ΣΤΡΑΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ OR THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH CIVIL VVARRS In English Verse Containing a brief Account of all Fights most Skirmishes Stratagems and Sieges in ENGLAND From the very first Originall of our late Warres till the Martyrdome of King Charles the First of blessed Memory By an Eye-Witnesse of many of them A. C. Alta sedent Civiles vulnera Dextrae LONDON Printed for Joseph Cranford at the Castle and Lyon in St. Pauls Church-yard 1660 TO THE Right Honourable AND Truly Noble CONYERS DARCY Lord Darcy Meynell and Conyers THrice noble Sir pardon this bold addresse In that my soaring Muse pitch'd on no lesse A Patronage than your Renouned Name Imboldned hereto was I ' cause your Fame Recorded is amongst those Hero's who The Royall Cause maintain'd against a Foe Under pretences specious that Rebell'd VVhen yet a Boy your Colours I beheld And Regiment so gallant by you rais'd Even by my Infant-Muse your worth was prais'd An Actor on this Bloody Scene you were And an eye-witnesse of most Fields fought here That blood you lost your valour may declare Your judgement this that no pretence though fair Your intellect could blind your Faithfulness In that you fought till that of Souldiers lesse Under your tattered Colours did appear Then Cinquefoils in your honours Colours were Wounds you receiv'd and much of blood did lose VVhilst on the field your life you did expose To do your Soveraign service Sure that blood Expended in a cause Royally good Your Honour is your wounds then chains of gold Are Ornaments more glorious to behold Your sufferings since the VVarres who hath not known You paid both for your Souldiers and your own Loyalty nor would your brave mind submit To composition till much mov'd to it By your most vertuous Lady's prayers and tears Your name the last in that black Roll appears Except the martyr'd Slingby's none there are Of all your Honour'd House engag'd in VVarre Against your King these things induc'd my Muse You as the fittest person Sir to chuse To patronize these her first rude Essayes Let not oblivion cancel the due praise It 's the Debenters we are like to have Of all those Sons of Mars and Souldiers brave That for their Soveraign fought and suffer'd too In this they live whilst this doth live by you Your Honours most humble and most devoted in all service AN. COOPER THE EPISTLE TO THE READER EXpect not Reader this Book should impart The Flourishes of Rhethorick or of Art Such polite Strains do not indeed become The Camp nor suit the Trumpet or the Drum The more refined Muses have with Mars No intercourse Society commerce Blunt Language doth in truth the best declare The dreadful fury of our Civil Warre Rage blood and death each Page herein they show Of Cities Castles Towns the overthrow Rapine and plunder all those sad effects Wherewith a Civil Warre a Land infects ☞ When first for Oxford fully there intent To study learned Sciences I went Instead of Logicke Physicke School-converse I did attend the armed Troops of Mars Instead of Books I Sword Horse Pistols bought And on the Field I for Degrees then fought My years had not amounted full eighteen Till I on Field wounded three times had been Three times in sieges close had been immur'd Three times imprisonments restraint indur'd In those sad times these Verses rude were writ For Poesie a season most unfit Yet is my subject high the Hystory true Presented in this Book unto thy view Well-nigh each Skirmish Stratagem Siege fight In these late Warres we here present to sight And if thou shalt accept these first Essayes Shortly perchance we may in smoother Layes The second part of our sad Annals sing Till the blest Restauration of our King Who like the Sun after a dismal night Of sad oppression did restore both light And glory to these Nations ruinous Whose Rising and illustrious shine on us Lighted these Lines out from Oblivion's Cell To which they were condemn'd the world to tell That though the Royal Party was Captiv'd The best of Kings of his blest life depriv'd Yet Oceans of Loyall blood was shed Before bold Traytors this accomplished But strange that we were beat lest it be thought Vpon great disadvantages we fought The Parliament the Navy had procur'd With them to side all Armouries secur'd And Magazines usurped the Kings Lands Customes Revenues Rents into their hands With Arms and Coyn their men they could recruit When ours of both indeed were destitute But I transgresse the bounds of my intent And thee from reading these our Warres prevent A. C. THE ENGLISH CIVIL VVARRS BOOK I. The Contents See first a good then a bad Parliament The fatal causes of our discontent The two Scotch expeditions causes why Ireland 's Rebellion Strafford's Tragedy London tumultuous The Kings brave intents Ireland for to releive Hotham prevents By Hulls denyall which the King to take Forces combines Meldrum on them doth make Two Sallies bold Some Royalists are slain The King for York from Hull retreats again A noble Persons councell some releife Contributes to the King opprest with grief SEE where our English three Estates do sit In Parliament a Councel onely fit Our Nation to secure from bold abuse To legal forme injustice to reduce To deleate bad just laws to procreate Publick assignes to guide and regulate To act what may conduce to the renown Both of the State Religion and the Crown Englands Epitomie representation My Muse invites excites to admiration Thy noble Senate Rome my wonder was Till this high Court their lustre did surpasse As fair as Cynthia that pale Queene of night Out-shined is by Phoebus glorious light If admiration did thy thoughts transport From Rome's Terrestrial to Heavens glorious Court Much more Fulgentius might thy ravish'd minde From this to Heaven 's a quick transition finde ☞ But what malignity vitious excesse Is this a Parliament cannot redresse The body politick symptomes presents That all these State-Physitians discontents A dolorous Corasive we must indure These sad distempered Nations to recure Whilst head and members do indeed agree A Parliament's a Soveraigne remedy To cure distempers but if these discent Each seemes to move out of their element And such a motion must in the conclusion Being irregular induce confusion The hands of food the belly did deprive As in the fable but how long survive Those most ingrateful members by and by They with the dying belly also dye Our Army 's sad miscarriages must bee At Cades Rochel and the Isle of Rhes All charg'd upon the King when as the State Themselves made those designes unfortunate By not allowing to his Majesty Such supplements of Coin and Souldiery To mannage those most excellent designes Unto some purpose when the State declines The King to second who can then expect That brave attempts should have a wish'd effect Ship-monys Poles Taxes Monopolies Illegal Pressures frequent subsidies They charge the King to have without consent Impos'd on us out of
