sitting in Council there having not quite lost the Affections of English-men took the examination of that Affair into their hands and suspended Smith from the execution of his Office till he should give Satisfaction concerning those things of which he was accused They committed the Management of the Place to one Thorp and sent some of their own Number to enquire concerning our Usage In the mean time Smith came to me by Order and offered me the liberty of the Town and to lodg where I pleased therein upon my Parole to be a true Prisoner but demanding of him whether in case I accepted his Offer I might have the liberty to visit my Friends in the Castle when I thought fit and he answering that it would not be allowed I chose rather to be confined with my Friends than at liberty with my Enemies The Lord Arundel endeavouring to make good his Promise of procuring my Exchange for his two Sons earnestly solicited the King to it but tho he had been a great Sufferer for his Service the King positively refused to grant his Request telling him he had no use of Children The Lady Byron came to me and desired me to procure her Husband who was Prisoner in the Tower to be exchanged for me and carried a Letter from me to my Mother then at London about it who soliciting the Earl of Essex our General to that effect was desired by him not to trouble her self any more therein assuring her that he would be as careful of me as if I were his own Son A Person from Sir Edward Stradling came also to me in order to an Exchange between us telling me that the King had promised that nothing of that nature should be done before Sir Edward Stradling and Col. Lunsford were exchanged The Lord Willmot sent a Gentleman to acquaint me that he had procured a Grant from the King that I should be exchanged for Sir Hugh Pollard and that if I would write a Letter to the Earl of Essex with the Proposal he would send it by a Trumpeter but I judging this Exchange to be very unequal Sir Hugh being a Person much esteemed for his Interest and Experience proposed in my Letter to the Lord General that he would put some other Person with me into the Balance against him Whilst I was in expectation of the General 's Answer we received Advice that most of our Foot that lay before Newark commanded by Sir John Meldrum a worthy Scots-man were defeated and made Prisoners by Prince Rupert But this Loss was in some measure recompensed by a Victory obtained at Cherington in Hampshire by our Forces commanded by Sir William Waller against those of the King commanded by Sir Ralph Hopton The Numbers on each side were very near equal and the Success had been doubtful for the most part of the day but at last the Enemy was totally routed and put to flight And had good use been made of this Victory the Controversy had soon been decided in the West but we were not yet so happy to improve our Advantages by which Negligence we got little more than the Field and the Reputation of the Victory tho the Enemy lost some of their principal Officers in the Fight amongst whom were the Lord John Brother to the Duke of Lennox Sir Edward Stawell Col. Richard Manning formerly mentioned and that Smith who had been knighted by the King for rescuing his Standard out of the hands of Mr. Chambers Secretary to the Earl of Essex This Fight at Cherington happened on the 29 th of March 1644. about a Fortnight after the Surrender of Warder-Castle till which time had I been able to keep it I should have been relieved The Enemies Officers came to the Castle at Oxford to solicit the Prisoners to take Arms under them but finding their Endeavours to prove ineffectual they soon desisted from that Attempt After three Weeks Confinement here my Exchange was agreed the Lord General Essex expressing much Generosity and Readiness in it as he had promised to my Mother for lest the King should be reminded of his Promise to Sir Edward Stradling and Col. Lunsford or of that to my Lord Willmot in favour of Sir Hugh Pollard and so on either hand the design of my Liberty come to be obstructed he consented to the Exchange of all the three for Col. Houghton Sir John Savil Capt. Abercromy and my self Col. Henley went off also with us being exchanged for Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sandys I was led blindfold through the City of Oxford till I had passed their Works and the next day arrived at London where I found the Earl of Essex disposed to an Exchange for my Officers and Souldiers which was soon after made and with them for Mr. Balsum whom he entertained as his Chaplain to the time of his Death He expressed a great Desire to provide me with a Command in his Army but the Parliament upon the Instances of the Gentlemen that served for the County of Wilts having appointed me Sheriff thereof upon an Invitation of Sir Arthur Haslerig to be Major of his Regiment of Horse in Sir William Waller's Army which was designed for the Service of the West I accepted of it and mounted the choicest of my old Souldiers with me Sir Arthur buying a hundred Horse in Smithfield for that purpose the rest of my Men the Lord General took into his own Company As soon as my Troop was compleated and furnished with all things necessary I repaired to the Regiment then with Sir William Waller near Abingdon who was directed by the Parliament with his Army to block up the King at Oxford on one side whilst the Earl of Essex should do the same on the other Which Storm the Queen foreseeing withdrew to Exeter where she was delivered of a Daughter which she leaving in the Custody of the Lady Dalkeith returned to France as well to secure her self as to solicit for Supplies In the mean time the King breaking out from Oxford marched towards Worcestershire upon which the Earl of Essex commanded Sir William Waller to march after him whilst he himself with his Army marched westward This Order seemed very strange to the Parliament and to most of us being likely to break Sir William Waller's Army which consisted for the most part of Western Gentlemen who hop'd thereby to have been enabled to secure the Country and to promote the Publick Service The Parliament sent to the Lord General to observe his former Orders and to attend the King's Motions but he sending them a short Answer continued his March West in which he took Weymouth and relieved Lyme that had endured a long Siege and with the Assistance of the Seamen tho their Works were inconsiderable had often repulsed the Enemy and killed great numbers of them in several Sallies that they made upon them A Party commanded by Sir Robert Pye was ordered to Taunton which he reduced to the Obedience of the Parliament Upon the Advance of the
extraordinary Guards but according to Law in case of actual Rebellion or Invasion 17. That it will please your Majesty to confirm your Leagues with the United Provinces and other Princes of the Protestant Religion that you may be the more capable to defend it against Popish Attempts which will bring much Reputation to your Majesty and encourage your Subjects to endeavour in a Parliamentary way to re-establish your Sifter and her Children and other Princes oppressed for the same Cause 18. That it will please your Majesty to clear by an Act of Parliament the Lord Kimbolton and the five Members of the House of Commons so that future Parliaments may be secured against the Consequence of such ill Examples 19. That it will please your Majesty of your Grace to pass an Act That the Peers created hereafter shall have no Place nor Voice in Parliament at least unless they are admitted thereunto by the Parliament These humble Requests being granted unto us by your Majesty we shall endeavour as we ought to regulate the Revenue of your Majesty and to increase it more and more in such sort that it shall support the Dignity Royal with Honour and Abundance beyond whatever the Subjects of this Kingdom have allowed to their Kings your Majesty's Predecessors We will put also the Town of Hull into such Hands as your Majesty shall please with the Approbation of the Parliament and will give a good Account of the Munitions of War and of the Magazine And to conclude we shall chearfully do our Endeavours to give unto your Majesty Testimony of our Affection Duty and Faithfulness to preserve and maintain your Royal Honour the Greatness and Safety of your Majesty and of your Posterity These Propositions were delivered to the King by the Commissioners of the Parliament but without Success he being resolved to steer another Course presuming he might obtain as good Terms as these if reduced to the last Extremity and that if his Arms succeeded according to his Hopes his Will might pass for a Law pursuant to the Opinion of those who thought no way so likely to render his Authority absolute as the making of a War upon his People And now the Fire began to break out in the West Sir John Stawell and others drawing a Party together in Somersetshire for the King where Captain Preston and others opposed them and about Martials Elm on PoldenHill some of those who declared for the Parliament were killed Whereupon the Parliament ordered some Horse to be raised which they sent down under the Command of the Earl of Bedford to protect their Friends in those Parts By which means the Enemy being forced to quit the Field betook themselves to the Castle of Sherburn in Dorsetshire which after a short Siege was surrendred to the Parliament Portsmouth was also secured for the Parliament by the young Lord Goring then Governour thereof but he afterwards declaring for the King it was besieged and reduced by their Forces and the Government of it entrusted to Sir William Lewis The King having set up his Standard at Nottingham the 24 th of August 1642. the Parliament thought themselves obliged to make some Preparations to defend themselves having discovered that he had sent abroad to procure what Assistance he could against his People particularly applying himself to the King of Denmark acquainting him that the two Houses to make their Work sure against him were endeavouring to prove Queen Ann a Whore and thereby illegitimate all her Issue earnestly pressing him in vindication of his