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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:39:26 -0700 |
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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/12259-0.txt b/12259-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3968232 --- /dev/null +++ b/12259-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,10149 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12259 *** + +MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER + +or + +A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England. +From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648. + +By Daniel Defoe + +Edited with Introduction and Notes by Elizabeth O'Neill + +1922 + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +Daniel Defoe is, perhaps, best known to us as the author of _Robinson +Crusoe_, a book which has been the delight of generations of boys and +girls ever since the beginning of the eighteenth century. For it was +then that Defoe lived and wrote, being one of the new school of prose +writers which grew up at that time and which gave England new forms +of literature almost unknown to an earlier age. Defoe was a vigorous +pamphleteer, writing first on the Whig side and later for the Tories +in the reigns of William III and Anne. He did much to foster the +growth of the newspaper, a form of literature which henceforth became +popular. He also did much towards the development of the modern novel, +though he did not write novels in our sense of the word. His books +were more simple than is the modern novel. What he really wrote were +long stories told, as is _Robinson Crusoe_, in the first person and +with so much detail that it is hard to believe that they are works of +imagination and not true stories. "The little art he is truly master +of, is of forging a story and imposing it upon the world as truth." So +wrote one of his contemporaries. Charles Lamb, in criticizing Defoe, +notices this minuteness of detail and remarks that he is, therefore, +an author suited only for "servants" (meaning that this method can +appeal only to comparatively uneducated minds). Really as every boy +and girl knows, a good story ought to have this quality of seeming +true, and the fact that Defoe can so deceive us makes his work the +more excellent reading. + +The _Memoirs of a Cavalier_ resembles _Robinson Crusoe_ in so far as +it is a tale told by a man of his own experiences and adventures. It +has just the same air of truth and for a long time after its first +publication in 1720 people were divided in opinion as to whether it +was a book of real memoirs or not. A critical examination has shown +that it is Defoe's own work and not, as he declares, the contents of +a manuscript which he found "by great accident, among other valuable +papers" belonging to one of King William's secretaries of state. +Although his gifts of imagination enabled him to throw himself into +the position of the Cavalier he lapses occasionally into his own +characteristic prose and the style is often that of the eighteenth +rather than the seventeenth century, more eloquent than quaint. Again, +he is not careful to hide inconsistencies between his preface and the +text. Thus, he says in his preface that he discovered the manuscript +in 1651; yet we find in the _Memoirs_ a reference to the Restoration, +which shows that it must have been written after 1660 at least. There +is abundant proof that the book is really a work of fiction and that +the Cavalier is an imaginary character; but, in one sense, it is a +true history, inasmuch as the author has studied the events and spirit +of the time in which his scene is laid and, though he makes many +mistakes of detail, he gives us a very true picture of one of the most +interesting periods in English and European history. The _Memoirs_ +thus represent the English historical novel in its beginnings, a much +simpler thing than it was to become in the hands of Scott and later +writers. + +The period in which the scene is laid is that of the English Civil +War, in which the Cavalier fought on the side of King Charles I +against the Puritans. But his adventures in this war belong to the +second part of the book. In the first part, he tells of his birth and +parentage, the foreign travel which was the fashionable completion +of the education of a gentleman in the seventeenth century, and his +adventures as a volunteer officer in the Swedish army, where he gained +the experience which was to serve him well in the Civil War at home. +Many a real Cavalier must have had just such a career as Defoe's hero +describes as his own. After a short time at Oxford, "long enough for +a gentleman," he embarked on a period of travel, going to Italy by +way of France. The Cavalier, however, devotes but little space to +description, vivid enough as far as it goes, of his adventures in +these two counties for a space of over two years. Italy, especially, +attracted the attention of gentlemen and scholars in those days, +but the Cavalier was more bent on soldiering than sightseeing and he +hurries on to tell of his adventures in Germany, where he first really +took part in warfare, becoming a volunteer officer in the army of +Gustavus Adolphus, the hero King of Sweden, and where he met with +those adventures the story of which forms the bulk of the first part +of the _Memoirs_. + +To appreciate the tale, it will be necessary to have a clear idea +of the state of affairs in Europe at the time. The war which was +convulsing Germany, and in which almost every other European power +interfered at some time, was the Thirty Years' War (1618--1648), a +struggle having a special character of its own as the last of the +religious wars which had torn Europe asunder for a century and the +first of a long series of wars in which the new and purely political +principle of the Balance of Power can be seen at work. The struggle +was, nominally, between Protestant and Catholic Germany for, during +the Reformation period, Germany, which consisted of numerous states +under the headship of the Emperor, had split into two great camps. The +Northern states had become Protestant under their Protestant princes. +The Southern states had remained, for the most part, Catholic or had +been won back to Catholicism in the religious reaction known as the +Counter-Reformation. As the Catholic movement spread, under a Catholic +Emperor like Ferdinand of Styria, who was elected in 1619, it was +inevitable that the privileges granted to Protestants should be +curtailed. They determined to resist and, as the Emperor had the +support of Spain, the Protestant Union found it necessary to call in +help from outside. Thus it was that the other European powers came to +interfere in German affairs. Some helped the Protestants from motives +of religion, more still from considerations of policy, and the long +struggle of thirty years may be divided into marked periods in which +one power after another, Denmark, Sweden, France, allied themselves +with the Protestants against the Emperor. The _Memoirs_ are +concerned with the first two years of the Swedish period of the war +(1630--1634), during which Gustavus Adolphus almost won victory +for the Protestants who were, however, to lose the advantage of his +brilliant generalship through his death at the battle of Lützen in +1632. Through the death of "this conquering king," the Swedes lost the +fruits of their victory and the battle of Lützen marks the end of what +may be termed the heroic period of the war. Gustavus Adolphus stands +out among the men of his day for the loftiness of his character as +well as for the genius of his generalship. It is, therefore, fitting +enough that Defoe should make his Cavalier withdraw from the Swedish +service after the death of the "glorious king" whom he "could never +mention without some remark of his extraordinary merit." For two years +longer, he wanders through Germany still watching the course of the +war and then returns to England, soon to take part in another war at +home, namely the Civil War, in which the English people were divided +into two great parties according as they supported King Charles I or +the members of the Long Parliament who opposed him. According to the +_Memoirs_, the Cavalier "went into arms" without troubling himself "to +examine sides." Defoe probably considered this attitude as typical +of many of the Cavalier party, and, of course, loyalty to the king's +person was one of their strongest motives. The Cavalier does not enter +largely into the causes of the war. What he gives us is a picture of +army life in that troubled period. It will be well, however, to bear +in mind the chief facts in the history of the times. + +From the beginning of his reign, Charles had had trouble with his +parliaments, which had already become very restless under James I. +Charles's parliaments disapproved of his foreign policy and their +unwillingness to grant subsidies led him to fall back on questionable +methods of raising money, especially during the eleven years +(1629--1640) in which he ruled without a parliament. Charles had no +great scheme of tyranny, but avoided parliaments because of their +criticism of his policy. At first the opposition had been purely +political, but the parliament of 1629 had attacked also Charles's +religious policy. He favoured the schemes of Laud (archbishop of +Canterbury 1633--1649) and the Arminian school among the clergy, who +wished to revive many of the old Catholic practices and some of the +beliefs which had been swept away by the Reformation. Many people +in England objected not only to these but even to the wearing of the +surplice, the simplest of the old vestments, on the use of which Laud +tried to insist. This party came to be known as Puritans and they +formed the chief strength of the opposition to the King in the Long +Parliament which met in 1640. For their attack on the Church led many +who had at first opposed the King's arbitrary methods to go over to +his side. Thus, the moderate men as well as the loyalists formed a +king's party and the opposition was almost confined to men who hated +the Church as much as the King. The Puritans who loved simplicity +of dress and severity of manners and despised the flowing locks and +worldly vanities which the Cavaliers loved were, by these, nicknamed +Roundheads on account of their short hair. Defoe, in the _Memoirs_, +gives us less of this side of the history of the times than might have +been expected. The war actually began in August, 1642, and what +Defoe gives us is military history, correct in essentials and full +of detail, which is, however, far from accurate. For instance, in his +account of the battle of Marston Moor, he makes prince Rupert command +the left wing, whereas he really commanded the right wing, the left +being led by Lord Goring who, according to Defoe's account, commanded +the main battle. He conveys to us, however, the true spirit of the +war, emphasizing the ability and the mistakes on both sides, showing +how the king's miscalculations or Rupert's rashness deprived the +Royalist party of the advantages of the superior generalship and +fighting power which were theirs in the first part of the war and how +gradually the Roundheads got the better of the Cavaliers. The detailed +narrative comes to an end with the delivery of the King to the +Parliament by the Scots, to whom he had given himself up in his +extremity. A few lines tell of his trial and execution and the +_Memoirs_ end with some pages of "remarks and observations" on the +war and a list of coincidences which had been noted in its course. +The latter, savouring somewhat of superstition, appear natural in +what purports to be a seventeenth century text, but the summing up of +conclusions about the war is rather such as might be made by a more or +less impartial observer at a later date than by one who had taken an +active part in the struggle. In reading the _Memoirs_ this mixture of +what belongs to the seventeenth century with the reflections of Defoe, +in many ways a typical eighteenth century figure, must be borne in +mind. The inaccuracies are pointed out in the notes, but these need +not prevent us from entering with zest into the spirit of the story. + +E. O'NEILL. + +4 _March_ 1908. + + + + +CONTENTS + + INTRODUCTION. + PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + TEXT: Part I. + Part II. + NOTES. + + + + +PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + + +As an evidence that 'tis very probable these Memorials were written +many years ago, the persons now concerned in the publication assure +the reader that they have had them in their possession finished, as +they now appear, above twenty years; that they were so long ago found +by great accident, among other valuable papers, in the closet of an +eminent public minister, of no less figure than one of King William's +secretaries of state. + +As it is not proper to trace them any farther, so neither is there any +need to trace them at all, to give reputation to the story related, +seeing the actions here mentioned have a sufficient sanction from all +the histories of the times to which they relate, with this addition, +that the admirable manner of relating them and the wonderful variety +of incidents with which they are beautified in the course of a private +gentleman's story, add such delight in the reading, and give such a +lustre, as well to the accounts themselves as to the person who was +the actor, that no story, we believe, extant in the world ever came +abroad with such advantage. + +It must naturally give some concern in the reading that the name of a +person of so much gallantry and honour, and so many ways valuable +to the world, should be lost to the readers. We assure them no small +labour has been thrown away upon the inquiry, and all we have been +able to arrive to of discovery in this affair is, that a memorandum +was found with this manuscript, in these words, but not signed by any +name, only the two letters of a name, which gives us no light into the +matter, which memoir was as follows:-- + +_Memorandum_. + +"I found this manuscript among my father's writings, and I understand +that he got them as plunder, at, or after, the fight at Worcester, +where he served as major of ----'s regiment of horse on the side of +the Parliament. I.K." + +As this has been of no use but to terminate the inquiry after the +person, so, however, it seems most naturally to give an authority to +the original of the work, viz., that it was born of a soldier; and +indeed it is through every part related with so soldierly a style, and +in the very language of the field, that it seems impossible anything +but the very person who was present in every action here related, +could be the relater of them. + +The accounts of battles, the sieges, and the several actions of which +this work is so full, are all recorded in the histories of those +times; such as the great battle of Leipsic, the sacking of Magdeburg, +the siege of Nuremburg, the passing the river Lech in Bavaria; such +also as the battle of Kineton, or Edgehill, the battles of Newbury, +Marston Moor, and Naseby, and the like: they are all, we say, recorded +in other histories, and written by those who lived in those times, and +perhaps had good authority for what they wrote. But do those relations +give any of the beautiful ideas of things formed in this account? +Have they one half of the circumstances and incidents of the actions +themselves that this man's eyes were witness to, and which his memory +has thus preserved? He that has read the best accounts of those +battles will be surprised to see the particulars of the story so +preserved, so nicely and so agreeably described, and will confess +what we allege, that the story is inimitably told; and even the great +actions of the glorious King GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS receive a lustre +from this man's relations which the world was never made sensible of +before, and which the present age has much wanted of late, in order to +give their affections a turn in favour of his late glorious successor. + +In the story of our own country's unnatural wars, he carries on the +same spirit. How effectually does he record the virtues and glorious +actions of King Charles the First, at the same time that he frequently +enters upon the mistakes of his Majesty's conduct, and of his friends, +which gave his enemies all those fatal advantages against him, which +ended in the overthrow of his armies, the loss of his crown and life, +and the ruin of the constitution! + +In all his accounts he does justice to his enemies, and honours +the merit of those whose cause he fought against; and many accounts +recorded in his story, are not to be found even in the best histories +of those times. + +What applause does he give to gallantry of Sir Thomas Fairfax, to his +modesty, to his conduct, under which he himself was subdued, and to +the justice he did the king's troops when they laid down their arms! + +His description of the Scots troops in the beginning of the war, and +the behaviour of the party under the Earl of Holland, who went over +against them, are admirable; and his censure of their conduct, who +pushed the king upon the quarrel, and then would not let him fight, is +no more than what many of the king's friends (though less knowing as +soldiers) have often complained of. + +In a word, this work is a confutation of many errors in all the +writers upon the subject of our wars in England, and even in that +extraordinary history written by the Earl of Clarendon; but the +editors were so just that when, near twenty years ago, a person +who had written a whole volume in folio, by way of answer to and +confutation of Clarendon's "History of the Rebellion," would have +borrowed the clauses in this account, which clash with that history, +and confront it,--we say the editors were so just as to refuse them. + +There can be nothing objected against the general credit of this work, +seeing its truth is established upon universal history; and almost all +the facts, especially those of moment, are confirmed for their general +part by all the writers of those times. If they are here embellished +with particulars, which are nowhere else to be found, that is the +beauty we boast of; and that it is that much recommend this work to +all the men of sense and judgment that read it. + +The only objection we find possible to make against this work is, that +it is not carried on farther, or, as we may say finished, with the +finishing the war of the time; and this we complain of also. But then +we complain of it as a misfortune to the world, not as a fault in the +author; for how do we know but that this author might carry it on, and +have another part finished which might not fall into the same hands, +or may still remain with some of his family, and which they cannot +indeed publish, to make it seem anything perfect, for want of the +other parts which we have, and which we have now made public? Nor is +it very improbable but that if any such farther part is in being, the +publishing these two parts may occasion the proprietors of the third +to let the world see it, and that by such a discovery the name of the +person may also come to be known, which would, no doubt, be a great +satisfaction to the reader as well as us. + +This, however, must be said, that if the same author should have +written another part of this work, and carried it on to the end of +those times, yet as the residue of those melancholy days, to the +Restoration, were filled with the intrigues of government, the +political management of illegal power, and the dissensions and +factions of a people who were then even in themselves but a faction, +and that there was very little action in the field, it is more than +probable that our author, who was a man of arms, had little share in +those things, and might not care to trouble himself with looking at +them. + +But besides all this, it might happen that he might go abroad again +at that time, as most of the gentlemen of quality, and who had an +abhorrence for the power that then governed here, did. Nor are we +certain that he might live to the end of that time, so we can give +no account whether he had any share in the subsequent actions of that +time. + +'Tis enough that we have the authorities above to recommend this part +to us that is now published. The relation, we are persuaded, will +recommend itself, and nothing more can be needful, because nothing +more can invite than the story itself, which, when the reader enters +into, he will find it very hard to get out of till he has gone through +it. + + + + +MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER. + +PART I. + + +It may suffice the reader, without being very inquisitive after my +name, that I was born in the county of Salop, in the year 1608, under +the government of what star I was never astrologer enough to +examine; but the consequences of my life may allow me to suppose some +extraordinary influence affected my birth. + +My father was a gentleman of a very plentiful fortune, having an +estate of above £5000 per annum, of a family nearly allied to several +of the principal nobility, and lived about six miles from the town; +and my mother being at ---- on some particular occasion, was surprised +there at a friend's house, and brought me very safe into the world. + +I was my father's second son, and therefore was not altogether so much +slighted as younger sons of good families generally are. But my father +saw something in my genius also which particularly pleased him, and so +made him take extraordinary care of my education. + +I was taught, therefore, by the best masters that could be had, +everything that was needful to accomplish a young gentleman for the +world; and at seventeen years old my tutor told my father an academic +education was very proper for a person of quality, and he thought me +very fit for it: so my father entered me of ---- College in Oxford, +where I continued three years. + +A collegiate life did not suit me at all, though I loved books well +enough. It was never designed that I should be either a lawyer, +physician, or divine; and I wrote to my father that I thought I had +stayed there long enough for a gentleman, and with his leave I desired +to give him a visit. + +During my stay at Oxford, though I passed through the proper exercises +of the house, yet my chief reading was upon history and geography, +as that which pleased my mind best, and supplied me with ideas most +suitable to my genius; by one I understood what great actions had been +done in the world, and by the other I understood where they had been +done. + +My father readily complied with my desire of coming home; for besides +that he thought, as I did, that three years' time at the university +was enough, he also most passionately loved me, and began to think of +my settling near him. + +At my arrival I found myself extraordinarily caressed by my father, +and he seemed to take a particular delight in my conversation. My +mother, who lived in perfect union with him both in desires and +affection, received me very passionately. Apartments were provided for +me by myself, and horses and servants allowed me in particular. + +My father never went a-hunting, an exercise he was exceeding fond of, +but he would have me with him; and it pleased him when he found me +like the sport. I lived thus, in all the pleasures 'twas possible for +me to enjoy, for about a year more, when going out one morning with my +father to hunt a stag, and having had a very hard chase, and gotten +a great way off from home, we had leisure enough to ride gently back; +and as we returned my father took occasion to enter into a serious +discourse with me concerning the manner of my settling in the world. + +He told me, with a great deal of passion, that he loved me above all +the rest of his children, and that therefore he intended to do very +well for me; and that my eldest brother being already married +and settled, he had designed the same for me, and proposed a very +advantageous match for me, with a young lady of very extraordinary +fortune and merit, and offered to make a settlement of £2000 per annum +on me, which he said he would purchase for me without diminishing his +paternal estate. + +There was too much tenderness in this discourse not to affect me +exceedingly. I told him I would perfectly resign myself unto his +disposal. But as my father had, together with his love for me, a very +nice judgment in his discourse, he fixed his eyes very attentively on +me, and though my answer was without the least reserve, yet he +thought he saw some uneasiness in me at the proposal, and from thence +concluded that my compliance was rather an act of discretion than +inclination; and that, however I seemed so absolutely given up to what +he had proposed, yet my answer was really an effect of my obedience +rather than my choice. + +So he returned very quick upon me: "Look you, son, though I give you +my own thoughts in the matter, yet I would have you be very plain with +me; for if your own choice does not agree with mine, I will be your +adviser, but will never impose upon you, and therefore let me know +your mind freely." "I don't reckon myself capable, sir," said I, with +a great deal of respect, "to make so good a choice for myself as you +can for me; and though my opinion differed from yours, its being your +opinion would reform mine, and my judgment would as readily comply as +my duty." "I gather at least from thence," said my father, "that your +designs lay another way before, however they may comply with mine; and +therefore I would know what it was you would have asked of me if I had +not offered this to you; and you must not deny me your obedience in +this, if you expect I should believe your readiness in the other." + +"Sir," said I, "'twas impossible I should lay out for myself just +what you have proposed; but if my inclinations were never so contrary, +though at your command you shall know them, yet I declare them to be +wholly subjected to your order. I confess my thoughts did not tend +towards marriage or a settlement; for, though I had no reason to +question your care of me, yet I thought a gentleman ought always to +see something of the world before he confined himself to any part of +it. And if I had been to ask your consent to anything, it should have +been to give me leave to travel for a short time, in order to qualify +myself to appear at home like a son to so good a father." + +"In what capacity would you travel?" replied my father. "You must go +abroad either as a private gentleman, as a scholar, or as a soldier." +"If it were in the latter capacity, sir," said I, returning pretty +quick, "I hope I should not misbehave myself; but I am not so +determined as not to be ruled by your judgment." "Truly," replied my +father, "I see no war abroad at this time worth while for a man to +appear in, whether we talk of the cause or the encouragement; and +indeed, son, I am afraid you need not go far for adventures of that +nature, for times seem to look as if this part of Europe would find us +work enough." My father spake then relating to the quarrel likely +to happen between the King of England and the Spaniard,' [1] for I +believe he had no notions of a civil war in his head. + +In short, my father, perceiving my inclinations very forward to go +abroad, gave me leave to travel, upon condition I would promise to +return in two years at farthest, or sooner, if he sent for me. + +While I was at Oxford I happened into the society of a young +gentleman, of a good family, but of a low fortune, being a younger +brother, and who had indeed instilled into me the first desires of +going abroad, and who, I knew, passionately longed to travel, but had +not sufficient allowance to defray his expenses as a gentleman. We +had contracted a very close friendship, and our humours being very +agreeable to one another, we daily enjoyed the conversation of +letters. He was of a generous free temper, without the least +affectation or deceit, a handsome proper person, a strong body, very +good mien, and brave to the last degree. His name was Fielding and we +called him Captain, though it be a very unusual title in a college; +but fate had some hand in the title, for he had certainly the lines of +a soldier drawn in his countenance. I imparted to him the resolutions +I had taken, and how I had my father's consent to go abroad, and would +know his mind whether he would go with me. He sent me word he would go +with all his heart. + +My father, when he saw him, for I sent for him immediately to come +to me, mightily approved my choice; so we got our equipage ready, and +came away for London. + +'Twas on the 22nd of April 1630, when we embarked at Dover, landed in +a few hours at Calais, and immediately took post for Paris. I shall +not trouble the reader with a journal of my travels, nor with the +description of places, which every geographer can do better than I; +but these Memoirs being only a relation of what happened either to +ourselves, or in our own knowledge, I shall confine myself to that +part of it. + +We had indeed some diverting passages in our journey to Paris, as +first, the horse my comrade was upon fell so very lame with a slip +that he could not go, and hardly stand, and the fellow that rid with +us express, pretended to ride away to a town five miles off to get a +fresh horse, and so left us on the road with one horse between two of +us. We followed as well as we could, but being strangers, missed the +way, and wandered a great way out the road. Whether the man performed +in reasonable time or not we could not be sure, but if it had not been +for an old priest, we had never found him. We met this man, by a very +good accident, near a little village whereof he was curate. We spoke +Latin enough just to make him understand us, and he did not speak it +much better himself; but he carried us into the village to his house, +gave us wine and bread, and entertained us with wonderful courtesy. +After this he sent into the village, hired a peasant, and a horse for +my captain, and sent him to guide us into the road. At parting he +made a great many compliments to us in French, which we could just +understand; but the sum was, to excuse him for a question he had +a mind to ask us. After leave to ask what he pleased, it was if we +wanted any money for our journey, and pulled out two pistoles, which +he offered either to give or lend us. + +I mention this exceeding courtesy of the curate because, though +civility is very much in use in France, and especially to strangers, +yet 'tis a very unusual thing to have them part with their money. + +We let the priest know, first, that we did not want money, and next +that we were very sensible of the obligation he had put upon us; and +I told him in particular, if I lived to see him again, I would +acknowledge it. + +This accident of our horse was, as we afterwards found, of some use +to us. We had left our two servants behind us at Calais to bring our +baggage after us, by reason of some dispute between the captain of the +packet and the custom-house officer, which could not be adjusted, and +we were willing to be at Paris. The fellows followed as fast as they +could, and, as near as we could learn, in the time we lost our way, +were robbed, and our portmanteaus opened. They took what they pleased; +but as there was no money there, but linen and necessaries, the loss +was not great. + +Our guide carried us to Amiens, where we found the express and our two +servants, who the express meeting on the road with a spare horse, had +brought back with him thither. + +We took this for a good omen of our successful journey, having escaped +a danger which might have been greater to us than it was to our +servants; for the highwaymen in France do not always give a traveller +the civility of bidding him stand and deliver his money, but +frequently fire on him first, and then take his money. + +We stayed one day at Amiens, to adjust this little disorder, and +walked about the town, and into the great church, but saw nothing +very remarkable there; but going across a broad street near the great +church, we saw a crowd of people gazing at a mountebank doctor, who +made a long harangue to them with a thousand antic postures, and gave +out bills this way, and boxes of physic that way, and had a great +trade, when on a sudden the people raised a cry, "_Larron, Larron_!" +(in English, "Thief, thief"), on the other side the street, and all +the auditors ran away, from Mr Doctor to see what the matter was. +Among the rest we went to see, and the case was plain and short +enough. Two English gentlemen and a Scotchman, travellers as we were, +were standing gazing at this prating doctor, and one of them catched +a fellow picking his pocket. The fellow had got some of his money, for +he dropped two or three pieces just by him, and had got hold of +his watch, but being surprised let it slip again. But the reason of +telling this story is for the management of it. This thief had his +seconds so ready, that as soon as the Englishman had seized him they +fell in, pretended to be mighty zealous for the stranger, takes the +fellow by the throat, and makes a great bustle; the gentleman not +doubting but the man was secured let go his own hold of him, and left +him to them. The hubbub was great, and 'twas these fellows cried, +"_Larron, larron_!" but with a dexterity peculiar to themselves had +let the right fellow go, and pretended to be all upon one of their own +gang. At last they bring the man to the gentleman to ask him what the +fellow had done, who, when he saw the person they seized on, presently +told them that was not the man. Then they seemed to be in more +consternation than before, and spread themselves all over the street, +crying, "_Larron, larron_!" pretending to search for the fellow; and +so one one way, one another, they were all gone, the noise went over, +the gentlemen stood looking one at another, and the bawling doctor +began to have the crowd about him again. This was the first French +trick I had the opportunity of seeing, but I was told they have a +great many more as dexterous as this. + +We soon got acquaintance with these gentlemen, who were going to +Paris, as well as we; so the next day we made up our company with +them, and were a pretty troop of five gentlemen and four servants. + +As we had really no design to stay long at Paris, so indeed, excepting +the city itself, there