their Vant-guard on Dunsian hills espyes Back with his Troopes for England then he flies As though his Lordship with a panick fear Had been surpriz'd to see the Scots so near The Scots their Camp dislodge march thorow Tweed The English Force retreat and do receed The Scot Northumber-land Strafford's design Is to fight Lesley on the banks of Tine The Scots for Newburne streight direct their course Discover Charge and Rout the English Horse After which running Charge flying dispute Through Tine the Scot imboldned makes pursute After our English dispers'd Regiments Rumours of Conquests are of large extents New-Castle is deserted whose wide Barrs Stand open to the Scottish Conquerers The Newcastilians can the Scots allow In prospect of their walls to randevow Their Drums they beat their Colours they display Their Trumpets sound the Tryumphs of that day To celebrate with Scottish Levites sweet Thy ecchoing walls New-Castle they do greet The Army drawn to a form circular The General in the mid'st 'gan to declare In Scottish Rhethorick learned Oratory This speech ensuing to augment their glory ☞ Fellows in Armes brave martialists combin'd England to conquer Men by fate design'd For better Climes then Scotland can afford Fair England England on your hearts record As your debenters for past misery As your reward for future gallantry Each Loune shall have a Lady for his prize Each Loune and Clowne England will Gentelize Your Bonnets shall be chang'd to Beavers brave For louzy gray of Scarlet Cloaks yee's have For Broangs my Rooges ye shall ha Boots most neat For Plads bra Lads ye shall ha Sutes compleat For Cottages of Sods Halls of square stone And Lord it bravely rule the roast alone See these wide gates do our approach expect As though they did our conquering Troops affect Wee shall get riches honours Englands goods View these bra Towns fields fertle christal floods Our Scottish Frith equallity disclaims To Northern Tine much more to Southern Thames Here are some Lads the Germaine wars ha seen And in those sharpe encounters parties been Who can as well even as my sell record Those sad vastations by the furious Sword This English warr 's a Theater for play Face but the Louns they 'l span their gates away This first Encounter doth good fate presage The vanquish'd scarce with victors will engage Hermaphrodites virago's feminine Cannot dispence with Martial Discipline English effeminate Pudding-fed Lads Ken not the muckle worth obscur'd in Plads Warres vigills Famins tumults frights alarms Will scar the Louns from dalliance Ladies armes The muckle hardlinesse that warres comprize Will soon these English Louns anatomize Fresh-water Souldiers milk-sops cannot fight Our very looks them daunt shroudly affright On then let 's prosecute our conquering Fates Delay breeds danger Cow-hearts animates Warres practise courage breeds exempts dismay Though now they quake to hear our Muskets play ☞ From Bishoprick our Forces make recession Now wholly yeelded to the Scots possession In general our Grandees the Warres decline As private favorites of the Scots design But future blood-shed ruine to prevent Both Armys to a treaty now consent First they conclude for two months Armes cessation To pay the Scots the prefix'd times duration North-humber Dure-holme Carlile Westmore-Land Are all resign'd unto the Scot's command For Winter-Quarters Private wrongs abuse Must not infringe the pre-concluded Truce During the Peace in England Merchandize By sea and land the Scots may exercize But Souldiers without Order leave expresse Must not from Quarters wander or digresse Thus rests the Armys and thus Warres surce ase Better than Warre though just is impious Peace This may encourage others to Rebell When as the Scots rewarded are so well The Scottish League by this time doth expire Paid and reduc'd their forces home retire London the King incontinent forsakes And into Scotland streight himself betakes Not one auspicious look these Scots would cast Upon their King as he their Armies pas'd Yet the Kings presence in the Scottish State Did their tumultuous madnesse much abate ☞ Whilst here the King resides Ireland Rebels And puts in practise those Hell-stamped spells Plots Jesuitical by barbarous death Poor Protestants for to deprive of breath Inhumane Tyrannies deadly perswasions Licentious rage bloody insinuations Infused are by numerous distribution Into the Multitude in execution These bloody Plots to put joyntly conjur'd To such attempts Romes Locusts are inur'd Two hundred thousand Protestants there dye As sacrifices to Romes Tyranny A Prologue to that Tragedy whose rage Must be enacted on our English Stage Phoebus th'Autumnal Equinoctial Line Towards the Pole Antartick did decline The sable Queen of the black-mantled night Had fill'd her Semi-globe with borrowed light And now to Thetis lap precipitate Darknesse gave way these facts to perpetrate Darknesse the works of darknesse to contrive Gave way yet did poor Protestants deprive Of all resistance whom by multitudes That mid-night in the night of death includes Murther death rapine barbarous butchery A confus'd dismal hideous mid-night-cry Did fill th' affrighted slumbering peoples ears Fire from the burning Villages appears With it's aspiring flames daring the sky Whole familys of naked people flie Thinking those scorching flames for to prevent Meet death in the contrary Element And are by thousands into waters forc'd Whose souls and bodyes soon are there divorc'd ☞ Whilst man and wife securely arme in arme Lye flumbering clear devoid of thoughts of harm A confus'd noyse them both doth terrifie Listning at length they plainly do discry The pitious plaints of poor injured wights This from their sleep though last them both affrights Up starts the man opening the Casement wide The Country round about on fire he spi'd The naked people that came running by Cry'd Neighbour rise flye for your life oh flye This unsuspected dismal accident Dismaies them both but see incontinent The Rebells break up doors the house they fire And sacrifice to their infernal Ire The suppliant peoples lives they violate The wife in sight of her now dying Mate They dye their skins in blood by barbarous power Their Maids and Virgins chaste they do deflower Before their Mothers eyes shame bids conceal Those Barbarisms acted by their Popish zeal For what they act for what blood they expend Commission from the King the Rogues pretend And when the Irish work 's done they professe By force to London for to make accesse To guard the King from Scotland to White-hall And tame that Juncto Puritanicall ☞ But this was an officious Popish lye Those jealousies to widen multiply That were betwixt the King and Parliament The King did such compliance scorne resent And would have queld though with his bloods expence This proud rebellion Irish insolence Thy wings my Muse though bloody elevate The Irish Sea thou now must transvolate Wash not thy plumes thy bloody plumes may bee A Symptome of poor Irelands misery And may extract remorse from hearts of stone To hear thy queremonious plaints and moan Relief to grief pray England
