture with the King of which before the fight Goring had assured his Majesty within few days he resolved to reduce Leicester first On Munday the 16 of Iune the whole Army came before the Town when the General sent a Summons to the Lord Hastings to deliver it to the use of the Parliament who very resolutely refused them and thereupon command was given for a present Storm On the 17 being Tuesday great store of Ladders were brought in a Battery raised upon which two Demy-Cannons and a whole Culverin taken at Naseby were planted upon an old Work against the Newark being the very same Guns which the King not many days before had used against the same place Whereupon the Lord of Loughborough seeing this resolution of the enemy sent a Trumpeter out that day with Letters desiring a Parley concerning the surrender of the Town which began that evening and concluded in an agreement and on Wednesday morning Iune the 18 the Garrison marched out the Governour to Ashby-de-la-zouch the Souldiers and other Officers to Litchfield with staves onely in their hands There were taken in the Town 14 pieces of Ordnance 30 Colours 2000 Arms 500 Horse 50 barrels of Powder and other Ammunition proportionable thereunto Then consultation was held whether any Horse should be sent after the King who hastned to Hereford but the distress of Taunton in the West swayed the Parliaments Army thither-ward being newly mustered and gratified with their pay sent down from London With this intention the Army marched towards Marlborough where they should be nevertheless in the mid-way to Hereford and Taunton if the King should appear formidable but no such account being likely to be given of him they advanced further West-ward and by the way took in Highworth-Garrison and came to Salisbury where their General had notiâ—e that the Country-men under the Stile of Club-men were generally risen in those Counties being distinguished by a white Ribon in their hats and had been bickering with part of Major-General Massey's forces which were the onely considerable for the Parliament thereabouts and that there might be some suspition of danger either in their Quarters or in the field from them For it was supposed they were risen in favour of the King however they pretended a neutrality and preservation of themselves To this purpose they presented the General with two Petitions the one to the King the other to the Parliament desiring a Safe-conduct to go and deliver them They were reputed neer the number of ten thousand then ready at an hours warning to be embodyed together Armed with Country-weapons Bills and Pitchtorks and Clubs and some Fire-Armes under the command of one Mr. Hollis who transacted with Sir Thomas Fairfax in the matter aforesaid Their Demands were high though reasonable but of these men more anon Goring hearing of this advance of the Army made a semblance and show of drawing off from Taunton where Colonel Welden and the relief lately sent were besieged after he had marched some two miles the Garrison sally'd out to fall upon his Rear when on a sudden he faces about falls with fury and execution upon the party kills many and pursues the rest into the Town up to the very Gates and then sets down closer than before But his
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 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
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
those overtures of his were not approved of to demand his Pass that he might leave the Kingdom but what he propounded was so plausible that in case Money and Arms could be had in time and in proportion to what he demanded as the infection of Galloway out of which Town chiefly both were to be had made it very difficult they judged it a very likely Expedition Whereupon the Lord Clanrickard desirous to keep so able a Commander as Sir George in the Kingdom furnisheth him with what Money he could at the present and sends him Northwards to lay and prepare the business before promising to do his uttermost endeavours to procure him those supplies of Money Ammunition and Arms by the time appointed as also to bring his Army up as far as Sligo there to countenance Sir George in his undertakings and be ready for any fair occasion that should present it self for the mastering of the Country After four or fivâ— days stay at the most his Excellency took his leave and hastened towards Kilkenny obliging the Lord Clanrickard to come after him to be present at a meeting he had appointed there for the procuring of a good understanding between the Clergy the Commissioners and himself and for taking the best order they could for the raising and maintaining an Army against the next Spring But though they met nothing at that time could be done or agreed upon wherefore the Lord Clanrickard returns into Connaght to take order for his Northern Expâ—dition which out of the great difficulties of getting his men together arising out of the universal distractions that were then in the Kingdom the hard Season of the year the Pestilence the want of Moneys and Provisions he could not possibly go through with against February which was the time designed nor even then when he did without very great necessities and inconveniencies to himself and his Army though that Noble Person declined no difficulty nor spared no Charge in his Majesties Service This failing in point of time and a great part of the Moneys promised him which nevertheless as things stood no mans industry could have remedied Sir George Monro complained very much of affirming that their opportunity was lost thereby especially now they being come the Army was able to move no further through extreme want of Provision kept from them by foul and contrary weather for which and the residue of the Money together with hopes of an accord between the Lord-Lieutenant and the Commissioners some days were spent in expectation but nothing in the end except onely a Letter from the Lord Ormond summoning the Lord Clanrickard suddainly away his Lordship was forced to leave his Army and the Northern business to the hazard and return back to meet the Lord-Lieutenant and the Commissioners at Loghreogh Wâ—ereupon Sir George Monro believing now the Lord-Lieutenant would leave the Kingdom seeing the divisions amongst the Irish grew daily greater and giving all for lost having received a defeat by Sir Charles Coot where the Earl of Claneboys was taken Prisoner and Colonel Henderson killed with some 800 Private Souldiers and lastly finding the impatience of his own party to treat with the Enemy as he had often before publikely declared he would retires himself to Eniskillin and having made Conditions for himself the remainder of his Party and his Officers that were in Prison gave up that place to the Enemy and departed the Kingdom Very soon after whose retirement the Lord Clanrickard's Army through extremity of want was forced to return from Sligo back towards the County of Galloway Where I will leave it and come back to his Excellency who being left by the Lord Clanrickard lately in Kilkenny after having caused Captain Tickle to be Executed for a designe he had of betraying that Town to Cromwel was by the breach growing daily wider between him and the Kingdom and through the increase of the Sickness now come thither at the joynt request of the Commissioners and Officers induced to remove towards Limerick where being negligently received without the accustomed respect used to the Kings Lieutenant he after a short stay departed thence into the County of Clare Immediately thereupon the Enemy having refreshed his men and encreased his Army with a great accession of old Souldiers that had formerly served under the Lord Inchiqueen and the Lord-Lieutenant takes the field and falls a Summoning Castles and bringing the Country under Contribution wherein he had a general success most of the Castles surrendring upon appearance of a party of Horse except Kiltenan which gave him some resistance His Excellencies Army through the forementioned obstinacy and disobedience of the Towns against receiving Garrisons was so far dispersed that there was no means of drawing them together neither if that were done of drawing them in a Body for the Country was destroyed and wast so that it could not supply him besides during these disagreements between the Lord-Lieutenant the Clergy and the Commissioners there were few or none of the Irish Souldiers if there had been Provisions for them that would obey his Excellencies Orders Of all which Cromwel was well aware and therefore went securely and with confidence to work carrying all before him Amongst other of his successes Ballisanon was sold unto him and Cahir Castle then the dwelling-house of Master Matthews a young youth and half Brother to the Lord-Lieutenant given him contrary to those strict orders left by his Excellency with Master Matthews for the keeping of it who was so conscious of his own misdoing in the Act that he refused upon several summons and invitations to appear before his Lordship and stayed sâ—â—ll in the Enemies quarters to secure himself from his Excellencies indignation But nevertheless this act of Master Matthews is made a ground of new susâ—â—â—â—ns and fresh clamours against his Lordship himself by the Irish who all this while run on in their extravagancies intent onely upon their disputes in hand as if there were no such man as Cromwel in the Kingdom insomuch that seeing so many several meetings assigned and so much time spent to so little purpose his Excellency concludes that those people would never be brought into order by him and therefore resolves to withdraw himself from the Government if not to depart the Kingdom and to commit the management of all unto the Marquess of Clanrickard which was the reason of his Lordships being sent for back again from Sligo The Enemy in the mean time having the Castles of Gowran and Laghlin together with the Officers Commanding in them delivered into his hands by the Common-Souldiers sets at last upon Kilkenny whence a while before the Earl of Castlehaven who was now left with chief Command in Lemster was drawn out with his Forces by reason the Sickness raged so leaving Sir Walter Butler and Major Walsh with about 50 Horse and some 400 Foot in the place where a breach being made and the Enemy