was not much to be seen there. Cardinal +Richelieu, who was not only a supreme minister in the Church, but +Prime Minister in the State, was now made also General of the King's +Forces, with a title never known in France before nor since, viz., +Lieutenant-General "au place du Roi," in the king's stead, or, as some +have since translated it, representing the person of the king. + +Under this character he pretended to execute all the royal powers in +the army without appeal to the king, or without waiting for orders; +and having parted from Paris the winter before had now actually begun +the war against the Duke of Savoy, in the process of which he restored +the Duke of Mantua, and having taken Pignerol from the duke, put it +into such a state of defence as the duke could never force it out of +his hands, and reduced the duke, rather by manage and conduct than +by force, to make peace without it; so as annexing it to the crown of +France it has ever since been a thorn in his foot that has always +made the peace of Savoy lame and precarious, and France has since made +Pignerol one of the strongest fortresses in the world. + +As the cardinal, with all the military part of the court, was in the +field, so the king, to be near him, was gone with the queen and all +the court, just before I reached Paris, to reside at Lyons. All these +considered, there was nothing to do at Paris; the court looked like a +citizen's house when the family was all gone into the country, and +I thought the whole city looked very melancholy, compared to all the +fine things I had heard of it. + +The queen-mother and her party were chagrined at the cardinal, who, +though he owed his grandeur to her immediate favour, was now grown too +great any longer to be at the command of her Majesty, or indeed in her +interest; and therefore the queen was under dissatisfaction and her +party looked very much down. + +The Protestants were everywhere disconsolate, for the losses they had +received at Rochelle, Nimes, and Montpelier had reduced them to an +absolute dependence on the king's will, without all possible hopes of +ever recovering themselves, or being so much as in a condition to +take arms for their religion, and therefore the wisest of them plainly +foresaw their own entire reduction, as it since came to pass. And I +remember very well that a Protestant gentleman told me once, as we +were passing from Orleans to Lyons, that the English had ruined them; +and therefore, says he, "I think the next occasion the king takes to +use us ill, as I know 'twill not be long before he does, we must all +fly over to England, where you are bound to maintain us for having +helped to turn us out of our own country." I asked him what he meant +by saying the English had done it? He returned short upon me: "I do +not mean," says he, "by not relieving Rochelle, but by helping to ruin +Rochelle, when you and the Dutch lent ships to beat our fleet, which +all the ships in France could not have done without you." + +I was too young in the world to be very sensible of this before, and +therefore was something startled at the charge; but when I came to +discourse with this gentleman, I soon saw the truth of what he said +was undeniable, and have since reflected on it with regret, that the +naval power of the Protestants, which was then superior to the royal, +would certainly have been the recovery of all their fortunes, had it +not been unhappily broke by their brethren of England and Holland, +the former lending seven men-of-war, and the latter twenty, for the +destruction of the Rochellers' fleet; and by these very ships the +Rochellers' fleet were actually beaten and destroyed, and they never +afterwards recovered their force at sea, and by consequence sunk under +the siege, which the English afterwards in vain attempted to prevent. + +These things made the Protestants look very dull, and expected the +ruin of all their party, which had certainly happened had the cardinal +lived a few years longer. + +We stayed in Paris, about three weeks, as well to see the court and +what rarities the place afforded, as by an occasion which had like to +have put a short period to our ramble. + +Walking one morning before the gate of the Louvre, with a design to +see the Swiss drawn up, which they always did, and exercised just +before they relieved the guards, a page came up to me, and speaking +English to me, "Sir," says he, "the captain must needs have your +immediate assistance." I, that had not the knowledge of any person +in Paris but my own companion, whom I called captain, had no room to +question, but it was he that sent for me; and crying out hastily to +him, "Where?" followed the fellow as fast as 'twas possible. He led +me through several passages which I knew not, and at last through a +tennis-court and into a large room, where three men, like gentlemen, +were engaged very briskly two against one. The room was very dark, so +that I could not easily know them asunder, but being fully possessed +with an opinion before of my captain's danger, I ran into the room +with my sword in my hand. I had not particularly engaged any of them, +nor so much as made a pass at any, when I received a very dangerous +thrust in my thigh, rather occasioned by my too hasty running in, +than a real design of the person; but enraged at the hurt, without +examining who it was hurt me, I threw myself upon him, and run my +sword quite through his body. + +The novelty of the adventure, and the unexpected fall of the man by +a stranger come in nobody knew how, had becalmed the other two, that +they really stood gazing at me. By this time I had discovered that my +captain was not there, and that 'twas some strange accident brought +me thither. I could speak but little French, and supposed they could +speak no English, so I stepped to the door to see for the page that +brought me thither, but seeing nobody there and the passage clear, +I made off as fast as I could, without speaking a word; nor did the +other two gentlemen offer to stop me. + +But I was in a strange confusion when, coming into those entries and +passages which the page led me through, I could by no means find my +way out. At last seeing a door open that looked through a house into +the street, I went in, and out at the other door; but then I was at +as great a loss to know where I was, and which was the way to my +lodgings. The wound in my thigh bled apace, and I could feel the blood +in my breeches. In this interval came by a chair; I called, and went +into it, and bid them, as well as I could, go to the Louvre; for +though I knew not the name of the street where I lodged, I knew I +could find the way to it when I was at the Bastille. The chairmen went +on their own way, and being stopped by a company of the guards as they +went, set me down till the soldiers were marched by; when looking out +I found I was just at my own lodging, and the captain was standing at +the door looking for me. I beckoned him to me, and, whispering, told +him I was very much hurt, but bid him pay the chairmen, and ask no +questions but come to me. + +I made the best of my way upstairs, but had lost so much blood, that I +had hardly spirits enough to keep me from swooning till he came in. +He was equally concerned with me to see me in such a bloody condition, +and presently called up our landlord, and he as quickly called in his +neighbours, that I had a room full of people about me in a quarter +of an hour. But this had like to have been of worse consequence to me +than the other, for by this time there was great inquiring after the +person who killed a man at the tennis-court. My landlord was then +sensible of his mistake, and came to me and told me the danger I was +in, and very honestly offered to convey me to a friend's of his, where +I should be very secure; I thanked him, and suffered myself to be +carried at midnight whither he pleased. He visited me very often, till +I was well enough to walk about, which was not in less than ten days, +and then we thought fit to be gone, so we took post for Orleans. But +when I came upon the road I found myself in a new error, for my wound +opened again with riding, and I was in a worse condition than before, +being forced to take up at a little village on the road, called ----, +about ---- miles from Orleans, where there was no surgeon to be had, +but a sorry country barber, who nevertheless dressed me as well as he +could, and in about a week more I was able to walk to Orleans at three +times. Here I stayed till I was quite well, and took coach for Lyons +and so through Savoy into Italy. + +I spent nearly two years' time after this bad beginning in travelling +through Italy, and to the several courts of Rome, Naples, Venice, and +Vienna. + +When I came to Lyons the king was gone from thence to Grenoble to meet +the cardinal, but the queens were both at Lyons. + +The French affairs seemed at this time to have but an indifferent +aspect. There was no life in anything but where the cardinal was: he +pushed on everything with extraordinary conduct, and generally with +success; he had taken Susa and Pignerol from the Duke of Savoy, and +was preparing to push the duke even out of all his dominions. + +But in the meantime everywhere else things looked ill; the troops +were ill-paid, the magazines empty, the people mutinous, and a general +disorder seized the minds of the court; and the cardinal, who was the +soul of everything, desired this interview at Grenoble, in order to +put things into some better method. + +This politic minister always ordered matters so, that if there was +success in anything the glory was his, but if things miscarried it was +all laid upon the king. This conduct was so much the more nice, as it +is the direct contrary to the custom in like cases, where kings assume +the glory of all the success in an action, and when a thing miscarries +make themselves easy by sacrificing their ministers and favourites +to the complaints and resentments of the people; but this accurate +refined statesman got over this point. + +While we were at Lyons, and as I remember, the third day after our +coming thither, we had like to have been involved in a state broil, +without knowing where we were. It was of a Sunday in the evening, the +people of Lyons, who had been sorely oppressed in taxes, and the war +in Italy pinching their trade, began to be very tumultuous. We found +the day before the mob got together in great crowds, and talked oddly; +the king was everywhere reviled, and spoken disrespectfully of, and +the magistrates of the city either winked at, or durst not attempt to +meddle, lest they should provoke the people. + +But on Sunday night, about midnight, we were waked by a prodigious +noise in the street. I jumped out of bed, and running to the window, +I saw the street as full of mob as it could hold, some armed with +muskets and halberds, marched in very good order; others in disorderly +crowds, all shouting and crying out, "Du paix le roi," and the like. +One that led a great party of this rabble carried a loaf of bread upon +the top of a pike, and other lesser loaves, signifying the smallness +of their bread, occasioned by dearness. + +By morning this crowd was gathered to a great height; they ran roving +over the whole city, shut up all the shops, and forced all the +people to join with them from thence. They went up to the castle, and +renewing the clamour, a strange consternation seized all the princes. + +They broke open the doors of the officers, collectors of the new +taxes, and plundered their houses, and had not the persons themselves +fled in time they had been very ill-treated. + +The queen-mother, as she was very much displeased to see such +consequences of the government, in whose management she had no share, +so I suppose she had the less concern upon her. However, she came into +the court of the castle and showed herself to the people, gave money +amongst them, and spoke gently to them; and by a way peculiar to +herself, and which obliged all she talked with, she pacified the mob +gradually, sent them home with promises of redress and the like; and +so appeased this tumult in two days by her prudence, which the guards +in the castle had small mind to meddle with, and if they had, would in +all probability have made the better side the worse. + +There had been several seditions of the like nature in sundry other +parts of France, and the very army began to murmur, though not to +mutiny, for want of provisions. + +This sedition at Lyons was not quite over when we left the place, +for, finding the city all in a broil, we considered we had no business +there, and what the consequence of a popular tumult might be we did +not see, so we prepared to be gone. We had not rid above three miles +out of the city but we were brought as prisoners of war, by a party of +mutineers, who had been abroad upon the scout, and were charged +with being messengers sent to the cardinal for forces to reduce the +citizens. With these pretences they brought us back in triumph, and +the queen-mother, being by this time grown something familiar to them, +they carried us before her. + +When they inquired of us who we were, we called ourselves Scots; for +as the English were very much out of favour in France at this time, +the peace having been made not many months, and not supposed to +be very durable, because particularly displeasing to the people of +England, so the Scots were on the other extreme with the French. +Nothing was so much caressed as the Scots, and a man had no more to +do in France, if he would be well received there, than to say he was a +Scotchman. + +When we came before the queen-mother she seemed to receive us with +some stiffness at first, and caused her guards to take us into +custody; but as she was a lady of most exquisite politics, she did +this to amuse the mob, and we were immediately after dismissed; and +the queen herself made a handsome excuse to us for the rudeness we had +suffered, alleging the troubles of the times; and the next morning we +had three dragoons of the guards to convoy us out of the jurisdiction +of Lyons. + +I confess this little adventure gave me an aversion to popular tumults +all my life after, and if nothing else had been in the cause, would +have biassed me to espouse the king's party in England when our +popular heats carried all before it at home. + +But I must say, that when I called to mind since, the address, the +management, the compliance in show, and in general the whole conduct +of the queen-mother with the mutinous people of Lyons, and compared it +with the conduct of my unhappy master the King of England, I could not +but see that the queen understood much better than King Charles the +management of politics and the clamours of the people. + +Had this princess been at the helm in England, she would have +prevented all the calamities of the Civil War here, and yet not have +parted with what that good prince yielded in order to peace neither. +She would have yielded gradually, and then gained upon them gradually; +she would have managed them to the point she had designed them, as she +did all parties in France; and none could effectually subject her but +the very man she had raised to be her principal support--I mean the +cardinal. + +We went from hence to Grenoble, and arrived there the same day that +the king and the cardinal with the whole court went out to view a body +of 6000 Swiss foot, which the cardinal had wheedled the cantons to +grant to the king to help to ruin their neighbour the Duke of Savoy. + +The troops were exceeding fine, well-accoutred, brave, clean-limbed, +stout fellows indeed. Here I saw the cardinal; there was an air of +church gravity in his habit, but all the vigour of a general, and +the sprightliness of a vast genius in his face. He affected a little +stiffness in his behaviour, but managed all his affairs with such +clearness, such steadiness, and such application, that it was no +wonder he had such success in every undertaking. + +Here I saw the king, whose figure was mean, his countenance hollow, +and always seemed dejected, and every way discovering that weakness in +his countenance that appeared in his actions. + +If he was ever sprightly and vigorous it was when the cardinal was +with him, for he depended so much on everything he did, he that was at +the utmost dilemma when he was absent, always timorous, jealous, and +irresolute. + +After the review the cardinal was absent some days, having been to +wait on the queen-mother at Lyons, where, as it was discoursed, they +were at least seemingly reconciled. + +I observed while the cardinal was gone there was no court, the king +was seldom to be seen, very small attendance given, and no bustle at +the castle; but as soon as the cardinal returned, the great councils +were assembled, the coaches of the ambassadors went every day to the +castle, and a face of business appeared upon the whole court. + +Here the measures of the Duke of Savoy's ruin were concerted, and in +order to it the king and the cardinal put themselves at the head +of the army, with which they immediately reduced all Savoy, took +Chamberri and the whole duchy except Montmelian. + +The army that did this was not above 22,000 men, including the Swiss, +and but indifferent troops neither, especially the French foot, who, +compared to the infantry I have since seen in the German and Swedish +armies, were not fit to be called soldiers. On the other hand, +considering the Savoyards and Italian troops, they were good troops; +but the cardinal's conduct made amends for all these deficiencies. + +From hence I went to Pignerol, which was then little more than a +single fortification on the hill near the town called St Bride's, but +the situation of that was very strong. I mention this because of the +prodigious works since added to it, by which it has since obtained the +name of "the right hand of France." They had begun a new line below +the hill, and some works were marked out on the side of the town next +the fort; but the cardinal afterwards drew the plan of the works with +his own hand, by which it was made one of the strongest fortresses in +Europe. + +While I was at Pignerol, the governor of Milan, for the Spaniards, +came with an army and sat down before Casale. The grand quarrel, +and for which the war in this part of Italy was begun, was this: The +Spaniards and Germans pretended to the duchy of Mantua; the Duke +of Nevers, a Frenchman, had not only a title to it, but had got +possession of it; but being ill-supported by the French, was beaten +out by the Imperialists, and after a long siege the Germans took +Mantua itself, and drove the poor duke quite out of the country. + +The taking of Mantua elevated the spirits of the Duke of Savoy, and +the Germans and Spaniards being now at more leisure, with a complete +army came to his assistance, and formed the siege of Montferrat. + +For as the Spaniards pushed the Duke of Mantua, so the French by +way of diversion lay hard upon the Duke of Savoy. They had seized +Montferrat, and held it for the Duke of Mantua, and had a strong +French garrison under Thoiras, a brave and experienced commander; and +thus affairs stood when we came into the French army. + +I had no business there as a soldier, but having passed as a Scotch +gentleman with the mob at Lyons, and after with her Majesty the +queen-mother, when we obtained the guard of her dragoons, we had also +her Majesty's pass, with which we came and went where we pleased. And +the cardinal, who was then not on very good terms with the queen, but +willing to keep smooth water there, when two or three times our passes +came to be examined, showed a more than ordinary respect to us on that +very account, our passes being from the queen. + +Casale being besieged, as I have observed, began to be in danger, for +the cardinal, who 'twas thought had formed a design to ruin Savoy, was +more intent upon that than upon the succour of the Duke of Mantua; but +necessity calling upon him to deliver so great a captain as Thoiras, +and not to let such a place as Casale fall into the hands of the +enemy, the king, or cardinal rather, ordered the Duke of Montmorency, +and the Maréchal D'Effiat, with 10,000 foot and 2000 horse, to march +and join the Maréchals De La Force and Schomberg, who lay already with +an army on the frontiers of Genoa, but too weak to attempt the raising +the siege of Casale. + +As all men thought there would be a battle between the French and the +Spaniards, I could not prevail with myself to lose the opportunity, +and therefore by the help of the passes above mentioned, I came to +the French army under the Duke of Montmorency. We marched through the +enemy's country with great boldness and no small hazard, for the Duke +of Savoy appeared frequently with great bodies of horse on the rear of +the army, and frequently skirmished with our troops, in one of which +I had the folly--I can call it no better, for I had no business +there--to go out and see the sport, as the French gentlemen called it. +I was but a raw soldier, and did not like the sport at all, for this +party was surrounded by the Duke of Savoy, and almost all killed, for +as to quarter they neither asked nor gave. I ran away very fairly, +one of the first, and my companion with me, and by the goodness of our +horses got out of the fray, and being not much known in the army, we +came into the camp an hour or two after, as if we had been only riding +abroad for the air. + +This little rout made the general very cautious, for the Savoyards +were stronger in horse by three or four thousand, and the army always +marched in a body, and kept their parties in or very near hand. + +I escaped another rub in this French army about five days after, which +had like to have made me pay dear for my curiosity. + +The Duke de Montmorency and the Maréchal Schomberg joined their army +about four or five days after, and immediately, according to the +cardinal's instructions, put themselves on the march for the relief of +Casale. + +The army had marched over a great plain, with some marshy grounds +on the right and the Po on the left, and as the country was so well +discovered that 'twas thought impossible any mischief should happen, +the generals observed the less caution. At the end of this plain was a +long wood and a lane or narrow defile through the middle of it. + +Through this pass the army was to march, and the van began to file +through it about four o'clock. By three hours' time all the army was +got through, or into the pass, and the artillery was just entered +when the Duke of Savoy with 4000 horse and 1500 dragoons with every +horseman a footman behind him, whether he had swam the Po or passed it +above at a bridge, and made a long march after, was not examined, but +he came boldly up the plain and charged our rear with a great deal of +fury. + +Our artillery was in the lane, and as it was impossible to turn them +about and make way for the army, so the rear was obliged to support +themselves and maintain the fight for above an hour and a half. + +In this time we lost abundance of men, and if it had not been for two +accidents all that line had been cut off. One was, that the wood was +so near that those regiments which were disordered presently sheltered +themselves in the wood; the other was, that by this time the Maréchal +Schomberg, with the horse of the van, began to get back through the +lane, and to make good the ground from whence the other had been +beaten, till at last by this means it came to almost a pitched battle. + +There were two regiments of French dragoons who did excellent service +in this action, and maintained their ground till they were almost all +killed. + +Had the Duke of Savoy contented himself with the defeat of five +regiments on the right, which he quite broke and drove into the wood, +and with the slaughter and havoc which he had made among the rest, +he had come off with honour, and might have called it a victory; but +endeavouring to break the whole party and carry off some cannon, the +obstinate resistance of these few dragoons lost him his advantages, +and held him in play till so many fresh troops got through the pass +again as made us too strong for him, and had not night parted them he +had been entirely defeated. + +At last, finding our troops increase and spread themselves on his +flank, he retired and gave over. We had no great stomach to pursue him +neither, though some horse were ordered to follow a little way. + +The duke lost about a thousand men, and we almost twice as many, and +but for those dragoons had lost the whole rear-guard and half our +cannon. I was in a very sorry case in this action too. I was with the +rear in the regiment of horse of Perigoort, with a captain of which +regiment I had contracted some acquaintance. I would have rid off at +first, as the captain desired me, but there was no doing it, for the +cannon was in the lane, and the horse and dragoons of the van eagerly +pressing back through the lane must have run me down or carried me +with them. As for the wood, it was a good shelter to save one's life, +but was so thick there was no passing it on horseback. + +Our regiment was one of the first that was broke, and being all in +confusion, with the Duke of Savoy's men at our heels, away we ran into +the wood. Never was there so much disorder among a parcel of runaways +as when we came to this wood; it was so exceeding bushy and thick at +the bottom there was no entering it, and a volley of small shot from +a regiment of Savoy's dragoons poured in upon us at our breaking into +the wood made terrible work among our horses. + +For my part I was got into the wood, but was forced to quit my horse, +and by that means, with a great deal of difficulty, got a little +farther in, where there was a little open place, and being quite spent +with labouring among the bushes I sat down resolving to take my fate +there, let it be what it would, for I was not able to go any farther. +I had twenty or thirty more in the same condition come to me in less +than half-an-hour, and here we waited very securely the success of the +battle, which was as before. + +It was no small relief to those with me to hear the Savoyards were +beaten, for otherwise they had all been lost; as for me, I confess, +I was glad as it was because of the danger, but otherwise I cared not +much which had the better, for I designed no service among them. + +One kindness it did me, that I began to consider what I had to do +here, and as I could give but a very slender account of myself for +what it was I run all these risks, so I resolved they should fight it +among themselves, for I would come among them no more. + +The captain with whom, as I noted above, I had contracted some +acquaintance in this regiment, was killed in this action, and the +French had really a great blow here, though they took care to conceal +it all they could; and I cannot, without smiling, read some of the +histories and memoirs of this action, which they are not ashamed to +call a victory. + +We marched on to Saluzzo, and the next day the Duke of Savoy presented +himself in battalia on the other side of a small river, giving us a +fair challenge to pass and engage him. We always said in our camp that +the orders were to fight the Duke of Savoy wherever we met him; but +though he braved us in our view we did not care to engage him, but we +brought Saluzzo to surrender upon articles, which the duke could not +relieve without attacking our camp, which he did not care to do. + +The next morning we had news of the surrender of Mantua to the +Imperial army. We heard of it first from the Duke of Savoy's cannon, +which he fired by way of rejoicing, and which seemed to make him +amends for the loss of Saluzzo. + +As this was a mortification to the French, so it quite damped the +success of the campaign, for the Duke de Montmorency imagining that +the Imperial general would send immediate assistance to the Marquis +Spinola, who besieged Casale, they called frequent councils of war +what course to take, and at last resolved to halt in Piedmont. A few +days after their resolutions were changed again by the news of the +death of the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emanuel, who died, as some say, +agitated with the extremes of joy and grief. + +This put our generals upon considering again whether they should march +to the relief of Casale, but the chimera of the Germans put them by, +and so they took up quarters in Piedmont. They took several small +places from the Duke of Savoy, making advantage of the consternation +the duke's subjects were in on the death of their prince, and spread +themselves from the seaside to the banks of the Po. But here an enemy +did that for them which the Savoyards could not, for the plague got +into their quarters and destroyed abundance of people, both of the +army and of the country. + +I thought then it was time for me to be gone, for I had no manner of +courage for that risk; and I think verily I was more afraid of being +taken sick in a strange country than ever I was of being killed in +battle. Upon this resolution I procured a pass to go for Genoa, and +accordingly began my journey, but was arrested at Villa Franca by a +slow lingering fever, which held me about five days, and then turned +to a burning malignancy, and at last to the plague. My friend, the +captain, never left me night nor day; and though for four days more I +knew nobody, nor was capable of so much as thinking of myself, yet it +pleased God that the distemper gathered in my neck, swelled and broke. +During the swelling I was raging mad with the violence of pain, which +being so near my head swelled that also in proportion, that my eyes +were swelled up, and for the twenty-four hours my tongue and mouth; +then, as my servant told me, all the physicians gave me over, as past +all remedy, but by the good providence of God the swelling broke. + +The prodigious collection of matter which this swelling discharged +gave me immediate relief, and I became sensible in less than an hour's +time; and in two hours or thereabouts fell into a little slumber which +recovered my spirits and sensibly revived me. Here I lay by it till +the middle of September. My captain fell sick after me, but recovered +quickly. His man had the plague, and died in two days; my man held it +out well. + +About the middle of September we heard of a truce concluded between +all parties, and being unwilling to winter at Villa Franca, I got +passes, and though we were both but weak, we began to travel in +litters for Milan. + +And here I experienced the truth of an old English proverb, that +standers-by see more than the gamesters. + +The French, Savoyards, and Spaniards made this peace or truce all for +separate and several grounds, and every one were mistaken. + +The French yielded to it because they had given over the relief of +Casale, and were very much afraid it would fall into the hands of the +Marquis Spinola. The Savoyards yielded to it because they were afraid +the French would winter in Piedmont; the Spaniards yielded to it +because the Duke of Savoy being dead, and the Count de Colalto, the +Imperial general, giving no assistance, and his army weakened by +sickness and the fatigues of the siege, he foresaw he should never +take the town, and wanted but to come off with honour. + +The French were mistaken, because really Spinola was so weak that had +they marched on into Montferrat the Spaniards must have raised the +siege; the Duke of Savoy was mistaken, because the plague had so +weakened the French that they durst not have stayed to winter in +Piedmont; and Spinola was mistaken, for though he was very slow, if he +had stayed before the town one fortnight longer, Thoiras the governor +must have surrendered, being brought to the last extremity. + +Of all these mistakes the French had the advantage, for Casale, was +relieved, the army had time to be recruited, and the French had the +best of it by an early campaign. + +I passed through Montferrat in my way to Milan just as the truce was +declared, and saw the miserable remains of the Spanish army, who by +sickness, fatigue, hard duty, the sallies of the garrison and such +like consequences, were reduced to less than 2000 men, and of them +above 1000 lay wounded and sick in the camp. + +Here were several regiments which I saw drawn out to their arms that +could not make up above seventy or eighty men, officers and all, and +those half starved with hunger, almost naked, and in a lamentable +condition. From thence I went into the town, and there things were +still in a worse condition, the houses beaten down, the walls and +works ruined, the garrison, by continual duty, reduced from 4500 men +to less than 800, without clothes, money, or provisions, the brave +governor weak with continual fatigue, and the whole face of things in +a miserable case. + +The French generals had just sent them 30,000 crowns for present +supply, which heartened them a little, but had not the truce been made +as it was, they must have surrendered upon what terms the Spaniards +had pleased to make them. + +Never were two armies in such fear of one another with so little +cause; the Spaniards afraid of the French whom the plague had +devoured, and the French afraid of the Spaniards whom the siege had +almost ruined. + +The grief of this mistake, together with the sense of his master, +the Spaniards, leaving him without supplies to complete the siege of +Casale, so affected the Marquis Spinola, that he died for grief, and +in him fell the last of that rare breed of Low Country soldiers, who +gave the world so great and just a character of the Spanish infantry, +as the best soldiers of the world; a character which we see them so +very much degenerated from since, that they hardly deserve the name of +soldiers. + +I tarried at Milan the rest of the winter, both for the recovery of my +health, and also for supplies from England. + +Here it was I first heard the name of Gustavus Adolphus, the king of +Sweden, who now began his war with the emperor; and while the king +of France was at Lyons, the league with Sweden was made, in which the +French contributed 1,200,000 crowns in money, and 600,000 per annum +to the attempt of Gustavus Adolphus. About this time he landed in +Pomerania, took the towns of Stettin and Stralsund, and from thence +proceeded in that prodigious manner of which I shall have occasion to +be very particular in the prosecution of these Memoirs. + +I had indeed no thoughts of seeing that king or his armies. I had +been so