Then up the Town we streight direct our way Unto the Castle gate where there did stand A Serjeant with his Halbert in his hand Of him accesse demanded streight the Gate He opens bids us welcome prosperous fate Thus brought us to our wish some there were slain And twenty only of them Prisoners tane Their Cannons we dismount some gall ants free Their Prison's broken from Captivity Yet Girlington though Prisoner there he were And call'd upon oft by us did not hear Not yet could we him find though him we sought In many a Room To Pomfret safe we brought Our Prize and Prisoners though the foes in view Did even nigh to the Castle us pursue Finis Libri Quinti THE ENGLISH CIVIL VVARRS BOOK VI. The Contents New-Castle from the North the Scots before Doth fly York Siege The fight at Marston-more New-Castle England leaves a short reveiw Of all those Northern Seiges that insue BEhold of men a Concourse from all parts Of England with arm'd hands divided hearts Conjur'd of King and Parliament the right To try by dint of sword and Martial might And York-shire by the Fates design'd to bee The Stage whereon to act this Tragedy New-Castle now deserts the Banks of Tine And to the Scots those Quarters doth resign His numerous Army almost ruin'd now By means insensible And who knows how But that I may the noble General here From all suspition of dis-loyal clear I'dare ingage that Boreaes might take wing Sooner at Nilus-head Tygras-spring Sooner in Itie Island than that he Perfideous prove unto his Majesty Whether then fate conspir'd to aid the Scot Or General King with Lesley did complot This gallant Army basely to betray And Fabious like to conquer by delay Is still unknown yet this is too too plain That Lesley did this victory onely gain By times procrastination hunger cold O how resolv'd how numerous and how bold Upon our first advance our Armies were How few how hunger-starv'd surpriz'd with fear Now in Retreat what thousands run away Or kill'd by hunger cold or base delay Neither the number nor the fortitude Of Lesley and his Scots our men subdu'd If that our army at our first advance Against the Scot had bravely try'd the chance Of War these Victors might have been captiv'd Our Northern Army had York-siege surviv'd The Scots like mercinary slaves most slain The rest sent with a vengeance home again But see the Scots do march this barbarous crew Even to the walls of York our men pursue Oxen Sheep Horses all thats's in their way Spoons To these rapatious Harpies proves a prey Their Cans their Pans their Meale their long-horn Their raggs their baggs so load the lousy Louns Their Drums their Guns their Plundering in the way Their slower marches do so much delay That York hath for a siege time to prepare And our now dispers'd Troops united are Ramsdale from Leeds doth lead his Regiment From Knaisbrough and from Pomfret some are sent And those too under Belhouses command That late at Selby did escape the hand Of Fairfax come these broken parties all Conveen'd at York Our honoured General Beckning his hand our silence to request Thus to the Army his designs exprest ☞ Souldiers we cannot in the field withstand These Rebels that flock in on every hand 'T is not the Scots alone but Fairfax too With whom at present we must have to do Selby is wonne most of our Souldiers tane And what but York to Leagure doth remain Manchesters Army also now draws near All these combin'd are to besiege us here Therefore in York these Foot I will secure Till from the King assistance wee procure Hulls bloody siege in kind we will requite And with these walls and guns we 'l make them fight With fallies bold their courage wee 'll fore-stall With thundring shot their bodies wound and gall May Yorks siege prove as sad disasterous To Fairfax as his Hulls hath done to us May all these Blew-Caps once before us flee As Caesars men Torguatus did from thee Langdale shall with these Troops fly to the King And such relief will shortly hither bring As shall these Rebels all then put to flight Or bravely vanquish if they dare to fight Within these walls provision here 's in store For half a years subsistance or for more These Citizens all Loyal here secure Within these walls we may our selves immure Necessity admits no Law we must Now to these walls souldiers our selves intrust And though to be besieged be some grief Yet here 's our joy certainty of relief At this the Horse now for the South design'd March off The Foot are unto York confin'd By this the pale Queen of the silent night With her dark Mantle vailed had the light The Gates commanded are for to be shut And round upon the walls strong Guards are put ☞ The first besiegers that discovered were Were the Scotch Armies who next day appear Rang'd in battailions great Then Lesley takes Bishop-Thorpe for his Quarters Fairfax makes At Forforth residence Manchesters force Encampe at Clifton Thus with foot and horse Of armed foes under three Generals Surrounded are Yorks now well manag'd walls But no assault this City for to take By violence did these besiegers make Save Manchester alone whose great design Was these our City walls to undermine Blow up and enter but his Minors skill Fail'd with the execution of his will As stronger winds striving their force to vent From Caverns under ground furiously rent The Rocks and make even mountains to give way And to their uncontrouled rage obey Causing the Earth to gape and to devour Whole Cities yea whole Islands even such power This Mine now sprung had for up to the sky Earth Walls and Towers and men on these do flye In a sulphurious globe till down at length They fall the Powder having lost its strength Then in the place you quickly might espy Those lofty walls and Towers intomb'd to lye In their own ruines he are a souldier 's head And there his leggs or armes discovered But not the City but the Manour-wall By this sulphurious Powder-blast doth fall At this the Arm'd foes with great fury run Up at the breaches and doubtlesse had won The City but that here the inner wall Still standing firm their expectations all Deceiv'd And here bagan a fierce Dispute Their errour by repulse ours would refute And they by further violence maintain Against our Sally-Ports till from the slain The mannour-Guard like to a great Land-flood Did overflow with intermixed blood Yet at the length the enemy was wors'd And from the breaches headlong re-inforc'd Where now on heaps wounded and dead they laid And buryed in those graves their own Mines made But the besieged and the besiegers here We leave a while Prince Ruperts Troops draw near Worcester and Bridge-North now left in haste And all those Western Counties now surpast His swifter Troops new Quarters do acquire In the adjoyning towns of Lanca-shire Stopwash the Prince