injured Sister as well as in consideration of his own relation to him to send him Succours This Letter was intercepted and brought to the Parliament who by a Declaration protested that no such thing had ever entred into their Thoughts The King also endeavoured under pretence of Law to take away the Lives of Dr. Bastwick and Captain Robert Ludlow for acting in obedience to the Commands of the Parliament and had proceeded to their Execution had not the Parliament by a Message sent to Judg Heath and delivered to him on the Bench threatned a Retaliation by executing two for one in case they went on which put a stop to that Design The Parliament having passed the following Votes 1. That the King seduced by evil Counsel intends to levy War against the Parliament 2. That when the King doth levy War against the Parliament he breaks his Trust and doth that which tends to the Dissolution of the Parliament 3. That whosoever shall assist him in such a War are Traitors and shall be proceeded against accordingly prepared for the raising of an Army and published several Declarations inviting the good People of England to assist them with their Prayers Persons and Purses to carry on this War which they were necessitated to enter into for the Defence of the Religion Laws Liberties and Parliament of England The Protestation taken by both Houses and by them proposed to the People to stand by each other in their just and necessary Undertaking was readily and chearfully taken by many in London and elsewhere and divers hundreds on Horseback from the Counties of Buckingham Hartford and Essex came up with their several Petitions acknowledging the Care and Faithfulness of the Parliament in the discharge of their Trust and promising to stand by them in the carrying on of what they had declared for Declarations were also set forth by the two Houses encouraging the People to provide Horses and Arms and to bring in Plate and Money for their necessary Defence engaging the Credit of the Publick for the Reimbursement of what should be so advanced Which Contributions arising to the Value of a great Sum they declared their Intentions of raising a certain Number of Horse and Foot with a proportionable Train of Artillery and voted the Earl of Essex to be their General whom the King to take him off from the Publick Interest had lately made Chamberlain of his Houshold Upon the same account he had also preferred the Lord Say to be Master of the Court of Wards and Mr. Oliver St. Johns to be his Solicitor General But this could not corrupt the Earl of Essex nor hinder him from discharging vigorously that Trust which the Parliament had reposed in him Divers of the Lords and Commons engaged their Lives with him and under him Of the Lords the Earl of Bedford who was General of the Horse the Lord Peterborough the Lord Willoughby of Parham the Lord Denbigh the Lord St. John the Lord Rochford and of the Commons Mr. Hampden and Mr. Hollis who raised Regiments Sir Philip Stapylton who commanded the Earl of Essex's Guard and Mr. Oliver Cromwell who commanded a Troop of Horse and divers others The Earl of Northumberland who was High Admiral staid with the Parliament The Earl of Warwick whom they made Vice-Admiral kept the greatest part of the Fleet in obedience to them Things being brought to this Extremity the Nation was driven to a necessity of Arming in
praying for the Prosperity of the Publick Cause The Words spoken by Mr. Martin in the Parliament were to this purpose That it was better one Family should perish than that the People should be destroyed And being required to explain himself he ingenuously confessed that he meant the Family of the King for which he was committed to the Tower but afterwards released and re-admitted to his Place in the Parliament About the same time Mr. John Pym also died who had been very instrumental in promoting the Interest of the Nation His Body was for several days exposed to publick view in Derby-house before it was interred in confutation of those who reported it to be eaten with Lice The Enemy before Warder-Castle kept their Guards within Pistol-shot of it day and night so that we could not expect any more Intelligence from abroad yet one of ours sent by us into the Country a Week before to informs us of the state of Affairs met at an honest Man's House not far from the Castle a Souldier whom the Enemy had pressed to serve them whose Heart being with us these two agreed that when Relief should be coming he who was without should appear with a white Cap on his Head and blow his Nose with his Handkerchief In the mean time the Besiegers raised a Battery and by a shot from thence cut off the Chain of our Portcullis which rendring our Gate unserviceable to us we made it so to them by barricading it up on the inside so that now we had no way out but through a Window our other Doors being walled up before But the Battery not answering their expectation they resolved to try other Experiments either by digging a Hole in the Castle-wall and putting a sufficient quantity of Powder therein to blow it up or by undermining the said Wall and supporting it with Timber and then setting it on fire whereby they supposed to destroy that also on which the Wall rested and so to bring down the Wall In order to this they prepared Materials to defend them whilst they were about the Work and brought together about two dozen of Oaken Plants three Inches thick which they endeavoured in a dark Night to set up against the Castle-wall half of them on one side and half on the other Our Sentinels discovered them on one side and beat them off forcing them to leave their Boards behind them On the other side they set them up and in the Morning were hard at work under their Shelter We heard a noise of digging but for some time could not perceive where at length we discovered the place and endeavoured to remove them by throwing down hot Water and melted Lead tho to little purpose At last with Hand-granadoes we obliged them to quit their Work and to leave their Tools behind them with their Provisions for three or four days and tho we had no way out of the Castle but by a narrow Window yet we brought in their Materials and Provisions for that Morning having shot the Officer that commanded their Guard in the Head their Trenches not being finished to secure their Approaches to the Out-houses under the shelter of which they kept their Guard and being admonished by what befel Capt. Bowyer of the danger of delaying to dress a Wound they desired leave to carry off their wounded Man which I granted on condition that they would commit no Act of Hostility in the mean time And when five or six of them who carried him off were about Pistol-shot from the Wall I appeared with forty Musqueteers ready to fire on the top of the Castle and ordered three or four Men out of the Window mentioned before who brought in their Materials A Relation of mine one Capt. Henry Williams who commanded a Company in Colonel Barns his Regiment desiring to be admitted to speak with me and I consenting he endeavoured to perswade me to a Surrender offering me any Conditions I would ask but his Arguments made no Impression upon me In the mean time the King to encourage his Friends in the City to rise for him sent them a Commisiion to that purpose by the Lady Aubogny which she brought made up in the Hair of her Head but the Design being discovered she sled for Resuge to the House of the French Ambassador who refusing to deliver her to Sir Henry Vane and Mr. John Lisle sent by the Parliament with a Guard to seize her pretending his Privilege the House being informed by Sir Francis Knowles that at the time of the bloody Massacre at Paris one of the French King's Secretaries who was of the Reformed Religion flying to the English Ambassador's House for Protection and disguizing himself amongst the Grooms was forced 〈◊〉 thence by the King's Command ordered this Lady to be treated in the like manner which was done accordingly Hereupon an Order was passed for the Trial of those who were engaged in this Conspiracy and Mr. Thomson and Mr. Challoner were found guilty and executed for it Sir John Hotham and his Son were also condemned to lose their Heads for endeavouring to betray the Garison of Hull to the Enemy which Sentence was put in execution upon the Son the 1 st of January 1643. and on the Father the day following Sir Alexander Carew was also beheaded for endeavouring to betray Plimouth with the Government of which he was entrusted by the Parliament About the 16 th of the same January the Scots marched into England and having Berwick secured for them the first thing they attempted was the taking of Newcastle which they did by storm The Lords and Commons for their Encouragement having sentenced and caused execution to be done upon William Laud Archbishop of Canterbury their Capital Enemy o◠the 10 th of the same Month. Sir William Waller being reinforced with some City-Regiments thought himself strong enough to take the field and because the Western Clothiers were often obstructed in their Passage to London by the Garison of Basinghouse which was kept for the King he attempted to reduce it but was repulsed with loss After which he marched to Arundel in Sussex where he soon beat the King's Garison out of the Town into the Castle which after some time and the loss of some Men was surrendred to him with several Persons of Quality therein at Mercy About the middle of January Sir William assured us that if we held out a Fortnight longer he would relieve us or lay his Bones under our Walls We had also some hopes given us from Southampton and Pool the latter of which Places about this time some of the Inhabitants endeavoured to betray to the Lord Crawford but the Design being discovered as the Enemy was entring the Outworks and expecting to be admitted into the Town some great Guns loaded with small Shot were fired upon his Men and made a great Slaughter amongst them Between these two Garisons of Southampton and Pool lay my Troop of Horse to do what Service they could