roughly handled already, that I had given over the thoughts +of appearing among the fighting people, and resolved in the spring +to pursue my journey to Venice, and so for the rest of Italy. Yet +I cannot deny that as every Gazette gave us some accounts of the +conquests and victories of this glorious prince, it prepossessed my +thoughts with secret wishes of seeing him, but these were so young +and unsettled, that I drew no resolutions from them for a long while +after. + +About the middle of January I left Milan and came to Genoa, from +thence by sea to Leghorn, then to Naples, Rome, and Venice, but saw +nothing in Italy that gave me any diversion. + +As for what is modern, I saw nothing but lewdness, private murders, +stabbing men at the corner of a street, or in the dark, hiring of +bravos, and the like. These were to me the modern excellencies of +Italy; and I had no gust to antiquities. + +'Twas pleasant indeed when I was at Rome to say here stood the +Capitol, there the Colossus of Nero, here was the Amphitheatre of +Titus, there the Aqueduct of----, here the Forum, there the Catacombs, +here the Temple of Venus, there of Jupiter, here the Pantheon, and the +like; but I never designed to write a book. As much as was useful I +kept in my head, and for the rest, I left it to others. + +I observed the people degenerated from the ancient glorious +inhabitants, who were generous, brave, and the most valiant of all +nations, to a vicious baseness of soul, barbarous, treacherous, +jealous and revengeful, lewd and cowardly, intolerably proud and +haughty, bigoted to blind, incoherent devotion, and the grossest of +idolatry. + +Indeed, I think the unsuitableness of the people made the place +unpleasant to me, for there is so little in a country to recommend it +when the people disgrace it, that no beauties of the creation can make +up for the want of those excellencies which suitable society procure +the defect of. This made Italy a very unpleasant country to me; +the people were the foil to the place, all manner of hateful vices +reigning in their general way of living. + +I confess I was not very religious myself, and being come abroad into +the world young enough, might easily have been drawn into evils that +had recommended themselves with any tolerable agreeableness to nature +and common manners; but when wickedness presented itself full-grown in +its grossest freedoms and liberties, it quite took away all the gust +to vice that the devil had furnished me with. + +The prodigious stupid bigotry of the people also was irksome to me; I +thought there was something in it very sordid. The entire empire the +priests have over both the souls and bodies of the people, gave me a +specimen of that meanness of spirit, which is nowhere else to be seen +but in Italy, especially in the city of Rome. + +At Venice I perceived it quite different, the civil authority having +a visible superiority over the ecclesiastic, and the Church being more +subject there to the State than in any other part of Italy. + +For these reasons I took no pleasure in filling my memoirs of Italy +with remarks of places or things. All the antiquities and valuable +remains of the Roman nation are done better than I can pretend to by +such people who made it more their business; as for me, I went to see, +and not to write, and as little thought then of these Memoirs as I ill +furnished myself to write them. + +I left Italy in April, and taking the tour of Bavaria, though very +much out of the way, I passed through Munich, Passau, Lintz, and at +last to Vienna. + +I came to Vienna the 10th of April 1631, intending to have gone from +thence down the Danube into Hungary, and by means of a pass, which I +had obtained from the English ambassador at Constantinople, I designed +to have seen all the great towns on the Danube, which were then in the +hands of the Turks, and which I had read much of in the history of +the war between the Turks and the Germans; but I was diverted from my +design by the following occasion. + +There had been a long bloody war in the empire of Germany for twelve +years, between the emperor, the Duke of Bavaria, the King of +Spain, and the Popish princes and electors on the one side, and the +Protestant princes on the other; and both sides having been exhausted +by the war, and even the Catholics themselves beginning to dislike the +growing power of the house of Austria, 'twas thought all parties were +willing to make peace. Nay, things were brought to that pass that some +of the Popish princes and electors began to talk of making alliances +with the King of Sweden. + +Here it is necessary to observe, that the two Dukes of Mecklenburg +having been dispossessed of most of their dominions by the tyranny +of the Emperor Ferdinand, and being in danger of losing the rest, +earnestly solicited the King of Sweden to come to their assistance; +and that prince, as he was related to the house of Mecklenburg, and +especially as he was willing to lay hold of any opportunity to break +with the emperor, against whom he had laid up an implacable prejudice, +was very ready and forward to come to their assistance. + +The reasons of his quarrel with the emperor were grounded upon the +Imperialists concerning themselves in the war of Poland, where the +emperor had sent 8000 foot and 2000 horse to join the Polish army +against the king, and had thereby given some check to his arms in that +war. + +In pursuance, therefore, of his resolution to quarrel with the +emperor, but more particularly at the instances of the princes +above-named, his Swedish Majesty had landed the year before at +Stralsund with about 12,000 men, and having joined with some forces +which he had left in Polish Prussia, all which did not make 30,000 +men, he began a war with the emperor, the greatest in event, filled +with the most famous battles, sieges, and extraordinary actions, +including its wonderful success and happy conclusion, of any war ever +maintained in the world. + +The King of Sweden had already taken Stettin, Stralsund, Rostock, +Wismar, and all the strong places on the Baltic, and began to spread +himself in Germany. He had made a league with the French, as I +observed in my story of Saxony; he had now made a treaty with the Duke +of Brandenburg, and, in short, began to be terrible to the empire. + +In this conjuncture the emperor called the General Diet of the empire +to be held at Ratisbon, where, as was pretended, all sides were +to treat of peace and to join forces to beat the Swedes out of the +empire. Here the emperor, by a most exquisite management, brought the +affairs of the Diet to a conclusion, exceedingly to his own advantage, +and to the farther oppression of the Protestants; and, in particular, +in that the war against the King of Sweden was to be carried on in +such manner as that the whole burden and charge would lie on the +Protestants themselves, and they be made the instruments to oppose +their best friends. Other matters also ended equally to their +disadvantage, as the methods resolved on to recover the Church lands, +and to prevent the education of the Protestant clergy; and what +remained was referred to another General Diet to be held at +Frankfort-au-Main in August 1631. + +I won't pretend to say the other Protestant princes of Germany had +never made any overtures to the King of Sweden to come to their +assistance, but 'tis plain they had entered into no league with him; +that appears from the difficulties which retarded the fixing of the +treaties afterward, both with the Dukes of Brandenburg and Saxony, +which unhappily occasioned the ruin of Magdeburg. + +But 'tis plain the Swede was resolved on a war with the emperor. His +Swedish majesty might, and indeed could not but foresee that if he +once showed himself with a sufficient force on the frontiers of the +empire, all the Protestant princes would be obliged by their interest +or by his arms to fall in with him, and this the consequence made +appear to be a just conclusion, for the Electors of Brandenburg and +Saxony were both forced to join with him. + +First, they were willing to join with him--at least they could not +find in their hearts to join with the emperor, of whose power they +had such just apprehensions. They wished the Swedes success, and would +have been very glad to have had the work done at another man's charge, +but, like true Germans, they were more willing to be saved than to +save themselves, and therefore hung back and stood upon terms. + +Secondly, they were at last forced to it. The first was forced to join +by the King of Sweden himself, who being come so far was not to be +dallied with, and had not the Duke of Brandenburg complied as he did, +he had been ruined by the Swede. The Saxon was driven into the arms +of the Swede by force, for Count Tilly, ravaging his country, made him +comply with any terms to be saved from destruction. + +Thus matters stood at the end of the Diet at Ratisbon. The King +of Sweden began to see himself leagued against at the Diet both by +Protestant and Papist; and, as I have often heard his Majesty say +since, he had resolved to try to force them off from the emperor, and +to treat them as enemies equally with the rest if they did not. + +But the Protestants convinced him soon after, that though they +were tricked into the outward appearance of a league against him at +Ratisbon, they had no such intentions; and by their ambassadors to him +let him know that they only wanted his powerful assistance to defend +their councils, when they would soon convince him that they had a due +sense of the emperor's designs, and would do their utmost for their +liberty. And these I take to be the first invitations the King of +Sweden had to undertake the Protestant cause as such, and which +entitled him to say he fought for the liberty and religion of the +German nation. + +I have had some particular opportunities to hear these things form the +mouths of some of the very princes themselves, and therefore am the +forwarder to relate them; and I place them here because, previous +to the part I acted on this bloody scene, 'tis necessary to let the +reader into some part of that story, and to show him in what manner +and on what occasions this terrible war began. + +The Protestants, alarmed at the usage they had met with at the former +Diet, had secretly proposed among themselves to form a general union +or confederacy, for preventing that ruin which they saw, unless some +speedy remedies were applied, would be inevitable. The Elector of +Saxony, the head of the Protestants, a vigorous and politic prince, +was the first that moved it; and the Landgrave of Hesse, a zealous and +gallant prince, being consulted with, it rested a great while between +those two, no method being found practicable to bring it to pass, the +emperor being so powerful in all parts, that they foresaw the petty +princes would not dare to negotiate an affair of such a nature, +being surrounded with the Imperial forces, who by their two generals, +Wallenstein and Tilly, kept them in continual subjection and terror. + +This dilemma had like to have stifled the thoughts of the union as +a thing impracticable, when one Seigensius, a Lutheran minister, a +person of great abilities, and one whom the Elector of Saxony made +great use of in matters of policy as well as religion, contrived for +them this excellent expedient. + +I had the honour to be acquainted with this gentleman while I was at +Leipsic. It pleased him exceedingly to have been the contriver of so +fine a structure as the Conclusions of Leipsic, and he was glad to be +entertained on that subject. I had the relation from his own mouth, +when, but very modestly, he told me he thought 'twas an inspiration +darted on a sudden into his thoughts, when the Duke of Saxony calling +him into his closet one morning, with a face full of concern, shaking +his head, and looking very earnestly, "What will become of us, +doctor?" said the duke; "we shall all be undone at Frankfort-au-Main." +"Why so, please your highness?" says the doctor. "Why, they will fight +with the King of Sweden with our armies and our money," says the duke, +"and devour our friends and ourselves by the help of our friends and +ourselves." "But what is become of the confederacy, then," said the +doctor, "which your highness had so happily framed in your thoughts, +and which the Landgrave of Hesse was so pleased with?" "Become of it?" +says the duke, "'tis a good thought enough, but 'tis impossible to +bring it to pass among so many members of the Protestant princes as +are to be consulted with, for we neither have time to treat, nor will +half of them dare to negotiate the matter, the Imperialists being +quartered in their very bowels." "But may not some expedient be found +out," says the doctor, "to bring them all together to treat of it in +a general meeting?" "'Tis well proposed," says the duke, "but in what +town or city shall they assemble where the very deputies shall not +be besieged by Tilly or Wallenstein in fourteen days' time, and +sacrificed to the cruelty and fury of the Emperor Ferdinand?" "Will +your highness be the easier in it," replies the doctor, "if a way may +be found out to call such an assembly upon other causes, at which the +emperor may have no umbrage, and perhaps give his assent? You know the +Diet at Frankfort is at hand; 'tis necessary the Protestants should +have an assembly of their own to prepare matters for the General Diet, +and it may be no difficult matter to obtain it." The duke, surprised +with joy at the motion, embraced the doctor with an extraordinary +transport. "Thou hast done it, doctor," said he, and immediately +caused him to draw a form of a letter to the emperor, which he did +with the utmost dexterity of style, in which he was a great master, +representing to his Imperial Majesty that, in order to put an end to +the troubles of Germany, his Majesty would be pleased to permit the +Protestant princes of the empire to hold a Diet to themselves, to +consider of such matters as they were to treat of at the General +Diet, in order to conform themselves to the will and pleasure of his +Imperial Majesty, to drive out foreigners, and settle a lasting peace +in the empire. He also insinuated something of their resolutions +unanimously to give their suffrages in favour of the King of Hungary +at the election of a king of the Romans, a thing which he knew the +emperor had in his thought, and would push at with all his might at +the Diet. This letter was sent, and the bait so neatly concealed, that +the Electors of Bavaria and Mentz, the King of Hungary, and several +of the Popish princes, not foreseeing that the ruin of them all lay in +the bottom of it, foolishly advised the emperor to consent to it. + +In consenting to this the emperor signed his own destruction, for here +began the conjunction of the German Protestants with the Swede, which +was the fatalest blow to Ferdinand, and which he could never recover. + +Accordingly the Diet was held at Leipsic, February 8, 1630, where the +Protestants agreed on several heads for their mutual defence, +which were the grounds of the following war. These were the famous +Conclusions of Leipsic, which so alarmed the emperor and the whole +empire, that to crush it in the beginning, the emperor commanded Count +Tilly immediately to fall upon the Landgrave of Hesse and the Duke of +Saxony as the principal heads of the union; but it was too late. + +The Conclusions were digested into ten heads:-- + +1. That since their sins had brought God's judgments upon the whole +Protestant Church, they should command public prayers to be made to +Almighty God for the diverting the calamities that attended them. + +2. That a treaty of peace might be set on foot, in order to come to a +right understanding with the Catholic princes. + +3. That a time for such a treaty being obtained, they should appoint +an assembly of delegates to meet preparatory to the treaty. + +4. That all their complaints should be humbly represented to his +Imperial Majesty and the Catholic Electors, in order to a peaceable +accommodation. + +5. That they claim the protection of the emperor, according to the +laws of the empire, and the present emperor's solemn oath and promise. + +6. That they would appoint deputies who should meet at certain +times to consult of their common interest, and who should be always +empowered to conclude of what should be thought needful for their +safety. + +7. That they will raise a competent force to maintain and defend their +liberties, rights, and religion. + +8. That it is agreeable to the Constitution of the empire, concluded +in the Diet at Augsburg, to do so. + +9. That the arming for their necessary defence shall by no means +hinder their obedience to his Imperial Majesty, but that they will +still continue their loyalty to him. + +10. They agree to proportion their forces, which in all amounted to +70,000 men. + +The emperor, exceedingly startled at the Conclusions, issued out a +severe proclamation or ban against them, which imported much the +same thing as a declaration of war, and commanded Tilly to begin, +and immediately to fall on the Duke of Saxony with all the fury +imaginable, as I have already observed. + +Here began the flame to break out; for upon the emperor's ban, the +Protestants send away to the King of Sweden for succour. + +His Swedish Majesty had already conquered Mecklenburg, and part of +Pomerania, and was advancing with his victorious troops, increased +by the addition of some regiments raised in those parts, in order to +carry on the war against the emperor, having designed to follow up +the Oder into Silesia, and so to push the war home to the emperor's +hereditary countries of Austria and Bohemia, when the first messengers +came to him in this case; but this changed his measures, and brought +him to the frontiers of Brandenburg resolved to answer the desires +of the Protestants. But here the Duke of Brandenburg began to halt, +making some difficulties and demanding terms, which drove the king to +use some extremities with him, and stopped the Swedes for a while, +who had otherwise been on the banks of the Elbe as soon as Tilly, +the Imperial general, had entered Saxony, which if they had done, the +miserable destruction of Magdeburg had been prevented, as I observed +before. The king had been invited into the union, and when he first +came back from the banks of the Oder he had accepted it, and was +preparing to back it with all his power. + +The Duke of Saxony had already a good army which he had with infinite +diligence recruited, and mustered them under the cannon of Leipsic. +The King of Sweden having, by his ambassador at Leipsic, entered into +the union of the Protestants, was advancing victoriously to their aid, +just as Count Tilly had entered the Duke of Saxony's dominions. The +fame of the Swedish conquests, and of the hero who commanded them, +shook my resolution of travelling into Turkey, being resolved to see +the conjunction of the Protestant armies, and before the fire was +broke out too far to take the advantage of seeing both sides. + +While I remained at Vienna, uncertain which way I should proceed, I +remember I observed they talked of the King of Sweden as a prince of +no consideration, one that they might let go on and tire himself in +Mecklenburg and thereabout, till they could find leisure to deal with +him, and then might be crushed as they pleased; but 'tis never safe +to despise an enemy, so this was not an enemy to be despised, as they +afterwards found. + +As to the Conclusions of Leipsic, indeed, at first they gave the +Imperial court some uneasiness, but when they found the Imperial +armies, began to fright the members out of the union, and that the +several branches had no considerable forces on foot, it was the +general discourse at Vienna, that the union at Leipsic only gave +the emperor an opportunity to crush absolutely the Dukes of Saxony, +Brandenburg, and the Landgrave of Hesse, and they looked upon it as a +thing certain. + +I never saw any real concern in their faces at Vienna till news came +to court that the King of Sweden had entered into the union; but as +this made them very uneasy, they began to move the powerfulest methods +possible to divert this storm; and upon this news Tilly was hastened +to fall into Saxony before this union could proceed to a conjunction +of forces. This was certainly a very good resolution, and no measure +could have been more exactly concerted, had not the diligence of the +Saxons prevented it. + +The gathering of this storm, which from a cloud began to spread over +the empire, and from the little duchy of Mecklenburg began to threaten +all Germany, absolutely determined me, as I noted before, as to +travelling, and laying aside the thoughts of Hungary, I resolved, if +possible, to see the King of Sweden's army. + +I parted from Vienna the middle of May, and took post for Great Glogau +in Silesia, as if I had purposed to pass into Poland, but designing +indeed to go down the Oder to Custrim in the marquisate of +Brandenburg, and so to Berlin. But when I came to the frontiers of +Silesia, though I had passes, I could go no farther, the guards on +all the frontiers were so strict, so I was obliged to come back into +Bohemia, and went to Prague. From hence I found I could easily pass +through the Imperial provinces to the lower Saxony, and accordingly +took passes for Hamburg, designing, however, to use them no farther +than I found occasion. + +By virtue of these passes I got into the Imperial army, under Count +Tilly, then at the siege of Magdeburg, May the 2nd. + +I confess I did not foresee the fate of this city, neither, I believe, +did Count Tilly himself expect to glut his fury with so entire a +desolation, much less did the people expect it. I did believe they +must capitulate, and I perceived by discourse in the army that Tilly +would give them but very indifferent conditions; but it fell out +otherwise. The treaty of surrender was, as it were, begun, nay, some +say concluded, when some of the out-guards of the Imperialists finding +the citizens had abandoned the guards of the works, and looked to +themselves with less diligence than usual, they broke in, carried an +half-moon, sword in hand, with little resistance; and though it was +a surprise on both sides, the citizens neither fearing, nor the army +expecting the occasion, the garrison, with as much resolution as could +be expected under such a fright, flew to the walls, twice beat the +Imperialists off, but fresh men coming up, and the administrator of +Magdeburg himself being wounded and taken, the enemy broke in, took +the city by storm, and entered with such terrible fury, that, +without respect to age or condition, they put all the garrison and +inhabitants, man, woman, and child, to the sword, plundered the city, +and when they had done this set it on fire. + +This calamity sure was the dreadfulest sight that ever I saw; the +rage of the Imperial soldiers was most intolerable, and not to be +expressed. Of 25,000, some said 30,000 people, there was not a soul to +be seen alive, till the flames drove those that were hid in vaults and +secret places to seek death in the streets rather than perish in the +fire. Of these miserable creatures some were killed too by the furious +soldiers, but at last they saved the lives of such as came out of +their cellars and holes, and so about two thousand poor desperate +creatures were left. The exact number of those that perished in +this city could never be known, because those the soldiers had first +butchered the flames afterwards devoured. + +I was on the outer side of the Elbe when this dreadful piece of +butchery was done. The city of Magdeburg had a sconce or fort over +against it called the toll-house, which joined to the city by a very +fine bridge of boats. This fort was taken by the Imperialists a few +days before, and having a mind to see it, and the rather because from +thence I could have a very good view of the city, I was going over +Tilley's bridge of boats to view this fort. About ten o'clock in the +morning I perceived they were storming by the firing, and immediately +all ran to the works; I little thought of the taking the city, but +imagined it might be some outwork attacked, for we all expected +the city would surrender that day, or next, and they might have +capitulated upon very good terms. + +Being upon the works of the fort, on a sudden I heard the dreadfulest +cry raised in the city that can be imagined; 'tis not possible to +express the manner of it, and I could see the women and children +running about the streets in a most lamentable condition. + +The city wall did not run along the side where the river was with +so great a height, but we could plainly see the market-place and the +several streets which run down to the river. In about an hour's time +after this first cry all was in confusion; there was little shooting, +the execution was all cutting of throats and mere house murders. The +resolute garrison, with the brave Baron Falkenberg, fought it out +to the last, and were cut in pieces, and by this time the Imperial +soldiers having broke open the gates and entered on all sides, the +slaughter was very dreadful. We could see the poor people in crowds +driven down the streets, flying from the fury of the soldiers, who +followed butchering them as fast as they could, and refused mercy to +anybody, till driving them to the river's edge, the desperate wretches +would throw themselves into the river, where thousands of them +perished, especially women and children. Several men that could swim +got over to our side, where the soldiers not heated with fight gave +them quarter, and took them up, and I cannot but do this justice to +the German officers in the fort: they had five small flat boats, and +they gave leave to the soldiers to go off in them, and get what booty +they could, but charged them not to kill anybody, but take them all +prisoners. + +Nor was their humanity ill rewarded, for the soldiers, wisely avoiding +those places where their fellows were employed in butchering the +miserable people, rowed to other places, where crowds of people stood +crying out for help, and expecting to be every minute either drowned +or murdered; of these at sundry times they fetched over near six +hundred, but took care to take in none but such as offered them good +pay. + +Never was money or jewels of greater service than now, for those that +had anything of that sort to offer were soonest helped. + +There was a burgher of the town who, seeing a boat coming near him, +but out of his call, by the help of a speaking trumpet, told the +soldiers in it he would give them 20,000 dollars to fetch him off. +They rowed close to the shore, and got him with his wife and six +children into the boat, but such throngs of people got about the boat +that had like to have sunk her, so that the soldiers were fain to +drive a great many out again by main force, and while they were doing +this some of the enemies coming down the street desperately drove them +all into the water. + +The boat, however, brought the burgher and his wife and children safe, +and though they had not all that wealth about them, yet in jewels and +money he gave them so much as made all the fellows very rich. + +I cannot pretend to describe the cruelty of this day: the town by +five in the afternoon was all in a flame; the wealth consumed was +inestimable, and a loss to the very conqueror. I think there was +little or nothing left but the great church and about a hundred +houses. + +This was a sad welcome into the army for me, and gave me a horror and +aversion to the emperor's people, as well as to his cause. I quitted +the camp the third day after this execution, while the fire was hardly +out in the city; and from thence getting safe-conduct to pass into the +Palatinate, I turned out of the road at a small village on the Elbe, +called Emerfield, and by ways and towns I can give but small account +of, having a boor for our guide, whom we could hardly understand, I +arrived at Leipsic on the 17th of May. + +We found the elector intense upon the strengthening of his army, but +the people in the greatest terror imaginable, every day expecting +Tilly with the German army, who by his cruelty at Magdeburg was become +so dreadful to the Protestants that they expected no mercy wherever he +came. + +The emperor's power was made so formidable to all the Protestants, +particularly since the Diet at Ratisbon left them in a worse case +than it found them, that they had not only formed the Conclusions of +Leipsic, which all men looked on as the effect of desperation rather +than any probable means of their deliverance, but had privately +implored the protection and assistance of foreign powers, and +particularly the King of Sweden, from whom they had promises of a +speedy and powerful assistance. And truly if the Swede had not with +a very strong hand rescued them, all their Conclusions at Leipsic had +served but to hasten their ruin. I remember very well when I was in +the Imperial army they discoursed with such contempt of the forces +of the Protestant, that not only the Imperialists but the Protestants +themselves gave them up as lost. The emperor had not less than 200,000 +men in several armies on foot, who most of them were on the back of +the Protestants in every corner. If Tilly did but write a threatening +letter to any city or prince of the union, they presently submitted, +renounced the Conclusions of Leipsic, and received Imperial garrisons, +as the cities of Ulm and Memmingen, the duchy of Wirtemberg, and +several others, and almost all Suaben. + +Only the Duke of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse upheld the drooping +courage of the Protestants, and refused all terms of peace, slighted +all the threatenings of the Imperial generals, and the Duke of +Brandenburg was brought in afterward almost by force. + +The Duke of Saxony mustered his forces under the walls of Leipsic, +and I having returned to Leipsic, two days before, saw them pass the +review. The duke, gallantly mounted, rode through the ranks, attended +by his field-marshal Arnheim, and seemed mighty well pleased with +them, and indeed the troops made a very fine appearance; but I that +had seen Tilly's army and his old weather-beaten soldiers, whose +discipline and exercises were so exact, and their courage so often +tried, could not look on the Saxon army without some concern for them +when I considered who they had to deal with. Tilly's men were rugged +surly fellows, their faces had an air of hardy courage, mangled with +wounds and scars, their armour showed the bruises of musket bullets, +and the rust of the winter storms. I observed of them their clothes +were always dirty, but their arms were clean and bright; they were +used to camp in the open fields, and sleep in the frosts and rain; +their horses were strong and hardy like themselves, and well taught +their exercises; the soldiers knew their business so exactly that +general orders were enough; every private man was fit to command, and +their wheelings, marchings, counter-marchings and exercise were done +with such order and readiness, that the distinct words of command +were hardly of any use among them; they were flushed with victory, and +hardly knew what it was to fly. + +There had passed some messages between Tilly and the duke, and he gave +always such ambiguous answers as he thought might serve to gain time; +but Tilly was not to be put off with words, and drawing his army +towards Saxony, sends four propositions to him to sign, and demands an +immediate reply. The propositions were positive. + +1. To cause his troops to enter into the emperor's service, and to +march in person with them against the King of Sweden. + +2. To give the Imperial army quarters in his country, and supply them +with necessary provisions. + +3. To relinquish the union of Leipsic, and disown the ten Conclusions. + +4. To make restitution of the goods and lands of the Church. + +The duke being pressed by Tilly's trumpeter for an immediate answer +sat all night, and part of the next day, in council with his privy +councillors, debating what reply to give him, which at last was +concluded, in short, that he would live and die in defence of the +Protestant religion, and the Conclusions of Leipsic, and bade Tilly +defiance. + +The die being thus cast, he immediately decamped with his whole army +for Torgau, fearing that Tilly should get there before him, and so +prevent his conjunction with the Swede. The duke had not yet concluded +any positive treaty with the King of Swedeland, and the Duke of +Brandenburg having made some difficulty of joining, they both stood +on some niceties till they had like to have ruined themselves all at +once. + +Brandenburg had given up the town of Spandau to the king by a former +treaty to secure a retreat for his army, and the king was advanced +as far as Frankfort-upon-the-Oder, when on a sudden some small +difficulties arising, Brandenburg seems cold in the matter, and with +a sort of indifference demands to have his town of Spandau restored to +him again. Gustavus Adolphus, who began presently to imagine the duke +had made his peace with the emperor, and so would either be his enemy +or pretend a neutrality, generously delivered him his town of Spandau, +but immediately turns about, and with his whole army besieges him in +his capital city of Berlin. This brought the duke to know his error, +and by the interpositions of the ladies, the Queen of Sweden being the +duke's sister, the matter was accommodated, and the duke joined his +forces with the king. + +But the duke of Saxony had like to have been undone by this delay, +for the Imperialists, under Count de Furstenberg, were entered his +country, and had possessed themselves of Halle, and Tilly was on +his march to join him, as he afterwards did, and ravaging the +whole country laid siege to Leipsic itself. The duke driven to this +extremity rather flies to the Swede than treats with him, and on the +2nd of September the duke's army joined with the King of Sweden. + +I had not come to Leipsic but to see the Duke of Saxony's army, and +that being marched, as I have said, for Torgau, I had no business +there, but if I had, the approach of Tilly and the Imperial army was +enough to hasten me away, for I had no occasion to be besieged there; +so on the 27th of August I left the town, as several of the principal +inhabitants had done before, and more would have done had not the +governor published a proclamation