valiantly held out e're this Yeilded it was Now Skipton they assay Enter the Town plunder and bear away What lighter then stone-walls in it they finde Batteries against the Castle were design'd Numerous Granadoes in the interim plaid When here the Leagure had some few daies laid From Apleby upon Paroll I came Having exactly first perform'd the same I to the Castle with a Trumpet went Whom we return'd Their Scouts stood eminent On Rumles-Moore from whence they might us When any party we together drew Therefore some twenty in their sight do mount view They take th' Alarm and to their Guards account Our motion In the interim we drew out Three hundred undiscovered Horse and Foot Their Horse all mounted our small party drew Streight on our ambuscado out we flew Their three divisions soon we put to rout Briggs had some parties to draw out of Foot Whereof some slain the rest we dissipate Take Briggs with many more So fortunate In such attempts were the bold Skiptoneirs Their gallantry in these their acts appears In their own meadows numerous Horse and Foot A party small of them did break and rout Tripleing their number with the Prisoners tane At Ast-wick-Fair how many had they slain Taken and broke their party very small Wren's Regiment we beat at Eshton-Hall But with a hundred Horse Kighley's designe Was gallant though alas the love of Wine In some Commanders a miscarriage wrought Fatal But we to yeilding tearms are brought And hence convey'd to Leichfield march away In Arms compleat and souldier-like array Finis Libri Sexti THE English CIVIL WARRS BOOK VII The Contents The Model new with some of Cromwels deeds Lidney Siege raisd Ludberry fight succeeds Taunton besieg'd The King storms Leicester Naisby fight Gorings forces routed are At Lang-port what 's at several Sieges done Routon and Shearburn fights Westchester won Kilsithe fight Digby 's rout on Carlisle Sands Torrington fight Goring his men disbands Stow fight Oxford besieg'd The King doth make Thence in disguise unto the Scots escape Hereford is surprized by a Plot Newark Siege North the King goes with the Scot. THe Parliament now their Grandees recall All from command Young Fairfax Generall Is made of England By this Modell new Many advantages to them accrew Emulous Lords now being laid away Men of less note will need the lesser pay Spirits most active for the Cause they chuse Of milder Zeal Commanders they refuse As useless now Cromwell for Eminence Was now the MAN next to his excellence Northampton's Horse with the Queens Regiment At Islip-bridge in Quarters resident Cromwell upon them comes they fight at length The Royalists ore-powered are in strength Cromwell some hundreds of these Horse doth take With the Queens Colours then pursuit doth make To Blackington after the rest that fled Cromwell demands the House delivered By Windebank on tearms it is next day Both Horse and Arms they leave and march away To Oxford where a Martial Court decree Windebank shall for this delivery Bee shot to Death when too late to prevent This Collonels Death the King doth it resent Blaming Prince Ruperts too much urgency In this young Gallants late Catastrophe His Royal bounty doth the King express All hee could do to his Relicts distress Near Bampton-Bush Vavisors party lay Cromwell his marches doth direct that way So privately that hee surpriz'd them all Numerous his Prisoners and his prize not small Lidney against Massie close Siege had laid Langdale at length to the Defendants aid Came with a party brave Massie off beat Many hee slew and took in this defeat To Ludberry Rupert with his Forces came Massie before possest was of the same But seeing Ruperts Horse so near drew out Whilst off for Glocester hee sent his Foot Hee charged with his Horse fierce the dispute Massie at length doth fly in the pursuit Rupert shot Massie's Horse doubtless his aim Was at himself though short his bullets came Harlow was tane Bacchus laid on the ground Bleeding of his now last and mortal wound Numbers were kill'd numbers of them were tane On Ruperts part was noble Haistings slain ☞ Hopton on Tauntons Seige had now design'd Greenvill and Goring were with him combin'd Willington-House by storm they late regain'd Many within put to the sword maintain'd This Siege was with much courage and more art Nor wanted these on the Defendant's part Which Blake advanced unto such renown Many assaults were made against the Town Mounts high were rais'd off which their Cannon plaid Fairfax sends Graves at length unto their aid At his approach th' Assailants march away Tauntons releiv'd nor longer Graves would stay Th' Assailants soon renew the Siege again Where to their work wee leave them to remain ☞ Massie recruited Evesham comes before Demands the Town Legg no such spirit bore To yeild at the first Summons Massie then Commands the storm with loss three times his men Were bravely beaten off Sevorn grew red Soon with the influx of the blood here shed But at the fourth assault the Town they win Many put to the Sword of those within ☞ Fairfax and Brown Oxford before sate down But the Defendants all the Meadows drown Sleight their out Forts and all the Suburbs fire Cromwell doth from the Kings pursuit retire For Cromwell had a while follow'd the King But now recall'd doth to the Leagure bring His well-arm'd troops while Fairfax veiws the town And ore the Bowling-green rides up and down A Cannon-bullet from the works doth fly Pity it mis'd which wafts his head hard by Which made his excellence in great fear Once vaile his Beavour to a Cavallier But now let 's leave this Leagure and review The Kings transactions who together drew A gallant Army and North-westward went The Siege at Chester for to raise intent Brearton his Siege draws at the Kings access The King wheels East to Leicester address Wee make demand the Town in vain for they Within do entrance to their King deny At this command is given to storm the Town After our Guns wide breaches had beat down Though those within did make resistance stout Resolutely wee enter Horse and Foot Those enemies that yet survive do fly To th' Market-place where their Artillery With some fresh Companies of Horse and Foot Did stand with these wee have a bloody bout For full two hours and more they here maintain The fight in fine the most of them were slain Here laid whole heaps of Scotish Voluntiers There Dalbin's men by scores ruddy appears The Soure with blood the Channels did convey Out of those streets here Gray's men slaughtered lay The Town was plundered Gray and Hacker were Prisoners Great was the prize was taken here ☞ Fairfax hears of these actions of the King Rises from Oxford and doth Northward bring His Army Orders unto Cromwell sent Who lately to the Isle of Ely went From Oxford Siege to march Naisby fields are For the most fatal fight of this sad War Design'd the place The