the Inn several of them pressing me to discourse and particularly concerning the Justice of our Cause I excused my self by reason of my present Circumstances but they still persisting I thought my self obliged to maintain the necessity of our taking up Arms in defence of our Religion and Liberties but some of them being wholly biassed to their Interest as they went from me met a Relation of mine one Col. Richard Manning who tho a Papist commanded a Regiment of Horse in the King's Service and told him that they came from one of the boldest Rebels that they had ever seen The Colonel coming to visit me informed me of this Discourse advising me whatsoever I thought not to be so free with them lest they should do me some Mischief The next Morning before our Departure for Oxford Sir Francis Doddington brought me to Sir Ralph Hopton's Lodgings which being the Head-quarters we found there most of the Principal Officers of that Army where the General after he had saluted me demanded how I being a Gentleman could satisfy my self to bear Arms against my King I told him that as I conceived the Laws both of God and Man did justify me in what I had done Well said he I understand you are so fixed in your Principles that I am like to do little good upon you by my Perswasions but shall desire the Archbishop of Armagh to take the pains to speak with you when you come to Oxford and if he cannot work on you I know not who can This Bishop was very learned and of great Reputation for Piety yet I was assured by one who had his Information from Mr. Bernard of Batcomb that when the said Mr. Bernard earnestly pressed him to deal faithfully with the King in the Controversy which was between him and the Parliament concerning Episcopacy according to his own Judgment in that matter which he knew to be against it representing to him the great and important Service he would thereby do to the Church of God the Archbishop answered that if he should do as Mr. Bernard proposed he should ruin himself and Family having a Child and many Debts For this reason those Arguments which could not prevail with me when used by others were not likely to be of more Efficacy from him who in a business of such Concernment had been diverted from the discharge of his Duty by such low and sordid Considerations The next day I came to Oxford conducted by a Party of Horse commanded by one who was Captain Lieutenant to Sir Francis Doddington where reposing a while at a House near Christ-Church till the Pleasure of the King might be known concerning me there came to me two Persons very zealous to justify the King's Cause and to condemn that of the Parliament These Men were Irish Papists sent over by the Rebels in Ireland to treat with the King on their part about assisting him against the Parliament This I afterwards understood from one of them whose Name was Callaghan O Callaghan when together with the Brigade commanded by the Lord Musquerry he laid down his Arms to me in Ireland The King looking upon such Men as most fit to be confided in gives the Presidentship of Munster vacant by the Death of Sir William St. Leger to the Lord Musquerry an Irish Rebel which the Lord Inchequin Son-in-law to Sir William soliciting for and claiming a Right to it took so ill that the Lord Broghill as he since informed me found no great difficulty to prevail with him to declare for the Parliament who thereupon made him their President of Munster In this Capacity he performed many considerable Services against the Irish taking great store of Plunder from them and not sparing even his own Kindred but if he found them faulty hanging them up without distinction Having brought together an Army he marched into the County of Tipperary and hearing that many Priests and Gentry about Cashell had retired with their Goods into the Church he stormed it and being entred put three thousand of them to the Sword taking the Priests even from under the Altar Of such Force is Ambition when it seizes upon the Minds of Men. About this time Sir Edward Deering came from the King's Quarters at Oxford and surrendred himself at Westminster where being examined in the House of Commons he said that since the Cessation made with the Rebels in Ireland seeing so many Papists and Irish in the King's Army and his Councils wholly governed by them his Conscience would not permit him to remain longer with the King and therefore he was come to throw himself upon the Mercy of the Parliament and in conformity to their Declaration to compound for his Delinquency Accordingly he was admitted to Composition and an Order made to proceed in like manner towards such as should come in after him Whereupon the Earl of Westmorland and divers others came in to the Parliament and desired the Benefit of their Declaration for Composition Whilst I was attending the King's Pleasure at Oxford the Captain that conveyed me thither brought me word that he was ordered to deliver me to Mr. Thorpe the Keeper of the Castle and pretending much Affection to me told me that the said Keeper would take from me my upper Garment my Money and all that was loose about me advising me therefore to leave such things with him and promising to bring them to me in the Morning I not suspecting his Design delivered him my Cloke with my Money and some other things all which he carried away with him the next day neither could I have any Redress tho I wrote to Sir Francis Doddington complaining of this Treachery the Keeper of the Castle not laying the least Claim to any such thing Our sick and wounded Men after they had been kept for some time Prisoners in the Hall of Warder-Castle where a Popish Priest very solemnly with his Hands spread over them cursed them three times were carried from thence to Bristol In the Castle at Oxford I met with Mr. Balsum and other Friends who had been with me in Warder-Castle with many more who were detained there for their Affection to the Parliament amongst whom were Col. Shilborn of Buckinghamshire Col. Henly of Dorsetshire Capt. Haley of Glocestershire and Capt. Abercromy a Scots-man I had a Friend in the Town who furnished me with what I wanted those who had not any such means of Relief were supplied from London by a Collection of the Sum of three hundred Pounds made for them by some Citizens and conveyed down to them Neither was Oxford it self destitute of some who contributed to their Relief one Dr. Hobbs in particular who preached then at Carfax an honest Man of the Episcopal Party usually putting them in mind of it after his Sermon The Prisoners taken by the King's Party had been treated very cruelly especially at Oxford by Smith the Marshal there but the Members of Parliament that deserted their Trust at Westminster coming thither and
my Father's Servants had so well conceal'd at the first breaking out of the War in a private part of my House that they escaped the Search of the Enemy who had plundered all they could find broken all the Windows taken away the Leads and pulled up the Boards in most parts of the House Whilst I was at London that Party which I left in the Country had taken some Wool and other things from the Lord Cottington the Lord Arundel and others which they sold and divided the Money amongst themselves From the Lord Cottington's they brought amongst other things a Horse that had been taken from me before at Warder-Castle The Lord Fairfax the Earl of Manchester and the Scots besieged York of which the Earl of Newcastle was Governour having with him a Garison consisting of six or seven thousand Foot besides Horse After some time spent in the Siege Prince Rupert arrived with about eighteen thousand Men and caused the Besiegers to raise the Siege who joining their Forces resolved to observe his Motions and to fight him if they found an occasion but that they might be a little refreshed and furnished with Provisions which they wanted they marched towards Tadcaster If Prince Rupert who had acquired Honour enough by the Relief of York in the view of three Generals could have contented himself with it and retreated as he might have done without fighting the Reputation he had gained would have caused his Army to increase like the rolling of a Snowball but he thinking this nothing unless he might have all forced his Enemies to a Battel against the Advice of many of those that were with him in which the Lest Wing of the Enemy charging the Right Wing of ours consisting of English and Scots so totally routed them that the three Generals of the Parliament quitted the Field and fled towards Cawood Castle The Left Wing of our Army commanded by Col. Cromwell knowing nothing of this Rout engaged the Right Wing of the Enemy commanded by Prince Rupert who had gained an advantageous piece of Ground upon Marston-Moor and caused a Battery to be erected upon it from which Capt. Walton Cromwell's Sister's Son was wounded by a shot in the Knee Whereupon Col. Cromwell commanded two Field-pieces to be brought in order to annoy the Enemy appointing two Regiments of Foot to guard them who marching to that purpose were attacked by the Foot of the Enemies right Wing that fired thick upon them from the Ditches Upon this both Parties seconding their Foot were wholly engaged who before had stood only facing each other The Horse on both sides behaved themselves with the utmost Bravery for having discharged their Pistols and flung them at each others Heads they sell to it with their Swords The King's Party were encouraged in this Encounter by seeing the Success of their Left Wing and the Parliament's Forces that remained in the Field were not discouraged because they knew it not both sides eagerly contending for Victory which after an obstinate Dispute was obtained by Cromwell's Brigade the Enemies Right Wing being totally routed and flying as the Parliament's had done before our Horse pursuing and killing many of them in their Flight And now the Enemies Left Wing who had been Conquerors returned to their former Ground presuming upon an entire Victory and utterly ignorant of what had befallen Prince Rupert but before they could put themselves into any order they were charged and entirely defeated by the Reserves of Cromwell's Brigade Prince Rupert upon the routing of the Parliament's Right Wing concluding all