against it, and besides they knew +not whither to fly, for all places were alike exposed. The poor people +were under dreadful apprehensions of a siege, and of the merciless +usage of the Imperial soldiers, the example of Magdeburg being fresh +before them, the duke and his army gone from them, and the town, +though well furnished, but indifferently fortified. + +In this condition I left them, buying up stores of provisions, +working hard to scour their moats, set up palisadoes, repair their +fortifications, and preparing all things for a siege; and following +the Saxon army to Torgau, I continued in the camp till a few days +before they joined the King of Sweden. + +I had much ado to persuade my companion from entering into the +service of the Duke of Saxony, one of whose colonels, with whom we had +contracted a particular acquaintance, offering him a commission to be +cornet in one of the old regiments of horse; but the difference I had +observed between this new army and Tilly's old troops had made such +an impression on me, that I confess I had yet no manner of inclination +for the service, and therefore persuaded him to wait a while till we +had seen a little further into affairs, and particularly till we had +seen the Swedish army which we had heard so much of. + +The difficulties which the Elector-Duke of Saxony made of joining with +the king were made up by a treaty concluded with the king on the 2nd +of September at Coswig, a small town on the Elbe, whither the king's +army was arrived the night before; for General Tilly being now entered +into the duke's country, had plundered and ruined all the lower part +of it, and was now actually besieging the capital city of Leipsic. +These necessities made almost any conditions easy to him; the greatest +difficulty was that the King of Sweden demanded the absolute command +of the army, which the duke submitted to with less goodwill than he +had reason to do, the king's experience and conduct considered. + +I had not patience to attend the conclusions of their particular +treaties, but as soon as ever the passage was clear I quitted the +Saxon camp and went to see the Swedish army. I fell in with the +out-guards of the Swedes at a little town called Beltsig, on the river +Wersa, just as they were relieving the guards and going to march, and +having a pass from the English ambassador was very well received by +the officer who changed the guards, and with him I went back into +the army. By nine in the morning the army was in full march, the king +himself at the head of them on a grey pad, and riding from one brigade +to another, ordered the march of every line himself. + +When I saw the Swedish troops, their exact discipline, their order, +the modesty and familiarity of their officers, and the regular living +of the soldiers, their camp seemed a well-ordered city; the meanest +country woman with her market ware was as safe from violence as in the +streets of Vienna. There were no women in the camp but such as being +known to the provosts to be the wives of the soldiers, who were +necessary for washing linen, taking care of the soldiers' clothes, and +dressing their victuals. + +The soldiers were well clad, not gay, furnished with excellent arms, +and exceedingly careful of them; and though they did not seem so +terrible as I thought Tilly's men did when I first saw them, yet the +figure they made, together with what we had heard of them, made them +seem to me invincible: the discipline and order of their marchings, +camping, and exercise was excellent and singular, and, which was to +be seen in no armies but the king's, his own skill, judgment, and +vigilance having added much to the general conduct of armies then in +use. + +As I met the Swedes on their march I had no opportunity to acquaint +myself with anybody till after the conjunction of the Saxon army, +and then it being but four days to the great battle of Leipsic, our +acquaintance was but small, saving what fell out accidentally by +conversation. + +I met with several gentlemen in the king's army who spoke English very +well; besides that there were three regiments of Scots in the army, +the colonels whereof I found were extraordinarily esteemed by the +king, as the Lord Reay, Colonel Lumsdell, and Sir John Hepburn. The +latter of these, after I had by an accident become acquainted with, I +found had been for many years acquainted with my father, and on that +account I received a great deal of civility from him, which afterwards +grew into a kind of intimate friendship. He was a complete soldier +indeed, and for that reason so well beloved by that gallant king, that +he hardly knew how to go about any great action without him. + +It was impossible for me now to restrain my young comrade from +entering into the Swedish service, and indeed everything was so +inviting that I could not blame him. A captain in Sir John Hepburn's +regiment had picked acquaintance with him, and he having as much +gallantry in his face as real courage in his heart, the captain had +persuaded him to take service, and promised to use his interest to get +him a company in the Scotch brigade. I had made him promise me not +to part from me in my travels without my consent, which was the only +obstacle to his desires of entering into the Swedish pay; and being +one evening in the captain's tent with him and discoursing very freely +together, the captain asked him very short but friendly, and looking +earnestly at me, "Is this the gentleman, Mr Fielding, that has done +so much prejudice to the King of Sweden's service?" I was doubly +surprised at the expression, and at the colonel, Sir John Hepburn, +coming at that very moment into the tent. The colonel hearing +something of the question, but knowing nothing of the reason of it, +any more than as I seemed a little to concern myself at it, yet after +the ceremony due to his character was over, would needs know what I +had done to hinder his Majesty's service. "So much truly," says the +captain, "that if his Majesty knew it he would think himself very +little beholden to him." "I am sorry, sir," said I, "that I should +offend in anything, who am but a stranger; but if you would please to +inform me, I would endeavour to alter anything in my behaviour that is +prejudicial to any one, much less to his Majesty's service." "I shall +take you at your word, sir," says the captain; "the King of Sweden, +sir, has a particular request to you." "I should be glad to know two +things, sir," said I; "first, how that can be possible, since I am +not yet known to any man in the army, much less to his Majesty? and +secondly, what the request can be?" "Why, sir, his Majesty desires you +would not hinder this gentleman from entering into his service, who +it seems desires nothing more, if he may have your consent to it." "I +have too much honour for his Majesty," returned I, "to deny anything +which he pleases to command me; but methinks 'tis some hardship you +should make that the king's order, which 'tis very probable he knows +nothing of." Sir John Hepburn took the case up something gravely, and +drinking a glass of Leipsic beer to the captain, said, "Come, captain, +don't press these gentlemen; the king desires no man's service but +what is purely volunteer." So we entered into other discourse, and the +colonel perceiving by my talk that I had seen Tilly's army, was mighty +curious in his questions, and seeming very well satisfied with the +account I gave him. + +The next day the army having passed the Elbe at Wittenberg, and joined +the Saxon army near Torgau, his Majesty caused both armies to draw +up in battalia, giving every brigade the same post in the lines as he +purposed to fight in. I must do the memory of that glorious general +this honour, that I never saw an army drawn up with so much variety, +order, and exact regularity since, though I have seen many armies +drawn up by some of the greatest captains of the age. The order by +which his men were directed to flank and relieve one another, the +methods of receiving one body of men if disordered into another, and +rallying one squadron without disordering another was so admirable; +the horse everywhere flanked lined and defended by the foot, and the +foot by the horse, and both by the cannon, was such that if those +orders were but as punctually obeyed, 'twere impossible to put an army +so modelled into any confusion. + +The view being over, and the troops returned to their camps, the +captain with whom we drank the day before meeting me told me I must +come and sup with him in his tent, where he would ask my pardon for +the affront he gave me before. I told him he needed not put himself +to the trouble, I was not affronted at all; that I would do myself the +honour to wait on him, provided he would give me his word not to speak +any more of it as an affront. + +We had not been a quarter of an hour in his tent but Sir John Hepburn +came in again, and addressing to me, told me he was glad to find me +there; that he came to the captain's tent to inquire how to send to +me; and that I must do him the honour to go with him to wait on the +king, who had a mind to hear the account I could give him of the +Imperial army from my own mouth. I must confess I was at some loss in +my mind how to make my address to his Majesty, but I had heard so much +of the conversable temper of the king, and his particular sweetness of +humour with the meanest soldier, that I made no more difficulty, but +having paid my respects to Colonel Hepburn, thanked him for the honour +he had done me, and offered to rise and wait upon him. "Nay," says +the Colonel, "we will eat first, for I find Gourdon," which was the +captain's name, "has got something for supper, and the king's order is +at seven o'clock." So we went to supper, and Sir John, becoming very +friendly, must know my name; which, when I had told him, and of what +place and family, he rose from his seat, and embracing me, told me he +knew my father very well, and had been intimately acquainted with +him, and told me several passages wherein my father had particularly +obliged him. After this we went to supper, and the king's health being +drank round, the colonel moved the sooner because he had a mind to +talk with me. + +When we were going to the king he inquired of me where I had been, and +what occasion brought me to the army. I told him the short history of +my travels, and that I came hither from Vienna on purpose to see the +King of Sweden and his army. He asked me if there was any service he +could do me, by which he meant, whether I desired an employment. +I pretended not to take him so, but told him the protection his +acquaintance would afford me was more than I could have asked, since I +might thereby have opportunity to satisfy my curiosity, which was the +chief end of my coming abroad. He perceiving by this that I had no +mind to be a soldier, told me very kindly I should command him in +anything; that his tent and equipage, horses and servants should +always have orders to be at my service; but that as a piece of +friendship, he would advise me to retire to some place distant from +the army, for that the army would march to-morrow, and the king was +resolved to fight General Tilly, and he would not have me hazard +myself; that if I thought fit to take his advice, he would have me +take that interval to see the court at Berlin, whither he would send +one of his servants to wait on me. + +His discourse was too kind not to extort the tenderest acknowledgment +from me that I was capable of. I told him his care of me was so +obliging, that I knew not what return to make him, but if he pleased +to leave me to my choice I desired no greater favour than to trail a +pike under his command in the ensuing battle. "I can never answer it +to your father," says he, "to suffer you to expose yourself so far." +I told him my father would certainly acknowledge his friendship in the +proposal made me; but I believed he knew him better than to think he +would be well pleased with me if I should accept of it; that I was +sure my father would have rode post five hundred miles to have been +at such a battle under such a general, and it should never be told +him that his son had rode fifty miles to be out of it. He seemed to +be something concerned at the resolution I had taken, and replied very +quickly upon me, that he approved very well of my courage; "but," says +he, "no man gets any credit by running upon needless adventures, nor +loses any by shunning hazards which he has no order for. 'Tis enough," +says he, "for a gentleman to behave well when he is commanded upon any +service; I have had fighting enough," says he, "upon these points +of honour, and I never got anything but reproof for it from the king +himself." + +"Well, sir," said I, "however if a man expects to rise by his valour, +he must show it somewhere; and if I were to have any command in an +army, I would first try whether I could deserve it. I have never yet +seen any service, and must have my induction some time or other. I +shall never have a better schoolmaster than yourself, nor a better +school than such an army." "Well," says Sir John, "but you may have +the same school and the same teaching after this battle is over; for +I must tell you beforehand, this will be a bloody touch. Tilly has +a great army of old lads that are used to boxing, fellows with +iron faces, and 'tis a little too much to engage so hotly the first +entrance into the wars. You may see our discipline this winter, and +make your campaign with us next summer, when you need not fear but +we shall have fighting enough, and you will be better acquainted with +things. We do never put our common soldiers upon pitched battles the +first campaign, but place our new men in garrisons and try them in +parties first." "Sir," said I, with a little more freedom, "I believe +I shall not make a trade of the war, and therefore need not serve an +apprenticeship to it; 'tis a hard battle where none escapes. If I +come off, I hope I shall not disgrace you, and if not, 'twill be some +satisfaction to my father to hear his son died fighting under the +command of Sir John Hepburn, in the army of the King of Sweden, and I +desire no better epitaph upon my tomb." + +"Well," says Sir John, and by this time we were just come to the +king's quarters, and the guards calling to us interrupted his reply; +so we went into the courtyard where the king was lodged, which was in +an indifferent house of one of the burghers of Dieben, and Sir John +stepping up, met the king coming down some steps into a large room +which looked over the town wall into a field where part of the +artillery was drawn up. Sir John Hepburn sent his man presently to me +to come up, which I did; and Sir John without any ceremony carries me +directly up to the king, who was leaning on his elbow in the window. +The king turning about, "This is the English gentleman," says Sir +John, "who I told your Majesty had been in the Imperial army." "How +then did he get hither," says the king, "without being taken by the +scouts?" At which question, Sir John saying nothing, "By a pass, +and please your Majesty, from the English ambassador's secretary at +Vienna," said I, making a profound reverence. "Have you then been at +Vienna?" says the king. "Yes, and please your Majesty," said I; upon +which the king, folding up a letter he had in his hand, seemed much +more earnest to talk about Vienna than about Tilly. "And, pray, what +news had you at Vienna?" "Nothing, sir," said I, "but daily accounts +one in the neck of another of their own misfortunes, and your +Majesty's conquests, which makes a very melancholy court there." "But, +pray," said the king, "what is the common opinion there about these +affairs?" "The common people are terrified to the last degree," said +I, "and when your Majesty took Frankfort-upon-Oder, if your army had +marched but twenty miles into Silesia, half the people would have run +out of Vienna, and I left them fortifying the city." "They need not," +replied the king, smiling; "I have no design to trouble them, it is +the Protestant countries I must be for." + +Upon this the Duke of Saxony entered the room, and finding the king +engaged, offered to retire; but the king, beckoning with his hand, +called to him in French; "Cousin," says the king, "this gentleman has +been travelling and comes from Vienna," and so made me repeat what +I had said before; at which the king went on with me, and Sir John +Hepburn informing his Majesty that I spoke High Dutch, he changed +his language, and asked me in Dutch where it was that I saw General +Tilly's army. I told his Majesty at the siege of Magdeburg. "At +Magdeburg!" said the king, shaking his head; "Tilly must answer to me +some day for that city, and if not to me, to a greater King than I. +Can you guess what army he had with him?" said the king. "He had two +armies with him," said I, "but one I suppose will do your Majesty +no harm." "Two armies!" said the king. "Yes, sir, he has one army +of about 26,000 men," said I, "and another of about 15,000 women and +their attendants," at which the king laughed heartily. "Ay, ay," says +the king, "those 15,000 do us as much harm as the 26,000, for they +eat up the country, and devour the poor Protestants more than the men. +Well," says the king, "do they talk of fighting us?" "They talk big +enough, sir," said I, "but your Majesty has not been so often fought +with as beaten in their discourse." "I know not for the men," says the +king, "but the old man is as likely to do it as talk of it, and I hope +to try them in a day or two." + +The king inquired after that several matters of me about the Low +Countries, the Prince of Orange, and of the court and affairs in +England; and Sir John Hepburn informing his Majesty that I was the son +of an English gentleman of his acquaintance, the king had the goodness +to ask him what care he had taken of me against the day of battle. +Upon which Sir John repeated to him the discourse we had together by +the way; the king seeming particularly pleased with it, began to take +me to task himself. "You English gentlemen," says he, "are too +forward in the wars, which makes you leave them too soon again." "Your +Majesty," replied I, "makes war in so pleasant a manner as makes +all the world fond of fighting under your conduct." "Not so pleasant +neither," says the king, "here's a man can tell you that sometimes it +is not very pleasant." "I know not much of the warrior, sir," said +I, "nor of the world, but if always to conquer be the pleasure of the +war, your Majesty's soldiers have all that can be desired." "Well," +says the king, "but however, considering all things, I think you would +do well to take the advice Sir John Hepburn has given you." "Your +Majesty may command me to anything, but where your Majesty and so many +gallant gentlemen hazard their lives, mine is not worth mentioning; +and I should not dare to tell my father at my return into England +that I was in your Majesty's army, and made so mean a figure that +your Majesty would not permit me to fight under that royal standard." +"Nay," replied the king, "I lay no commands upon you, but you are +young." "I can never die, sir," said I, "with more honour than in your +Majesty's service." I spake this with so much freedom, and his Majesty +was so pleased with it, that he asked me how I would choose to serve, +on horseback or on foot. I told his Majesty I should be glad to +receive any of his Majesty's commands, but if I had not that honour I +had purposed to trail a pike under Sir John Hepburn, who had done me +so much honour as to introduce me into his Majesty's presence. "Do so, +then," replied the king, and turning to Sir John Hepburn, said, "and +pray, do you take care of him." At which, overcome with the goodness +of his discourse, I could not answer a word, but made him a profound +reverence and retired. + +The next day but one, being the 7th of September, before day the army +marched from Dieben to a large field about a mile from Leipsic, where +we found Tilly's army in full battalia in admirable order, which made +a show both glorious and terrible. Tilly, like a fair gamester, had +taken up but one side of the plain, and left the other free, and all +the avenues open for the king's army; nor did he stir to the charge +till the king's army was completely drawn up and advanced toward him. +He had in his army 44,000 old soldiers, every way answerable to what +I have said of them before; and I shall only add, a better army, I +believe, never was so soundly beaten. + +The king was not much inferior in force, being joined with the Saxons, +who were reckoned 22,000 men, and who drew up on the left, making a +main battle and two wings, as the king did on the right. + +The king placed himself at the right wing of his own horse, Gustavus +Horn had the main battle of the Swedes, the Duke of Saxony had the +main battle of his own troops, and General Arnheim the right wing of +his horse. The second line of the Swedes consisted of the two Scotch +brigades, and three Swedish, with the Finland horse in the wings. + +In the beginning of the fight, Tilly's right wing charged with such +irresistible fury upon the left of the king's army where the Saxons +were posted, that nothing could withstand them. The Saxons fled amain, +and some of them carried the news over the country that all was lost, +and the king's army overthrown; and indeed it passed for an oversight +with some that the king did not place some of his old troops among the +Saxons, who were new-raised men. The Saxons lost here near 2000 men, +and hardly ever showed their faces again all the battle, except some +few of their horse. + +I was posted with my comrade, the captain, at the head of three +Scottish regiments of foot, commanded by Sir John Hepburn, with +express directions from the colonel to keep by him. Our post was in +the second line, as a reserve to the King of Sweden's main battle, +and, which was strange, the main battle, which consisted of four great +brigades of foot, were never charged during the whole fight; and yet +we, who had the reserve, were obliged to endure the whole weight +of the Imperial army. The occasion was, the right wing of the +Imperialists having defeated the Saxons, and being eager in the chase, +Tilly, who was an old soldier, and ready to prevent all mistakes, +forbids any pursuit. "Let them go," says he, "but let us beat the +Swedes, or we do nothing." Upon this the victorious troops fell in +upon the flank of the king's army, which, the Saxons being fled, lay +open to them. Gustavus Horn commanded the left wing of the Swedes, and +having first defeated some regiments which charged him, falls in upon +the rear of the Imperial right wing, and separates them from the van, +who were advanced a great way forward in pursuit of the Saxons, and +having routed the said rear or reserve, falls on upon Tilly's main +battle, and defeated part of them; the other part was gone in chase of +the Saxons, and now also returned, fell in upon the rear of the left +wing of the Swedes, charging them in the flank, for they drew up upon +the very ground which the Saxons had quitted. This changed the whole +front, and made the Swedes face about to the left, and made a great +front on their flank to make this good. Our brigades, who were placed +as a reserve for the main battle, were, by special order from the +king, wheeled about to the left, and placed for the right of this new +front to charge the Imperialists; they were about 12,000 of their best +foot, besides horse, and flushed with the execution of the Saxons, +fell on like furies. The king by this time had almost defeated the +Imperialists' left wing; their horse, with more haste than good speed, +had charged faster than their foot could follow, and having broke into +the king's first line, he let them go, where, while the second line +bears the shock, and bravely resisted them, the king follows them on +the crupper with thirteen troops of horse, and some musketeers, by +which being hemmed in, they were all cut down in a moment as it were, +and the army never disordered with them. This fatal blow to the left +wing gave the king more leisure to defeat the foot which followed, and +to send some assistance to Gustavus Horn in his left wing, who had his +hands full with the main battle of the Imperialists. + +But those troops who, as I said, had routed the Saxons, being called +off from the pursuit, had charged our flank, and were now grown very +strong, renewed the battle in a terrible manner. Here it was I saw our +men go to wreck. Colonel Hall, a brave soldier, commanded the rear of +the Swede's left wing; he fought like a lion, but was slain, and most +of his regiment cut off, though not unrevenged, for they entirely +ruined Furstenberg's regiment of foot. Colonel Cullembach, with his +regiment of horse, was extremely overlaid also, and the colonel and +many brave officers killed, and in short all that wing was shattered, +and in an ill condition. + +In this juncture came the king, and having seen what havoc the enemy +made of Cullembach's troops, he comes riding along the front of our +three brigades, and himself led us on to the charge; the colonel of +his guards, the Baron Dyvel, was shot dead just as the king had given +him some orders. When the Scots advanced, seconded by some regiments +of horse which the king also sent to the charge, the bloodiest fight +began that ever men beheld, for the Scottish brigades, giving fire +three ranks at a time over one another's heads, poured in their shot +so thick, that the enemy were cut down like grass before a scythe; +and following into the thickest of their foot with the clubs of their +muskets made a most dreadful slaughter, and yet was there no flying. +Tilly's men might be killed and knocked down, but no man turned his +back, nor would give an inch of ground, but as they were wheeled, or +marched, or retreated by their officers. + +There was a regiment of cuirassiers which stood whole to the last, +and fought like lions; they went ranging over the field when all +their army was broken, and nobody cared for charging them; they were +commanded by Baron Kronenburg, and at last went off from the battle +whole. These were armed in black armour from head to foot, and they +carried off their general. About six o'clock the field was cleared of +the enemy, except at one place on the king's side, where some of them +rallied, and though they knew all was lost would take no quarter, but +fought it out to the last man, being found dead the next day in rank +and file as they were drawn up. + +I had the good fortune to receive no hurt in this battle, excepting +a small scratch on the side of my neck by the push of a pike; but my +friend received a very dangerous wound when the battle was as good as +over. He had engaged with a German colonel, whose name we could never +learn, and having killed his man, and pressed very close upon him, +so that he had shot his horse, the horse in the fall kept the colonel +down, lying on one of his legs; upon which he demanded quarter, which +Captain Fielding granting, helped him to quit his horse, and having +disarmed him, was bringing him into the line, when the regiment of +cuirassiers, which I mentioned, commanded by Baron Kronenburg, came +roving over the field, and with a flying charge saluted our front with +a salvo of carabine shot, which wounded us a great many men, and among +the rest the captain received a shot in his thigh, which laid him on +the ground, and being separated from the line, his prisoner got away +with them. + +This was the first service I was in, and indeed I never saw any fight +since maintained with such gallantry, such desperate valour, together +with such dexterity of management, both sides being composed of +soldiers fully tried, bred to the wars, expert in everything, exact in +their order, and incapable of fear, which made the battle be much more +bloody than usual. Sir John Hepburn, at my request, took particular +care of my comrade, and sent his own surgeon to look after him; +and afterwards, when the city of Leipsic was retaken, provided him +lodgings there, and came very often to see him; and indeed I was in +great care for him too, the surgeons being very doubtful of him a +great while; for having lain in the field all night among the dead, +his wound, for want of dressing, and with the extremity of cold, was +in a very ill condition, and the pain of it had thrown him into a +fever. 'Twas quite dusk before the fight ended, especially where the +last rallied troops fought so long, and therefore we durst not break +our order to seek out our friends, so that 'twas near seven o'clock +the next morning before we found the captain, who, though very weak by +the loss of blood, had raised himself up, and placed his back against +the buttock of a dead horse. I was the first that knew him, and +running to him, embraced him with a great deal of joy; he was not able +to speak, but made signs to let me see he knew me, so we brought him +into the camp, and Sir John Hepburn, as I noted before, sent his own +surgeons to look after him. + +The darkness of the night prevented any pursuit, and was the only +refuge the enemy had left: for had there been three hours more +daylight ten thousand more lives had been lost, for the Swedes (and +Saxons especially) enraged by the obstinacy of the enemy, were so +thoroughly heated that they would have given quarter but to few. The +retreat was not sounded till seven o'clock, when the king drew up the +whole army upon the field of battle, and gave strict command that none +should stir from their order; so the army lay under their arms all +night, which was another reason why the wounded soldiers suffered very +much by the cold; for the king, who had a bold enemy to deal with, was +not ignorant what a small body of desperate men rallied together might +have done in the darkness of the night, and therefore he lay in his +coach all night at the head of the line, though it froze very hard. + +As soon as the day began to peep the trumpets sounded to horse, and +all the dragoons and light-horse in the army were commanded to the +pursuit. The cuirassiers and some commanded musketeers advanced some +miles, if need were, to make good their retreat, and all the foot +stood to their arms for a reverse; but in half-an-hour word was +brought to the king that the enemy were quite dispersed, upon which +detachments were made out of every regiment to search among the dead +for any of our friends that were wounded; and the king himself gave a +strict order, that if any were found wounded and alive among the enemy +none should kill them, but take care to bring them into the camp--a +piece of humanity which saved the lives of near a thousand of the +enemies. + +This piece of service being over, the enemy's camp was seized upon, +and the soldiers were permitted to plunder it; all the cannon, arms, +and ammunition was secured for the king's use, the rest was given up +to the soldiers, who found so much plunder that they had no reason to +quarrel for shares. + +For my share, I was so busy with my wounded captain that I got nothing +but a sword, which I found just by him when I first saw him; but my +man brought me a very good horse with a furniture on him, and one +pistol of extraordinary workmanship. + +I bade him get upon his back and make the best of the day for himself, +which he did, and I saw him no more till three days after, when he +found me out at Leipsic, so richly dressed that I hardly knew him; and +after making his excuse for his long absence, gave me a very pleasant +account where he had been. He told me that, according to my order, +being mounted on the horse he had brought me, he first rid into the +field among the dead to get some clothes suitable to the equipage of +his horse, and having seized on a laced coat, a helmet, a sword, and +an extraordinary good cane, was resolved to see what was become of the +enemy; and following the track of the dragoons, which he could +easily do by the bodies on the road, he fell in with a small party +of twenty-five dragoons, under no command but a corporal, making to +a village where some of the enemies' horse had been quartered. The +dragoons, taking him for an officer by his horse, desired him to +command them, told him the enemy was very rich, and they doubted not +a good booty. He was a bold, brisk fellow, and told them, with all +his heart, but said he had but one pistol, the other being broken with +firing; so they lent him a pair of pistols, and a small piece they had +taken, and he led them on. There had been a regiment of horse and +some troops of Crabats in the village, but they were fled on the first +notice of the pursuit, excepting three troops, and these, on sight +of this small party, supposing them to be only the first of a greater +number, fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. They took the +village, and about fifty horses, with all the plunder of the enemy, +and with the heat of the service he had spoiled my horse, he said, for +which he had brought me two more; for he, passing for the commander of +the party, had all the advantage the custom of war gives an officer in +like cases. + +I was very well pleased with the relation the fellow gave me, and, +laughing at him, "Well, captain," said I, "and what plunder have ye +got?" "Enough to make me a captain, sir," says he, "if you please, and +a troop ready raised too; for the party of dragoons are posted in the +village by my command, till they have farther orders." In short, +he pulled out sixty or seventy pieces of gold, five or six watches, +thirteen or fourteen rings, whereof two were diamond rings, one of +which was worth fifty dollars, silver as much as his pockets would +hold; besides that he had brought three horses, two of which were +laden with baggage, and a boor he had hired to stay with them at +Leipsic till he had found me out. "But I am afraid, captain," says I, +"you have plundered the village instead of plundering the enemy." "No +indeed, not we," says he, "but the Crabats had done it for us and we +light of them just as they were carrying it off." "Well," said I, "but +what will you do with your men, for when you come to give them orders +they will know you well enough?" "No, no," says he, "I took care of +that, for just now I gave a soldier five dollars to carry them news +that the army was marched to Merseburg, and that they should follow +thither to the regiment." + +Having secured his money in my lodgings, he asked me if I pleased to +see his