Worcester wee came a Seige hard by Wee rais'd into a Church some Rebels fly Leaving some Cannons which wee soon possest The Church wee enter earnestly request Those in the Steeple Quarter for to take But they refusing under them wee make A mighty fire and leave them there to burn Or break their necks to Bramiard wee return And so do march about but our Design Was with some Horse our selves for to combine At Farrington and so an Army make At length our marches thither-ward wee take ☞ Morgan and Brearton follow in our Rear Whom for to fight at Stow inforc'd wee were For having Skirmish'd with them there that night When the swift houres induce the morning light Of Horse and Foot their Bodies wee Discry Our General said Souldiers let 's nobly Dye Or Conquer now 't is base to turn and fly This will bring shame or else Captivity The other fame the Kings condition 's low To raise it let 's our hands and lives bestow Suppose his Majesty stood you before And did your utmost courage now implore Suppose as Forlorn Prisoners now of Warr Led all wee were by the proud Conquerer To nasty Gaols there scorn'd and Hunger starv'd And might from all these miseries bee preserv'd By Valour nay suppose they should Decree That wee should hang'd bee for our Loyalty For they of Loyalty can Treason make If wee bee vanquish'd rather courage take And these by a more noble Death prevent This said with resolution on wee went As scorning wounds and death up to the face Of th' Enemy Pistols are fir'd a pace Some of their Bodies soon wee put to rout Nor with less Gallantry on went our Foot Levelling their thick-vollied shot so well That numbers of the Enemy there fell Indeed both Horse and Foot had here exprest Such bravery as the Enemy confest Their number not their Valour won the Day Lucas did here there Vaughan did assay Fresh parties while that these wee Dissipate Hydra-like shee new Heads repullulate At length our Foot the Enemy surround Our Horse ore-power'd inforc'd are to give ground And after to inlarge to open flight Some fifteen hundred tane were in this fight ' Mongst whom our General who aloud did say Your work 's now done put up your swords play For now no Army had the King on field Dennington to the Foe stout Bloys doth yeild This while Barnstable also they possest Ruthen and Woodstock too Now from the West Comes Fairfax before Oxford doth sit down Which hitherto block'd up had been by Brown To take the King Fairfax did think to have The Glory but the King doth him deceive Who in disguise Oxford alas forsook And to the Scots at Newark Siege betook Himself the Scots having receiv'd the King From Newark rise him to New-Castle bring Five months ' gainst Newark had the siege now laid Fiercely the Town oft times had been assai'd Sand-fort the Scots had now some time possest Th' English and they in their attempts contest Who should most active bee Granado's store Shot on the Town their thundering Cannons roar Against the Castle Houses down are burn'd Sinite and Trent are from their Channels turn'd And nothing unattempted for to win The Town No whit less active those within Make many sallies bold upon the Foe The Quarters of the Scots sometimes into They fall with fire and sword sometimes they try Rossiter Pointz or Copley's Gallantry At every sally slain are more or less Each enterprize was Growned with success On the Defendants part but Fatal still Th' Assaillants to his Majesty doth will Bellas to yeild And Tearms concluded are Then to the North the King and Scots repair Where ah good King with this perfideous crew Wee leave him Southern actions to review Finis Libri Septimi THE ENGLISH CIVIL VVARRS BOOK VIII The Contents The Royal Garisons distress'd much are The Scots the King do sell The second Warr. Horton doth Poyer and Lang-horn both defeat The London and the Kentish Forces beat Barwick and Carlisle Langdale doth surprize Duke Hamilton ' s succesless enterprize The Kirk late Cromwels Foes with him now side Colchester tane Cromwels curs'd Regicide WEe that from Stow routed of late had fled In diverse Holds are now beleagured With Sieges close the Enemies distrest Even all those Garrisons that wee possest Dudley against Brearton a while had laid Many Granado's on the Castle plaid Of mines and batteries too use hee did make When none of these nor yet them all would take Levison doubting of releif doth yeild ☞ Not yet our hopes on no grounds did we build Wee did presume that the Kings presence might The Scots into an understanding right Of these late bloody differences induce Wee did presume the Irish might take Truce With one another and their Forces bring England into for to assist the King Some hopes wee had too of Domestick Jarrs 'Twixt Independents and the Presbyters But all our hopes and expectations fail'd With fire and sword the Enemy assail'd Bridg-north this while not one house i' th high town Except in rocks but burned were all down The town or rather now no town thus won The least part of their work they had not done For from the Castle oft wee sallied out One Colour took and put whole Guards to rout Scarce Pistol shot a barn stood from the wall In which a Guard they kept on this wee fall Kill some beat out the rest and then return But first the Barn down to the ground wee burn The Church th' Assailants made their Magazin For Powder while Alarm'd they pressed in A spark that from a lighted match did fly Their Powder fir'd which sacralegiously Rent off the Church the timber and the Lead Some scores blown blind some scores stricken quite dead Here of their men those that had burn'd the Town Burn'd were i' th Church and to the clouds up blown Like fiery meteors down their bodies came Their cloaths and hair all in a smoaking flame Five hundred of their battering shot each day Fiercely against our walls th' Assaillants play Of great Granado's too full many a flight They sent into these walls us to afright And in those Rocks their miners did imploy Us in a blast Sulphureous to destroy As many of themselves i' th Church late were But our Provisions to an end grow near On tearms wee yeild which tearms they falsifi'd Those march on foot who promise had to ride No Martial Law th' insulting Foes regard Of recompence they think us quite debar'd Hence to the Scots many of us repair Who gave us words made promises full fair But their performances their mindes discry'd 'T is bad to trust such as wee have not try'd This wee may say their dealing was with us Their words full fair their acts perfideous ☞ Though many a futious Battery Bloody bout Couragiously Banberry had stood out Her Foes and famine now grow prevalent Needs must shee yeild though much shee it resent The Valiant Byron was again