to be his own had sent Letters to the King to acquaint him with the Victory upon which the Bells were rung and Bonfires made at Oxford Sir Charles Lucas Major General Porter Major General Tilyard with above a hundred Officers more were taken Prisoners by the Parliament's Forces All the Enemies Artillery great Numbers of Arms and a good quantity of Ammunition and Baggage fell also into their hands The Prince's own Standard with the Arms of the Palatinate was likewise taken with many others both of Horse and Foot Fifteen days after this Fight being the 16 th of July 1644. the City of York was surrendred to the Parliament's Forces upon Articles and the Earl of Newcastle having had some Dispute with Prince Rupert before the Engagement wherein some Words had passed which the Earl could not well digest soon after left England and the Prince retired to Bristol The Earl of Essex was marched with his Army into Cornwall yet to what publick end I could never understand for the Enemy there had already dispersed themselves Some said that he was perswaded to march thither by the Lord Roberts to give him an opportunity to collect his Rents in those Parts Upon this the King drew out what Forces he could from Oxford designing to join them with some others in the West by which Conjunction the Parliament apprehending their Army under Essex to be in danger ordered Sir William Waller to observe the King's Motions But whether the Neglect of relieving him at the Devizes or the Affront put upon him by commanding him to follow the King after he had been ordered to attend the Service of the West or what else it was that had sower'd him I cannot say yet visible it was that so much Care and Expedition was not used in attending the King in his Marches as was requisite However Lieutenant General Middleton then under Sir William Waller was sent with a Party of Horse to the Assistance of the Earl of Essex but he kept at such a distance from him that he afforded him little Help Neither was there that Diligence as should have been then used by the Earl of Essex himself to engage the King before his Conjunction with the Western Forces or to fight them when they were united they not much if at all exceeding ours in Number and in Courage and Affection to the Cause engaged in much inferiour But the Earl of Essex and the Lord Roberts having led the Army into a Corner of Cornwall betook themselves to the Ships with which the Earl of Warwick attended the Motion of the Army Being thus deserted the Horse broke through the Enemy under the Conduct of Sir William Balfour the Foot and Train of Artillery being left with Major General Skippon about Bodmin who was forced about the latter end of September 1644. to make the best Terms he could with the Enemy for them agreeing to leave their Arms and Cannon behind them and to be conducted into the Parliament's Quarters with whatsoever belonged to them but before the Convoy had done with them they lost most of their Clothes and in that condition arrived at Portsmouth where they found their General the Earl of Essex The Parliament soon caused them to be armed and clothed again and the Horse having forced their way as before mentioned the Army was speedily recruited scarce a Man having taken Arms on the other side The Earl of Manchester and Sir
having observed these Passages went out from the Conference and hastned to the Army informing them what Entertainment their Commissioners and Proposals had found with the King Sir John Barkley being desirous to allay this heat demanded of Ireton and the rest of the Officers what they would do if the King should consent By whom it was answered that they would offer them to the Parliament for their Approbation The King having thus bid defiance to the Army thought it necessary to bend all his Force against them and especially to strengthen their Enemies in the Parliament To this end a Petition was contrived to press them to a speedy Agreement with the King and presented in a most tumultuous manner by great numbers of Apprentices and Rabble back'd and encouraged by many dismissed and disaffected Officers who joined with them Whilst the Two Houses were in Debate what Answer to give to this insolent Multitude some of them getting to the Windows of the House of Lords threw Stones in upon them and threatned them with worse Usage unless they gave them an Answer to their liking Others knocked at the door of the House of Commons requiring to be admitted but some of us with our Swords forced them to retire for the present and the House resolved to rise without giving any Answer judging it below them to do any thing by compulsion Whereupon the Speaker went out of the House but being in the Lobby was forced back into the Chair by the Violence of the insolent Rabble whereof above a thousand attended without doors and about sorty or fifty were got into the House So that it was thought convenient to give way to their Rage and the Speaker demanding what Question they desired to be put they answered That the King should be desired to come to London forth with which Question being put they were asked again what further they would have they said That he should be invited to come with Honour Freedom and Sasety to both which I gave a loud Negative and some of the Members as loud an Affirmative rather out of a prudential Compliance than any Affection to the Design on foot By these Votes and the coming down of divers well-affected Citizens to appease them the Tumult was somewhat allayed and the Members of Parliament with their Speaker passed through the Multitude safely The next Morning I advised with Sir Arthur Haslerig and others what was fittest to be done in this Conjuncture and it was concluded that we could not sit in Parliament without apparent Hazard of our Lives till we had a Guard for our Defence it being manifestly the Design of the other Party either to drive us away or to destroy us Therefore we resolved to betake our selves to the Army for Protection Sir Arthur Haslerig undertaking to perswade the Speaker to go thither to which he consented with some Difficulty and having caused a thousand Pounds to be thrown into his Coach went down to the Army which lay then at Windsor Maidenhead Colebrook and the adjacent Places Having acquainted as many of our Friends as I could with our Resolution to repair to the Army I went down and the next day being the same to which the Parliament had adjourned themselves the Army rendezvouzed upon Hownslow-heath where those Members of Parliament as well Lords as Commons who could not with Safety stay at Westminster appeared in the Head of them at which the Army expressed great Joy declaring themselves resolved to live and die with them At night the Earl of Northumberland the Lord Say the Lord Wharton and other Lords the Speaker and Members of the House of Commons aforesaid with Sir Thomas Fairfax and many principal Officers of the Army met at Sion-house to consult what was most advisable to do in that Juncture which whilst they were doing an Account was brought of the Proceedings of those at Westminster that day by the Serjeant of the House who came with his Mace to the no little Satisfaction of the Speaker He acquainted them that the remaining Members being met in the House of Commons had for some time attended the coming of their Speaker but being informed that he was gone to the Army they had made choice of one Mr. Pelham a Lawyer and Member of the House to be their Speaker After which they had appointed a Committee of Lords and Commons to join with the Directors of the Militia of London in order to raise Forces for the Defence of the Parliament the Success of which Attempt they desired to see before they would declare against the Army To this end Massey Pointz Brown and Sir William Waller encouraged by the Common Council and others who by various Artifices had been corrupted used all possible Diligence to list Men and prepare a Force to oppose the Army but their Proceedings therein were much obstructed by divers honest Citizens who importunately solicited them to treat with the Army and also by the News of the General Rendezvouz upon Hounslow-heath Tho the Lords had been removed from the Command of the Army yet it was manifest that their Influence there still continued partly from a desire of some great Officers to oblige them and partly from the Ambition of others to be of their Number who to shew their earnest Desires to serve the King being morally assured the Parliament and City were likely to be shortly in the Power of the Army who might be induced to take other Counsels in relation to the King upon such Success especially considering his late Carriage towards them they sent an Express to Sir John Barkley and Mr. Ashburnham advising that since the King would not yield to their Proposals that he would send a kind Letter to the Army before it were known that London would submit Whereupon a Letter was prepared immediately but the King would not sign it till after three or four Debates which lost one whole day's time At last Mr. Ashburnham and Sir John Barkley going with it met with Messengers from the Officers to hasten it But before they could come to Sion-house the Commissioners from London were arrived and the Letter out of season For coming after it was known with what Difficulty it had been obtained and that Matters were like to be adjusted between the Parliament and Army it lost both its Grace and Efficacy Notwithstanding all which the Officers being resolved to do what they could proposed whilst the Army was in the very Act of giving Thanks for their Success that they should not be too much elevated therewith but keep still to their former Engagement to the King and once more solemnly vote the Proposals which was done accordingly The face of Affairs in the City was at this time very various according to the different Advices they received for upon the Report of the Advance of the Army and the taking of some of their Scouts they cried out Treat Treat And at another time being informed that Men listed in great numbers the word