horses, and to have one for myself? I told him I would go and +see them in the afternoon; but the fellow being impatient goes and +fetches them. There were three horses, one whereof was a very good +one, and by the furniture was an officer's horse of the Crabats, and +that my man would have me accept, for the other he had spoiled, as +he said. I was but indifferently horsed before, so I accepted of the +horse, and went down with him to see the rest of his plunder there. +He had got three or four pair of pistols, two or three bundles of +officers' linen, and lace, a field-bed, and a tent, and several other +things of value; but at last, coming to a small fardel, "And this," +says he, "I took whole from a Crabat running away with it under his +arm," so he brought it up into my chamber. He had not looked into it, +he said, but he understood 'twas some plunder the soldiers had made, +and finding it heavy took it by consent. We opened it and found it was +a bundle of some linen, thirteen or fourteen pieces of plate, and in a +small cup, three rings, a fine necklace of pearl and the value of 100 +rix-dollars in money. + +The fellow was amazed at his own good fortune, and hardly knew what +to do with himself; I bid him go take care of his other things, and +of his horses, and come again. So he went and discharged the boor that +waited and packed up all his plunder, and came up to me in his old +clothes again. "How now, captain," says I, "what, have you altered +your equipage already?" "I am no more ashamed, sir, of your livery," +answered he, "than of your service, and nevertheless your servant for +what I have got by it." "Well," says I to him, "but what will you do +now with all your money?" "I wish my poor father had some of it," says +he, "and for the rest I got it for you, sir, and desire you would take +it." He spoke it with so much honesty and freedom that I could not +but take it very kindly; but, however, I told him I would not take a +farthing from him as his master, but I would have him play the good +husband with it, now he had such good fortune to get it. He told me +he would take my directions in everything. "Why, then," said I, "I'll +tell you what I would advise you to do, turn it all into ready money, +and convey it by return home into England, and follow yourself the +first opportunity, and with good management you may put yourself in a +good posture of living with it." The fellow, with a sort of dejection +in his looks, asked me if he had disobliged me in anything? "Why?" +says I. "That I was willing to turn him out of his service." "No, +George" (that was his name), says I, "but you may live on this money +without being a servant." "I'd throw it all into the Elbe," says he, +"over Torgau bridge, rather than leave your service; and besides," +says he, "can't I save my money without going from you? I got it in +your service, and I'll never spend it out of your service, unless you +put me away. I hope my money won't make me the worse servant; if I +thought it would, I'd soon have little enough." "Nay, George," says +I, "I shall not oblige you to it, for I am not willing to lose you +neither: come, then," says I, "let us put it all together, and see +what it will come to." So he laid it all together on the table, and by +our computation he had gotten as much plunder as was worth about 1400 +rix-dollars, besides three horses with their furniture, a tent, a bed, +and some wearing linen. Then he takes the necklace of pearl, a very +good watch, a diamond ring, and 100 pieces of gold, and lays them by +themselves, and having, according to our best calculation, valued the +things, he put up all the rest, and as I was going to ask him what +they were left out for, he takes them up in his hand, and coming round +the table, told me, that if I did not think him unworthy of my service +and favour, he begged I would give him leave to make that present to +me; that it was my first thought his going out, that he had got it +all in my service, and he should think I had no kindness for him if I +should refuse it. + +I was resolved in my mind not to take it from him, and yet I could +find no means to resist his importunity. At last I told him, I would +accept of part of his present, and that I esteemed his respect in +that as much as the whole, and that I would not have him importune me +farther; so I took the ring and watch, with the horse and furniture as +before, and made him turn all the rest into money at Leipsic, and +not suffering him to wear his livery, made him put himself into a +tolerable equipage, and taking a young Leipsicer into my service, he +attended me as a gentleman from that time forward. + +The king's army never entered Leipsic, but proceeded to Merseberg, and +from thence to Halle, and so marched on into Franconia, while the Duke +of Saxony employed his forces in recovering Leipsic and driving the +Imperialists out of his country. I continued at Leipsic twelve days, +being not willing to leave my comrade till he was recovered; but Sir +John Hepburn so often importuned me to come into the army, and sent +me word that the king had very often inquired for me, that at last I +consented to go without him; so having made our appointment where to +meet, and how to correspond by letters, I went to wait on Sir John +Hepburn, who then lay with the king's army at the city of Erfurt in +Saxony. As I was riding between Leipsic and Halle, I observed my +horse went very awkwardly and uneasy, and sweat very much, though the +weather was cold, and we had rid but very softly; I fancied therefore +that the saddle might hurt the horse, and calls my new captain up. +"George," says I, "I believe this saddle hurts the horse." So we +alighted, and looking under the saddle found the back of the horse +extremely galled; so I bid him take off the saddle, which he did, and +giving the horse to my young Leipsicer to lead, we sat down to see if +we could mend it, for there was no town near us. Says George, pointing +with his finger, "If you please to cut open the pannel there, I'll get +something to stuff into it which will bear it from the horse's back." +So while he looked for something to thrust in, I cut a hole in +the pannel of the saddle, and, following it with my finger, I felt +something hard, which seemed to move up and down. Again, as I thrust +it with my finger, "Here's something that should not be here," says I, +not yet imagining what afterwards fell out, and calling, "Run back," +bade him put up his finger. "Whatever 'tis," says he, "'tis this hurts +the horse, for it bears just on his back when the saddle is set on." +So we strove to take hold on it, but could not reach it; at last we +took the upper part of the saddle quite from the pannel, and there +lay a small silk purse wrapped in a piece of leather, and full of gold +ducats. "Thou art born to be rich, George," says I to him, "here's +more money." We opened the purse and found in it four hundred and +thirty-eight small pieces of gold. + +There I had a new skirmish with him whose the money should be. I +told him 'twas his, he told me no; I had accepted of the horse and +furniture, and all that was about him was mine, and solemnly vowed he +would not have a penny of it. I saw no remedy, but put up the money +for the present, mended our saddle, and went on. We lay that night at +Halle, and having had such a booty in the saddle, I made him search +the saddles of the other two horses, in one of which we found three +French crowns, but nothing in the other. + +We arrived at Erfurt the 28th of September, but the army was removed, +and entered into Franconia, and at the siege of Koningshoven we came +up with them. The first thing I did was to pay my civilities to Sir +John Hepburn, who received me very kindly, but told me withal that +I had not done well to be so long from him, and the king had +particularly inquired for me, had commanded him to bring me to him at +my return. I told him the reason of my stay at Leipsic, and how I had +left that place and my comrade, before he was cured of his wounds, to +wait on him according to his letters. He told me the king had spoken +some things very obliging about me, and he believed would offer me +some command in the army, if I thought well to accept of it. I told +him I had promised my father not to take service in an army without +his leave, and yet if his Majesty should offer it, I neither knew +how to resist it, nor had I an inclination to anything more than the +service, and such a leader, though I had much rather have served as a +volunteer at my own charge (which, as he knew, was the custom of our +English gentlemen) than in any command. He replied, "Do as you think +fit; but some gentlemen would give 20,000 crowns to stand so fair for +advancement as you do." + +The town of Koningshoven capitulated that day, and Sir John was +ordered to treat with the citizens, so I had no further discourse with +him then; and the town being taken, the army immediately advanced down +the river Maine, for the king had his eye upon Frankfort and Mentz, +two great cities, both which he soon became master of, chiefly by +the prodigious expedition of his march; for within a month after the +battle, he was in the lower parts of the empire, and had passed from +the Elbe to the Rhine, an incredible conquest, had taken all the +strong cities, the bishoprics of Bamberg, of Wurtzburg, and almost all +the circle of Franconia, with part of Schawberland--a conquest large +enough to be seven years a-making by the common course of arms. + +Business going on thus, the king had not leisure to think of small +matters, and I being not thoroughly resolved in my mind, did not press +Sir John to introduce me. I had wrote to my father with an account +of my reception in the army, the civilities of Sir John Hepburn, the +particulars of the battle, and had indeed pressed him to give me +leave to serve the King of Sweden, to which particular I waited for +an answer, but the following occasion determined me before an answer +could possibly reach me. + +The king was before the strong castle of Marienburg, which commands +the city of Wurtzburg. He had taken the city, but the garrison and +richer part of the burghers were retired into the castle, and trusting +to the strength of the place, which was thought impregnable, they bade +the Swedes do their worst; 'twas well provided with all things, and a +strong garrison in it, so that the army indeed expected 'twould be a +long piece of work. The castle stood on a high rock, and on the steep +of the rock was a bastion which defended the only passage up the hill +into the castle; the Scots were chose out to make this attack, and the +king was an eye-witness of their gallantry. In the action Sir John was +not commanded out, but Sir James Ramsey led them on; but I observed +that most of the Scotch officers in the other regiments prepared to +serve as volunteers for the honour of their countrymen, and Sir John +Hepburn led them on. I was resolved to see this piece of service, +and therefore joined myself to the volunteers. We were armed with +partisans, and each man two pistols at our belt. It was a piece of +service that seemed perfectly desperate, the advantage of the hill, +the precipice we were to mount, the height of the bastion, the +resolute courage and number of the garrison, who from a complete +covert made a terrible fire upon us, all joined to make the action +hopeless. But the fury of the Scots musketeers was not to be abated by +any difficulties; they mounted the hill, scaled the works like madmen, +running upon the enemies' pikes, and after two hours' desperate fight +in the midst of fire and smoke, took it by storm, and put all the +garrison to the sword. The volunteers did their part, and had their +share of the loss too, for thirteen or fourteen were killed out of +thirty-seven, besides the wounded, among whom I received a hurt more +troublesome than dangerous by a thrust of a halberd into my arm, which +proved a very painful wound, and I was a great while before it was +thoroughly recovered. + +The king received us as we drew off at the foot of the hill, calling +the soldiers his brave Scots, and commending the officers by name. +The next morning the castle was also taken by storm, and the greatest +booty that ever was found in any one conquest in the whole war; the +soldiers got here so much money that they knew not what to do with it, +and the plunder they got here and at the battle of Leipsic made them +so unruly, that had not the king been the best master of discipline in +the world, they had never been kept in any reasonable bounds. + +The king had taken notice of our small party of volunteers, and though +I thought he had not seen me, yet he sent the next morning for Sir +John Hepburn, and asked him if I were not come to the army? "Yes," +says Sir John, "he has been here two or three days." And as he was +forming an excuse for not having brought me to wait on his Majesty, +says the king, interrupting him, "I wonder you would let him thrust +himself into a hot piece of service as storming the Port Graft. +Pray let him know I saw him, and have a very good account of his +behaviour." Sir John returned with this account to me, and pressed +me to pay my duty to his Majesty the next morning; and accordingly, +though I had but an ill night with the pain of my wound, I was with +him at the levee in the castle. + +I cannot but give some short account of the glory of the morning; the +castle had been cleared of the dead bodies of the enemies, and what +was not pillaged by the soldiers was placed under a guard. There was +first a magazine of very good arms for about 18,000 or 20,000 foot, +and 4000 horse, a very good train of artillery of about eighteen +pieces of battery, thirty-two brass field-pieces, and four mortars. +The bishop's treasure, and other public monies not plundered by the +soldiers, was telling out by the officers, and amounted to 400,000 +florins in money; and the burghers of the town in solemn procession, +bareheaded, brought the king three tons of gold as a composition to +exempt the city from plunder. Here was also a stable of gallant horses +which the king had the curiosity to go and see. + +When the ceremony of the burghers was over, the king came down into +the castle court, walked on the parade (where the great train of +artillery was placed on their carriages) and round the walls, and gave +order for repairing the bastion that was stormed by the Scots; and +as at the entrance of the parade Sir John Hepburn and I made our +reverence to the king, "Ho, cavalier!" said the king to me, "I am glad +to see you," and so passed forward. I made my bow very low, but his +Majesty said no more at that time. + +When the view was over the king went up into the lodgings, and Sir +John and I walked in an antechamber for about a quarter of an hour, +when one of the gentlemen of the bedchamber came out to Sir John, and +told him the king asked for him; he stayed but a little with the king, +and come out to me and told me the king had ordered him to bring me to +him. + +His Majesty, with a countenance full of honour and goodness, +interrupted my compliment, and asked me how I did; at which answering +only with a bow, says the king, "I am sorry to see you are hurt; I +would have laid my commands on you not to have shown yourself in so +sharp a piece of service, if I had known you had been in the camp." +"Your Majesty does me too much honour," said I, "in your care of a +life that has yet done nothing to deserve your favour." His Majesty +was pleased to say something very kind to me relating to my behaviour +in the battle of Leipsic, which I have not vanity enough to write; +at the conclusion whereof, when I replied very humbly that I was not +sensible that any service I had done, or could do, could possibly +merit so much goodness, he told me he had ordered me a small testimony +of his esteem, and withal gave me his hand to kiss. I was now +conquered, and with a sort of surprise told his Majesty I found myself +so much engaged by his goodness, as well as my own inclination, that +if his Majesty would please to accept of my devoir, I was resolved to +serve in his army, or wherever he pleased to command me. "Serve +me," says the king, "why, so you do, but I must not have you be a +musketeer; a poor soldier at a dollar a week will do that." "Pray, +Sir John," says the king, "give him what commission he desires." "No +commission, sir," says I, "would please me better than leave to fight +near your Majesty's person, and to serve you at my own charge till I +am qualified by more experience to receive your commands." "Why, then, +it shall be so," said the king, "and I charge you, Hepburn," says he, +"when anything offers that is either fit for him, or he desires, that +you tell me of it;" and giving me his hand again to kiss, I withdrew. + +I was followed before I had passed the castle gate by one of the +king's pages, who brought me a warrant, directed to Sir John Hepburn, +to go to the master of the horse for an immediate delivery of things +ordered by the king himself for my account, where being come, the +equerry produced me a very good coach with four horses, harness, and +equipage, and two very fine saddle-horses, out of the stable of the +bishop's horses afore-mentioned; with these there was a list for three +servants, and a warrant to the steward of the king's baggage to defray +me, my horses, and servants at the king's charge till farther order. +I was very much at a loss how to manage myself in this so strange +freedom of so great a prince, and consulting with Sir John Hepburn, I +was proposing to him whether it was not proper to go immediately back +to pay my duty to his Majesty, and acknowledge his bounty in the best +terms I could; but while we were resolving to do so, the guards stood +to their arms, and we saw the king go out at the gate in his coach +to pass into the city, so we were diverted from it for that time. I +acknowledge the bounty of the king was very surprising, but I must say +it was not so very strange to me when I afterwards saw the course of +his management. Bounty in him was his natural talent, but he never +distributed his favours but where he thought himself both loved and +faithfully served, and when he was so, even the single actions of +his private soldiers he would take particular notice of himself, and +publicly own, acknowledge, and reward them, of which I am obliged to +give some instances. + +A private musketeer at the storming the castle of Wurtzburg, when +all the detachment was beaten off, stood in the face of the enemy and +fired his piece, and though he had a thousand shot made at him, stood +unconcerned, and charged his piece again, and let fly at the enemy, +continuing to do so three times, at the same time beckoning with his +hand to his fellows to come on again, which they did, animated by his +example, and carried the place for the king. + +When the town was taken the king ordered the regiment to be drawn out, +and calling for that soldier, thanked him before them all for +taking the town for him, gave him a thousand dollars in money, and a +commission with his own hand for a foot company, or leave to go home, +which he would. The soldier took the commission on his knees, kissed +it, and put it into his bosom, and told the king, he would never leave +his service as long as he lived. + +This bounty of the king's, timed and suited by his judgment, was +the reason that he was very well served, entirely beloved, and most +punctually obeyed by his soldiers, who were sure to be cherished and +encouraged if they did well, having the king generally an eye-witness +of their behaviour. + +My indiscretion rather than valour had engaged me so far at the battle +of Leipsic, that being in the van of Sir John Hepburn's brigade, +almost three whole companies of us were separated from our line, and +surrounded by the enemies' pikes. I cannot but say also that we were +disengaged rather by a desperate charge Sir John made with the whole +regiment to fetch us off, than by our own valour, though we were not +wanting to ourselves neither, but this part of the action being talked +of very much to the advantage of the young English volunteer, and +possibly more than I deserved, was the occasion of all the distinction +the king used me with ever after. + +I had by this time letters from my father, in which, though with some +reluctance, he left me at liberty to enter into arms if I thought fit, +always obliging me to be directed, and, as he said, commanded by +Sir John Hepburn. At the same time he wrote to Sir John Hepburn, +commending his son's fortunes, as he called it, to his care, which +letters Sir John showed the king unknown to me. + +I took care always to acquaint my father of every circumstance, and +forgot not to mention his Majesty's extraordinary favour, which so +affected my father, that he obtained a very honourable mention of it +in a letter from King Charles to the King of Sweden, written by his +own hand. + +I had waited on his Majesty, with Sir John Hepburn, to give him thanks +for his magnificent present, and was received with his usual goodness, +and after that I was every day among the gentlemen of his ordinary +attendance. And if his Majesty went out on a party, as he would +often do, or to view the country, I always attended him among the +volunteers, of whom a great many always followed him; and he would +often call me out, talk with me, send me upon messages to towns, to +princes, free cities, and the like, upon extraordinary occasions. + +The first piece of service he put me upon had like to have embroiled +me with one of his favourite colonels. The king was marching through +the Bergstraet, a low country on the edge of the Rhine, and, as all +men thought, was going to besiege Heidelberg, but on a sudden orders +a party of his guards, with five companies of Scots, to be drawn out; +while they were drawing out this detachment the king calls me to him, +"Ho, cavalier," says he, that was his usual word, "you shall command +this party;" and thereupon gives me orders to march back all night, +and in the morning, by break of day, to take post under the walls of +the fort of Oppenheim, and immediately to entrench myself as well as I +could. Grave Neels, the colonel of his guards, thought himself injured +by this command, but the king took the matter upon himself, and Grave +Neels told me very familiarly afterwards, "We have such a master," +says he, "that no man can be affronted by. I thought myself wronged," +says he, "when you commanded my men over my head; and for my life," +says he, "I knew not which way to be angry." + +I executed my commission so punctually that by break of day I was set +down within musket-shot of the fort, under covert of a little mount, +on which stood a windmill, and had indifferently fortified myself, and +at the same time had posted some of my men on two other passes, but +at farther distance from the fort, so that the fort was effectually +blocked up on the land side. In the afternoon the enemy sallied on my +first entrenchment, but being covered from their cannon, and defended +by a ditch which I had drawn across the road, they were so well +received by my musketeers that they retired with the loss of six or +seven men. + +The next day Sir John Hepburn was sent with two brigades of foot to +carry on the work, and so my commission ended. The king expressed +himself very well pleased with what I had done, and when he was so +was never sparing of telling of it, for he used to say that public +commendations were a great encouragement to valour. + +While Sir John Hepburn lay before the fort and was preparing to storm +it, the king's design was to get over the Rhine, but the Spaniards +which were in Oppenheim had sunk all the boats they could find. At +last the king, being informed where some lay that were sunk, caused +them to be weighed with all the expedition possible, and in the night +of the 7th of December, in three boats, passed over his regiment of +guards, about three miles above the town, and, as the king thought, +secure from danger; but they were no sooner landed, and not drawn into +order, but they were charged by a body of Spanish horse, and had not +the darkness given them opportunity to draw up in the enclosures +in several little parties, they had been in great danger of being +disordered; but by this means they lined the hedges and lanes so with +musketeers, that the remainder had time to draw up in battalia, and +saluted the horse with their muskets, so that they drew farther off. + +The king was very impatient, hearing his men engaged, having no boats +nor possible means to get over to help them. At last, about eleven +o'clock at night, the boats came back, and the king thrust another +regiment into them, and though his officers dissuaded him, would go +over himself with them on foot, and did so. This was three months that +very day when the battle of Leipsic was fought, and winter time too, +that the progress of his arms had spread from the Elbe, where it parts +Saxony and Brandenburg, to the Lower Palatine and the Rhine. + +I went over in the boat with the king. I never saw him in so much +concern in my life, for he was in pain for his men; but before we got +on shore the Spaniards retired. However, the king landed, ordered his +men, and prepared to entrench, but he had not time, for by that time +the boats were put off again, the Spaniards, not knowing more troops +were landed, and being reinforced from Oppenheim, came on again, and +charged with great fury; but all things were now in order, and they +were readily received and beaten back again. They came on again the +third time, and with repeated charges attacked us; but at last +finding us too strong for them they gave it over. By this time another +regiment of foot was come over, and as soon as day appeared the king +with the three regiments marched to the town, which surrendered at the +first summons, and the next day the fort yielded to Sir John Hepburn. + +The castle at Oppenheim held out still with a garrison of 800 +Spaniards, and the king, leaving 200 Scots of Sir James Ramsey's men +in the town, drew out to attack the castle. Sir James Ramsey being +left wounded at Wurtzburg, the king gave me the command of those 200 +men, which were a regiment, that is to say, all that were left of a +gallant regiment of 2000 Scots, which the king brought out of Sweden +with him, under that brave colonel. There was about thirty officers, +who, having no soldiers, were yet in pay, and served as reformadoes +with the regiment, and were over and above the 200 men. + +The king designed to storm the castle on the lower side by the way +that leads to Mentz, and Sir John Hepburn landed from the other side +and marched up to storm on the Rhine port. + +My reformado Scots, having observed that the town port of the castle +was not so well guarded as the rest, all the eyes of the garrison +being bent towards the king and Sir John Hepburn, came running to me, +and told me they believed they could enter the castle, sword in hand, +if I would give them leave. I told them I durst not give them orders, +my commission being only to keep and defend the town; but they being +very importunate, I told them they were volunteers, and might do what +they pleased, that I would lend them fifty men, and draw up the rest +to second them, or bring them off, as I saw occasion, so as I might +not hazard the town. This was as much as they desired; they sallied +immediately, and in a trice the volunteers scaled the port, cut in +pieces the guard, and burst open the gate, at which the fifty entered. +Finding the gate won, I advanced immediately with 100 musketeers more, +having locked up all the gates of the town but the castle port, and +leaving fifty still for a reserve just at that gate; the townsmen, +too, seeing the castle, as it were, taken, ran to arms, and followed +me with above 200 men. The Spaniards were knocked down by the Scots +before they knew what the matter was, and the king and Sir John +Hepburn, advancing to storm, were surprised when, instead of +resistance, they saw the Spaniards throwing themselves over the walls +to avoid the fury of the Scots. Few of the garrison got away, but were +either killed or taken, and having cleared the castle, I set open the +port on the king's side, and sent his Majesty word the castle was his +own. The king came on, and entered on foot. I received him at the head +of the Scots reformadoes; who all saluted him with their pikes. The +king gave them his hat, and turning about, "Brave Scots, brave Scots," +says he smiling, "you were too quick for me;" then beckoning to me, +made me tell him how and in what manner we had managed the storm, +which he was exceeding well pleased with, but especially at the +caution I had used to bring them off if they had miscarried, and +secured the town. + +From hence the army marched to Mentz, which in four days' time +capitulated, with the fort and citadel, and the city paid his Majesty +300,000 dollars to be exempted from the fury of the soldiers. Here the +king himself drew the plan of those invincible fortifications which to +this day makes it one of the strongest cities in Germany. + +Friburg, Koningstien, Neustadt, Kaiserslautern, and almost all the +Lower Palatinate, surrendered at the very terror of the King of +Sweden's approach, and never suffered the danger of a siege. + +The king held a most magnificent court at Mentz, attended by the +Landgrave of Hesse, with an incredible number of princes and lords +of the empire, with ambassadors and residents of foreign princes; +and here his Majesty stayed till March, when the queen, with a great +retinue of Swedish nobility, came from Erfurt to see him. The king, +attended by a gallant train of German nobility, went to Frankfort, and +from thence on to Hoest, to meet the queen, where her Majesty arrived +February 8. + +During the king's stay in these parts, his armies were not idle, his +troops, on one side under the Rhinegrave, a brave and ever-fortunate +commander, and under the Landgrave of Hesse, on the other, ranged the +country from Lorraine to Luxemburg, and past the Moselle on the west, +and the Weser on the north. Nothing could stand before them: the +Spanish army which came to the relief of the Catholic Electors was +everywhere defeated and beaten quite out of the country, and the +Lorraine army quite ruined. 'Twas a most pleasant court sure as ever +was seen, where every day expresses arrived of armies defeated, towns +surrendered, contributions agreed upon, parties routed, prisoners +taken, and princes sending ambassadors to sue for truces and +neutralities, to make submissions and compositions, and to pay arrears +and contributions. + +Here arrived, February 10, the King of Bohemia from England, and with +him my Lord Craven, with a body of Dutch horse, and a very fine train +of English volunteers, who immediately, without any stay, marched on +to Hoest to wait upon his Majesty of Sweden, who received him with a +great deal of civility, and was treated at a noble collation by the +king and queen at Frankfort. Never had the unfortunate king so fair a +prospect of being restored to his inheritance of the Palatinate as +at that time, and had King James, his father-in-law, had a soul +answerable to the occasion, it had been effected before, but it was a +strange thing to see him equipped from the English court with one lord +and about forty or fifty English gentlemen in his attendance, whereas +had the King of England now, as 'tis well known he might have done, +furnished him with 10,000 or 12,000 English foot, nothing could have +hindered him taking a full possession of his country; and yet even +without that help did the King of Sweden clear almost his whole +country of Imperialists, and after his death reinstal his son in the +Electorate; but no thanks to us. + +The Lord Craven did me the honour to inquire for me by name, and his +Majesty of Sweden did me yet more by presenting me to the King of +Bohemia, and my Lord Craven gave me a letter from my father. And +speaking something of my father having served under the Prince of +Orange in the famous battle of Nieuport, the king, smiling, returned, +"And pray tell him from me his son has served as well in the warm +battle of Leipsic." + +My father being very much pleased with the honour I had received from +so great a king, had ordered me to acquaint his Majesty that, if he +pleased to accept of their service, he would raise him a regiment of +English horse at his own charge to be under my command, and to be +sent over into Holland; and my Lord Craven had orders from the King of +England to signify his consent to the said levy. I acquainted my old +friend Sir John Hepburn with the contents of the letter in order to +have his advice, who being pleased with the proposal, would have me +go to the king immediately with the letter, but present service put it +off for some days. + +The taking of Creutznach was the next service of any moment. The king +drew out in person to the siege of this town. The town soon came to +parley, but the castle seemed a work of difficulty, for its situation +was so strong and so surrounded with works behind and above one and +another, that most people thought the king would receive a check +from it; but it was not easy to resist the resolution of the King of +Sweden. + +He never battered it but with two small pieces, but having viewed the +works himself, ordered a mine under the first ravelin, which being +sprung with success, he commands a storm. I think there was not +more commanded men than volunteers, both English, Scots, French, and +Germans. My old comrade was by this time recovered of his wound at +Leipsic, and made one. The first body of volunteers, of about forty, +were led on by my Lord Craven, and I led the second, among whom were +most of the reformado Scots officers who took the castle of Oppenheim. +The first party was not able to make anything of it; the garrison +fought with so much fury that many of the volunteer gentlemen being +wounded, and some killed, the rest were beaten off with loss. The king +was in some passion at his men, and rated them for running away, as he +called it, though they really retreated in good order, and commanded +the assault to be renewed. 