to kill Shall we be dared thus by such proud foes And thus our bodies to their Guns expose ☞ To whom the best of Kings sadly reply'd Loath loath I am my Sword should e're be dy'd In civil blood my soul doth much decline These worst of wars are not these people mine If undeceiv'd we suddenly should see Their Arms cast downe they all would come to me ☞ But now more pity fight indeed we must Therefore brave Souldiers that your cause is just I know you are perswaded Loyalty Under your Soveraign's Ensignes here to dye Or conquer doth and did you first ingage How factious Zeal some Sectaries doth inrage Against their King you are not ignorant I hope they 'l see their errours and recant Others that are not such we soon shall see Prove loyal Essex leave and turne to mee Wound not who e're of them before you flies Such are not yours nor yet my enemies And now your magnanimity approve If you your Country or your Soveraigne love See how your King if conquered see no more Your courage utmost valour doth implore They are more numerous let our fortitude Their numbers ballance when they are subdu'd 'T will be our glory that with numbers lesse Wee did their greater conquer on possesse Their Riches Campe Artillery as prize Yonder rich Army I to you demize Win Gold and wear 't my cause 's just intent God now assist as I am innocent The murthering Cannons now began to play VVhos 's so well levell'd bullets made their way Through many a rank heads armes and legs off fly VVhich hit and oft strike dead the standers by The Chain-shot by the middle cuts asunder VVhole Files of men who now in death do wonder How this so wide a passage open stood At once to let out all their vital blood How head and feet leggs and arms in one place By this strange death conjoyn'd should now imbrace From Morterpeeces great Granado's fly VVhich in their fall kill some but to the skye Do in their breath blow up who stand them near From others their dismembred Limbs they tear Others their furious blasts do blow stone-blinde O haplesse men to such sad fates design'd ☞ As a tempestuous Heaven-obscuring shower VVith violence doth Raine or Hail down power VVith Lightnings frequent flashes intermix'd And loud sky-renting Thunder claps betwixt Even so from fire-lock-Pistolls and Carbines The fire like lightning from the sky now shines And fiery Bullets with their thicker flight Obscure the day and antidate the night Sulphurious clouds of smoak toff'd with the winde With fiery flashes glancing through them blinde Both Horse and man so that they cannot see Therefore lesse fear their quick Catastrophy ☞ The King 's Forlorne Dives his Regiment First down the hill couragiously on went Where Major Backstake with his party clears The Hedges lin'd with Essex Musketeers The Royalists then cheerefully discend The hill as bravely Essex doth defend The ground whereon his Army Marshal'd stood Till that red Valley redder became with blood ☞ But like a Lyon greedy of his prey At length their left wing Rupert doth assay VVhose charge most furious and Heroick might Them break and put to a disordered flight Rupert through Keinton in pursute doth ride Then fell to plunder Hurry soon espy'd This fair advantage and with eagernesse Did now on Wilmot and Carnarvan presse Forcing them to give ground Then wheel'd about And fiercely charged on the Royal foot VVhere soon the furious Horse asunder rents Linsey's Bowles Paget's Fieldings Regiments Brave Linsey seeing his in such distresse Rallies a party soon for their redresse And like a Tygar of her whelps depriv'd In thickest Troopes of Armed foes arriv'd Most valliantly thousands doth kill or wound Yet him the numerous foes at length surround ☞ But when his Son renowned Willowby His Father thus encompassed did see He rides up with his Troopes gave such a charge As soon his noble Father did enlarge But wounded soon too soon alas he dy'd A fatal losse unto the Royal side ☞ The Royal Standard Balfores Troopes had tane Varney the Standard-bearer being slain A valiant Gentleman who this espy'd Gallantly through their thickest Ranks did ride And there the new Possessor having slain The Standard Royal bravely did re-gaine For which brave exploit Knight and Barronet The King bedub'd him Balfore hard beset With our fresh Troops most bravely was assail'd And made give ground The Royalists prevail'd Sometimes and sometimes Essex Dubious Was Fortune whom to make victorious ☞ By this that spacious Valley was bespread With heaps of Men and Horses that lay dead From several wounds the several streams of blood Increased to an overspreading Flood Whose stronger currents to the lower ground Drove down some bodys now both kild drownd Thus many deaths poor mortals do attend VVhen one's sufficient to inforce their end Here might you hear the sad laments and moans In doleful accents of their dying groans Some execrating their Nativity Others that Fatal day Reveng'd to bee Some vow'd and with their Swords about them laid Now even in Death Some boldly did upbraid The Parliaments Pretences feign'd some swore And off their heads their hair they fiercely tore Some Pray'd and were exceeding Penitent Such several humours dying men present VVho late against each other boldly fought Their Reconciliation Death had wrought VVhose blood dispended falling in one place Kindly now arm in arm by Death imbrace Here might you see a bullet-galled steed Now of his wounded or dead rider free'd Fiercely run through the field and oft out-tread The bowels of the living and the dead Here might you see two armed Gallants met Their courage sharper than their swords was whet By vow'd revenge much hotter was their ire Than from their clashing swords that sparkling fire Whose courage strength dexterity and art Byinter-courses each did play their part Till blood and strength expended these two foes Upon that bed of honour both repose Whose streaming blood could not be intermix'd Such strong antipathy was them betwixt ☞ A Cockney whom blinde zeal-did much inflame Essex to serve a Volunteer late came Who to his fellows vaunted they should see The wicked none pursuing for to flee Tomkins said true the Cannons 'gan to play Down went his Arms and streight he ran away A flying peece of a Granado-shell Stroke Simpson into th' back who dead down fell Speaking these words then with his latest winde 'T is base and cowardly for to strike behinde ☞ A welsh-man who came as a Volunteer Hur King to serve proudly did dominere Before the fight vowing that hur would slay All Rebell-Round-heads that came in hur way Essex himself should not escape hur hand If that he durst till hur came to him stand Essex might long have stood Taffy was gone Before the fight and so kill'd ne're a one For when he heard the Cannons 'gin to play Down went his Bill and streight he ran away Swearing by got in English he could swear He ne're