Parliament who being encompassed with Difficulties on all hands and understanding that the Queen was landing with a considerable Strength at Bridlington-Bay in the County of York sent Commissioners to treat with their Friends in Scotland to march into England to their Assistance In the mean timethe King's Army besieged the City of Glocester the King being there in Person to countenance the Siege The Besieged made a vigorous Defence for about a Month during which the Parliament took care to recruit their Army in order to relieve them Their Rendezvouz was appointed on Hounslow-heath whither some Members of Parliament of which my Father was one were sent to inspect their Condition that their Wants being known might be the better supplied who found them a very shatter'd and broken Body but the City being then very affectionate to the Publick soon recruited them and drew forth so many of their Trained Bands and Auxiliary Regiments as made them up a gallant Army In their March towards Glocester some of ours fell upon a Party of the Enemy at Cirencester of whom they took many Prisoners and seized a great quantity of Provisions which they found prepared for the Enemy who upon our Approach raised the Siege The Earl of Essex having relieved the Town was marching back again when he perceived the Enemy endeavouring to get between him and London and to that end falling upon his Rear with a strong Party of Horse they so disordered his Men and retarded the March of his Army that he sound himself obliged to engage them at Newbury The Dispute was very hot on both sides and the Enemy had the better at the first but our Men resolving to carry their point and the City-Regiments behaving themselves with great Bravery gave them before Night so little cause to boast that the next Morning they were willing to permit the Earl of Essex to march to London without interruption Few Prisoners were taken on either side The Enemy had several Persons of Quality killed the principal of whom were the Earl of Carnarvan the Earl of Sunderland the Lord Falkland and a French Marquiss We lost a Colonel of one of the City-Regiments together with some inferiour Officers Some of the Lords and Commons contrary to their Duty withdrew themselves from the Parliament at Westminster and went to the King at Oxford where they met together but never did any thing considerable for the King's Service and shewed themselves so little willing to assume the name of a Parliament that the King in a Letter to the Queen a Copy whereof was afterwards found amongst his Papers called them his Mongrel Parliament In the mean time the Earl of Manchester received a Commission from the Parliament to raise Forces in the associated Counties of Suffolk Norfolk Essex Cambridg Huntington c. which was very necessary for the King was Master of all Places of Strength from Berwick to Boston except Hull and two small Castles in Lincolnshire and Ferdinando Lord Fairfax not able to keep the Field against the Earl of Newcastle was retired with his Horse and Foot to Hull the Enemies Strength in the North no way inferiour to what it was in the West and none considerable enough to oppose their March into the South The Earl of Newcastle upon advice that the Lord Willoughby of Parham had possessed himself of the Town of Gainsborough for the Parliament sent his Brother Col. Cavendish Lieutenant General of his Army with a great Party of Horse and Dragoons to summon it himself marching after with the Foot Col. Oliver Cromwell having notice thereof and understanding by fresh Experience that Victory is not always obtained by the greater Number having lately defeated near Grantham twenty four Troops of the Enemies Horse and Dragoons with seven Troops only which he had with him resolved to endeavour the Relief of Gainsborough and with twelve Troops of Horse and Dragoons marched thither where he found the Enemy who were drawn up near the Town to be more than thrice his Number and no way to attack them but through a Gate and up-hill notwithstanding which Disadvantages he adventured to fall upon them and after some Dispute totally routed them killing many of their Officers and amongst them Lieutenant General Cavendish Thus was Gainsborough relieved but the Conquerors had little time to rejoice for within two or three hours the routed Enemy rallying and joining with the rest of Newcastle's Army marched against them Upon which they retreated to Lincoln that night in good order and without any Loss facing the Enemy with three Troops at a time as they drew off the rest Lincoln not being defensible Col. Cromwell marched the next day to Boston that he might join the Earl of Manchester who with his new-rais'd Forces had very seasonably reduced Lynn a Town in Norfolk not far from the Sea naturally strong and might have proved impregnable if Time had favoured Art and Industry to have fortified and furnished it with Provisions But Sir Hammond Lestrange who had before surprized it for the King was soon surprized himself and being suddenly summoned by the Earl of Manchester and threatned with a Storm after he had fired a few great Shot against the Besiegers thought fit to surrender it upon Articles From thence the Earl of Manchester marched to Boston where being joined by Col. Cromwell appointed by the Parliament to command under him and a Party of Horse brought by Sir Thomas Fairfax by Sea from Hull he mustered about six thousand Foot and thirty seven Troops of Horse and Dragoons To prevent any further addition to his Forces the Earl of Newcastle advanced with his Army and sent a strong Detachment of Horse and Dragoons towards Boston appearing by their Standards to be eighty seven Troops commanded by Sir John Henderson an old Souldier who hearing that Col. Cromwell was drawn out towards him with the Horse and Dragoons made haste to engage him before the Earl of Manchester with the Foot could march up as accordingly it fell out at a place called Winsby-field near Horn-castle In the first shock Col. Cromwell had his Horse kill'd under him yet the Encounter was but short tho very sharp for there being Field-room enough the Fight lasted but a quarter of an hour before the Earl of Newcastle's Forces were totally routed and many of them killed amongst them the Lord Widdrington Sir Ingram Hopton and other Persons of Quality The Enemy had no time to rally being pursued by ours almost as far as Lincoln which was fourteen Miles off in which Pursuit divers of them were killed and made Prisoners and many Horse and Arms taken Neither were they suffered to rest at Lincoln the Earl of Manchester marching thither the day following where the Enemies broken Troops had endeavoured to fortisy the higher part of the City called the Close but had not quite finished their Works when the Earl arrived and summoned them to surrender which they resusing our Foot and Horse fell on and took it
considering that the Entercourse between London and the West was much interrupted by that Carison The Enemy contrary to all expectation appeared again in a Body near Newbury where our Army lay who drew out to oppose them Some small Skirmishes happened between them but a general Engagement was opposed in a Council of War by some of the greatest amongst us Whereupon the King in the face of our Army twice as numerous as his had time to send his Artillery from Dennington-Castle towards Oxford without any opposition to the Astonishment of all those who wished well to the Publick But by this time it was clearly manifest that the Nobility had no further Quarrel with the King than till they could make their Terms with him having for the most part grounded their Dissatisfactions upon some particular Affront or the prevalency of a Faction about him But tho it should be granted that their Intentions in taking Arms were to oblige the King to consent to redress the Grievances of the Nation yet if a War of this nature must be determined by Treaty and the King left in the Exercise of the Royal Authority after the utmost violation of the Laws and the greatest Calamities brought upon the People it doth not appear to me what Security can be given them for the future Enjoyment of their Rights and Privileges nor with what Prudence wise men can engage with the Parliament who being by Practice at least liable to be dissolved at pleasure are thereby rendred unable to protect themselves or such as take up Arms under their Authority if after infinite Hardships and Hazards of their Lives and Estates they must fall under the Power of a provoked Enemy who being once re-established in his former Authority will never want means to revenge himself upon all those who in Desence of the Rights and Liberties of the Nation adventure to resist him in his illegal and arbitrary Proceedings In the Council of War before-mentioned things were managed with such heat as created great Differences between the principal Officers of the Army by which this favourable Conjuncture was lost and the Season being far advanced the Army was dispersed into Winter-quarters The Blockade of Basinghouse was also ordered to be broken up after which I returned with those under my Command into the County of Wilts In the Winter the Parliament caused Abingdon to be fortified of which Place Col. Brown was Governour who holding Correspondence with the Lord Digby then Secretary to the King promised him that so soon as he had finished the Fortifications and received all things necessary from the Parliament to defend it he would deliver it to the King by which means he kept the King's Forces from interrupting him till he had perfected the Work But then as is probable by his Carriage since observing the Affairs of the Parliament in a better posture than those of the King he altered his Resolution and in desiance of the Lord Digby published the Correspondence that had been between them about that matter The Dissatisfaction that arose upon the permission given the King to carry off his Artillery rested 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the House of Commons was made acquainted with it by Col. Cromwell who commanded under the Earl of Manchester whom he charged with the breach of his Trust but he and his Friends endeavoured to lay the blame on others