'Twas our turn to fall on next. Our Scots +officers, not being used to be beaten, advanced immediately, and my +Lord Craven with his volunteers pierced in with us, fighting gallantly +in the breach with a pike in his hand; and, to give him the honour due +to his bravery, he was with the first on the top of the rampart, and +gave his hand to my comrade, and lifted him up after him. We helped +one another up, till at last almost all the volunteers had gained +the height of the ravelin, and maintained it with a great deal of +resolution, expecting when the commanded men had gained the same +height to advance upon the enemy; when one of the enemy's captains +called to my Lord Craven, and told him if they might have honourable +terms they would capitulate, which my lord telling him he would engage +for, the garrison fired no more, and the captain, leaping down from +the next rampart, came with my Lord Craven into the camp, where the +conditions were agreed on, and the castle surrendered. + +After the taking of this town, the king, hearing of Tilly's approach, +and how he had beaten Gustavus Horn, the king's field-marshal, out of +Bamberg, began to draw his forces together, and leaving the care of +his conquests in these parts to his chancellor Oxenstiern, prepares to +advance towards Bavaria. + +I had taken an opportunity to wait upon his Majesty with Sir John +Hepburn and being about to introduce the discourse of my father's +letter, the king told me he had received a compliment on my account +in a letter from King Charles. I told him his Majesty had by his +exceeding generosity bound me and all my friends to pay their +acknowledgments to him, and that I supposed my father had obtained +such a mention of it from the King of England, as gratitude moved him +to that his Majesty's favour had been shown in me to a family both +willing and ready to serve him, that I had received some commands from +my father, which, if his Majesty pleased to do me the honour to accept +of, might put me in a condition to acknowledge his Majesty's goodness +in a manner more proportioned to the sense I had of his favour; and +with that I produced my father's letter, and read that clause in it +which related to the regiment of horse, which was as follows:-- + +"I read with a great deal of satisfaction the account you give of the +great and extraordinary conquests of the King of Sweden, and with more +his Majesty's singular favour to you; I hope you will be careful to +value and deserve so much honour. I am glad you rather chose to serve +as a volunteer at your own charge, than to take any command, which, +for want of experience, you might misbehave in. + +"I have obtained of the king that he will particularly thank his +Majesty of Sweden for the honour he has done you, and if his Majesty +gives you so much freedom, I could be glad you should in the humblest +manner thank his Majesty in the name of an old broken soldier. + +"If you think yourself officer enough to command them, and his Majesty +pleased to accept them, I would have you offer to raise his Majesty +a regiment of horse, which, I think, I may near complete in our +neighbourhood with some of your old acquaintance, who are very willing +to see the world. If his Majesty gives you the word, they shall +receive his commands in the Maes, the king having promised me to give +them arms, and transport them for that service into Holland; and I +hope they may do his Majesty such service as may be for your honour +and the advantage of his Majesty's interest and glory." + +"YOUR LOVING FATHER." + +"'Tis an offer like a gentleman and like a soldier," says the king," +and I'll accept of it on two conditions: first," says the king, "that +I will pay your father the advance money for the raising the regiment; +and next, that they shall be landed in the Weser or the Elbe; for +which, if the King of England will not, I will pay the passage; for +if they land in Holland, it may prove very difficult to get them to us +when the army shall be marched out of this part of the country." + +I returned this answer to my father, and sent my man George into +England to order that regiment, and made him quartermaster. I sent +blank commissions for the officers, signed by the king, to be filled +up as my father should think fit; and when I had the king's order for +the commissions, the secretary told me I must go back to the king with +them. Accordingly I went back to the king, who, opening the packet, +laid all the commissions but one upon a table before him, and bade +me take them, and keeping that one still in his hand, "Now," says he, +"you are one of my soldiers," and therewith gave me his commission, as +colonel of horse in present pay. I took the commission kneeling, +and humbly thanked his Majesty. "But," says the king, "there is one +article-of-war I expect of you more than of others." "Your Majesty can +expect nothing of me which I shall not willingly comply with," said I, +"as soon as I have the honour to understand what it is." "Why, it is," +says the king, "that you shall never fight but when you have orders, +for I shall not be willing to lose my colonel before I have the +regiment." "I shall be ready at all times, sir," returned I, "to obey +your Majesty's orders." + +I sent my man express with the king's answer and the commission to my +father, who had the regiment completed in less than two months' time, +and six of the officers, with a list of the rest, came away to me, +whom I presented to his Majesty when he lay before Nuremberg, where +they kissed his hand. + +One of the captains offered to bring the whole regiment travelling as +private men into the army in six weeks' time, and either to transport +their equipage, or buy it in Germany, but 'twas thought impracticable. +However, I had so many come in that manner that I had a complete troop +always about me, and obtained the king's order to muster them as a +troop. + +On the 8th of March the king decamped, and, marching up the river +Maine, bent his course directly for Bavaria, taking several small +places by the way, and expecting to engage with Tilly, who he thought +would dispute his entrance into Bavaria, kept his army together; but +Tilly, finding himself too weak to encounter him, turned away, and +leaving Bavaria open to the king, marched into the Upper Palatinate. +The king finding the country clear of the Imperialists comes to +Nuremberg, made his entrance into that city the 21st of March, and +being nobly treated by the citizens, he continued his march into +Bavaria, and on the 26th sat down before Donauwerth. The town was +taken the next day by storm, so swift were the conquests of this +invincible captain. Sir John Hepburn, with the Scots and the English +volunteers at the head of them, entered the town first, and cut all +the garrison to pieces, except such as escaped over the bridge. + +I had no share in the business of Donauwerth, being now among the +horse, but I was posted on the roads with five troops of horse, where +we picked up a great many stragglers of the garrison, whom we made +prisoners of war. + +'Tis observable that this town of Donauwerth is a very strong place +and well fortified, and yet such expedition did the king make, and +such resolution did he use in his first attacks, that he carried the +town without putting himself to the trouble of formal approaches. +'Twas generally his way when he came before any town with a design to +besiege it; he never would encamp at a distance and begin his trenches +a great way off, but bring his men immediately within half musket-shot +of the place; there getting under the best cover he could, he would +immediately begin his batteries and trenches before their faces; +and if there was any place possibly to be attacked, he would fall to +storming immediately. By this resolute way of coming on he carried +many a town in the first heat of his men, which would have held out +many days against a more regular siege. + +This march of the king broke all Tilly's measures, for now he was +obliged to face about, and leaving the Upper Palatinate, to come +to the assistance of the Duke of Bavaria; for the king being 20,000 +strong, besides 10,000 foot and 4000 horse and dragoons which joined +him from the Duringer Wald, was resolved to ruin the duke, who lay +now open to him, and was the most powerful and inveterate enemy of the +Protestants in the empire. + +Tilly was now joined with the Duke of Bavaria, and might together make +about 22,000 men, and in order to keep the Swedes out of the country +of Bavaria, had planted themselves along the banks of the river Lech, +which runs on the edge of the duke's territories; and having fortified +the other side of the river, and planted his cannon for several miles +at all the convenient places on the river, resolved to dispute the +king's passage. + +I shall be the longer in relating this account of the Lech, being +esteemed in those days as great an action as any battle or siege of +that age, and particularly famous for the disaster of the gallant old +General Tilly; and for that I can be more particular in it than other +accounts, having been an eye-witness to every part of it. + +The king being truly informed of the disposition of the Bavarian army, +was once of the mind to have left the banks of the Lech, have repassed +the Danube, and so setting down before Ingolstadt, the duke's capital +city, by the taking that strong town to have made his entrance into +Bavaria, and the conquest of such a fortress, one entire action; +but the strength of the place and the difficulty of maintaining his +leaguer in an enemy's country while Tilly was so strong in the field, +diverted him from that design; he therefore concluded that Tilly +was first to be beaten out of the country, and then the siege of +Ingolstadt would be the easier. + +Whereupon the king resolved to go and view the situation of the enemy. +His Majesty went out the 2nd of April with a strong party of horse, +which I had the honour to command. We marched as near as we could +to the banks of the river, not to be too much exposed to the enemy's +cannon, and having gained a little height, where the whole course of +the river might be seen, the king halted, and commanded to draw up. +The king alighted, and calling me to him, examined every reach and +turning of the river by his glass, but finding the river run a long +and almost a straight course he could find no place which he liked; +but at last turning himself north, and looking down the stream, he +found the river, stretching a long reach, doubles short upon itself, +making a round and very narrow point. "There's a point will do our +business," says the king, "and if the ground be good I'll pass there, +let Tilly do his worst." + +He immediately ordered a small party of horse to view the ground, and +to bring him word particularly how high the bank was on each side and +at the point. "And he shall have fifty dollars," says the king, "that +will bring me word how deep the water is." I asked his Majesty leave +to let me go, which he would by no means allow of; but as the party +was drawing out, a sergeant of dragoons told the king, if he pleased +to let him go disguised as a boor, he would bring him an account of +everything he desired. The king liked the notion well enough, and +the fellow being very well acquainted with the country, puts on a +ploughman's habit, and went away immediately with a long pole upon +his shoulder. The horse lay all this while in the woods, and the +king stood undiscerned by the enemy on the little hill aforesaid. The +dragoon with his long pole comes down boldly to the bank of the river, +and calling to the sentinels which Tilly had placed on the other +bank, talked with them, asked them if they could not help him over the +river, and pretended he wanted to come to them. At last being come to +the point where, as I said, the river makes a short turn, he stands +parleying with them a great while, and sometimes, pretending to wade +over, he puts his long pole into the water, then finding it pretty +shallow he pulls off his hose and goes in, still thrusting his pole in +before him, till being gotten up to his middle, he could reach beyond +him, where it was too deep, and so shaking his head, comes back again. +The soldiers on the other side, laughing at him, asked him if he could +swim? He said, "No," "Why, you fool you," says one of the sentinels, +"the channel of the river is twenty feet deep." "How do you know +that?" says the dragoon. "Why, our engineer," says he, "measured it +yesterday." This was what he wanted, but not yet fully satisfied, +"Ay, but," says he, "maybe it may not be very broad, and if one of you +would wade in to meet me till I could reach you with my pole, I'd give +him half a ducat to pull me over." The innocent way of his discourse +so deluded the soldiers, that one of them immediately strips and goes +in up to the shoulders, and our dragoon goes in on this side to meet +him; but the stream took t' other soldier away, and he being a good +swimmer, came swimming over to this side. The dragoon was then in a +great deal of pain for fear of being discovered, and was once going +to kill the fellow, and make off; but at last resolved to carry on the +humour, and having entertained the fellow with a tale of a tub, about +the Swedes stealing his oats, the fellow being a-cold wanted to be +gone, and he as willing to be rid of him, pretended to be very sorry +he could not get over the river, and so makes off. + +By this, however, he learned both the depth and breadth of the +channel, the bottom and nature of both shores, and everything the king +wanted to know. We could see him from the hill by our glasses very +plain, and could see the soldier naked with him. Says the king, "He +will certainly be discovered and knocked on the head from the other +side: he is a fool," says the king, "he does not kill the fellow and +run off." But when the dragoon told his tale, the king was extremely +well satisfied with him, gave him a hundred dollars, and made him a +quartermaster to a troop of cuirassiers. + +The king having farther examined the dragoon, he gave him a very +distinct account of the shore and the ground on this side, which he +found to be higher than the enemy's by ten or twelve foot, and a hard +gravel. + +Hereupon the king resolves to pass there, and in order to it gives, +himself, particular directions for such a bridge as I believe never +army passed a river on before nor since. + +His bridge was only loose planks laid upon large tressels in the same +homely manner as I have seen bricklayers raise a low scaffold to build +a brick wall; the tressels were made higher than one another to answer +to the river as it became deeper or shallower, and was all framed and +fitted before any appearance was made of attempting to pass. + +When all was ready the king brings his army down to the bank of the +river, and plants his cannon as the enemy had done, some here and some +there, to amuse them. + +At night, April 4th, the king commanded about 2000 men to march to +the point, and to throw up a trench on either side, and quite round +it with a battery of six pieces of cannon at each end, besides three +small mounts, one at the point and one of each side, which had each of +them two pieces upon them. This work was begun so briskly and so well +carried on, the king firing all the night from the other parts of +the river, that by daylight all the batteries at the new work were +mounted, the trench lined with 2000 musketeers, and all the utensils +of the bridge lay ready to be put together. + +Now the Imperialists discovered the design, but it was too late +to hinder it; the musketeers in the great trench, and the five new +batteries, made such continual fire that the other bank, which, as +before, lay twelve feet below them, was too hot for the Imperialists; +whereupon Tilly, to be provided for the king at his coming over, falls +to work in a wood right against the point, and raises a great battery +for twenty pieces of cannon, with a breastwork or line, as near the +river as he could, to cover his men, thinking that when the king had +built his bridge he might easily beat it down with his cannon. + +But the king had doubly prevented him, first by laying his bridge so +low that none of Tilly's shot could hurt it; for the bridge lay not +above half a foot above the water's edge, by which means the king, who +in that showed himself an excellent engineer, had secured it from +any batteries to be made within the land, and the angle of the bank +secured it from the remoter batteries on the other side, and the +continual fire of the cannon and small shot beat the Imperialists from +their station just against it, they having no works to cover them. + +And in the second place, to secure his passage he sent over about +200 men, and after that 200 more, who had orders to cast up a large +ravelin on the other bank, just where he designed to land his bridge. +This was done with such expedition too, that it was finished before +night, and in condition to receive all the shot of Tilly's great +battery, and effectually covered his bridge. While this was doing the +king on his side lays over his bridge. Both sides wrought hard all +day and night, as if the spade, not the sword, had been to decide +the controversy, and that he had got the victory whose trenches and +batteries were first ready. In the meanwhile the cannon and musket +bullets flew like hail, and made the service so hot that both sides +had enough to do to make their men stand to their work. The king, in +the hottest of it, animated his men by his presence, and Tilly, to +give him his due, did the same; for the execution was so great, and +so many officers killed, General Altringer wounded, and two +sergeant-majors killed, that at last Tilly himself was obliged +to expose himself, and to come up to the very face of our line to +encourage his men, and give his necessary orders. + +And here about one o'clock, much about the time that the king's +brigade and works were finished, and just as they said he had ordered +to fall on upon our ravelin with 3000 foot, was the brave old +Tilly slain with a musket ball in the thigh. He was carried off to +Ingolstadt, and lived some days after, but died of that wound the +same day as the king had his horse shot under him at the siege of that +town. + +We made no question of passing the river here, having brought +everything so forward, and with such extraordinary success; but we +should have found it a very hot piece of work if Tilly had lived one +day more, and, if I may give my opinion of it, having seen Tilly's +battery and breastwork, in the face of which we must have passed the +river, I must say that, whenever we had marched, if Tilly had fallen +in with his horse and foot, placed in that trench, the whole army +would have passed as much danger as in the face of a strong town in +the storming a counterscarp. The king himself, when he saw with what +judgment Tilly had prepared his works, and what danger he must have +run, would often say that day's success was every way equal to the +victory of Leipsic. + +Tilly being hurt and carried off, as if the soul of the army had been +lost, they began to draw off. The Duke of Bavaria took horse and rid +away as if he had fled out of battle for his life. + +The other generals, with a little more caution, as well as courage, +drew off by degrees, sending their cannon and baggage away first, and +leaving some to continue firing on the bank of the river, to conceal +their retreat. The river preventing any intelligence, we knew nothing +of the disaster befallen them; and the king, who looked for blows, +having finished his bridge and ravelin, ordered to run a line with +palisadoes to take in more ground on the bank of the river, to cover +the first troops he should send over. This being finished the same +night, the king sends over a party of his guards to relieve the men +who were in the ravelin, and commanded 600 musketeers to man the new +line out of the Scots brigade. + +Early in the morning a small party of Scots, commanded by one Captain +Forbes, of my Lord Reay's regiment, were sent out to learn something +of the enemy, the king observing they had not fired all night; and +while this party were abroad, the army stood in battalia; and my old +friend Sir John Hepburn, whom of all men the king most depended upon +for any desperate service, was ordered to pass the bridge with his +brigade, and to draw up without the line, with command to advance as +he found the horse, who were to second him, come over. + +Sir John being passed without the trench, meets Captain Forbes with +some prisoners, and the good news of the enemy's retreat. He sends him +directly to the king, who was by this time at the head of his army, +in full battalia, ready to follow his vanguard, expecting a hot day's +work of it. Sir John sends messenger after messenger to the king, +entreating him to give him orders to advance; but the king would not +suffer him, for he was ever upon his guard, and would not venture a +surprise; so the army continued on this side the Lech all day and the +next night. In the morning the king sent for me, and ordered me to +draw out 300 horse, and a colonel with 600 horse, and a colonel with +800 dragoons, and ordered us to enter the wood by three ways, but +so as to be able to relieve one another; and then ordered Sir John +Hepburn with his brigade to advance to the edge of the wood to secure +our retreat, and at the same time commanded another brigade of foot to +pass the bridge, if need were, to second Sir John Hepburn, so warily +did this prudent general proceed. + +We advanced with our horse into the Bavarian camp, which we found +forsaken. The plunder of it was inconsiderable, for the exceeding +caution the king had used gave them time to carry off all their +baggage. We followed them three or four miles, and returned to our +camp. + +I confess I was most diverted that day with viewing the works which +Tilly had cast up, and must own again that had he not been taken off +we had met with as desperate a piece of work as ever was attempted. +The next day the rest of the cavalry came up to us, commanded by +Gustavus Horn, and the king and the whole army followed. We advanced +through the heart of Bavaria, took Rain at the first summons, and +several other small towns, and sat down before Augsburg. + +Augsburg, though a Protestant city, had a Popish Bavarian garrison +in it of above 5000 men, commanded by a Fugger, a great family in +Bavaria. The governor had posted several little parties as out-scouts +at the distance of two miles and a half or three miles from the town. +The king, at his coming up to this town, sends me with my little troop +and three companies of dragoons to beat in these out-scouts. The first +party I lighted on was not above sixteen men, who had made a small +barricado across the road, and stood resolutely upon their guard. I +commanded the dragoons to alight and open the barricado, which, while +they resolutely performed, the sixteen men gave them two volleys of +their muskets, and through the enclosures made their retreat to a +turnpike about a quarter of a mile farther. We passed their first +traverse, and coming up to the turnpike, I found it defended by 200 +musketeers. I prepared to attack them, sending word to the king how +strong the enemy was, and desired some foot to be sent me. My dragoons +fell on, and though the enemy made a very hot fire, had beat them from +this post before 200 foot, which the king had sent me, had come +up. Being joined with the foot, I followed the enemy, who retreated +fighting, till they came under the cannon of a strong redoubt, where +they drew up, and I could see another body of foot of about 300 join +them out of the works; upon which I halted, and considering I was in +view of the town, and a great way from the army, I faced about and +began to march off. As we marched I found the enemy followed, but +kept at a distance, as if they only designed to observe me. I had not +marched far, but I heard a volley of small shot, answered by two or +three more, which I presently apprehended to be at the turnpike, +where I had left a small guard of twenty-six men with a lieutenant. +Immediately I detached 100 dragoons to relieve my men and secure +my retreat, following myself as fast as the foot could march. The +lieutenant sent me back word the post was taken by the enemy, and my +men cut off. Upon this I doubled my pace, and when I came up I found +it as the lieutenant said; for the post was taken and manned with 300 +musketeers and three troops of horse. By this time, also, I found the +party in my rear made up towards me, so that I was like to be charged +in a narrow place both in front and rear. + +I saw there was no remedy but with all my force to fall upon that +party before me, and so to break through before those from the town +could come up with me; wherefore, commanding my dragoons to alight, I +ordered them to fall on upon the foot. Their horse were drawn up in +an enclosed field on one side of the road, a great ditch securing the +other side, so that they thought if I charged the foot in front they +would fall upon my flank, while those behind would charge my rear; +and, indeed, had the other come in time, they had cut me off. My +dragoons made three fair charges on their foot, but were received with +so much resolution and so brisk a fire, that they were beaten off, and +sixteen men killed. Seeing them so rudely handled, and the horse ready +to fall in, I relieved them with 100 musketeers, and they renewed +the attack; at the same time, with my troop of horse, flanked on both +wings with fifty musketeers, I faced their horse, but did not offer +to charge them. The case grew now desperate, and the enemy behind +were just at my heels with near 600 men. The captain who commanded the +musketeers who flanked my horse came up to me; says he, "If we do not +force this pass all will be lost; if you will draw out your troop and +twenty of my foot, and fall in, I'll engage to keep off the horse with +the rest." "With all my heart," says I. + +Immediately I wheeled off my troop, and a small party of the +musketeers followed me, and fell in with the dragoons and foot, who, +seeing the danger too as well as I, fought like madmen. The foot at +the turnpike were not able to hinder our breaking through, so we +made our way out, killing about 150 of them, and put the rest into +confusion. + +But now was I in as great a difficulty as before how to fetch off my +brave captain of foot, for they charged home upon him. He defended +himself with extraordinary gallantry, having the benefit of a piece of +a hedge to cover him, but he lost half his men, and was just upon +the point of being defeated when the king, informed by a soldier that +escaped from the turnpike, one of twenty-six, had sent a party of 600 +dragoons to bring me off; these came upon the spur, and joined with +me just as I had broke through the turnpike. The enemy's foot rallied +behind their horse, and by this time their other party was come in; +but seeing our relief they drew off together. + +I lost above 100 men in these skirmishes, and killed them about 180. +We secured the turnpike, and placed a company of foot there with 100 +dragoons, and came back well beaten to the army. The king, to prevent +such uncertain skirmishes, advanced the next day in view of the town, +and, according to his custom, sits down with his whole army within +cannon-shot of their walls. + +The King won this great city by force of words, for by two or three +messages and letters to and from the citizens, the town was gained, +the garrison not daring to defend them against their wills. His +Majesty made his public entrance into the city on the 14th of April, +and receiving the compliments of the citizens, advanced immediately to +Ingolstadt, which is accounted, and really is, the strongest town in +all these parts. + +The town had a very strong garrison in it, and the Duke of Bavaria lay +entrenched with his army under the walls of it, on the other side of +the river. The king, who never loved long sieges, having viewed the +town, and brought his army within musket-shot of it, called a council +of war, where it was the king's opinion, in short, that the town would +lose him more than 'twas worth, and therefore he resolved to raise his +siege. + +Here the king going to view the town had his horse shot with a +cannon-bullet from the works, which tumbled the king and his horse +over one another, that everybody thought he had been killed; but he +received no hurt at all. That very minute, as near as could be learnt, +General Tilly died in the town of the shot he received on the bank of +the Lech, as aforesaid. + +I was not in the camp when the king was hurt, for the king had sent +almost all the horse and dragoons, under Gustavus Horn, to face the +Duke of Bavaria's camp, and after that to plunder the country; which +truly was a work the soldiers were very glad of, for it was very +seldom they had that liberty given them, and they made very good use +of it when it was, for the country of Bavaria was rich and plentiful, +having seen no enemy before during the whole war. + +The army having left the siege of Ingolstadt, proceeds to take in the +rest of Bavaria. Sir John Hepburn, with three brigades of foot, and +Gustavus Horn, with 3000 horse and dragoons, went to the Landshut, and +took it the same day. The garrison was all horse, and gave us several +camisadoes at our approach, in one of which I lost two of my +troops, but when we had beat them into close quarters they presently +capitulated. The general got a great sum of money of the town, besides +a great many presents to the officers. And from thence the king +went on to Munich, the Duke of Bavaria's court. Some of the general +officers would fain have had the plundering of the duke's palace, but +the king was too generous. The city paid him 400,000 dollars; and the +duke's magazine was there seized, in which was 140 pieces of cannon, +and small arms for above 20,000 men. The great chamber of the duke's +rarities was preserved, by the king's special order, with a great deal +of care. I expected to have stayed here some time, and to have taken +a very exact account of this curious laboratory; but being commanded +away, I had no time, and the fate of the war never gave me opportunity +to see it again. + +The Imperialists, under the command of Commissary Osta, had +besieged Biberach, an Imperial city not very well fortified; and the +inhabitants being under the Swedes' protection, defended themselves +as well as they could, but were in great danger, and sent several +expresses to the king for help. + +The king immediately detaches a strong body of horse and foot to +relieve Biberach, and would be the commander himself. I marched among +the horse, but the Imperialists saved us the labour; for the news +of the king's coming frighted away Osta, that he left Biberach, +and hardly looked behind him till he got up to the Bodensee, on the +confines of Switzerland. + +At our return from this expedition the king had the first news of +Wallenstein's approach, who, on the death of Count Tilly, being +declared generalissimo of the emperor's forces, had played the tyrant +in Bohemia, and was now advancing with 60,000 men, as they reported, +to relieve the Duke of Bavaria. + +The king, therefore, in order to be in a posture to receive this great +general, resolves to quit Bavaria, and to expect him on the frontiers +of Franconia. And because he knew the Nurembergers for their kindness +to him would be the first sacrifice, he resolved to defend that city +against him whatever it cost. + +Nevertheless he did not leave Bavaria without a defence; but, on the +one hand, he left Sir John Baner with 10,000 men about Augsburg, and +the Duke of Saxe-Weimar with another like army about Ulm and Meningen, +with orders so to direct their march as that they might join him upon +any occasion in a few days. + +We encamped about Nuremberg the middle of June. The army, after so +many detachments, was not above 19,000 men. The Imperial army, joined +with the Bavarian, were not so numerous as was reported, but were +really 60,000 men. The king, not strong enough to fight, yet, as he +used to say, was strong enough not to be forced to fight, formed his +camp so under the cannon of Nuremberg that there was no besieging the +town but they must besiege him too; and he fortified his camp in so +formidable a manner that Wallenstein never durst attack him. On the +30th of June Wallenstein's troops appeared, and on the 5th of July +encamped close by the king, and posted themselves not on the Bavarian +side, but between the king and his own friends of Schwaben and +Frankenland, in order to intercept his provisions, and, as they +thought, to starve him out of his camp. + +Here they lay to see, as it were, who could subsist longest. The king +was strong in horse, for we had full 8000 horse and dragoons in the +army, and this gave us great advantage in the several skirmishes we +had with the enemy. The enemy had possession of the whole country, and +had taken effectual care to furnish their army with provisions; they +placed their guards in such excellent order, to secure their convoys, +that their waggons went from stage to stage as quiet as in a time of +peace, and were relieved every five miles by parties constantly +posted on the road. And thus the Imperial general sat down by us, not +doubting but he should force the king either to fight his way through +on very disadvantageous terms, or to rise for want of provisions, and +leave the city of Nuremberg a prey to his army; for he had vowed the +destruction of the city, and to make it a second Magdeburg. + +But the king, who was not to be easily deceived, had countermined all +Wallenstein's designs. He had passed his honour to the Nurembergers +that he would not leave them, and they had undertaken to victual his +army, and secure him from want, which they did so effectually, that +he had no occasion to expose his troops to any hazard or fatigues for +convoys or forage on any account whatever. + +The city of Nuremberg is a very rich and populous city, and the king +being very sensible of their danger, had given his word for their +defence. And when they, being terrified at the threats of the +Imperialists, sent their deputies to beseech the king to take care of +them, he sent them word he would, and be besieged with them. They, on +the other hand, laid in such stores of all sorts of provision, both +for men and horse, that had Wallenstein lain before it six months +longer, there would have been no scarcity. Every private house was +a magazine, the camp was plentifully supplied with all manner of +provisions, and the market always full, and as cheap as in times of +peace. The magistrates were so careful, and