Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	esq_n	honourable_a	thomas_n	11,004	5	9.8448	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A84825	Sir Thomas Fairfax letter to the Honoble William Lenthal Esq; Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons. Concerning all the passages of his army since his advance from Exeter, and the manner of routing the Princes and the Lord Hoptons forces at Torrington, together with all the particulars in that expedition. Also another letter from a gentleman of quality, of the whole passages of this great victory. Both which were read in the House of Commons. Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that these letters be forthwith printed and published: H: Elsynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.	Fairfax, Thomas Fairfax, Baron, 1612-1671.; Rushworth, John, 1612?-1690.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1646 (1646)	Wing F195; Thomason E324_15; ESTC R200618	6,321	8

Sir Thomas Fairfax LETTER To the Honoble William Lenthal Esq Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons CONCERNING All the Passages of his Army since his advance from Exeter and the manner of Routing the Princes and the Lord Hoptons Forces at Torrington Together with all the particulars in that Expedition ALSO Another LETTER from a Gentleman of quality of the whole passages of this great Victory Both which were read in the House of COMMONS ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That these Letters be forthwith printed and published H Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. London Printed for Edw. Husband Printer to the Honorable House of Commons and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Golden Dragon in Fleetstreet neer the Inner-Temple Feb. 24. 1645. To the Honorable William Lenthal Esq Speaker of the Honorable House of Commons Mr. Speaker PLymouth being set free and Da rtmouth taken I sent Col. Hamond with part of the foot to possess certain houses near Exeter for the blocking of it upon the West side of the River as formerly I had done on the East and lay with the rest of the Army so as to countenance both that work and the raising of some Forces in the Southams to lie about Totness for the securing of that Countrey and to keep the Enemy from coming of that side of Devonshire again when the Army should remove to the other These two things with the continual foul weather at that time and the absence of Col. Cook with so many of the Horse ocacsioned my stay thereabouts above a Fortnight in which time the Houses being competently Fortified and the Forces raising in the Southams in good forwardnesse I drew the Army up towards Crediton with purpose to advance into the North of Devonshire to dislodge the Enemies Horse from their Quarters thereabouts and force them into Cornwal and to endeavour the further clearing of that part of Devonshire also either by the taking of Barnstable or by blocking of it up and raising a Force in that well-affected Corner to keep it in so as having all clear or made fast behinde me I might the better follow the remaining Field forces of the Enemy into Cornwal And to continue the blocking up of Exeter on the East side I left Sir Hardres Waller with three Regiments of Foot and a Regiment of Horse of this Army and advanced with seven Regiments of Foot five Regiments of Horse and five Troops of Dragoons the rest of the Horse and Dragoons being absent with Col Cook in Dorsetshire but then sent for to come up when I was resolved upon my advance this way the Enemy at the same time advanced out of Cornwal with all the Foot they could make to Torrington about which their Horse did lie before and began to fortifie the Town Their intentions therein as we conceived and do since further finde were by the advantage of this place and their Garrison of Barnstaple so near it to make this part of Devonshire more surely theirs more difficult for us to come into and lying so much the nearer to Exeter against which they supposed this Army wholly ingaged to take their best advantages From hence and from Chimleigh which they meant also to have possessed to relieve Exeter on the North side or disturb us in the Siege and 't is probable they might have a further purpose in their posture here to secure the Landing of Irish or Welch Supplies so much the forwarder towards the East On Saturday last I advanced from Crediton to Chimleigh where by many Prisoners taken I was Informed That the Lord Hopton had hereabouts Four thousand Horse and Three thousand Foot we believed them to be about Two thousand Foot or upwards and Three thousand Horse The extreme foulnesse of weather that day and next occasioned me not to advance from about Chimleigh for the next night save only one Foot quarter and an Horse Guard advanced to Ring-ash three miles towards the Enemy to secure a Rendezvouz so much the nearer to them for the day following I understood by the best Intelligence That the Enemy was resolved to make good their station and set their rest upon it to fight us there if we would come up to them And truly men in their condition could not hope all things considered to have more for it Their Horse in number superior to what I brought up with me their Foot as I finde since not much inferior and if they could with all their force make good this Town and put us to lie in the field there being no Villages near it that could shelter the Army the wet weather continuing which was then most likely would have forc'd us to draw back and make our Fire-arms little useful either for assault or defence and besides we were like for matter of Provisions to be forced to draw off first they having both by their posture with the plentiful Countrey of Cornwal behinde them and a River at their backs securing also a good part of Devonshire unto them and by their strength of Horse much advantage for longer subsistence then we and we by the barrennesse of the place where we must have lien before them especially for Horse-meat their Garrison of Barnstaple lying partly behinde us their Horse more numerous then ours which might with stronger parties cut off our supplies had had little possibility to subsist long before them These considerations we had in our eye to discourage us from going on as I believe they had to incourage them to stand yet on the other side finding That by reason of the barrenness and long exhausting of our Quarters behinde us we could neither keep our Horie so close together as to lie safe so near the Enemy nor indeed finde subsistence for the Army either where we were or in any other Quarters more backward where we could lye so as to secure the Siege of Exeter from relief and upon all considerations conceiving the Affairs of the Kingdom did require us and God by all did call us to make a present attempt upon the Enemy we resolved to go on to try what God would do for us and trust him for weather subsistence and all things Accordingly on Monday morning I drew out the Army to an early Rendezvouz at Ring-ash within six miles of the Enemy the weather still continued very wet and so by all signes was like to hold till we were advanced from the Rendezvouz but suddenly when we were upon march it beyond all expectation grew fair and dry and so continued whereas we had scarce seen one fair blast for many dayes before The Enemy as we understood by the way had all their Horse drawn together about Torrington and with their Foot prepared to defend the Town which they had fortified with good Barracadoes of Earth cast up at every Avenue and a competent Line patcht up round about it their Horse standing by to flanck the same and some within to scowre the