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
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
board the said Admiral and making them serve the Rebels against their wills c. The like he declared against the Genoese from whom he had taken another Vessel the objections against them being their Entertainment of Captain Hall sent into those Seas before Pen. As for the recognition of this State the Genoese did not that till afterwards when they saw what Influence the potent Fleets of this Commonwealth had upon all the Trade of Italy With these two Vessels and his own Men of War the Prince sailed to the Isles of Madera upon a designe against the Spanish Plate-fleet and Domingo but his ship the Reformation was so crazy and leaking that they could hardly bring her thither where it had been happier she had been broken up than so bunglingly mended those Carpenters and Ship-wrights not well understanding the Repair of such our Ships but indeed she was too Old for any slight Remedy While Cromwel attended the Scots at Tor-wood within a mile and a half of them at Falkirk at length the long-expected success of a Transportation into Fife manifested it self for Colonel Overton with 1400 Foot of his own and Colonel Daniels Regiment with four Troops of Horse of Colonel Lydcots having with the loss of a few men gained a place called North-ferry on the other side the Frith on the 17 of Iuly had as the time served intrenched themselves and before the Scotch Army then beyond Sterling could reach them with a sufficient Force to drive them out Major-General Lambert was passed over to them it being an Arm of the Sea on the 19 being Saturday in the afternoon whereupon Sir Iohn Brown Major-General of the Scotch Forces drew down upon them but Lambert with his Foot defended himself till his Horse came over the next day and then he drew out which Brown perceiving and that the Enemy was stronger than himself he wheeled about intending a retreat but being closely followed he Embatteled himself on the side of a Hill intending to protract time unless Lambert would venture up to him till more Forces then neer him were come up Lambert perceived as much and therefore committing the right Wing of the Horse to Okey himself in the Battel and Overton in the Reserve and Colonel Lydcot in the left Wing of Horse a furious fight began Okey couragiously charging up the Hill and was as gallantly charged by the Scots Lanciers the Highland-Foot did likewise good service for the whole Army was in a trice Engaged and in a trice ceased the brunt of it not continuing above a quarter of an hour the slaughter was very great occasioned said the English by reason of the Highlanders not understanding English and so uncapable of crying Quarter but by others it 's more justly imputed to Command for that the Highlanders were most hateful of all Scots to the Army as being more Loyal than the other the onely cause of the Quarrel However it were here were no less than 2000 slain and some 1600 taken Prisoners few of 4500 as they were computed the English far Exceeding them in number escaped with the lamentable tidings Sir Iohn Brown their Major-General and Colonel Buchanan and Scot were taken Prisoners in which condition Brown died not long after at Leith Before this defeat the Scots marched over Sterling-bridge to step this Invasion but understanding the remedilessness of it and Cromwel marching towards Sterling made him to retreat thither again in the mean while most of the Army was boated over Major-General Harrison who had attended about Carlisle and Cumberland to stop the Kings advance if He should have come that way when Cromwel lay about Edenburgh which was the shorter cut to London was now marched by Edenburgh way and the charge of the Army on this side the Frith with Colonel Riches and Colonel Bartons Forces then upon the same march committed to his Command while the English Army in Fife advanced to Saint Iohnstons from whence the Parliament and General Assembly had fled to Dundee affrighted with this news Inchigarvey-Castle standing in the midst of the Frith having been delivered on the 24 of Iuly with the Guns therein and Brunt-Island followed the said fortune on the 27 on which day Cromwel having sate down before Saint Iohnstons with his whole Army though a relief of two Regiments of Foot had been newly put in from over the Water yet despairing of holding out against so prevalent and numerous an Enemy upon the Englishes opening their Sluces Rendred upon Brunt-Island Articles which were the usual Military ones of Drums-beating c. on the third of August On the first whereof Cromwel had notice of the Kings removal from Sterling but nevertheless resolved to proceed with his business at Saint Iohnstons which being thus over he marched his men with all hast to Brunt-Island where he Ferried to Leith leaving General Monke to Command in Scotland with 7000 and on his march to reduce Sterling and hastned after the King It had all along been the Kings desire to have marched into England before this fatal opportunity and His coming was expected by His Friends every day though in no condition able to help Him being so spent wasted and terrified with the late and yet grievous Sequestrations and Sales but the King was imagined here by His Party to be able to do His business without them and the late immature discovery of Loves designe and his Sentence had quite bogled his Presbyterian well-wishers whatever they muttered to themselves of their adventurous Loyalty Indeed nothing so much heightned the hopes of all good men as those fears and distrusts and ill looks which the Phanatick-party discovered upon this occassion the rather because Harrison had lain so long in those parts by which the King entred on purpose and by express order to keep him out if possible or at least retard Him so in the Borders that Cromwel might overtake him there who was now three days march behind and Harrison also not very forward in his march And surely Cromwel was very sensible of his loytering at Saint Iohnstons through a proud humour of not rising without it since England was of the far greater concernment and it set him a little awry in the opinion of his Partisans The Parliament no sooner had notice of this Emergency by several Expresses who Rid as if their Necks had been at stake but out come three Acts or Proclamations together the one for the Militia setling it as it stood established and further forbidding all Royalists to depart from their Houses and Commanding all other people to give an account of their Servants to the next Officer if they shall absent themselves An Act forbidding Correspondence with the King or His Party And therewith another product of Treason in grain against the King His Person and Authority which said Decrees they did with confidence command to be published setting a good gloss and resolute Face upon their despairing and misgiving thoughts lest
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
their expert General to boyl and beat their Bed-cords to make Match of it But long they were not surrounded in that untenable place before Prince Maurice the Earl of Carnarvan the Lord Wilmot and Lord Biron with 1500 choyce Horse came to their rescue and presented themselves on the 13 of the same Month by break of day to the Enemies Leaguer and having given a signe to their Friends within fell with much valour on their Enemies and routed them on Round-way-down Which Onset being seconded from the Foot within proved a total rout to the Enemy whose Curassiers under Sir Arthur Hazlerig made some resistance but being once broken became the ruine of the Infantry who presently submitted and had quarter given them Here were slayn 800 besides what fell in the pursuit which was continued ten miles an end with great Fury but then their tired Horses began to lag And so Sir William and Sir Arthur came first to Bristol thence to Farnham and from thence with expedition to London There were taken two Thousand Prisoners four Brass Guns with their Ammunition and Baggage eight and twenty Colours and nine Corners Upon this fortunate day the Queen with the King from Edge-Hill made her joyful Entry into Oxford and not long after the Earl of Lindsey who was taken Prisoner when his Father was killed at Edge-Hill was welcomed to the Court there from his restraint This loss soon reduced Bristol into the Kings hands being delivered by Colonel Fiennes after three days siege to Prince Rupert for which surrender he had like to have lost his head These successes drew the King into the West where Dorchester Portland Weymouth and Melcomb submitted themselves Bidiford Appleford and Barnstable surrendred and after a little dispute before Exeter and some Granadoes thrown in and firing part of the Suburbs the great Sconce being taken in storm that City was delivered to Prince Maurice and Sir Iohn Berkly made Governour We must retrospect a little lest the hurrying of the War carry us from other remarkables The Marquess of New-Castle a little before Fryday Iune 30 obtained a victory over the Lord Fairfax at Adderton-Heath where he routed the Parliamentarians gained their five pieces of Cannon and so amazed them that they fled to Leeds which way was precluded and