preserved so excellent an +order in the disposal of all sorts of provision, that no engrossing of +corn could be practised, for the prices were every day directed at the +town-house; and if any man offered to demand more money for corn than +the stated price, he could not sell, because at the town store-house +you might buy cheaper. Here are two instances of good and bad conduct: +the city of Magdeburg had been entreated by the king to settle funds, +and raise money for their provision and security, and to have a +sufficient garrison to defend them, but they made difficulties, either +to raise men for themselves, or to admit the king's troops to assist +them, for fear of the charge of maintaining them; and this was the +cause of the city's ruin. + +The city of Nuremberg opened their arms to receive the assistance +proffered by the Swedes, and their purses to defend their town +and common cause; and this was the saving them absolutely from +destruction. The rich burghers and magistrates kept open houses, where +the officers of the army were always welcome; and the council of the +city took such care of the poor that there was no complaining nor +disorders in the whole city. There is no doubt but it cost the city +a great deal of money; but I never saw a public charge borne with so +much cheerfulness, nor managed with so much prudence and conduct in my +life. The city fed above 50,000 mouths every day, including their own +poor, besides themselves; and yet when the king had lain thus three +months, and finding his armies longer in coming up than he expected, +asked the burgrave how their magazines held out, he answered, they +desired his Majesty not to hasten things for them, for they could +maintain themselves and him twelve months longer if there was +occasion. This plenty kept both the army and city in good health, as +well as in good heart; whereas nothing was to be had of us but blows, +for we fetched nothing from without our works, nor had no business +without the line but to interrupt the enemy. + +The manner of the king's encampment deserves a particular chapter. +He was a complete surveyor and a master in fortification, not to be +outdone by anybody. He had posted his army in the suburbs of the town, +and drawn lines round the whole circumference, so that he begirt +the whole city with his army. His works were large, the ditch deep, +flanked with innumerable bastions, ravelins, horn-works, forts, +redoubts, batteries, and palisadoes, the incessant work of 8000 men +for about fourteen days; besides that, the king was adding something +or other to it every day, and the very posture of his camp was +enough to tell a bigger army than Wallenstein's that he was not to be +assaulted in his trenches. + +The king's design appeared chiefly to be the preservation of the +city; but that was not all. He had three armies acting abroad in +three several places. Gustavus Horn was on the Moselle, the chancellor +Oxenstiern about Mentz, Cologne, and the Rhine, Duke William and +Duke Bernhard, together with General Baner, in Bavaria. And though he +designed they should all join him, and had wrote to them all to that +purpose, yet he did not hasten them, knowing that while he kept the +main army at bay about Nuremberg, they would, without opposition, +reduce those several countries they were acting in to his power. This +occasioned his lying longer in the camp at Nuremberg than he would +have done, and this occasioned his giving the Imperialists so many +alarms by his strong parties of horse, of which he was well provided, +that they might not be able to make any considerable detachments for +the relief of their friends. And here he showed his mastership in the +war, for by this means his conquests went on as effectually as if he +had been abroad himself. + +In the meantime it was not to be expected two such armies should lie +long so near without some action. The Imperial army, being masters +of the field, laid the country for twenty miles round Nuremberg in a +manner desolate. What the inhabitants could carry away had been before +secured in such strong towns as had garrisons to protect them, +and what was left the hungry Crabats devoured or set on fire; but +sometimes they were met with by our men, who often paid them home for +it. There had passed several small rencounters between our parties +and theirs; and as it falls out in such cases, sometimes one side, +sometimes the other, got the better. But I have observed there never +was any party sent out by the king's special appointment but always +came home with victory. + +The first considerable attempt, as I remember, was made on a convoy of +ammunition. The party sent out was commanded by a Saxon colonel, and +consisted of 1000 horse and 500 dragoons, who burnt above 600 waggons +loaded with ammunition and stores for the army, besides taking about +2000 muskets, which they brought back to the army. + +The latter end of July the king received advice that the Imperialists +had formed a magazine for provision at a town called Freynstat, twenty +miles from Nuremberg. Hither all the booty and contributions raised in +the Upper Palatinate, and parts adjacent, was brought and laid up as +in a place of security, a garrison of 600 men being placed to defend +it; and when a quantity of provisions was got together, convoys were +appointed to fetch it off. + +The king was resolved, if possible, to take or destroy this magazine; +and sending for Colonel Dubalt, a Swede, and a man of extraordinary +conduct, he tells him his design, and withal that he must be the man +to put it in execution, and ordered him to take what forces he thought +convenient. The colonel, who knew the town very well, and the country +about it, told his Majesty he would attempt it with all his heart; but +he was afraid 'twould require some foot to make the attack. "But we +can't stay for that," says the king; "you must then take some dragoons +with you;" and immediately the king called for me. I was just coming +up the stairs as the king's page was come out to inquire for me, so +I went immediately in to the king. "Here is a piece of hot work +for you," says the king, "Dubalt will tell it you; go together and +contrive it." + +We immediately withdrew, and the colonel told me the design, and what +the king and he had discoursed; that, in his opinion, foot would be +wanted: but the king had declared there was no time for the foot to +march, and had proposed dragoons. I told him, I thought dragoons might +do as well; so we agreed to take 1600 horse and 400 dragoons. The +king, impatient in his design, came into the room to us to know what +we had resolved on, approved our measures, gave us orders immediately; +and, turning to me, "You shall command the dragoons," says the king, +"but Dubalt must be general in this case, for he knows the country." +"Your Majesty," said I, "shall be always served by me in any figure +you please." The king wished us good speed, and hurried us away the +same afternoon, in order to come to the place in time. We marched +slowly on because of the carriages we had with us, and came to +Freynstat about one o'clock in the night perfectly undiscovered. The +guards were so negligent, that we came to the very port before they +had notice of us, and a sergeant with twelve dragoons thrust in upon +the out-sentinels, and killed them without noise. + +Immediately ladders were placed to the half-moon which defended +the gate, which the dragoons mounted and carried in a trice, about +twenty-eight men being cut in pieces within. As soon as the ravelin +was taken, they burst open the gate, at which I entered at the head of +200 dragoons, and seized the drawbridge. By this time the town was +in alarm, and the drums beat to arms, but it was too late, for by the +help of a petard we broke open the gate, and entered the town. The +garrison made an obstinate fight for about half-an-hour, but our +men being all in, and three troops of horse dismounted coming to our +assistance with their carabines, the town was entirely mastered by +three of the clock, and guards set to prevent anybody running to give +notice to the enemy. There were about 200 of the garrison killed, and +the rest taken prisoners. The town being thus secured, the gates were +opened, and Colonel Dubalt came in with the horse. + +The guards being set, we entered the magazine, where we found an +incredible quantity of all sorts of provision. There was 150 tons of +bread, 8000 sacks of meal, 4000 sacks of oats, and of other provisions +in proportion. We caused as much of it as could be loaded to be +brought away in such waggons and carriages as we found, and set the +rest on fire, town and all. We stayed by it till we saw it past a +possibility of being saved, and then drew off with 800 waggons, which +we found in the place, most of which we loaded with bread, meal, and +oats. While we were doing this we sent a party of dragoons into the +fields, who met us again as we came out, with above 1000 head of black +cattle, besides sheep. + +Our next care was to bring this booty home without meeting with the +enemy, to secure which, the colonel immediately despatched an +express to the king, to let him know of our success, and to desire a +detachment might be made to secure our retreat, being charged with so +much plunder. + +And it was no more than need; for though we had used all the diligence +possible to prevent any notice, yet somebody, more forward than +ordinary, had escaped away, and carried news of it to the Imperial +army. The general, upon this bad news, detaches Major-General Sparr +with a body of 6000 men to cut off our retreat. The king, who had +notice of this detachment, marches out in person with 3000 men to wait +upon General Sparr. All this was the account of one day. The king met +General Sparr at the moment when his troops were divided, fell upon +them, routed one part of them, and the rest in a few hours after, +killed them 1000 men, and took the general prisoner. + +In the interval of this action we came safe to the camp with our +booty, which was very considerable, and would have supplied our whole +army for a month. Thus we feasted at the enemy's cost, and beat them +into the bargain. + +The king gave all the live cattle to the Nurembergers, who, though +they had really no want of provisions, yet fresh meat was not so +plentiful as such provisions which were stored up in vessels and laid +by. + +After this skirmish we had the country more at command than before, +and daily fetched in fresh provisions and forage in the fields. + +The two armies had now lain a long time in sight of one another, +and daily skirmishes had considerably weakened them; and the king, +beginning to be impatient, hastened the advancement of his friends +to join him, in which also they were not backward; but having +drawn together their forces from several parts, and all joined the +chancellor Oxenstiern, news came, the 15th of August, that they were +in full march to join us; and being come to a small town called Brock, +the king went out of the camp with about 1000 horse to view them. I +went along with the horse, and the 21st of August saw the review +of all the armies together, which were 30,000 men, in extraordinary +equipage, old soldiers, and commanded by officers of the greatest +conduct and experience in the world. There was the rich chancellor of +Sweden, who commanded as general; Gustavus Horn and John Baner, both +Swedes and old generals; Duke William and Duke Bernhard of Weimar; the +Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, the Palatine of Birkenfelt, and abundance +of princes and lords of the empire. + +The armies being joined, the king, who was now a match for +Wallenstein, quits his camp and draws up in battalia before the +Imperial trenches: but the scene was changed. Wallenstein was no more +able to fight now than the king was before; but, keeping within his +trenches, stood upon his guard. The king coming up close to his +works, plants batteries, and cannonaded him in his very camp. The +Imperialists, finding the king press upon them, retreat into a woody +country about three leagues, and, taking possession of an old ruined +castle, posted their army behind it. + +This old castle they fortified, and placed a very strong guard there. +The king, having viewed the place, though it was a very strong post, +resolved to attack it with the whole right wing. The attack was made +with a great deal of order and resolution, the king leading the first +party on with sword in hand, and the fight was maintained on both +sides with the utmost gallantry and obstinacy all the day and the next +night too, for the cannon and musket never gave over till the morning; +but the Imperialists having the advantage of the hill, of their works +and batteries, and being continually relieved, and the Swedes naked, +without cannon or works, the post was maintained, and the king, +finding it would cost him too much blood, drew off in the morning. + +This was the famous fight at Altemberg, where the Imperialists boasted +to have shown the world the King of Sweden was not invincible. They +call it the victory at Altemberg; 'tis true the king failed in his +attempt of carrying their works, but there was so little of a victory +in it, that the Imperial general thought fit not to venture a second +brush, but to draw off their army as soon as they could to a safer +quarter. + +I had no share in this attack, very few of the horse being in the +action, but my comrade, who was always among the Scots volunteers, was +wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy. They used him very civilly, +and the king and Wallenstein straining courtesies with one another, +the king released Major-General Sparr without ransom, and the Imperial +general sent home Colonel Tortenson, a Swede, and sixteen volunteer +gentlemen, who were taken in the heat of the action, among whom my +captain was one. + +The king lay fourteen days facing the Imperial army, and using all +the stratagems possible to bring them to a battle, but to no purpose, +during which time we had parties continually out, and very often +skirmishes with the enemy. + +I had a command of one of these parties in an adventure, wherein I got +no booty, nor much honour. The King had received advice of a convoy +of provisions which was to come to the enemy's camp from the Upper +Palatinate, and having a great mind to surprise them, he commanded +us to waylay them with 1200 horse, and 800 dragoons. I had exact +directions given me of the way they were to come, and posting my horse +in a village a little out of the road, I lay with my dragoons in a +wood, by which they were to pass by break of day. The enemy appeared +with their convoy, and being very wary, their out-scouts discovered us +in the wood, and fired upon the sentinel I had posted in a tree at +the entrance of the wood. Finding myself discovered, I would have +retreated to the village where my horse were posted, but in a moment +the wood was skirted with the enemy's horse, and 1000 commanded +musketeers advanced to beat me out. In this pickle I sent away three +messengers one after another for the horse, who were within two miles +of me, to advance to my relief; but all my messengers fell into the +enemy's hands. Four hundred of my dragoons on foot, whom I had placed +at a little distance before me, stood to their work, and beat off two +charges of the enemy's foot with some loss on both sides. Meantime 200 +of my men faced about, and rushing out of the wood, broke through +a party of the enemy's horse, who stood to watch our coming out. I +confess I was exceedingly surprised at it, thinking those fellows had +done it to make their escape, or else were gone over to the enemy; and +my men were so discouraged at it, that they began to look about +which way to run to save themselves, and were just upon the point of +disbanding to shift for themselves, when one of the captains called +to me aloud to beat a parley and treat. I made no answer, but, as if +I had not heard him, immediately gave the word for all the captains to +come together. The consultation was but short, for the musketeers were +advancing to a third charge, with numbers which we were not likely to +deal with. In short, we resolved to beat a parley, and demand quarter, +for that was all we could expect, when on a sudden the body of horse +I had posted in the village, being directed by the noise, had advanced +to relieve me, if they saw occasion, and had met the 200 dragoons, +who guided them directly to the spot where they had broke through, and +altogether fell upon the horse of the enemy, who were posted on that +side, and, mastering them before they could be relieved, cut them all +to pieces and brought me off. Under the shelter of this party, we made +good our retreat to the village, but we lost above 300 men, and were +glad to make off from the village too, for the enemy were very much +too strong for us. + +Returning thence towards the camp, we fell foul with 200 Crabats, who +had been upon the plundering account. We made ourselves some amends +upon them for our former loss, for we showed them no mercy; but our +misfortunes were not ended, for we had but just despatched those +Crabats when we fell in with 3000 Imperial horse, who, on the +expectation of the aforesaid convoy, were sent out to secure them. +All I could do could not persuade my men to stand their ground against +this party; so that finding they would run away in confusion, I agreed +to make off, and facing to the right, we went over a large common +a full trot, till at last fear, which always increases in a flight, +brought us to a plain flight, the enemy at our heels. I must confess +I was never so mortified in my life; 'twas to no purpose to turn head, +no man would stand by us; we run for life, and a great many we left by +the way who were either wounded by the enemy's shot, or else could not +keep race with us. + +At last, having got over the common, which was near two miles, we came +to a lane; one of our captains, a Saxon by country, and a gentleman of +a good fortune, alighted at the entrance of the lane, and with a bold +heart faced about, shot his own horse, and called his men to stand by +him and defend the lane. Some of his men halted, and we rallied about +600 men, which we posted as well as we could, to defend the pass; +but the enemy charged us with great fury. The Saxon gentleman, after +defending himself with exceeding gallantry, and refusing quarter, was +killed upon the spot. A German dragoon, as I thought him, gave me a +rude blow with the stock of his piece on the side of my head, and was +just going to repeat it, when one of my men shot him dead. I was so +stunned with the blow, that I knew nothing; but recovering, I found +myself in the hands of two of the enemy's officers, who offered me +quarter, which I accepted; and indeed, to give them their due, they +used me very civilly. Thus this whole party was defeated, and not +above 500 men got safe to the army; nor had half the number escaped, +had not the Saxon captain made so bold a stand at the head of the +lane. + +Several other parties of the king's army revenged our quarrel, and +paid them home for it; but I had a particular loss in this defeat, +that I never saw the king after; for though his Majesty sent a trumpet +to reclaim us as prisoners the very next day, yet I was not delivered, +some scruple happening about exchanging, till after the battle of +Lützen, where that gallant prince lost his life. + +The Imperial army rose from their camp about eight or ten days after +the king had removed, and I was carried prisoner in the army till they +sat down to the siege of Coburg Castle, and then was left with other +prisoners of war, in the custody of Colonel Spezuter, in a small +castle near the camp called Neustadt. Here we continued indifferent +well treated, but could learn nothing of what action the armies were +upon, till the Duke of Friedland, having been beaten off from the +castle of Coburg, marched into Saxony, and the prisoners were sent for +into the camp, as was said, in order to be exchanged. + +I came into the Imperial leaguer at the siege of Leipsic, and within +three days after my coming, the city was surrendered, and I got +liberty to lodge at my old quarters in the town upon my parole. + +The King of Sweden was at the heels of the Imperialists, for finding +Wallenstein resolved to ruin the Elector of Saxony, the king had +re-collected as much of his divided army as he could, and came upon +him just as he was going to besiege Torgau. + +As it is not my design to write a history of any more of these wars +than I was actually concerned in, so I shall only note that, upon +the king's approach, Wallenstein halted, and likewise called all his +troops together, for he apprehended the king would fall on him, and +we that were prisoners fancied the Imperial soldiers went unwillingly +out, for the very name of the King of Sweden was become terrible to +them. In short, they drew all the soldiers of the garrison they could +spare out of Leipsic; sent for Pappenheim again, who was gone but +three days before with 6000 men on a private expedition. On the 16th +of November, the armies met on the plains of Lützen; a long and bloody +battle was fought, the Imperialists were entirely routed and beaten, +12,000 slain upon the spot, their cannon, baggage, and 2000 prisoners +taken, but the King of Sweden lost his life, being killed at the head +of his troops in the beginning of the fight. + +It is impossible to describe the consternation the death of this +conquering king struck into all the princes of Germany; the grief +for him exceeded all manner of human sorrow. All people looked upon +themselves as ruined and swallowed up; the inhabitants of two-thirds +of all Germany put themselves into mourning for him; when the +ministers mentioned him in their sermons or prayers, whole +congregations would burst out into tears. The Elector of Saxony was +utterly inconsolable, and would for several days walk about his palace +like a distracted man, crying the saviour of Germany was lost, the +refuge of abused princes was gone, the soul of the war was dead; and +from that hour was so hopeless of out-living the war, that he sought +to make peace with the emperor. + +Three days after this mournful victory, the Saxons recovered the town +of Leipsic by stratagem. The Duke of Saxony's forces lay at Torgau, +and perceiving the confusion the Imperialists were in at the news of +the overthrow of their army, they resolved to attempt the recovery of +the town. They sent about twenty scattering troopers, who, pretending +themselves to be Imperialists fled from the battle, were let in one by +one, and still as they came in, they stayed at the court of guard in +the port, entertaining the soldiers with discourse about the fight, +and how they escaped, and the like, till the whole number being got +in, at a watchword they fell on the guard, and cut them all in pieces; +and immediately opening the gate to three troops of Saxon horse, the +town was taken in a moment. + +It was a welcome surprise to me, for I was at liberty of course; and +the war being now on another foot, as I thought, and the king dead, I +resolved to quit the service. + +I had sent my man, as I have already noted, into England, in order to +bring over the troops my father had raised for the King of Sweden. He +executed his commission so well, that he landed with five troops at +Embden in very good condition; and orders were sent them by the king, +to join the Duke of Lunenberg's army, which they did at the siege of +Boxtude, in the Lower Saxony. Here by long and very sharp service +they were most of them cut off, and though they were several times +recruited, yet I understood there were not three full troops left. + +The Duke of Saxe-Weimar, a gentleman of great courage, had the command +of the army after the king's death, and managed it with so much +prudence, that all things were in as much order as could be expected, +after so great a loss; for the Imperialists were everywhere beaten, +and Wallenstein never made any advantage of the king's death. + +I waited on him at Heilbronn, whither he was gone to meet the great +chancellor of Sweden, where I paid him my respects, and desired he +would bestow the remainder of my regiment on my comrade the captain, +which he did with all the civility and readiness imaginable. So I took +my leave of him, and prepared to come for England. + +I shall only note this, that at this Diet, the Protestant princes of +the empire renewed their league with one another, and with the crown +of Sweden, and came to several regulations and conclusions for the +carrying on the war, which they afterwards prosecuted, under the +direction of the said chancellor of Sweden. But it was not the work of +a small difficulty nor of a short time. And having been persuaded +to continue almost two years afterwards at Frankfort, Heilbronn, and +there-about, by the particular friendship of that noble wise man, and +extraordinary statesman, Axeli Oxenstiern, chancellor of Sweden, I had +opportunity to be concerned in, and present at, several treaties of +extraordinary consequence, sufficient for a history, if that were my +design. + +Particularly I had the happiness to be present at, and have some +concern in, the treaty for the restoring the posterity of the truly +noble Palsgrave, King of Bohemia. King James of England had indeed too +much neglected the whole family; and I may say with authority enough, +from my own knowledge of affairs, had nothing been done for them but +what was from England, that family had remained desolate and forsaken +to this day. + +But that glorious king, whom I can never mention without some remark +of his extraordinary merit, had left particular instructions with his +chancellor to rescue the Palatinate to its rightful lord, as a proof +of his design to restore the liberty of Germany, and reinstate the +oppressed princes who were subjected to the tyranny of the house of +Austria. + +Pursuant to this resolution, the chancellor proceeded very much like +a man of honour; and though the King of Bohemia was dead a little +before, yet he carefully managed the treaty, answered the objections +of several princes, who, in the general ruin of the family, had +reaped private advantages, settled the capitulations for the quota of +contributions very much for their advantage, and fully reinstalled +the Prince Charles in the possession of all his dominions in the Lower +Palatinate, which afterwards was confirmed to him and his posterity by +the peace of Westphalia, where all these bloody wars were finished +in a peace, which has since been the foundation of the Protestants' +liberty, and the best security of the whole empire. + +I spent two years rather in wandering up and down than travelling; +for though I had no mind to serve, yet I could not find in my heart to +leave Germany; and I had obtained some so very close intimacies with +the general officers that I was often in the army, and sometimes they +did me the honour to bring me into their councils of war. + +Particularly, at that eminent council before the battle of Nördlingen, +I was invited to the council of war, both by Duke Bernhard of Weimar +and by Gustavus Horn. They were generals of equal worth, and their +courage and experience had been so well, and so often tried, that more +than ordinary regard was always given to what they said. Duke Bernhard +was indeed the younger man, and Gustavus had served longer under our +great schoolmaster the king; but it was hard to judge which was the +better general, since both had experience enough, and shown undeniable +proofs both of their bravery and conduct. + +I am obliged, in the course of my relation, so often to mention the +great respect I often received from these great men, that it makes me +sometimes jealous, lest the reader may think I affect it as a vanity. +The truth is, that I am ready to confess, the honours I received, upon +all occasions, from persons of such worth, and who had such an eminent +share in the greatest action of that age, very much pleased me, and +particularly, as they gave me occasions to see everything that was +doing on the whole stage of the war. For being under no command, +but at liberty to rove about, I could come to no Swedish garrison or +party, but, sending my name to the commanding officer, I could have +the word sent me; and if I came into the army, I was often treated as +I was now at this famous battle of Nördlingen. + +But I cannot but say, that I always looked upon this particular +respect to be the effect of more than ordinary regard the great king +of Sweden always showed me, rather than any merit of my own; and the +veneration they all had for his memory, made them continue to show me +all the marks of a suitable esteem. + +But to return to the council of war, the great and, indeed, the only +question before us was, Shall we give battle to the Imperialists, or +not? Gustavus Horn was against it, and gave, as I thought, the most +invincible arguments against a battle that reason could imagine. + +First, they were weaker than the enemy by above 5000 men. + +Secondly, the Cardinal-Infant of Spain, who was in the Imperial army +with 8000 men, was but there _en passant_, being going from Italy to +Flanders, to take upon him the government of the Low Countries; and if +he saw no prospect of immediate action, would be gone in a few days. + +Thirdly, they had two reinforcements, one of 5000 men, under the +command of Colonel Cratz, and one of 7000 men, under the Rhinegrave, +who were just at hand--the last within three days' march of them: and, + +Lastly, they had already saved their honour; in that they had put 600 +foot into the town of Nördlingen, in the face of the enemy's army, and +consequently the town might hold out some days the longer. + +Fate, rather than reason, certainly blinded the rest of the generals +against such arguments as these. Duke Bernhard and almost all the +generals were for fighting, alleging the affront it would be to the +Swedish reputation to see their friends in the town lost before their +faces. + +Gustavus Horn stood stiff to his cautious advice, and was against it, +and I thought the Baron D'Offkirk treated him a little indecently; +for, being very warm in the matter, he told them, that if Gustavus +Adolphus had been governed by such cowardly counsel, he had never +been conqueror of half Germany in two years. "No," replied old General +Horn, very smartly, "but he had been now alive to have testified for +me, that I was never taken by him for a coward: and yet," says he, +"the king was never for a victory with a hazard, when he could have it +without." + +I was asked my opinion, which I would have declined, being in no +commission; but they pressed me to speak. I told them I was for +staying at least till the Rhinegrave came up, who, at least, might, if +expresses were sent to hasten him, be up with us in twenty-four hours. +But Offkirk could not hold his passion, and had not he been overruled +he would have almost quarrelled with Marshal Horn. Upon which the old +general, not to foment him, with a great deal of mildness stood up, +and spoke thus-- + +"Come, Offkirk," says he, "I'll submit my opinion to you, and the +majority of our fellow-soldiers. We will fight, but, upon my word, we +shall have our hands full." + +The resolution thus taken, they attacked the Imperial army. I must +confess the counsels of this day seemed as confused as the resolutions +of the night. + +Duke Bernhard was to lead the van of the left wing, and to post +himself upon a hill which was on the enemy's right without their +entrenchments, so that, having secured that post, they might level +their cannon upon the foot, who stood behind the lines, and relieved +the town at pleasure. He marched accordingly by break of day, and +falling with great fury upon eight regiments of foot, which were +posted at the foot of the hill, he presently routed them, and made +himself master of the post. Flushed with this success, he never +regards his own concerted measures of stopping there and possessing +what he had got, but pushes on and falls in with the main body of the +enemy's army. + +While this was doing, Gustavus Horn attacks another post on the hill, +where the Spaniards had posted and lodged themselves behind some +works they had cast up on the side of the hill. Here they defended +themselves with extreme obstinacy for five hours, and at last obliged +the Swedes to give it over with loss. This extraordinary gallantry of +the Spaniards was the saving of the Imperial army; for Duke +Bernhard having all this while resisted the frequent charges of the +Imperialists, and borne the weight of two-thirds of their army, was +not able to stand any longer, but sending one messenger on the neck of +another to Gustavus Horn for more foot, he, finding he could not carry +his point, had given it over, and was in full march to second the +duke. But now it was too late, for the King of Hungary seeing the +duke's men, as it were, wavering, and having notice of Horn's wheeling +about to second him, falls in with all his force upon his flank, +and with his Hungarian hussars, made such a furious charge, that the +Swedes could stand no longer. + +The rout of the left wing was so much the more unhappy, as it happened +just upon Gustavus Horn's coming up; for, being pushed on with the +enemies at their heels, they were driven upon their own friends, who, +having no ground to open and give them way, were trodden down by their +own runaway brethren. This brought all into the utmost confusion. +The Imperialists cried "Victoria!" and fell into the middle of the +infantry with a terrible slaughter. + +I have always observed, 'tis fatal to upbraid an old experienced +officer with want of courage. If Gustavus Horn had not been whetted +with the reproaches of the Baron D'Offkirk, and some of the other +general officers, I believe it had saved the lives of a thousand men; +for when all was thus lost, several officers advised him to make a +retreat with such regiments as he had yet unbroken; but nothing could +persuade him to stir a foot. But turning his flank into a front, he +saluted the enemy, as they passed by him in pursuit of the rest, +with such terrible volleys of small shot, as cost them the lives of +abundance of their men. + +The Imperialists, eager in the pursuit, left him unbroken, till the +Spanish brigade came up and charged him. These he bravely repulsed +with a great slaughter, and after them a body of dragoons; till being +laid at on every side, and most of his men killed, the brave old +general, with all the rest who were left, were made prisoners. + +The Swedes had a terrible loss here, for almost all their infantry +were killed or taken prisoners. Gustavus Horn refused quarter several +times; and still those that attacked him were cut down by his men, +who fought like furies, and by the example of their general, behaved +themselves like lions. But at last, these poor remains of a body of +the bravest men in the world were forced to submit. I have heard him +say, he had much rather have died than been taken, but that he yielded +in compassion to so many brave men as were about him; for none of them +would take quarter till he gave his consent. + +I had the worst share in this battle that ever I had in any action of +my life; and that was to be posted among as brave a body of horse as +any in Germany, and yet not be able to succour our own men; but +our foot were cut in pieces (as it were) before our faces, and the +situation of the ground was such as we could not fall in. All that we +were able to do, was to carry off about 2000 of the foot, who, running +away in the rout of the left wing, rallied among our squadrons, and +got away with us. Thus we stood till we saw all was lost, and then +made the best retreat we could to save ourselves, several regiments +having never charged, nor fired a shot; for the foot had so +embarrassed themselves among the lines and works of the enemy, and in +the vineyards and mountains, that the horse were rendered absolutely +unserviceable. + +The Rhinegrave had made such expedition to join us, that he reached +within three miles of the place of action that night, and he was a +great safeguard for us in rallying our dispersed men, who else had +fallen into the enemy's hands, and in checking the pursuit of the +enemy. + +And indeed, had but any considerable body of the foot made an orderly +retreat, it had been very probable they had given the enemy a brush +that would have turned the scale of victory; for our horse being +whole, and in a manner untouched, the enemy found such a check in the +pursuit, that 1600 of their forwardest men following too eagerly, fell +in with the Rhinegrave's advanced troops the next day, and were cut in +pieces without mercy. + +This gave us some satisfaction for the loss, but it was but small +compared to the ruin of that day. We lost near 8000 men upon the spot, +and above 3000 prisoners, all our cannon and baggage, and 120 colours. +I thought I never made so indifferent a figure in my life, and so we +thought all; to come away, lose our infantry, our general, and our +honour, and never fight for it. Duke Bernhard was utterly disconsolate +for old Gustavus Horn, for he concluded him killed; he tore the hair +from his head like a madman, and telling the Rhinegrave the story of +the council of war, would reproach himself with not taking his advice, +often repeating it in his passion. "Tis I," said he, "have been the +death of the bravest general in Germany;" would call himself fool +and boy, and such names, for not listening to the reasons of an old +experienced soldier. But when he heard he was alive in the enemy's +hands he was the easier, and applied himself to the recruiting his +troops, and the like business of the war; and it was not long before +he paid the Imperialists with interest. + +I returned to Frankfort-au-Main after this action, which happened the +17th of August 1634; but the progress of the Imperialists was so great +that there was no staying at Frankfort. The chancellor Oxenstiern +removed to Magdeburg, Duke Bernhard and the Landgrave marched into +Alsatia, and the Imperialists carried all before them for all the rest +of the campaign. They took Philipsburg by surprise; they took Augsburg +by famine, Spire and Treves by sieges, taking the Elector prisoner. +But this success did one piece of service to the Swedes, that it +brought the French into the war on their side, for the Elector of +Treves was their confederate. The French gave the conduct of the war +to Duke Bernhard. This, though the Duke of Saxony fell off, and fought +against them, turned the scale so much in their favour, that they +recovered their losses, and proved a terror to all Germany. The +farther accounts of the war I refer to the histories of those times, +which I have since read with a great deal of delight. + +I confess when I saw the progress of the Imperial army, after the +battle of Nördlingen, and the Duke of Saxony turning his arms against +them, I thought their affairs declining; and, giving them over for +lost, I left Frankfort, and came down the Rhine to Cologne, and from +thence into Holland. + +I came to the Hague the 8th of March 1635, having spent three years +and a half in Germany, and the greatest part of it in the Swedish +army. + +I spent some time in Holland viewing the wonderful power of art, +which I observed in the fortifications of their towns, where the very +bastions stand on bottomless morasses, and yet are as firm as any in +the world. There I had the opportunity of seeing the Dutch army, +and their famous general, Prince Maurice. 