the Earl of Essex and his Party adhering to the Earl of Manchester Whilst I was before Basing some of the Enemies under the Conduct of Col. Coke came to Salisbury and were sortifying the Close for the King of which Major Wansey having advice marched thither with the Forces which I had sent into Wiltshire and falling upon them caused them to retire in haste but finding the Gates fortified against him he set fire to them and seizing upon all their Horse took the Colonel and fourscore more Prisoners and sent them to Southampton At my Return into Wiltshire I received Orders from the Committee of both Kingdoms to send what Men I could spare out of my Regiment to reinforce a Party commanded by Major General Holborn who was ordered to march into the West to the Relief of Col. Blake besieged by the Enemy in Tauntoa I drew out two hundred Horse for that Service and was necessitated to march with them my self my Major who had got possession of good Quarters at Deane a House belonging to Sir John Evelyn being not willing to remove Col. Edward Popham Col. Starr Col. Brewin and Sir Anthony Ashley came from London with this Party In our March we were joined by the Forces of Dorsetshire When we were advanced near the Enemy my Troop was ordered to a Quarter of which they were in possession but quitted it upon our Approach as they did also the Siege soon after contrary to our expectation We made use of the Opportunity and furnished the Town with Provisions and all things necessary which being done the Forces of Wilts and Dorsetshire marched back to the said Counties Being returned to Salisbury I was informed that the Enemy had put a Garison into Langford-house two Miles from thence whereupon I resolved to fortify the Belfrey in the Close where I might keep a small Guard to secure it for a Horse-Quarter and to that end had summoned Workmen to perform that Work At Night having drawn up my Regiment in order to acquaint them with the necessity that lay upon them to be more than ordinarily diligent in their Duty at that juncture as also to divide their Watches between them and to appoint the Guard for that Night I received an Alarm of the Enemies Approach and that they were advanced as far as Amesbury Of which desiring to have certain Information I sent threescore Horse under the Command of Capt. Sadler the only Captain of my Regiment then with me some of them being absent with leave and others without to advance towards the Enemy till by taking of Prisoners or some other way he might get some certain Intelligence concerning them and then to come back to me With the rest of my Men I marched slowly after him being unwilling to retire into our Quarters till I had made a further Discovery concerning the Enemy Capt. Sadler according to his Instructions marched to Amesbury and sent me word from thence that he had advice the Enemy was not far off I sent to him to continue his March with the same Orders as before my self with the rest of the Regiment following and being come to Nether-Haven as I think it is called I received notice from Capt. Sadler that he had engaged an advanced Party of the Enemy and could not get off which unexpected News and contrary to my Orders caused me to advance with all Diligence to his Relief who had approached so near their main Guard as to give them an Alarm to draw together and yet had not pursued his Charge which if he had done he might easily have dispersed the Guard and prevented the
of the Army should be sent to the Relief of Ireland and it was carried in the Negative by one Voice only The Commonwealth-Party taking Advantage of the Arguments used in the House for the Relief of Ireland and Ease of the People of England procured an Order for the disbanding of Col. Massey's Brigade and Money to be sent to the Devizes in the County of Wiles where they were ordered to be drawn together for that purpose Alderman Allen and my self who served sor that County were commissionated to see it put in execution In order to which we repaired to the Lord General who lay then at Cornbury and prevailed with him and Commissary General Ireton with two Regiments of Horse to draw to the Devizes which we found to be very necessary for tho many of that Brigade were glad of the Opportunity to return home to their several Callings having taken up Arms and hazarded their Lives purely to serve the Publick yet divers idle and debauched Persons especially the Foreigners amongst them not knowing how to betake themselves to any honest Employment endeavoured to stir up the Brigade to a Mutiny but not being able to effect that some of them listed themselves to serve against the Rebels in Ireland under Sir William Fenton and others there present to receive them for which we had Instructions from the Parliament the rest dispersed themselves and returned home The Forces also that served in the North under Major General Pointz were soon after disbanded The City of London had made it their Request in the Petition before-mentioned that some Commissioners from them might accompany those from the Parliament to the King but their own Party in the House fearing perhaps to be outbid by them or it may be not having quite lost all Sense of Honour rejected that Motion with Contempt alledging that they had their Representatives in Parliament and were concluded by what they acted as well as other Men upon which Mr. Martin said That tho he could not but agree with what had been affirmed touching their being involved in what their Representatives did and their not sending Commissioners as desired yet as to the Substance of what they proposed he could not so much blame them as others had done they therein shewing themselves in the end of the War no less prudent than they had expressed themselves honest in the beginning for as when the Parliament invited them to stand by them in the War against the King in Defence of their Religion Lives Liberties and Estates they did it heartily and therein shewed themselves good Christians and true English-men so now the War being ended and the Parliament upon making Terms with the King and thinking fit to sue to him now their Prisoner for Peace whom they had all incensed by their Resistance the Citizens having considerable Estates to lose shewed themselves prudent Men in endeavouring to procure their Pardons as well as others And tho said he you will not permit them to send as they desire they have expressed their good Will which without doubt will be well accepted The Commissioners of Parliament joining with those who were before with the King endeavoured to perswade him to agree to the Propositions of the Parliament but he disliking several things in them and most of all the abolition of Episcopacy to which Interest he continued obstinately stedfast refused his Consent upon private Encouragement from some of the Scots and English to expect more easy Terms or to be received without any at all The Parliament willing to bring this Matter to a Conclusion sent the same Propositions a second time to the King and desired the Scots to use their utmost Endeavours to procure his Consent to them The Scots Commissioners especially the Lord Loudon pressed the King very earnestly to comply with them telling him that tho the Propositions were higher in some Particulars than they could have wished notwithstanding their Endeavours to bring them as low as they could according to their Promises yet if he continued to reject them he must not expect to be received in Scotland whither they must return and upon his resusal of the Conditions offered deliver him up to the Parliament of England But whatsoever they or the English could say making no Impression upon the King the Parliament's Commissioners returned with a Negative from him The Interposition of the Scots in this Affair proving ineffectual the War being at an end and such considerable Forces altogether unnecessary the Parliament appointed Commissioners to conser with those of Scotland concerning such things as remained to be performed by the Treaty between them that the fraternal Union might continue and the Scots depart towards their own Country In order to which the Accounts of their Army were adjusted and a great Sum of Money agreed to be paid to them at the present and other Sums upon certain days to their full Satisfaction Major General Skippon with a considerable Body of Men carried down the Money in specie for the Paiment of the Scots Army which being received by them they delivered the King into the hands of the Parliament's Commissioners that attended him there and began their March for Scotland having delivered Newcastle to the English and drawn their Men out of Berwick and Carlisle which two Places were agreed not to be garisoned without the Consent of both Kingdoms About this time the Earl of Essex having over-heated himself in the Chace of a Stag in Windsor Forest departed this Lise His Death was a great Loss to those of his Party who to keep up their Spirits and Credit procured his Funeral to be celebrated with great Magnificence at the Charge of the Publick the Lords and Commons with a great number of Officers and Gentlemen accompanying him to the Grave In the mean time I observed that another Party was not idle for walking one Morning with Lieutenant General Cromwell in Sir Robert Cotton's Garden he inveighed bitterly against them saying in a familiar way to me If thy Father were alive he would let some of them hear what they deserve adding farther That it was a miserable thing to serve a Parliament to whom let a Man be never so faithful if one pragmatical Fellow amongst them rise up and asperse him he shall never wipe it off Whereas said he when one serves under a General he may do as much Service and yet be free from all Blame and Envy This Text together with the Comment that his after-Actions put upon it hath since perswaded me that he had already conceived the Design of destroying the Civil Authority and setting up of himself and that he took that Opportunity to feel my Pulse whether I were a fit Instrument to be employed by him to those ends But having replied to his Discourse that we ought to perform the Duty of our Stations and trust God with our Honour Power and all that is dear to us not permitting any such Considerations to discourage us from the