obstructed then to Bradford in their flight whither he took and killed two thousand while Fairfax hardly escaped to Leeds with the Convoy of one Troop of Horse The next day the said Earl came before Bradford which after the Battering of forty great Shot he took with two thousand more of the same party the next morning with all their Arms and Ammunition Hereupon Hallifax was quitted by the Parliamentarians and Sir Hugh Cholmley took Beverley The Lady Aubigney Wife to that Noble Lord who dyed of his wounds at Edge-Hill had brought to London according to the intelligence and desires of some Citizens of London from the King a Commission of Array the designe whereof was that they should seize into their custody the Kings Children some Members of Parliament the Lord Mayor and Committee of the Militia all the City Outworks and Forts the Tower of London and all the Magazines Then to let in the Kings Army to surprize the City to destroy all opposers and this grounded upon refusal of paying of Taxes imposed without Authority The Plot however came to be discovered and great noise was made about it The principal men were Mr. Edward Waller a Parliament-man who with much ado and great friends came off with the fine of ten thousand pounds Some Lords were suspected to favour the business also Mr. Tompkins Clerk of the Queens Council Mr. Chaloner a Linen-Draper Mr. Hasel Mr. Blinkborn Mr. White and others These were all Arraigned before a Council of War at Guild-Hall where four of the last were sentenced to be hanged and two of them suffered accordingly leaving sad and mournful Widows behind them for their Loyalty and affection to their Soveraign The Parliament now set a Fine of twenty thousand pounds upon Judge Berkley who had been a long time Prisoner for encouraging the designe of Ship-money he is likewise voted incapable of any Office or Dignity in the Commonwealth and to remain in Prison during pleasure By the King it was concluded to set upon Glocester being the only considerable place that held out for the Parliament in the West and lay very inconvenient hindering the intercourse betwixt Wales and the West-Countries In order whereunto his Majesty on the tenth of August came from Oxford in Person before it with a Royal Army while it was hardly imaginable where the Parliament could raise another Army and that done to march for London which proved a Fatal mistake to the King for if he had gone directly for London there was no opposition in readiness against him nor any place to stay him The King being resolved to gain Glocester after Prince Rupert had summoned it at a distance having close begirt it and being displeased that such a forlorn City should stand out against him yet desirous to gain it without blood and loss of time which seemed then precious in his Career of victory sent in this honourable Summons by two Heraulds CHARLES REX OVt of Our tender compassion to Our City of Glocester and that it may not receive any prejudice by Our Army which We cannot prevent if We be compelled to assault it We are therefore personally come before it to require the same and are graciously pleased to let all the Inhabitants of and all other persons within that City as well Souldiers as others know that if they shall immediately submit themselves and deliver this City to Vs We are contented freely and absolutely to pardon every one of them without exception and do assure them on the Word of a King that they nor any of them shall receive the least damage or prejudice by Our Army in their persons and estates but that We will appoint such a Governour and a moderate Garrison to reside there as shall be both for the ease and security of that City and the whole Country But if they shall neglect this offer of Grace and Favour and compel Vs by the power of Our Army to reduce that place which by the help of God We shall easily and shortly be able to do they must thank themselves for all the calamities and miseries which shall befall them To this Message We expect a clear and positive answer within two hours after the publishing hereof and by these presents do give leave to any persons safely to repair to and return from Vs whom that City shall desire to employ unto Vs in that business And We do require all the Officers and Souldiers of Our Army quietly to suffer them to pass accordingly To this Summons an Answer was returned in Writing delivered by Major Pudsey and a Citizen in these Words WE the Inhabitants
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
Thoâ—nhills Regiments of Horse and the other over Ribley-River whom the Body of the Army â—ollowed most of their Foot under Major-General Baily came that night to Wigan fighting and crying Quarter in the Rear and the next day to Warrington-Bridge where in their way at a place called Red-bank in a narrow lane they made a stand with a Body of Pikes and lined the Hedges with Muskets who so rudely entertained the pursuing Enemy that they were compelled to stop having lost abundance of men and Col. Thornhill himself until the coming up of Col. Pride's Regiment of Foot who after a sharp dispute put those brave Fellows to the run they were Commanded by a little Spark in a blew Bonnet that performed the part of an excellent Commander and was killed on the place After this they never turned Head but ran crying Mercy Mercy so that the noise thereof was heard at 5 Miles distance until they came to Warrington-Bridge where Baily made Conditions for Quarter and rendred himself and 4000 of them Prisoners Middleton was likewise taken with 400 Horse in his flight homeward Hamilton fled first to Namptwich with 3000 Horse where the Country-people surprized 500 of them and thence in haste to Vttoxeter in Staffordshire where he yielded himself to the Lord Gray of Grooby and Col. Wayt who were ready to encounter him and was thence brought prisoner to Ashby de la Zouch where he was kept in great state and courted by those the Grandees appointed to attend him on purpose to cajole and fish out what Great Oues Members of both Houses the City and Clergy had a hand in his undertaking it being more than suspected that he had such Invitation But the unhappy man was yet so fortunate to others as to reveal little or nothing to their prejudice reserving his thoughts till the last extremity for his ransom but he overstood the Market To save the Reader the trouble of particulars he may know that all that ever belonged to that Army was taken the Scots that escaped which were but few hardly carrying a Sword home with them such as got home happened to light upon Monro who was marching after Hamilton with a Reserve and upon news of this defeat hasted back again into Scotland having intelligence that Cromwel was marching towards him Who to compleat his Successes and Designes together thought it expedient to make sure of a party in Scotland that should keep all things quiet there while he should accomplish his intended mischief here and under the notion of Godliness and the Godly Party should amuse and cheat one another to the helping and bringing about his most ungodly Conspiracie To this purpose he marched into Scotland complementing the Kirk-men with the civility of his Journey to secure and settle them in return of their kindness to the Parliament in 1643. who cawed him again and congratulated his Victory in Scripture-Language who was no way behind them in those hypocritical Cantings He was likewise sumptuously feasted by Argyle and others of that Party and lastly by the Committee of Estates of whom he required and obtained that all the Armies both of Monro and Lanerick who yet stood out and Argyle's in opposition to them should be disbanded Berwick and Carlisle being already delivered to him that so there might be none in readiness to hinder his resolutions Secondly that a new Parliament be called And thirdly that none should be elected to sit and Vote there or in the General Assembly that had any hand in the late Invasion under Hamilton And so after many high expressions of their thankful resentments and obligations for his meritorious service took his leave of them and return'd into England being as he passed through York-shire with his Forces desired by that Committee to assist them in the reducing of Scarborough some while before declared for the King Sir Matthew Boynton the former Governour returning to his Allegeance and securing the Town on that score Tinmouth-Castle was likewise seized on for the King by Major Lilburn one of that famous Iohn Lilburn's Brothers who only seriously repented of his disloyalty and would have made satisfaction to the redemption of his Families and his own Honour but was presently and before he had time to fortifie and prepare for defence set upon by Forces sent by Sir Arthur Haslerig from Newcastle who stormed the Castle and carried it putting the Souldiers and Lilburn himself to the Sword Return we now to the distressed and starved Colchester where the Defendants had eaten up most of their Horses in expectation of relief from the Scotch Army being encouraged to hold out by Letters from the Lord Langdale of their Armies speedy advance to their succour But understanding by information from the Enemy without that that Army was totally defeated these unfortunate Heroical Royalists were forced to bethink themselves of a Surrender which Fairfax would now accept upon no other terms after much debate by Treaty than the Common Souldiers to quarter for life and the Officers to mercy These hard Terms were disputed within and were at the first generously scorned and thereupon a resolution was taken seconded with a Protestation whereby they engaged one to another by the assistance of God to break through the Enemy on Friday night the 23 of August but through the dissatisfaction or personal