Presbytery As now under much-hated Prelacy That much pretended wish'd for reformation Shall have a most apparent confutation From those curs'd crimes London will exercise And grant her even what Form shee can devise For Government either in Church or State But whether doth my Muse thus deviate Rupert the leading having now acquir'd Of such a Party as his heart disir'd Couragious Gallants who did scorn to fly The face of even the proudest enemy Thought that his smaller parties fortitude Might ballance Essex's numerous multitude O! that their temperance had but equalis'd Their valour would Rupert had exercis'd A stricter Discipline and not by force Suffered his stout though too licentious Horse Coine Arms and Horses to extort from those That doubtless but for this nere the Kings foes Had prov'd Indeed plundring intemperance Bacchus his bowles Venus her daliance Were of the Royal party the sole bane How many men surpris'd how many slain Oft in their cupps want want of discipline Our Cause though just made many to decline Yet our Commanders this to tolerate The want of pay did thus necessitate Nor long to us did any such adhear Who in their service mercenary were ☞ By this time Essex numerous Forces were Drawn out of London to North-Hampton where They wait their General 's coming and indeed In number three to one they did exceed The Kings So zealously was London bent Against the King to aid the Parliament Essex arrived with his Army now Coventry Warwick and North-Hampton too Did fortifie Glocester then did stand For th' Parliament under Massies command To Worcester Rupert his Troops doth bring Thinking that City strongly for the King To fortifie But Essex Horse so near Prevents his stay and resolutions there Nevertheless both parties now so near Scorn to retreat as men surpris'd with fear Before their Gallantry they have express'd By skirmishing most fiercely they contest They ride up close and boldly do give fire In one anothers bosoms then retire Others advancing do their rooms supply Their discharg'd Pistols at the heads do fly Then of each other and incontinent Then hand to hand unto the Sword they went Some giving some receiving many a wound Till many a man lay gasping on the ground But Rupert causeth a retreat to sound Lest that the numerous foes should him surround And from this skirmish up his Troops doth bring To Shrewsbury for to attend the King Sands now his Prisoner whose whole Regiment To Rout and Ruine in this Skirmish went That famous River that Sabriua's name From her drown'd in it doth as yet retain Almost surrounds the Town of Shrewsbury His Magazin Mint Coin Artillary His Person too here did the King confide A Town by Art and Nature fortifi'd ☞ During the King 's though short residing here His smaller Forces much augmented were So that hee takes the field fully intent For London but this Essex doth prevent Who with his Force at Worcester did lye And hearing that the King was marching by Draws out his Army and to Coventry After the King directly marcheth hee Resolv'd to fight Such preparations are Made England to ingage in Civil War Whose desperate prologue Muse thou must prepare Indoleful accents now for to declare Now Phoebus did from th' Equinoctial Line His course to the Antartick Pole decline Nor could the cooler air yet qualifie Mens hotter Zeal and desperate fervency To Civil Wars this Fire alone must bee Quenched with blood dolorous Phlebotomie In Warwick-Shire there lies a spacious Plain Pitty that Civil blood should it distain Nere Keinton call'd the vale of the Red Horse Where General Essex with his numerous force Was now arriv'd The Royallists hard by Upon Edge-Hill their near approach discry And there their Troops most gallantly display Putting their Battaile quickly in Array Linsey was Captain General for the King But Ruthen ordered their embattailing The Valliant Linsey with his Pike in hand Led the main Body Rupert did command Those Gallant Troops placed in the right wing Bravely the left Carnarvan on did bring Essex this while embattailed did stand His right Battallions Balfore did command Ramsey his left Hurry this Day did serve In the right wing and was Balfore's reserve Essex a while his Infantry did head Till Meldrum came who on the same did lead Essex now mounted in his Armies sight Thus to the Battail did his men excite ☞ Take Courage Souldiers from your juster cause It 's for Religion Liberty and Laws You fight who would not spend their dearest blood Now for Religion 's sake and England's good What do not Pressures Poles curs'd subsidies Ship-monies Taxes damn'd Monopolies Now Fleece us Subjects for no Soveraign use Impudent by permission grows abuse VVhat is not superstitious innovation Of Romish Rites Cross-Altar-Adoration Obtruded on us have wee not permission Of the Mass-Idol See! the exhibition Of Sports even to the Sabbath 's Prophanation Are authoris'd by Order Proclamation Cards Dice Bowls Tennis Stage-plaies Sabbathsport Are made both in the Country and the Court. Dare mortal men Gods morral Laws withstand VVhat God forbids dare earthly men command O Sinfull daies O impious hellish times VVhen even by Order warranted are Crimes Bad Presidents without indulging Laws Finde too too frequent practise and applause Ambitious Prelates now do arrogate In honours temporal to Officiate Their Romish Doctrines ceremonious guise All pious hearts resent and much despise Nuncio's from Rome to England now resort And much were honoured in our English Court Whither when Jezabel's proud Sons were come They much admir'd in England to finde Rome It 's not against the King that wee declare But those that Authors and Abettors are Of these strange things who will not rather dye Then be insnar'd againe in Popery Even in your looks I easily perceive Your forwardnesse I know you 'l not deceive My expectations for meethinks I see You in pursute and yonder Troops to flee Meethinks I see what numbers we have slain How many prisoners Horse Armes Colours tane How every Souldier is inrich'd with prize What rare inventions London doth devize To grace our Tryumphs how their Bone-fires burn And Bels ring loud to honour our return His wicked councel all dispers'd and fled In Tryumph shall the King himself be led By us unto his London Parliament Who will reward with condigne punishment Most of his wicked party valorous bee Take resolution magnanimity Brave Souldiers and indeed you may confide All these presages shall be verfi'd ☞ At this a prologue to the near dispute Essex the King daringly did salute With a loud Volley of his Ordinance Whose fiery bals near to the King did glance As he from his prospective did survey Their Army in that Valley where they lay And then three acclamations even so high Their Army gave as seem'd to rend the sky ☞ At which brave Linsey soon the King desir'd Leave to go on Saying Essex hath fir'd His Cannons on us and shall we stand still And suffer his great shot our men