of Affairs declined to concur with them in the same Yet both of them with the City of London joined in driving on a Personal Treaty with the King in the Isle of Wight and to that end the Lords and Commons revoked the Votes for Non-Addresses whereby the King seemed to be on sure ground for that if the Scots Army failed he might still make Terms with the Parliament The King's Party in Colchester were also much encouraged with hopes of Relief from the Scots Army who were very numerous and well furnished with all things but a good Cause To fight this formidable Army the Lieutenant General could not make up much above seven thousand Horse and Foot and those so extremely harassed with hard Service and long Marches that they seemed rather fit for a Hospital than a Battel With this handful of Men he advanced towards the Enemy and about Preston in Lancashire both Armies met on the 17 th of August 1648. The English who were in the Scots Army had the Honour of the Van and for a time entertained ours with some Opposition but being vigorously pressed by our Men they were forced to retreat to a Pass which they maintained against us whilst they sent to their General for Succours which he not sending on purpose as was said that the English might be cut off and his Party kept intire to enable him to set up for himself and give Law to both Nations they began to shift for themselves which made such an Impression upon the Scots that they soon followed their Example retreating in a disorderly manner Ours followed them so close that most of their Foot threw down their Arms and yielded themselves Prisoners Many of the principal Officers of their Foot were taken with all their Artillery Ammunition and Baggage Hamilton with four or five thousand Horse in a Body left the Field and was pursued by Col. Thorney a Member of Parliament and Colonel of a Regiment of Horse a worthy and a valiant Man who following them too close and unadvisedly run himself upon one of their Lances wherewith he was mortally wounded which he perceiving by the wasting of his Spirits to express his Affection to his Country and Joy for the Defeat of the Enemy desired his Men to open to the right and left that he might have the Satisfaction to see them run before he died The Enemies Body of Horse kept themselves together for some days roving up and down the Country about Leicestershire which County the Lord Grey of Grooby had raised and brought together about three thousand Horse and Foot to preserve the Country from Plunder and to take all possible Advantages against the Enemy and tho a Body of Horse from the Army was in pursuit of the Scots yet the Leicestershire Party came up first to them at Uttoxeter in Staffordshire where the Body of the Enemies Horse was and whilst the Scots were treating with the other Party from the Army the Lord Grey's Men observing no Guards kept entred upon them before any Conditions were made whereupon Hamilton surrendred himself to Col. Wayte an Officer of the Leicestershire-Party delivering to him his Scarf his George and his Sword which last he desired him to keep carefully because it had belonged to his Ancestors By the two Parties the Scots were all made Prisoners and all their Horses seized the Duke of Hamilton was carried Prisoner to Windsor-Castle and all their Standards of Horse and Foot were taken and sent up to London where the Parliament ordered them to be hung up in Westminster-Hall The House of Lords who had avoided to declare the Scots Enemies whilst their Army was entire now after their Defeat prevented the House of Commons and moved that a Day might be appointed to give God Thanks for this Success The News of this Victory being carried to the Isle of Wight the King said to the Governour that it was the worst News that ever came to England to which he answered That he thought the King had no cause to be of that Opinion since if Hamilton had beaten the English he would certainly have possessed himself of the Thrones of England and Scotland The King presently replied You are mistaken I could have commanded him back with the motion of my Hand Which whether he could do or no was doubtful but whatever Reasons he had for this Opinion it seemed very unseasonable to own it openly in that Conjuncture Lieutenant General Cromwell marched with part of his Army to Edinburgh where he dispossessed the Hamiltonian Party of their Authority and put the Power into the hands of the Presbyterians by whom he was received with great Demonstrations of Joy and tho lately they looked upon the Independent Party as the worst of their Enemies yet now they owned and embraced them as their best Friends and Deliverers and having notice given them that the English Army was about to return into England they prevailed with the Lieutenant General to leave Major General Lambert with a Body of Horse till they could raise more Forces to provide for their own Safety The Treaty with the King being pressed with more heat than ever and a Design visibly appearing to render all our Victories useless thereby by the Advice of some Friends I went down to the Army which lay at that time before Colchester where attending upon the General Sir Thomas Fairfax to acquaint him with the state of Affairs at London I told him that a Design was driving on to betray the Cause in which so much of the Peoples Blood had been shed that the King being under a Restraint would not account himself obliged by any thing he should promise under such Circumstances assuring him that most of those who pushed on the Treaty with the greatest Vehemency intended not that he should be bound to the performance of it but designed principally to use his Authority and Favour in order to destroy the Army who as they had assumed the Power ought to make the best use of it and to prevent the Ruin of Themselves and the Nation He acknowledged what I said to be true and declared himself resolved to use the Power he had to maintain the Cause of the Publick upon a clear and evident Call looking upon himself to be obliged to pursue the Work which he was about Perceiving by such a general Answer that he was irresolute I went to Commissary General Ireton who had a great Influence upon him and having found him we discoursed together upon the same Subject wherein we both agreed that it was necessary for the Army to interpose in this matter but differed about the time he being of opinion that it was best to permit the King and the Parliament to make an Agreement and to wait till they had made a full Discovery of their Intentions whereby the People becoming sensible of their own Danger would willingly join to oppose them My Opinion was that it would be much easier for the Army to keep them
in some measure assured that they would be true to what they promised in case the Common-wealth Interest should come to be disputed before we would report their Condition to the House Some of the House of Lords having procured themselves to be chosen by the People sat in Parliament upon the Foot of their Election in which Number was Philip Earl of Pembroke who being chosen by the Freeholders of the County of Berks upon his admission to the House signed the Engagement as the rest of the Members who sat there had done the Contents of which was To be true and faithful to the Commonwealth as it was established without a King or House of Lords The same Engagement was taken by the Earl of Salisbury and the Lord Edward Howard when they took their Places in Parliament after they had been elected to serve there Whilst we were thus providing for our Security in England our Affairs in Ireland had not the same Success the Earl of Ormond having reconciled the English in Munster to the Supreme Council of the Irish Rebels the Scots also in the North falling in with them against us with whom some Gentlemen of those Parts joined tho they had engaged themselves to the contrary Yet one thing happened tending very much to the preservation of Dublin and those few Places that were kept for the Parliament which was that Owen Roe O Neal who was General of the Old Irish as they were termed could by no means be brought to a Conjunction with the English Sir Charles Coote being besieged in London-derry agreed to supply the Besiegers with Powder upon their engaging to furnish him with such Provisions as he wanted which was performed on both sides and the Lord Inchequin who was besieging Dundalk promised to do the like for Colonel Monk who then commanded in that Place upon the same Conditions which was performed on Monk's part but as his Men were carrying off the Ammunition they were fallen upon by a Party of Inchequin's Horse the Ammunition taken away and many of them killed The Scots drawing about Dundalk most of the Garison revolted to them whereupon Monk delivered up the Place upon condition that he should be permitted to return into England where being arrived he met with a cold Reception from the Parliament upon suggestion that he had corresponded with the Irish Rebels About this time an Agent from Owen Roe O Neal came privately to London and found out a way to acquaint the Council of State that if they thought sit a grant him a safe Conduct he would make some Propositions to them that would be for their Service The Council to avoid any Misconstruction of their Actions refused to hear him but appointed a Committee to speak with him of which I was one ordering us to report to them what he should propose His Proposition was that the Party commanded by O Neal should submit to and act for the Parliament if they might obtain Indemnity for what was passed and Assurance of the Enjoyment of their Religion and Estates for the time to come We asked him why they made application to us after they had refused to join with those who had been in Treaty with the King He answered that the King had broken his Word with them for tho they had deserved well of him and he had made them many fair Promises yet when he could make better Terms with any other Party he had been always ready to sacrifice them We asked