consideration of some of the Grandees this noble Designe was hindered and the Souldiers by the delay and after-consultation of it it being respited a day longer being enjealoused as if the Officers would leave the Foot in the action and shift for themselves and it was impossible to attempt their Line without Foot and Pioneers they were forced to accept of the former Conditions and accordingly August the 28th they rendred themselves a sad spectacle to all but that barbarous and insulting Enemy who presently stript them of all they had left comfortable their Money and Apparel Within two hours after the surrender Col. Ireton was sent to the Inne where all the Officers were put to acquaint Sir Charles Lucas Sir George Lisle and Sir Bernard Gascoyn that by a doom of the Council of War they were sentenced to be shot to death within three hours and that they should prepare themselves accordingly They all of them undauntedly received this sad Message Sir Charles only desiring some little time longer to prepare himself both in reference to his peace with God and concerns of his Relations which he said he asked not for fear of death or in hope of life which he would not value from their hands But this was refused by Ireton who on purpose to make the General odious then the only impediment to his Father-in-Law's Greatness which was afterwards removed by a more innocent wile had urged him to this murder Seven a Clock at night was the appointed time to prepare them against which Ireton proffered the Generals Chaplain but him they refused the Lord Capel's being
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
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
such papers found with him whereupon he was brought before a Court-Martial and there Sentenced to be Hanged which was accordingly Executed on the 13 day of Iuly against the Old-Exchange in Cornhill where he Triumpht in his suffering See we next a piece of their Justice upon an inanimate Statue the old Kings Effigies in the Old-Exchange and the same with his Fathers at the West-end of Saint Pauls the first they had ridiculously in imitation of their more scelerate cruelty decollated but ashamed of that impotent Revenge had now ordered to be taken out of its Nich altogether and under the Basis thereof these words were decreed to be inscribed Exit Tyrannus Regum ultimus Anno Libertatis Angliae restitutae primo Annoque Domini 1648. Which stood a long while a Testimony of their Guilt and a memorial to Strangers of their impudent and bold-fac'd Treason which gave not onely Truth but even Time it self the lye For never was there such a thing as the first year of the Peoples Liberty under their Anarchical Usurpation The other Statue of the King at its fall from the Gallery at St. Pauls aforesaid light upon its Feet which was taken as a good and sure Omen and Presage that His Majesties glorious Memory Fame and Posterity should recover and dure magure all the designes and present prosperous successes of His and their Enemies Myn Heer Ioachim was Resident here about the same time from the Estates-General whom the Parliament because the said Estates had refused to give Audience to Mr. Strickland their Agent had sent home having limited his stay here to a prefixed time but at his departure gratified him with the free transport of some able Horses expressing likewise their desire of Amity at the same time they were somenting a Rebellion in France by offering aid to the City of Burdeaux then in Arms against their Soveraign hoping to make all the world follow their humour and that as their Libellers said the Government thereof might return to that Form and Constitution it obtained most universally before the Ambition and Tyranny of Single Persons within 1600 years last past had invaded and overthrown it the great motive and argument used to the Dutch for a neerer and strict alliance with that Plebeian Authority and Free-State The Duke of York had for a good while after the Kings departure continued at Iersey in which time Sir Richard Lane Lord-Keeper of the Seal died there until the latter end of August whereabouts he arrived at the Louvre in Paris bringing with him a considerable sum of Money the value of such Prizes as his Iersey-Frigats had brought in intending speedily to go thence into Holland which journey he pursued In London on the 22 of the same month Eusebius Andrews a former Royallist and Secretary to the Lord Capel being trepan'd a word newly heard in England being a Denomination of a leud sort of people that prostituted Strumpets under pretence of their being their Wives and having deprehended persons of Estates by a signe given in the Fact prosecuted them at Law to the recovery of great damages by one Bernards formerly his Major and engaged in a kind of Plot against the Parliament who having made a most accurate legal Plea against the lawfulness and Authority of the High Court of Iustice and notably defended himself was notwithstandnig Sentenced as a Traytor and had the favour onely of altering the manner of his Execution which was by the Axe on Tower-hill where he died like other Martyrs before him full of joy and blessed hope Sir Iohn Gell who had been one of their prime Champions in the beginning of the War was now in recompence of his service principally aimed at and endeavoured to have been wrought into the same Confederacy by the innocent sollicitation of Colonel Andrews and the partaking of his Man Captain Benson therein who was to that purpose onely concerned in this Plot of their own contrivance being both an old Reformade and so obnoxious to them for Arrears and inveterated discontent and a Presbyterian of which Party Sir Iohn was thought the onely Chieftain but he wisely and prudently declining all such matters save a professing himself the Kings Servant when opportunity should serve though the High Court of Iustice did what they could to bring him within the danger of their new Act of new Treason after several hearings at their Bar he was found onely guilty of Misprision of Treason for Concealing of it and to lose his Estate and suffer perpetual Imprisonment but Benson and Astly were Condemned and Benson October 7 Executed at Tyburn where he Loyally and Christianly taxing their treacherous cruelty and ingratitude finished his Course In Ireland the resolute Garrison of Tecroghan Governed by the Lady Fitzgarret with the same prudence and magnanimity as Latham-House was by the Countess of Derby in England having endured a very hard and long Siege rendred at last to the Parliaments Forces on the 26 of Iune and that as ennobled place for brave defence the Garrison of Duncannon where the famous Colonel Wogans Royalists resided together with Waterford surrendred on the 20 of August ensuing upon very good terms considering how the Plague and the Enemy had so destructively annoyed them and the Lord Preston the Governour Sailed into France Caterlogh and Charlemont two more important places followed the same Fortune and gave the Parliament such hopeful assurance of a sudden plenary Conquest that they were thinking of transporting some of their Foot thence into the West of Scotland where Sultan Cromwel was now practising hoping to gain Colonel Ker and Straughan a kinde of Puritan-Presbyterians of the last Edition over to their Party All in a Zealous way for the Gospel put up in Bags here at London for their new gude Brethren of the Rebellious Kirk of which fine juggle more anon Several jealousies animosities and discontents were now reigning among the Scots more supremely than the Kings Authority the Kings friends wholly discountenanced and laid by even Presbyterians themselves no way understanding one another some willing to give the King His Rights without more stipulation and Engagements others of them thinking they could not sufficiently debase His Authority and that it should wholly depend on the Kirk and to that purpose several irreverend Postulata were put to him beyond the Tenour of the Treaty at Breda and in fine that party prevailed so as that the Army then on foot was in effect but very little for the Kings Interest and Service but was wholly at the disposal of the rigid Covenanters This was not unknown to Cromwel who thereupon never ceased Scribling and Divulging of the English Armies good intentions to the people of Scotland With whom they have no Quarrel but against a Malignant powerful Faction who had brought in the King to the disturbance of the Publike National Peace and Frendship betwixt the two People and that he was willing by Conference to give