King had got the wind Which now stood West to Rupert was assign'd With Morice the right wing Langdale did head The left the King did the main Battail lead The right hand Tertia Linsey did command Bards and stout Lisle the left Ashley did stand With Linsey Skippon now had Marshalled Fairfax's Army Skippon's selfe up led The main Battalia Cromwell the right wing Ireton the left Pride Rainsborough Hammond bring On the reserves The Hill was their intent To get which the King hastens to prevent The Signals given the thundering Cannons play Of smaller shot thick flights obscure the day That vale seem'd all in one united fire Which in a Pile sulphurous did aspire The very clouds the Aire shrill Trumpets wound Clashing of Armour the tumultuous sound Of different voices reach th' Olympick Skye Numbers of both parts on the ground now lye Bleeding the last of their yet vital blood Which now the field o'reflow'd like to a flood That Brook from Welford that doth downward glide Ran now more blood than water proudly ride The prauncing and curvetting Horse about Rupert by this put their left wing to rout Who like a swelling stream down fiercely bore All opposition him that stood before While Rupert follows the pursuit amain As far as Naisby numbers having slain Of their dispersed Troops with slaughter Great Cromwell with his did our left wing defeat Our Northern Troops too much inriched were At Leicester to stand well to it here If these of Leicesters prize less had thought Perhaps much better here they would have fought Yet did stout Langdale here himself behave Like to himself making resistance brave While either skill or courage might prevail Our Foot their main Battailians do assail Most boldly puting most of them to rout Skippon and Ireton wounded at this bout The last our Prisoner too Cromwell doth see Their Foot back on their own Reserves to flee Rides thither and doth re-inforce them on Joyning his Horse mainly they press upon Our standing bodies who assailed were At once both in their Fronts Flanks and their Rear For some indeed to admiration fought Whilest others by their heels for safety sought ☞ A Cobler from North-hampton lately came Fairfax to serve but here hee got a lame Having in his right Leg receiv'd a shot Tush saith the Cobler Sirs I value 't not For runing from my work my Wife mee beat Now shall I sit much closer to my Seat As Mars himself against the Giants fought On Phlegra 's Plains when Heaven to scale they thought So active was the King in this same fight Giving his Souldiers of Heroick might A still to bee admired president Sometime ingag'd numbers his own hand sent To Erebus sometimes hee did recall And rally such as fled a Generall Hee shew'd himself both valorous and expert Acting Ulisses and Achilles part His words the Timerous much did animate His acts the Valorous strove to imitate Such as did run hee did implore to stand To every wing hee Rode and gave command For what to our advantage might conduce For Cowardise who now could plead excuse Seeing their Soveraign King thus to ingage In the most sharpe Encounters Fury Rage Tumult Disorder every place doth fill Sirrah the Sword and then no more but kill Pistol strike down here heaps of men do lye With Horses intermixt here some do flye Others pursue here lay a Leg or Head And there an Arm under our Horse feet Dead Many were trod nor could wee understand Whom to obey to whom to give Command Such the confusion thick our Pistols flye At one another all the Ground doth lye Bespread with these Pole-axes cleave Men down VVhich oft left fix'd are in the patients Crown From covered Armour our charg'd Tucks rebound And in the Glance oft times do kill or wound That party whom against wee did not aim ☞ By this the sword might sole dominion claim Over the field with this alone wee plead Till many a Gallant on the field lay Dead Brown Dallison Cave Band and Markam slain Linsey and Ashley wounded now 't is vain Ours to intreat to stand They round beset Most of our Foot the Coach the Cabinet The Royal Standard of his Majesty Are taken all our great Artillery The thousand Arms well nigh five thousand men ☞ To Leicester-ward now wee flye but when His Majesty came there hee would not ftay But even that night for Litchfield rode away Cromwell pursues takes many then beset Leicester till his Excellence could get Up with the Foot which on in haste they bring Thinking perhaps here to have tane the King The town they Summon their demands deni'd They vow to storm it and forthwith provide The Onset for Mounts rais'd Batteries they make But Haistings while as yet hee might partake The Benefit of good conditions yeilds ☞ Many successful Skirmishes and fields About this time fall to the Parliament Gell towards Newark late a party sent VVhich met a Troop from thence they fought and beat The Royalists Mitton a great defeat Near Shrewsberry had given to some of ours Brearton near Chester also now o're powers A party near two hundred Prisoners took Hingham's now yeilded but a while let 's look To Fairfax who march'd Taunton's siege to raise Goring draws off to Lang-port there Displaies His Army Massy first charg'd in his Rear Ere the Fairfaxians Troops advanced were Up to the field neither could vaunt success In this contest Fairfax comes doth possess Himself of Sutton fields where upon sight Of Goring hee draws up intent to fight Goring presaging that hee might bee beat In the best order for his safe retreat Unto Bridge-Water did his men dispose Many strong Hedges did those Lanes inclose VVhich with his Musketiers hee lin'd then stood His Cannon and his Horse in order good Rang'd in the Lane Fairfax by this drew nigh Though at some distance thick the Bullets flye And many a Man lay Dead upon the plain But Gorings Foot at length they do constrain Quite from their post Bethell then charg'd the Horse VVho with a vengeance did him re-inforce VVith loss till Desborough his reserve came on And pressing sore the Royal Horse upon Put them to rout Goring did what hee could To bring the most of his safe to his hold Odd of a thousand on both parts were slain Some Cannon Goring lost many were tane Of his The rest Fairfax amain pursues Up to Bridge-water first the Town he views Then sends his summons in to yeeld on sight As Burroughs now had done or else that night He vows to storm the Town put all to sword Goring is gone Digby returns him word To do his worst But Fairfax makes a pause Till Peters Preach'd the justnesse of the cause And till his men received had their pay And then with fire and sword he did assay The Town The storme was furious many slain But in the end the low Town they re-gain And Fairfax Colours on the works display To grace those bloody