him farther Why they had not made their Application sooner he told us because such Men had been possessed of the Power who had sworn their Extirpation but that now it was believed to be the Interest of those in Authority to grant Liberty of Conscience promising that if such Liberty might be extended to them they would be as zealous for a Commonwealth as any other Party instancing in many Countries where they were so We informed him that it was our Opinion that the Council would not promise Indemnity to all that Party they being esteemed to have been the principal Actors in the bloody Massacre at the beginning of the Rebellion Neither did we think that they would grant them the Liberty of their Religion believing it might prove dangerous to the Publick Peace The Council upon our Report of what had passed at the Conference concurred with our Opinion so that having no more to do with the Agent he was required to depart within a limited time The Farl of Ormond General Preston and the Lord Inchequin beginning to draw their Forces towards Dublin resolved first to reduce Tredah in order to which they sent Col. Worden thither with a strong Detachment of Horse and Foot who attempting to take it by Assault entred with most of his Men but was beat out again by an inconsiderable Number of ours Notwithstanding which the Garison wanting Men to desend their Works their Provisions also being almost consumed was obliged to capitulate and surrender upon condition that the Souldiers should have liberty to march to Duklin the rest to return home and to enjoy Protection there Dundalk and Tredagh being surrendred to the Enemy and Dublin threatned with a speedy Siege by the Forces of the Royalists and Irish combined together for the destruction of the English the Parliament taking into their serious Consideration the deplorable State of their distressed Friends resolved to send them Relief with all Expedition In the mean time the Enemy marched towards Dublin having sent a Party of Horse before to invest the Place and to prevent any Relief from Meath-side upon whose Approach Col. Jones with the Forces he had with him was obliged to retire to Jones A Party of Horse from the Town made a Sally upon the Enemy and were repulsed with some Loss but being reinforced from England by a Regiment of Horse commanded by Col. Reynolds and two Regiments of Foot Col. Jones being also come into the Town they resolved upon a vigorous Defence Immediately after the landing of these Supplies Dublin was formally besieged by the Enemy who had a great Army provided with all Necessaries for the carrying on of the Siege and furnished by the Country with Provisions in great abundance their Head-quarters being at Rathmims a Mile from Dublin towards Wicklom They took Rathfarnham by storm and sent fifteen hundred Men to fortify Baggatrath in order to hinder our Army from landing at Ringsend being within a quarter of a Mile of it and lying triangular with it and Dublin Baggatrath had a Rampart of Earth about it and the Enemy had wrought upon it to augment its Strength a whole Night before they were discovered But the next Morning Col. Jones perceiving their Design concluded it absolutely necessary to endeavour to remove them from thence before their Works were finished To that end he drew all his Forces both Horse and Foot to the Works that faced the Enemy and leaving as many as he thought necessary for the Defence of the Town sallied
side of the Town being almost finished and Materials ready for building a Bridg to be laid over the Shannon to preserve a Communication between our Forces on each side we resolved to endeavour the Reduction of a Castle possessed by the Enemy and standing beyond their Bridg. To that end a Battery was erected and a Breach being made the Deputy remembring the Vigour of the Troopers in the Action at Gourtenshegore desired that one might be drawn out of each Troop to be an Example to the Foot that were to storm which being done they were armed with Back Breast and Head-piece and furnished with Hand-Granadoes One Mr. Hacket a stout Gentleman of the Guard was made choice of to lead them on who were in all not above twenty This Design succeeded beyond Expectation for our Men having thrown in their Granadoes marched up to the Breach and entred with Mr. Hacket at the Head of them being followed by those who were ordered to sustain them The Enemy not being able to stand before them quitted the Place and retired by the Bridg into the Town The Castle was immediately searched and four or five Barrels of Powder were sound in a Vault ready to take fire by a lighted Match left there by the Enemy on purpose to blow up our Men. The Deputy gave Mr. Hacket and the rest of the Troopers a Gratuity for their good Service and upon the Encouragement of this Success formed a Design to possess himself of an Island that lay near the Town containing about forty or fifty Acres of Ground and encompassed by the River In order to which Boats were prepared and Floats sufficient to transport three hundred Men at once and Orders given to fall down the River about Midnight Three Regiments of Foot and one of Horse were appointed to be wasted over The first three hundred being all Foot were commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Walker who being landed on the Island with his Men marched up to the Enemies Breast-work which they had cast up quite round the Place but they having discovered our Men before their Landing had drawn most of their Forces together to oppose them so that being oppressed by the Enemies Numbers they were most of them forced into the Water and all either killed or drowned except two or three only who came back to the Camp Our Bridge being finished and a small Fort to defend it erected at the foot of it the Deputy with most part of the Army marched over to the other side of the River where he marked out Ground for three Bodies of Men to encamp separately each to consist of about two thousand giving Orders for the fortifying of those Places assigning to each Regiment their Proportion and quartering them by Brigades in the most convenient manner he could either to defend themselves to relieve each other or to annoy the Enemy and as soon as the great Fort on which our Men had been long working was rendred defensible he drew off all our Forces from this side of the River except a thousand Foot and about three hundred Horse In the mean time the Enemy was endeavouring to draw their Forces together to relieve the Place well knowing of what Importance it was to their Affairs To that end the Lord Muskerry had brought together about five thousand Horse and Foot in the Counties of Cork and Kerry and David Rock between two or three thousand more in the County of Clare The Lord Broghil and Major Wallis were sent to oppose the Lord Muskerry whilst I with another Detachment was ordered to look after the other The Lord Broghil soon met with the Lord Muskerry and after some Dispute entirely defeated him killing many of the Irish and taking others Prisoners with little loss on our side I passed the River at Inchecroghnan of which the Enemy having advice drew off their Forces from Caricgoholt a Garison of ours which they were besieging whereby Capt. Lucas who was Governour of the Place wanting Provisions took that opportunity to quit it and being joined by Capt. Taff's Dragoons came safe to us Whilst I was endeavouring to find out the Enemy Advice was brought to me that they to the number of three thousand Horse and Foot were marching with all diligence to possess themselves of the Pass at Inchecrohgnan thereby designing to obstruct our Return to the Army before Limerick which being confirmed by a Letter we intercepted I drew out two hundred and fifty Horse with sixty Dragoons and sent them before with Orders to take possession of the Pass marching after them with the rest of my Party When I was almost come to the Pass I was informed by those sent before that they had found a small number of the Enemies Horse there who immediately retreated upon the advance of our Men some of whom were in pursuit of them Presently after Advice was brought that the Enemy made good a Pass leading to some Woods and Bogs which they used sor a Retreat whereupon I went to take a view of their Posture that if it were necessary I might order a greater Force to succour our Men. Being come up to the Place where the Dispute was I found that Connor O Brian deputed by the Lord Inchequin to command in the County of Clare had been shot from his Horse and carried away by his Party The Enemy retreated to a Pass and fired thick upon us but we advancing within Pistol-shot of them they quitted their Ground and betook themselves to their Woods and Bogs Divers of them were killed in the Pursuit yet the Ground was so advantagious to them and their Heels so good that tho we pursued them with all possible diligence and sent out Parties several ways yet we could not take above two or three of them Prisoners Having dispersed this Party and relieved the Garison of Caricogoholt I returned to the Army before Limerick where I found a considerable Progress made in our Works on the other side of the Town and a Reinforcement from England of between three and four thousand Foot whose Arrival was very seasonable and welcome to us having lost many Men by hard Service change of Food and alteration of the Climate The Deputy fearing that the Plague which raged fiercely in Limerick might reach our Army and to the end that care might be taken of our sick and wounded Men caused an Hospital to be prepared and furnished with all things necessary and whilst the Works were finishing against the Town he went to visit the Garison of Killalo and to order a Bridg to be made over the River at that Place for the better Communication of the Counties of Tipperary and Clare I accompanied him in this Journey and having passed all Places of Danger he left his Guard to refresh themselves and rode so hard that he spoiled many Horses and hazarded some of the Men but he was so diligent in the Publick Service and so careless of every thing that belonged to himself that he never regarded what