for the Receiving and Issuing of the several sums of Money appointed to be received and paid by vertue of their Act for the raising of 120000 pounds per mensem for 4 Months to Commence the 28 of Decemb. 1650. for the Maintenance of the Army c. Another Act passed for Importation of Bullion with the usual priviledges and to have free passage and protection without any seizure upon any pretence whatsoever which was very well cautioned and another against Forced and Stolen Marriages Enabling Commissioners of the Great Seal to Issue Commissions of Delegates in case of pretended Marriage and lastly one for taking away the Fee of Damage-clear or Damna Clericorum from the first of Ianuary 1650. Not to omit in this place that Sir Iohn Stawell was now the third time before the High Court of Iustice. From the Gown pass we to the Sword The English Army in Scotland not being able to effect any thing against the main Army of the Kings that lay on Sterling-side resolved to be doing with a party that then lay in the West of Scotland under the Command of Colonel Ker and Straâ—ghan with whom Cromwel had maintained an open intercourse and had profered them a Cessation driving at this to take them off and subdivide the Nation in several parties and the effect of his Papers taxing the Scots with the admission of the King upon the old Malignant score did operate as he projected for thereupon out comes a Declaration or Remonstrance from these Western Fellows full of saucy and Treasonable Language which accordingly was Voted both by the Commissioners of the Kirk and the Committee of Estates to be scandalous and seditious Sir Iames Stuart and Sir Iohn Cheisly and one Mr. Leviston who seemed to countenance it were strictly watched and Straughan taken and made Prisoner in Dunbarton and after in Cathnes-Castle whence he escaped and came over to the English at Edenburgh but 't was more the sacred hunger of Gold than Zeal for Religion made him first betray his King and his Country after and we shall see all Cromwel's Proselytes of that Nation both Dundass Warreston and Giffin to love nothing so much as the Mammon of Presbytery Straughan thus removed Major-General Lambert was sent to prevail with Ker either by blows or words the latter being thought as feasible as the former and accordingly on the last of November having difficulty found and passed a Ford over Hamilton-River Ker got notice of it and resolutely fell into the Major-Generals Quarters at a Town of that name but the Horse being in a readiness to receive him he lost a hundred men had his Hand almost cut off and was taken Prisoner and the rest of his party being 5 Regiments of Horse two whereof were the Earl of Cassels and Kirconbrights pursued as far as Ayre where Commissary-General Whaley was now left to Command in chief in those Western-parts Cromwel had marched with his Army this way as far as Glasgow in October but understanding or dreading the Enemy would come and relieve Edenburgh-Castle with Provisions and another Governour being in Treaty with the present for a sum of Money he forthwith retired having there took and Garrisoned two Houses while Colonel Whaley took in Dalkeith and another nest of Moss-Troopers yet his coming thither hindred Major-General Mountgomery from marching into those parts to reduce Ker likewise to his obedience to the King Edenburgh-Castle had been Besieged some Months and upwards with little loss on either side save that the Great Guns from the Castle did some mischief in Edenburgh-streets and one Captain Hamilton was shot in the Head with a Musquet as he was viewing the Castle and the Morter-pieces made semblance of great terrour and annoyance to the Besieged a Mine was likewise carried on some 60 foot the Stone being cut all the way but then they could proceed no further being come to the Rock whereon the Castle stands nevertheless the Derby-shire-Miners being 12 in number did what they could to proceed the Enemy throwing Pitch and Flax and other combustible stuff into the Works At last the personated Hostility came to a period and Dundass old Levens Son-in-law pretending want of Water came to a Parley and having premised a colourable request of 10 days time to send to the Committee of Estates by whom he said he was intrusted which he knew was to be denied and after several Missives betwixt Cromwel and Him concluded the rendition of that most important place to the Kings Service in these Articles agreed on betwixt Major Abernethy Dundasses man and Captain Henderson on one side and Colonel Monke and Lieutenant-Colonel White on the other It was always before called the Maiden it may henceforth be called the Prostitute Castle The Articles were as follow That the Castle should be Surrendred to his Excellency Oliver Cromwel with all the Ordinance Arms Magazine and Furniture of War thereunto belonging on Tuesday the 24 of December 2. That the Governour Officers and Souldiers should march with Drums beating c. in Military posture to such place as they shall appoint 3. The Publike moveables private Writs and Evidences to be removed to Sterling 4. That Proclamation should be made for all that had Goods in the Castle to come or send to own and receive them 5. All sick Officers and Souldiers as well such as hurt in reputation to have liberty to stay in Edenburgh and the English to provide Horses and Waggons for the Governour and other Officers and Hostages to be given on the Scots part for performance There were found in it five French Cannon nine Dutch half-Cannon two Culverings two demi-Culverings two Minions two Falcons 28 Brass Drakes called Monkeys two Petards betwixt seven and eight thousand Arms neer eighty Barrels of Powder and a like store of Cannon-shot Colonel Fenwick was presently upon the Surrender made Governour of this and Leith Sir Arthur Haslerig and Mr. Scot were present at the Rendition thereof and then departed their work being done which that it may the better appear for a piece of the vilest Treachery any Scot ever committed though Cromwel ascribes it in his Letter to the Speaker to the alone wisdom of God beyond all humane power and accomplishment take this account from the lovers themselves of this Treason at Edenburgh The greatest want they had was of Beer but as for Oatmeal Butter Fresh Water and Salt Meat they had enough The Master Gunner told me that when our Guns were a drawing to the Batteries he had so placed his Peices that ours could not possibly have been planted without great loss but when he prepared to give fire he was forbidden by the Governour upon pain of death His man Abernethy went often out of the Castle upon pretence of getting Intelligence but it was to hold it with Cromwel sure it is that Dundass and he and some others were a little wiser and went not over the Water as they had made
them as fully as when the Parliament was sitting Signed in the Name and by the Appointment of his Excellency the Lord-General and his Council of Officers William Malyn Secret White hall the 22 of April 1653. The next thing they published was an Injunction to all the Officers and Souldiers in the Army forbidding them to make any disturbance in Churches or affronting of Ministers and people in Congregations which was done to gain them an opinion of Religious Piety and Zeal for the Worship and Service of God now frequently profaned by the Sectarian Principles of Anabaptism Quaking and Ranting the two later whereof began to spread about this time and be very infectious in the Army and their Quarters which were licensed among the Souldiery who were every where drawn together to Rendezvouzes to subscribe Addresses to their General declaring their approbation of what he had done to the Government and promising to assist him in his undertakings with their Lives with their hopeful expectation of the great and glorious Work to be accomplished by him to the building up of Sion c. The like he received from the Fleet upon the news of the Change communicated to them who resolved with the same courage to proceed against the common Enemy the Dutch Vice-Admiral Pen being now in the Downs with seventy sail of â—â—out Men of War and General Monke and Dean expected with some more of the Western squadron with which they now Anchored at Saint Hellen's Point The first Forrain Address that was made to this DICTATOR for such another Regiment was that of Lucius Scylla and C. Marius amongst the Romans for by that term of Authority he is bâ—â—t distinguished was from the Agents of the Rebel-City of Bourdeaux then maintained by the Prince of Conti against the French King while his Embassador Bourdeaux was here for a Peace whose offering a more advantageous Treaty to the Interest of Cromwel was one occasion of crushing that transaction and Cromwel besides was ready to Prince it himself and those Examples were no way to be encouraged by him The Dictator having held the Supreme Power some few days devolved it by a Declaration to a Council of State his ignorant conceited Officers soaring such flights and such their extravagant notions of Government and their pertness in them that made him quickly weary of such Counsellors or Companions these were partly the greatest Officers in the Army as Lambert Dean Harrison and partly Members of the late Parliament among whom the Lord Fairfax was by name now listed into this Juncto and some other new Gamesters of Cromwel's Cabinet Counsel At the latter end of this Declaration he limited the time of their power till the persons of known Fidelity and Honesty should meet according to the nomination appointment of his Council to take upon them the Supream Authority and in the interim to this Council all obedience upon Peril was required and all Justices and Sheriffs and other Officers were ordered to continue in their respective Commissions and places and Writs to run in the same stile of the Keepers of the Liberties of England The first work this Council did was the publishing of an Ordinance for six months Assessment from the 24 of Iune and was obeyed in all points like an Act of Parliament and better welcomed than any of the late ones for its decrease of the Tax to a considerable fall another Artifice to gain the people but the Treasuries were now reasonable full by the Providence of all Parliament The Town of Marlborough was reduced almost to Ashes April 28 an ominous Commencement of this Incendiaries Usurpation whose red and fiery Nose was the burden of many a Cavalier-Song This turn and Translation of the Government was very acceptable news to the King at Paris his Friends and Counsellors saluting and complementing him with the infallible hopes of his Restitution by those means and much Jollity and Gladness there was concerning it and many Treatments given the King The Earl of Bristol late Lord Digby was now honoured with the Order of the Garter at Paris and great expectation there was of a successful Issue of the Earl of Rochester's Negotiation at the Diet at â—atisbone and of potent assistance from other Princes His Allies and Confederates among whom the Dutch were now reckoned not the least considerable General Middleton being on his Journey thither to Treat with them about furnishing an Expedition into Scotland where he was to Command in chief but the Dutch having offered a Treaty at any neutral place which was now refused by Cromwel except at London they would not presently Engage till that Issue was known The King of Denmark now also published his Manifesto against the English and declared a War and Rigged his Fleet and secured and strengthned his Castles against any attempt of their Fleets if they should approach so neer as they had done when Captain Ball commanded a Squadron thither the end of last Summer In Ireland the main of the Forces of Vlster under the Command of the Lord Iniskellin Colonel O Rely and Mac Mahon and Mac Guire yielded and put an end to that War May 18 upon the old Articles for Transportation On the 4 of May Trump with 80 Men of War set sail again from the Texel to meet a Fleet of 200 sail from Nants and other parts in France coming round about by Ireland and to secure other ships from the Eastland laden with Cordage and other Ship-materials and necessaries which the Nants Fleet being ready for him he nimbly effected missing of our English Navy who having Rendezvouzed at Humber-mouth sailed to Aberdeen and so to Shetland and thence passed over to the Danish Shore where they had intelligence that Trump had dispatcht his errand by that lucky meeting of his Nants Fleet and had returned for Holland whereupon they presently steered for England but before their arrival in any Port Van Trump having quitted his Merchant-men and delivered them sate to the great rejoycing of the Dutch came instantly into the Downs with a resolution to fire and seize all such Ships as were before Dover there being no Guard nor protection neer them and on the 26 of May missing of his aim rantingly battered Dover with his whole Fleet all that day to the Alarming of all the Coast adjacent while the English Fleet having visited the Coast of Holland put them into no less consternation and wonder how we were able to Equip and Man 100 sail of War-ships in so short a time and in such a distracted condition of State Next day Trump having laid his Scouts abroad to get intelligence of the English Fleet as also to intercept all Trade and ships coming into the Downs and River Anchored on the back of the Goodwyn Generals Monke and Dean being in Yarmouth-Road and General Blake fitting himself to joyn with them for Trump stayed in his Station On the second of Iune in the Morning
affirm'd that he died by a heat taken in Hunting however the Emperour was very diligent to take all convenient orders for the prevention of any disquiet that might arise by reason of his death The Cessation made the last year between the Emperour and the great Turk began now to look with a favourable aspect toward a general conclusion of Peace The Emperour's Embassador Count Lesley having had a very honourable Reception from the Grand Visier at Constantinople And the Turkish Chiaux having been no less sumptuously attended by the Emperour's Commissioners appointed to conduct him to Vienna whither the Presents which he brought from the Grand Seignior were not a little sumptuous among the rest a Tent for Workmanship of Embroidery and Jewels valued at 200000 Rix-dollars In September the Peace betwixt the two Great Emperours was wholly concluded with that satisfaction to the Turk that Count Lesley the Emperour's Embassador acknowledged himself to have been Treated with that Civility and Magnificence that never any Imperial Embassador had received the like before It was thought this year would have put an end to the differences between the Duke of Savoy and the Commonwealth of Genoua But instead of Composure the Breach grew wider for the Duke of Savoy demanded the restitution of certain Villages which he claim'd as belonging to his Ancestors which the Genoueses in possession were loath to part with He also claim'd the right of Passage to carry Salt through the State of Genoua into Piedmont together with a priviledge of being nam'd first in all Articles of Treaty Better success had the Quarrel between the Electors of Mentz and Collen which with much difficulty this year was brought to a final conclusion upon Conditions That the City of Erford and the Villages thereto belonging should continue Hereditary to the Elector of Mentz the Duke of Saxony renouncing all pretences to them That Saxony should keep possession of seven Lordships which the Elector of Mentz laid claim to That Religion should remain unmolested according to the Auspurgh Confession And that the two Electors should enter into a League Offensive and Defensive The Portugueses heightned with their late Victories and still back'd with the English Succours Invade Galicia where they Sack'd 24 Towns and Villages at length coming before La Guarda the English leading the Van were commanded to enter the Town which they gain'd with small loss but in Storming the Fort they found a smarter resistance though that also was in a short time compell'd to yield but with the unhappy fall of Captain Charles Langley Lieutenant Senhouse and Ensigne Berry In Germany the Duke of Brandenburg makes new Levies of Horse and Foot and now with his Arms in his Hands he demands a Restitution of the Tolls at Genuep and a regulation of Quarterings and Musters through his Country which though Beverning was sent to excuse yet it could not be forgot The Dutch did not care to have too many Enemies which made the Brandenburgher think it seasonable to raise his Market the price of his Alliance being nineteen Tun of Gold At length all the Conferences of his Ministers and the Dutch ended in this That there should be a speedy meeting appointed to consult for the common Peace and Safety of that Circle of the Empire the Elector Declaring that he could not conclude any thing in relation to the present War without the consent of the rest of his Allies This year the Queen-Mother of France Anne of Austria Sister to Philip the 4 th departed this Life before her expiration making use of her last Breath to recommend to her Son The easing of his People to preserve Vnity between himself and his Brother and in all things to imitate the Example of his Grandfather Henry the 4th In Italy there arose a Contest of no small consequence between the Venetian and the Pope For the Venetian claiming the Sovereignty of the Adriatick-Sea finding a Vessel belonging to the Pope there demanded the Custom due to that Republick which the Master denying they carried the Vessel to Venice The Pope demands Restitution but they make such a tedious Demur that it amounted to a denyal Hereupon the Pope makes an Embargo in Ancona and all his other Ports of the Venetian Ships They send to their Embassador at Rome to complain the Pope denies him Audience but by the Mediation of the Cardinal Patron the difference was Compos'd in regard of their War with the Turks against whom the Pope then reigning was a most Devout Enemy About this time the Iews were strangely Alarm'd with the News of a New Messiah The Impostor was a person bred and born in Smyrna who in a short space grew to such a Head that no one Jew durst open his Mouth against him he drew after him great Multitudes and was strangely ador'd by the chiefest of the Iews That which contributed to the Imposture was a Confederacy of Thirty others who pretending themselves to have the Gift of Prophesie in all their Publique Ejaculations pointed out him for the Messiah Whether it were he or another but in Eden a great City in the Kingdom of Elal in Arabia Felix there was at the same time a Iew by the Name of Giorobaon who by his dextrous Oratory reduc'd all the Citizens for the most part Iews to his Obedience killing the Bassa and forcing the Garrison to submit to him In a little time his Numbers increas'd he calling himself their Prophet so that in a short time he drew after him all the Arabians of the Mountain Cabuburra thence passing through Arabia Pâ—trea he Possess'd himself of Medina and Mecca writing from those parts to all the Iews of Idumea and Syria to prepare for his Reception Nor were these two alone for at the same time one Sabadai not so Warlike but more Prophetical did strangely entoxicate the brains of his Brethren with an Assurance of the Arrival of their Expected Messiah and was so vain as to go to Constantinople to demand the Land of Promise from the Grand Signior One thing must not be omitted since we are among the Iews and the Turks That the Secretary to the Turkish Embassador sent to Conclude the Peace at Vienna after the business was over took an occasion whether out of Design or Devotion is for others to conjecture to absent himself with several Papers of Importance from his Masters Service and turn Christian. Yet notwithstanding the Turkish Peace the Emperour was not a little disturb'd by the Revolt of Palaffi Imbre who with a great number of ill-disciplin'd Vagabonds did very much infest Hungaria solliciting the Bassa of Ersa to his Assistance but through the great diligence of the Palatine of Hungaria he prevail'd little or nothing this Year more than in spoyling and Robbing the Country He was soon defeated and taken his Person was Committed to Prison where he remain'd till the Nuptials of the Empress at which time he
hovering in sight of the Town for three days together return'd into Harbour and bringing out the Ships under his Convoy steer'd his own Course But to return to the Fleet. It was at this time divided and the White Squadron under Prince Rupert was gone toward the Coast of France upon an apprehension of Beauforts coming to joyn with the Dutch at which time the other two Squadrons under the Duke of Albemarle being Four Leagues off the North-Foreland the Bristol plying about a League from the Fleet discover'd several Sails and thereupon fir'd Three Guns for better Information Soon after from the top of the Admiral they discover'd the Dutch Fleet. The Fight began Friday the First of Iune and was maintain'd for two days together with only 50 ships of the English against double the number of the Dutch The Duke had all his Tackle taken off with Chain-shot and his Breeches to his skin were shot off Captain Harman in the Henry had the luck to have all the Dutch Fleet upon him single which he bravely supported and forced his way quite through them he had three Fireships upon him of which one took fire but it was soon quench'd and at length he was forc'd to leave the Fleet. The Rainbow being the second as the Henry was the first that Engag'd This was the first days Dispute from one of the Clock till nine at Night wherein the Dutch had two great ships Fir'd On Saturday the Fight was renew'd with greater Violence than before wherein the Dutch lost Three Sail more which were forc'd to retire out of the Dispute and it is thought that this part of the Fleet would have given a very good accompt of the Enemy had not the Dutch receiv'd a Reinforcement of 16 fresh ships The General was Attacqu'd by a Vice-Admiral of the Enemy who came up so neer as that the Yards arms touch'd but the General receiv'd him with so full a Bread side besides a Volley of small shot that he fell a Stern and appeared no more However on Sunday the General finding the Fleet overpower'd in number and tiâ—â—d with continual service began to stand over to the English Coast. In this Retreat which was manag'd with all care and prudence the Saint Paul and two other ships were by the General 's order set on fire to prevent their falling into the Enemies hands all the men disposed into other ships Toward the Evening of that day appeared the Prince upon whose approach the Enemy leaving 50 Sail to make good against the General sent out 30 more to intercept the Prince but he avoiding them made up to the General when he drew neer the Fleet he sent word to the General that if he approv'd of it he would keep the Wind engage those thirty ships which bore up to him but the General supposing that Squadron to be only a Decoy to draw the Prince upon the Galloper sent a Caution to the Prince not to meddle with that Squadron And now both Generals being joyn'd on Munday by Morning-light the Dutch Fleet were got out of sight but the English soon made them again Sir Christopher Mimms leading the Van the Prince in the Middle and Sir Edward Sprague in the Rear of the fresh Squadron Here the Encounter was very sharp the English fighting some to the Windward some to the Leeward of the Dutch In this Engagement the English pass'd the whole Body of the Enemies Fleet five times with good advantage on their side which the Dutch not enduring began to run and were pursu'd so long as the Powder lasted there being not above 35 of the Enemy left in a Body and doubtless they had received more mischief the Generals resolving to have born in among 'um a sixth time but that the Prince having receiv'd in the last pass two shots in his Powder-room and finding his Masts disabled was forc'd to let the Enemy make the best of their way whereby they escaped much fairer than otherways they could have done Of the English Fleet was only burnt the Prince having by misfortune first run aground upon the Galloper by which means Sir George Ayscue the Commander became a Prisoner The Essex was also taken having entangled her self by grapling with one of the Enemies ships which she had almost taken The Swiftsure was also missing taken by Rear-Admiral Swaert her Commander Sir William Berkley being slain Beside these not a ship except the Slugs expresly burnt by Order all the rest arriving safe in the Gunfleet Certainly many of the Enemy were Burnt and Sunk The Enemy endeavouring to conceal their Losses as much as they could but it was generally concluded that they lost above 15 Ships and 21 Captains among the rest Evertson one of their Admirals and of common Seamen above 5000. Sir George Ayscue was sent to the Castle of Lovestein and Captain Reeves imprison'd in Amsterdam having Wounded as he was receiv'd most barbarous usage from the hands of those that took him This bloudy Encounter being over the King makes all the hast imaginable to take the Sea again to which purpose the King proposes to the City the furnishing him with a sum of Money to answer the great occasion of the War whereupon the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Common-Council agreed to furnish him with 100000 l. the most of which was subscrib'd upon the place However the Dutch by reason they had several ships already fitted which were intended for the Sound to assist the Dane got out some time before the English could possibly be ready and were several times discover'd towards the Coast of France to meet with Beaufort who was to have joyn'd with them but never did But it was not long before the English Fleet were at their heels in very good order The Flags being carried by the Generals Sir Ioseph Iordan Sir Robert Holmes Sir Thomas Allen Sir Thomas Tyddiman Captain Vtburt Sir Ieremy Smith Sir Edward Sprague and Captain Kempthorn On Munday the English Fleet set sail from the Gunfleet the Enemy plying Eastward before them That Night proving stormy the Iersey disabled by Thunder her Main-topmast being broken to pieces and the Main-mast split from the Top to the Bottom and another Fire-ship receiving some harm were sent away to be refitted At two of the clock next day they weigh'd and discover'd the Dutch Fleet standing with them having the Wind but not the Courage to engage them Next Morning by nine of the clock both Fleets engaged the English not firing till they came up close with the Enemy and then the Anne headmost of the White began the Fight the Red and Blue Squadrons coming up within an hour after Between ten and eleven one of the English Fire-ships endeavouring to board their headmost Admiral was put off and burnt down without effect At eleven the Van of their Fleet began to give way and about one the whole Van bore away from the English before the Wind
neer half an hour after the Royal Katherine the Saint George and another of the White lay by to repair together with Sir Robert Holmes After that the Resolution was burnt by a Fire-ship sent on board him by Trâ—mp but the men were most of them sav'd About three of the clock the Royal Charles went out of the Line and with much Gallantry fought ship to ship with De Ruyter within Musquet-shot leaving her place to the Sovereign till having repair'd her self she stood in again and so warmly handled De Ruyter that he was forc'd to give way but so disabâ—'d her self that she had not a Rope left but was tow'd out of the Line by Boats about which time two of the Enemies ships were observed to be blown up About four of the clock De Ruyter made all the sail he could and ran for 't but made frequent tacks to fetch off his maimed Vessels once hazarding himself very much to rescue his Second who was so disabled that he could not be got off in which condition he chopt to an Anchor which brought the English to the Leeward of him a Fire-ship attempting to get up to him was assail'd by another from the Enemy and both burnt together The Van thus running were pursu'd by the Red and White Squadron which continu'd among them all Night the Royal Iames taking Bankert's ship of 60 Guns Vice-Admiral of Zealand himself hardly escaping and the Snake of Harlem of 66 Guns which the English afterwards burnt having Tromp in the Rear engaged with the Blue Squadron Next Morning the Dutch had all the Wind that was so that the English could not get up with them only the Fanfan a little Sloop built for Prince Rupert with her Oars made up to De Ruyter and bringing her two little Guns to one side continu'd for an hour plying De Ruyter Broadside and Broadside to the great Laughter of the English and Indignation of the Dutch to see their Admiral chac'd so stoutly The English Fleet continu'd the Chace over many Flats and Banks till they came so neer the Shore that the great ships could not follow but left the lesser Frigats to attend them till they got into the Darlow-Channel of Zealand De Ruyter's ship was batteâ—'d very much in this Chace and if the Wind had serv'd for the great ships he had inevitably been taken and most of those that were with him had been destroy'd Not long after the Wind veering the Generals discovered Tromp with the remainder of the Dutch Fleet in the Offen chac'd by the Blue Squadron having the Wind so that toward Night the Royal Charles tacking to keep between Tromp and home stood in with the English Fleet and came to an Anchor but Sir Ieremy Smith in the Night-time lying by for fear of Shoale ground the Dutch in the mean time stole away getting to Windward so that the General 's Squadron could not reach 'um though they chac'd 'um till they had but six Fathom Water by which means they got into the Wielings to the rest of their Fleet. On the English side were only three Captains slain the Resolution burnt and not much above 300 wounded men On the Dutch side were above 4000 kill'd and neer 3000 wounded of common Sea-men Several of their Captains also were slain among the rest Evertson Admiral of Zealand Tirrick Hiddes Admiral of Friezland the Vice-Admiral of Friezland and Rear-Admiral Van Saen They were above a hundred sail of which only eighty eight returned which was the general computation of that time It was impossible for the Dutch to deny this to be a Victory their own ships being beaten home in such a miserable condition that many of their best ships had much ado to float above Water And the English keeping the Sea and not only so but presently after the Engagement shewing themselves upon their own Coast. Nor were their own Harbours secure for Sir Robert Holmes being order'd to go into the Vlie to burn that Island with five Fire-ships some Ketches and one fifth-rate Frigat went in the Fire-ships went ahead and soon destroy'd two Men of War and other ships that lay there in defence of the Fleet which being done he sent the rest of the Boats to burn the rest of the Ships which they did with so good success that in a short time the most of that great Fleet consisting of 170 sail was in a flame except a Guiny-man of 24 Guns and three Privateers who getting into the narrow of the Channel protected five Sail more that were ahead of them so that the Boats could not come at them After that he went ashore upon the Schelling where he burnt the chief Town upon the Island which was accounted very rich and had destroy'd all the other Villages but that being high Water he durst not lose the opportunity of returning The number of Ships burnt were judg'd to be 160 Sail which was the more considerable in regard it was perform'd with so little loss to the English there being not above twelve men kill'd and wounded in the whole Action Yet neither this nor the last disaster were so fatal as to keep the Dutch from taking the Sea again which they did toward the latter end of August though not with so powerful a Fleet as before and therefore they pass'd by the back of the Goodwyn making for the French Coast to have joyn'd with Beaufort who lay at Rochel with forty Sail but the English Fleet follow'd 'um close and finding the Dutch gone toward Calice they stood a course after them but upon the approach of the English the Dutch got all under sail and stood for Bulloigne-Road haling close to the shore And here they had in all probability been utterly Ruin'd but that the Weather grew so extreamly stormy that the English could not attempt any thing upon them nor durst the other adventure out to Sea therefore the English thought it best to make away for St. Hellens-Bay the place of Rendezvouze and the most proper station to hinder the Enemies conjunction with the Fleet. But the French were not a little tam'd by the taking of Monsieur La Roche who scattered from the Body of the Fleet with five or six more French Men of War was discover'd by Sir Thomas Allen lying between Fairlee and Dungeonness who having the Wind came up by the side of the French-man Yard-arm and Yard-arm and pour'd into him a Broad-side of great and small shot receiving the like from the other but before Sir Thomas could tack again the French-man having spent his Fore-mast and finding himself fallen between two other of the English Frigats and Sir Thomas at his heels ready to give him another Broad-side he immediately yielded This ship was called the Ruby of a thousand Tuns burthen carrying 412 men and 54 Guns whereof 50 Brass And now De Ruyter falling sick was forc'd to leave the Dutch Fleet under the care of Van Ness. But the
Confederates to be Dissolv'd Soon after Lubomirskie with both his Sons kiss'd the Kings Hands and took the Oath of Fidelity Last Year you heard how Sabaday the great upstart Prophet to the Iews went to Constantinople to dâ—mand the Land of Promise for the Iews but upon his Arrival the Great Turk consulting with his Mufti and one of his Judges what to do with him concluded That he was to be dealt with as a Traytor to the Ottoman Empire and so to be Flea'd alive after which that People fell very severely upon the Iews and slew a great Number of them But the Sentence was respited and he only sent to the Prison of the Seven Towers in the Dardanelli from whence he wrote a Letter to the Hebrews in Smyrna encouraging them to stand fast in their Opinion after that taking upon him the Title and Personage of a Great King and Prophet insomuch that many Thousands of his Religion made their Visits to him in the Prison But the Visier taking notice of the great Confluence of People to him and fearing their Principles might lead them to some Action prejudicial to the Government gave Order to bring him from the Dardanels to Adrianople where being by a Learned Iew of his own Country after seven days Conference with him found to be an Impostor the Grand Visier so wrought upon him by Threats and Promises that he was content to lay his Royal Titles aside and to take a servile Employment upon him in the Grand Signiors Court leaving to his Country-men only Shame and Repentance To visit Sweden in the Circuit of this Year we find the Swedish Prince highly offended with the City of Bremen for encroaching too much upon the Priviledges of that Crown and assuming upon themselves to be a free Member of the Empire After tedious Parleys they come to Blows Wrâ—ngle lays close Seige but Brandenburgh Lunenburgh and the Dutch Engage in their Defence bringing their Forces together for their Relief the noise whereof for the Enemy now drew near so far wrought upon the Swede that he was willing to come to Composition and at length Articles are agree'd upon and the Siege rais'd upon condition That they should clayme no Vote or Session in the Meetings of the nether Circle That they should pay their Contributions as thereby directed That the Works of the City built upon the Kings Ground should continue That they should forbear to use the Title of a Free Imperial City For other things to enjoy their Customs Priviledges and Ecclesiastical and Civil Rights as in the Treaty 1648. But the Venetians have their Hands full the Great Turk bending all his Forces to the Conquest of Candia The Grand Visier had already laid Siege to the Great Town and rais'd a Battery near the Lazaret to hinder the Passage of the Veneâ—ian Ships for its Relief and was so offended with the Bassa of Canea and Candia Nova that he took off their Heads for being defective in their Duties as he pretended the Summer before The Venetians on the other side were very sâ—dulous in the Defence of their Territories solliciting all their Neighbouring Princes and having already receiv'd great Encouragements from the Pope and therefore the Event of the Siege was to be this Year Discovered Anno Dom. 1667. THE Swedes had offer'd a mediation last Year between the King of England and the States of Holland the result whereof was That the King of England did accept of Breda for the place of Treaty and would send for the Management thereof the Lord Hollis and Mr. Henry Coventry so soon as the Passports necessary for their Transportation should be ready which being communicated by the Swedish Embassadors they embraced the Offer most willingly however their preparations for setting out their Fleet were carried on with all imaginable diligence which the King of England saw but resolving that they should waste this Summer in a fruitless expence stood only upon his own Guard Some Ships the English had abroad but not to do any considerable Service but what their own Courage when they accidentally fell in with the Enemy led them to among the rest Captain Dawes in the Elizabeth meeting with 15 Sail of Rotterdam Men of War Fought with their Rear-Admiral of 64 Guns and Five others of 48 and 50 Guns and presently after with the Admiral of 70 Guns and two of his Seconds yet got clear of them all forcing the Enemy to lye by the Lee. Not long after the same Frigat engaged with Two Danish Men of War of 40 Guns apiece where after four hours Fight Captain Dawes was slain with a great Shot yet had the heart to Cry For God's sake never yield the Frigat to those Fellows Not long after the Lieutenant being desperately wounded the Master succeeding him slain the Gunner took place who so well ply'd the two Danes that they Steer'd away to their own Shore while the English Anchor'd within a Mile of them to repair the Damages which they had receiv'd The next morning though but badly ready yet they resolv'd to expect the Danes again who though they were to Windward of the English and had the advantage of the Current yet they would not attempt any thing â—urther although the English shot off a Gun in Defiance but could by no means come nigh them and therefore bore a way for England By this time the English Embassadours are Arriv'd at Breda and had made their Publick Entrie which was very Solemn they were met a Mile from the Town by 200 Horse sent by the Governor with whom went the Commander of the Town in the Governors Coach the Horse led the Van then sixteen Pages on Horseback and after them four Trumpets in the King of England's Liverie after them the Gentlemen of the Horse to the Embassadors followed by the Mareschal of the Embassie who preceded the Embassadors Coach which was very rich drawn with six Horses besides three others of their own and the Governors At the Gate of the Town they were met and Complimented by the Governor who passed with them in their own Coach to their House but while they were busie at the Transactions of Peace it will not be amiss to follow the Dutch Fleet in their Military Progress About the beginning of Iune they appear'd abroad at Sea with a considerable Fleet and finding no Enemy to resist 'um they kept plying upon the English Coast for many weeks together They had toward the latter end of April made an Attempt with a Squadron of Ships upon Burnt Island in Scotland but were beaten off with loss Their next attempt was upon the Platform at Sheer-Ness which being a place of small strength and consequently unable to resist the Force of their Artillery after a stout resistance made was quitted by Sir Edward Sprague Animated with this Success with 22 Sail they made up toward the Chain though with some difficulty several Vessels being sunk about Muscle-Bank which was