'Tis true, the men behaved +themselves well enough in action, when they were put to it, but the +prince's way of beating his enemies without fighting, was so unlike +the gallantry of my royal instructor, that it had no manner of relish +with me. Our way in Germany was always to seek out the enemy and fight +him; and, give the Imperialists their due, they were seldom hard to +be found, but were as free of their flesh as we were. Whereas Prince +Maurice would lie in a camp till he starved half his men, if by lying +there he could but starve two-thirds of his enemies; so that indeed +the war in Holland had more of fatigues and hardships in it, and ours +had more of fighting and blows. Hasty marches, long and unwholesome +encampments, winter parties, counter-marching, dodging and +entrenching, were the exercises of his men, and oftentimes killed +him more men with hunger, cold and diseases, than he could do with +fighting. Not that it required less courage, but rather more, for +a soldier had at any time rather die in the field _a la coup de +mousquet_, than be starved with hunger, or frozen to death in the +trenches. + +Nor do I think I lessen the reputation of that great general; for 'tis +most certain he ruined the Spaniard more by spinning the war thus out +in length, than he could possibly have done by a swift conquest. +For had he, Gustavus-like, with a torrent of victory dislodged the +Spaniard of all the twelve provinces in five years, whereas he was +forty years a-beating them out of seven, he had left them rich and +strong at home, and able to keep them in constant apprehensions of a +return of his power. Whereas, by the long continuance of the war, he +so broke the very heart of the Spanish monarchy, so absolutely and +irrecoverably impoverished them, that they have ever since languished +of the disease, till they are fallen from the most powerful, to be the +most despicable nation in the world. + +The prodigious charge the King of Spain was at in losing the seven +provinces, broke the very spirit of the nation; and that so much, +that all the wealth of their Peruvian mountains have not been able to +retrieve it; King Philip having often declared that war, besides his +Armada for invading England, had cost him 370,000,000 of ducats, and +4,000,000 of the best soldiers in Europe; whereof, by an unreasonable +Spanish obstinacy, above 60,000 lost their lives before Ostend, a town +not worth a sixth part either of the blood or money it cost in a siege +of three years; and which at last he had never taken, but that Prince +Maurice thought it not worth the charge of defending it any longer. + +However, I say, their way of fighting in Holland did not relish with +me at all. The prince lay a long time before a little fort called +Schenkenschanz, which the Spaniard took by surprise, and I thought he +might have taken it much sooner. Perhaps it might be my mistake, but +I fancied my hero, the King of Sweden, would have carried it sword in +hand, in half the time. + +However it was, I did not like it; so in the latter end of the year I +came to the Hague, and took shipping for England, where I arrived, to +the great satisfaction of my father and all my friends. + +My father was then in London, and carried me to kiss the king's hand. +His Majesty was pleased to receive me very well, and to say a great +many very obliging things to my father upon my account. + +I spent my time very retired from court, for I was almost wholly in +the country; and it being so much different from my genius, which +hankered after a warmer sport than hunting among our Welsh mountains, +I could not but be peeping in all the foreign accounts from Germany, +to see who and who was together. There I could never hear of a battle, +and the Germans being beaten, but I began to wish myself there. +But when an account came of the progress of John Baner, the Swedish +general in Saxony, and of the constant victories he had there over the +Saxons, I could no longer contain myself, but told my father this life +was very disagreeable to me; that I lost my time here, and might to +much more advantage go into Germany, where I was sure I might make my +fortune upon my own terms; that, as young as I was, I might have been +a general officer by this time, if I had not laid down my commission; +that General Baner, or the Marshal Horn, had either of them so much +respect for me, that I was sure I might have anything of them; and +that if he pleased to give me leave, I would go for Germany again. My +father was very unwilling to let me go, but seeing me uneasy, told +me that, if I was resolved, he would oblige me to stay no longer in +England than the next spring, and I should have his consent. + +The winter following began to look very unpleasant upon us in England, +and my father used often to sigh at it; and would tell me sometimes +he was afraid we should have no need to send Englishmen to fight in +Germany. + +The cloud that seemed to threaten most was from Scotland. My father, +who had made himself master of the arguments on both sides, used to be +often saying he feared there was some about the king who exasperated +him too much against the Scots, and drove things too high. For my +part, I confess I did not much trouble my head with the cause; but all +my fear was they would not fall out, and we should have no fighting. +I have often reflected since, that I ought to have known better, that +had seen how the most flourishing provinces of Germany were reduced to +the most miserable condition that ever any country in the world was, +by the ravagings of soldiers, and the calamities of war. + +How much soever I was to blame, yet so it was, I had a secret joy +at the news of the king's raising an army, and nothing could have +withheld me from appearing in it; but my eagerness was anticipated +by an express the king sent to my father, to know if his son was in +England; and my father having ordered me to carry the answer myself, I +waited upon his Majesty with the messenger. The king received me with +his usual kindness, and asked me if I was willing to serve him against +the Scots? + +I answered, I was ready to serve him against any that his Majesty +thought fit to account his enemies, and should count it an honour to +receive his commands. Hereupon his Majesty offered me a commission. I +told him, I supposed there would not be much time for raising of men; +that if his Majesty pleased I would be at the rendezvous with as many +gentlemen as I could get together, to serve his Majesty as volunteers. + +The truth is, I found all the regiments of horse the king designed to +raise were but two as regiments; the rest of the horse were such as +the nobility raised in their several countries, and commanded them +themselves; and, as I had commanded a regiment of horse abroad, it +looked a little odd to serve with a single troop at home; and the king +took the thing presently. "Indeed 'twill be a volunteer war," said the +king, "for the Northern gentry have sent me an account of above 4000 +horse they have already." I bowed, and told his Majesty I was glad to +hear his subjects were forward to serve him. So taking his Majesty's +orders to be at York by the end of March, I returned to my father. + +My father was very glad I had not taken a commission, for I know not +from what kind of emulation between the western and northern gentry. +The gentlemen of our side were not very forward in the service; their +loyalty to the king in the succeeding times made it appear it was not +for any disaffection to his Majesty's interest or person, or to the +cause; but this, however, made it difficult for me when I came home +to get any gentlemen of quality to serve with me, so that I presented +myself to his Majesty only as a volunteer, with eight gentlemen and +about thirty-six countrymen well mounted and armed. + +And as it proved, these were enough, for this expedition ended in an +accommodation with the Scots; and they not advancing so much as to +their own borders, we never came to any action. But the armies lay +in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, ate up the country, +and spent the king a vast sum of money; and so this war ended, a +pacification was made, and both sides returned. + +The truth is, I never saw such a despicable appearance of men in arms +to begin a war in my life; whether it was that I had seen so many +braver armies abroad that prejudiced me against them, or that it +really was so; for to me they seemed little better than a rabble met +together to devour, rather than fight for their king and country. +There was indeed a great appearance of gentlemen, and those of +extraordinary quality; but their garb, their equipages, and their +mien, did not look like war; their troops were filled with footmen +and servants, and wretchedly armed, God wot. I believe I might say, +without vanity, one regiment of Finland horse would have made sport +at beating them all. There were such crowds of parsons (for this was +a Church war in particular) that the camp and court was full of them; +and the king was so eternally besieged with clergymen of one sort or +another, that it gave offence to the chief of the nobility. + +As was the appearance, so was the service. The army marched to the +borders, and the headquarter was at Berwick-upon-Tweed; but the Scots +never appeared, no, not so much as their scouts; whereupon the king +called a council of war, and there it was resolved to send the Earl of +Holland with a party of horse into Scotland, to learn some news of the +enemy. And truly the first news he brought us was, that finding their +army encamped about Coldingham, fifteen miles from Berwick, as soon as +he appeared, the Scots drew out a party to charge him, upon which +most of his men halted--I don't say run away, but 'twas next door to +it--for they could not be persuaded to fire their pistols, and wheel +of like soldiers, but retreated in such a disorderly and shameful +manner, that had the enemy but had either the courage or conduct to +have followed them, it must have certainly ended in the ruin of the +whole party. + + +[Footnote 1: Upon the breach of the match between the King of England +and the Infanta of Spain; and particularly upon the old quarrel of the +King of Bohemia and the Palatinate.] + + + + +THE SECOND PART + + +I confess, when I went into arms at the beginning of this war, I never +troubled myself to examine sides: I was glad to hear the drums beat +for soldiers, as if I had been a mere Swiss, that had not cared which +side went up or down, so I had my pay. I went as eagerly and blindly +about my business, as the meanest wretch that 'listed in the army; nor +had I the least compassionate thought for the miseries of my native +country, till after the fight at Edgehill. I had known as much, and +perhaps more than most in the army, what it was to have an enemy +ranging in the bowels of a kingdom; I had seen the most flourishing +provinces of Germany reduced to perfect deserts, and the voracious +Crabats, with inhuman barbarity, quenching the fires of the plundered +villages with the blood of the inhabitants. Whether this had hardened +me against the natural tenderness which I afterwards found return upon +me, or not, I cannot tell; but I reflected upon myself afterwards with +a great deal of trouble, for the unconcernedness of my temper at the +approaching ruin of my native country. + +I was in the first army at York, as I have already noted, and, I must +confess, had the least diversion there that ever I found in an army in +my life. For when I was in Germany with the King of Sweden, we used +to see the king with the general officers every morning on horseback +viewing his men, his artillery, his horses, and always something going +forward. Here we saw nothing but courtiers and clergymen, bishops and +parsons, as busy as if the direction of the war had been in them. The +king was seldom seen among us, and never without some of them always +about him. + +Those few of us that had seen the wars, and would have made a short +end of this for him, began to be very uneasy; and particularly a +certain nobleman took the freedom to tell the king that the clergy +would certainly ruin the expedition. The case was this: he would +have had the king have immediately marched into Scotland, and put the +matter to the trial of a battle; and he urged it every day. And the +king finding his reasons very good, would often be of his opinion; but +next morning he would be of another mind. + +This gentleman was a man of conduct enough, and of unquestioned +courage, and afterwards lost his life for the king. He saw we had an +army of young stout fellows numerous enough; and though they had not +yet seen much service, he was for bringing them to action, that the +Scots might not have time to strengthen themselves, nor they have +time by idleness and sotting, the bane of soldiers, to make themselves +unfit for anything. + +I was one morning in company with this gentleman; and as he was a warm +man, and eager in his discourse, "A pox of these priests," says he, +"'tis for them the king has raised this army, and put his friends to a +vast charge; and now we are come, they won't let us fight." + +But I was afterwards convinced the clergy saw further into the matter +than we did. They saw the Scots had a better army than we had--bold +and ready, commanded by brave officers--and they foresaw that if we +fought we should be beaten, and if beaten, they were undone. And 'twas +very true, we had all been ruined if we had engaged. + +It is true when we came to the pacification which followed, I confess +I was of the same mind the gentleman had been of; for we had better +have fought and been beaten than have made so dishonourable a treaty +without striking a stroke. This pacification seems to me to have laid +the scheme of all the blood and confusion which followed in the Civil +War. For whatever the king and his friends might pretend to do by +talking big, the Scots saw he was to be bullied into anything, and +that when it came to the push the courtiers never cared to bring it to +blows. + +I have little or nothing to say as to action in this mock expedition. +The king was persuaded at last to march to Berwick; and, as I have +said already, a party of horse went out to learn news of the Scots, +and as soon as they saw them, ran away from them bravely. + +This made the Scots so insolent that, whereas before they lay encamped +behind a river, and never showed themselves, in a sort of modest +deference to their king, which was the pretence of not being +aggressors or invaders, only arming in their own defence, now, having +been invaded by the English troops entering Scotland, they had what +they wanted. And to show it was not fear that retained them before, +but policy, now they came up in parties to our very gates, braving and +facing us every day. + +I had, with more curiosity than discretion, put myself as a volunteer +at the head of one of our parties of horse, under my Lord Holland, +when they went out to discover the enemy; they went, they said, to see +what the Scots were a-doing. + +We had not marched far, but our scouts brought word they had +discovered some horse, but could not come up to them, because a river +parted them. At the heels of these came another party of our men upon +the spur to us, and said the enemy was behind, which might be true for +aught we knew; but it was so far behind that nobody could see them, +and yet the country was plain and open for above a mile before us. +Hereupon we made a halt, and, indeed, I was afraid it would have been +an odd sort of a halt, for our men began to look one upon another, +as they do in like cases, when they are going to break; and when the +scouts came galloping in the men were in such disorder, that had but +one man broke away, I am satisfied they had all run for it. + +I found my Lord Holland did not perceive it; but after the first +surprise was a little over I told my lord what I had observed, and +that unless some course was immediately taken they would all run at +the first sight of the enemy. I found he was much concerned at it, and +began to consult what course to take to prevent it. I confess 'tis a +hard question how to make men stand and face an enemy, when fear has +possessed their minds with an inclination to run away. But I'll give +that honour to the memory of that noble gentleman, who, though his +experience in matters of war was small, having never been in much +service, yet his courage made amends for it; for I daresay he would +not have turned his horse from an army of enemies, nor have saved his +life at the price of running away for it. + +My lord soon saw, as well as I, the fright the men were in, after I +had given him a hint of it; and to encourage them, rode through their +ranks and spoke cheerfully to them, and used what arguments he thought +proper to settle their minds. I remembered a saying which I heard old +Marshal Gustavus Horn speak in Germany, "If you find your men falter, +or in doubt, never suffer them to halt, but keep them advancing; for +while they are going forward, it keeps up their courage." + +As soon as I could get opportunity to speak to him, I gave him this +as my opinion. "That's very well," says my lord, "but I am studying," +says he, "to post them so as that they can't run if they would; and if +they stand but once to face the enemy, I don't fear them afterwards." + +While we were discoursing thus, word was brought that several parties +of the enemies were seen on the farther side of the river, upon which +my lord gave the word to march; and as we were marching on, my lord +calls out a lieutenant who had been an old soldier, with only five +troopers whom he had most confidence in, and having given him his +lesson, he sends him away. In a quarter of an hour one of the +five troopers comes back galloping and hallooing, and tells us his +lieutenant had, with his small party, beaten a party of twenty of the +enemy's horse over the river, and had secured the pass, and desired my +lord would march up to him immediately. + +Tis a strange thing that men's spirits should be subjected to such +sudden changes, and capable of so much alteration from shadows of +things. They were for running before they saw the enemy, now they are +in haste to be led on, and but that in raw men we are obliged to bear +with anything, the disorder in both was intolerable. + +The story was a premeditated sham, and not a word of truth in it, +invented to raise their spirits, and cheat them out of their cowardly +phlegmatic apprehensions, and my lord had his end in it; for they +were all on fire to fall on. And I am persuaded, had they been led +immediately into a battle begun to their hands, they would have laid +about them like furies; for there is nothing like victory to flush a +young soldier. Thus, while the humour was high, and the fermentation +lasted, away we marched, and, passing one of their great commons, +which they call moors, we came to the river, as he called it, where +our lieutenant was posted with his four men; 'twas a little brook +fordable with ease, and, leaving a guard at the pass, we advanced to +the top of a small ascent, from whence we had a fair view of the Scots +army, as they lay behind another river larger than the former. + +Our men were posted well enough, behind a small enclosure, with a +narrow lane in their front. And my lord had caused his dragoons to be +placed in the front to line the hedges; and in this posture he stood +viewing the enemy at a distance. The Scots, who had some intelligence +of our coming, drew out three small parties, and sent them by +different ways to observe our number; and, forming a fourth party, +which I guessed to be about 600 horse, advanced to the top of the +plain, and drew up to face us, but never offered to attack us. + +One of the small parties, making about 100 men, one third foot, +passes upon our flank in view, but out of reach; and, as they marched, +shouted at us, which our men, better pleased with that work than with +fighting, readily enough answered, and would fain have fired at them +for the pleasure of making a noise, for they were too far off to hit +them. + +I observed that these parties had always some foot with them; and yet +if the horse galloped, or pushed on ever so forward, the foot were as +forward as they, which was an extraordinary advantage. + +Gustavus Adolphus, that king of soldiers, was the first that I have +ever observed found the advantage of mixing small bodies of musketeers +among his horse; and, had he had such nimble strong fellows as these, +he would have prized them above all the rest of his men. These were +those they call Highlanders. They would run on foot with their arms +and all their accoutrements, and keep very good order too, and yet +keep pace with the horse, let them go at what rate they would. When I +saw the foot thus interlined among the horse, together with the way of +ordering their flying parties, it presently occurred to my mind that +here was some of our old Scots come home out of Germany that had the +ordering of matters, and if so, I knew we were not a match for them. + +Thus we stood facing the enemy till our scouts brought us word the +whole Scots army was in motion, and in full march to attack us; and, +though it was not true, and the fear of our men doubled every object, +yet 'twas thought convenient to make our retreat. The whole matter was +that the scouts having informed them what they could of our strength, +the 600 were ordered to march towards us, and three regiments of foot +were drawn out to support the horse. + +I know not whether they would have ventured to attack us, at least +before their foot had come up; but whether they would have put it to +the hazard or no, we were resolved not to hazard the trial, so we +drew down to the pass. And, as retreating looks something like running +away, especially when an enemy is at hand, our men had much ado to +make their retreat pass for a march, and not a flight; and, by their +often looking behind them, anybody might know what they would have +done if they had been pressed. + +I confess, I was heartily ashamed when the Scots, coming up to the +place where we had been posted, stood and shouted at us. I would have +persuaded my lord to have charged them, and he would have done it with +all his heart, but he saw it was not practicable; so we stood at gaze +with them above two hours, by which time their foot were come up to +them, and yet they did not offer to attack us. I never was so ashamed +of myself in my life; we were all dispirited. The Scots gentlemen +would come out single, within shot of our post, which in a time of war +is always accounted a challenge to any single gentleman, to come out +and exchange a pistol with them, and nobody would stir; at last our +old lieutenant rides out to meet a Scotchman that came pickeering on +his quarter. This lieutenant was a brave and a strong fellow, had been +a soldier in the Low Countries; and though he was not of any quality, +only a mere soldier, had his preferment for his conduct. He gallops +bravely up to his adversary, and exchanging their pistols, the +lieutenant's horse happened to be killed. The Scotchman very +generously dismounts, and engages him with his sword, and fairly +masters him, and carries him away prisoner; and I think this horse was +all the blood was shed in that war. + +The lieutenant's name thus conquered was English, and as he was a very +stout old soldier, the disgrace of it broke his heart. The Scotchman, +indeed, used him very generously; for he treated him in the camp very +courteously, gave him another horse, and set him at liberty, gratis. +But the man laid it so to heart, that he never would appear in the +army, but went home to his own country and died. + +I had enough of party-making, and was quite sick with indignation at +the cowardice of the men; and my lord was in as great a fret as I, but +there was no remedy. We durst not go about to retreat, for we should +have been in such confusion that the enemy must have discovered it; so +my lord resolved to keep the post, if possible, and send to the king +for some foot. Then were our men ready to fight with one another who +should be the messenger; and at last when a lieutenant with twenty +dragoons was despatched, he told us afterwards he found himself an +hundred strong before he was gotten a mile from the place. + +In short, as soon as ever the day declined, and the dusk of the +evening began to shelter the designs of the men, they dropped away +from us one by one; and at last in such numbers, that if we had stayed +till the morning, we had not had fifty men left; out of 1200 horse and +dragoons. + +When I saw how it was, consulting with some of the officers, we all +went to my Lord Holland, and pressed him to retreat, before the enemy +should discern the flight of our men; so he drew us off, and we came +to the camp the next morning, in the shamefullest condition that ever +poor men could do. And this was the end of the worst expedition ever I +made in my life. + +To fight and be beaten is a casualty common to a soldier, and I have +since had enough of it; but to run away at the sight of an enemy, +and neither strike or be stricken, this is the very shame of the +profession, and no man that has done it ought to show his face +again in the field, unless disadvantages of place or number make it +tolerable, neither of which was our case. + +My Lord Holland made another march a few days after, in hopes to +retrieve this miscarriage; but I had enough of it, so I kept in my +quarters. And though his men did not desert him as before, yet upon +the appearance of the enemy they did not think fit to fight, and came +off with but little more honour than they did before. + +There was no need to go out to seek the enemy after this, for they +came, as I have noted, and pitched in sight of us, and their parties +came up every day to the very out-works of Berwick, but nobody +cared to meddle with them. And in this posture things stood when the +pacification was agreed on by both parties, which, like a short truce, +only gave both sides breath to prepare for a new war more ridiculously +managed than the former. When the treaty was so near a conclusion +as that conversation was admitted on both sides, I went over to the +Scotch camp to satisfy my curiosity, as many of our English officers +did also. + +I confess the soldiers made a very uncouth figure, especially the +Highlanders. The oddness and barbarity of their garb and arms seemed +to have something in it remarkable. + +They were generally tall swinging fellows; their swords were +extravagantly, and, I think, insignificantly broad, and they carried +great wooden targets, large enough to cover the upper part of their +bodies. Their dress was as antique as the rest; a cap on their heads, +called by them a bonnet, long hanging sleeves behind, and their +doublet, breeches, and stockings of a stuff they called plaid, striped +across red and yellow, with short cloaks of the same. These fellows +looked, when drawn out, like a regiment of merry-andrews, ready for +Bartholomew Fair. They are in companies all of a name, and therefore +call one another only by their Christian names, as Jemmy, Jocky, that +is, John, and Sawny, that is, Alexander, and the like. And they scorn +to be commanded but by one of their own clan or family. They are all +gentlemen, and proud enough to be kings. The meanest fellow among them +is as tenacious of his honour as the best nobleman in the country, +and they will fight and cut one another's throats for every trifling +affront. + +But to their own clans or lairds, they are the willingest and most +obedient fellows in nature. Give them their due, were their skill in +exercises and discipline proportioned to their courage, they would +make the bravest soldiers in the world. They are large bodies, and +prodigiously strong; and two qualities they have above other nations, +viz., hardy to endure hunger, cold, and hardships, and wonderfully +swift of foot. The latter is such an advantage in the field that I +know none like it; for if they conquer, no enemy can escape them, and +if they run, even the horse can hardly overtake them. These were some +of them, who, as I observed before, went out in parties with their +horse. + +There were three or four thousand of these in the Scots army, armed +only with swords and targets; and in their belts some of them had a +pistol, but no muskets at that time among them. + +But there were also a great many regiments of disciplined men, who, +by their carrying their arms, looked as if they understood their +business, and by their faces, that they durst see an enemy. + +I had not been half-an-hour in their camp after the ceremony of giving +our names, and passing their out-guards and main-guard was over, but +I was saluted by several of my acquaintance; and in particular, by one +who led the Scotch volunteers at the taking the castle of Oppenheim, +of which I have given an account. They used me with all the respect +they thought due to me, on account of old affairs, gave me the word, +and a sergeant waited upon me whenever I pleased to go abroad. + +I continued twelve or fourteen days among them, till the pacification +was concluded; and they were ordered to march home. They spoke very +respectfully of the king, but I found were exasperated to the last +degree at Archbishop Laud and the English bishops, for endeavouring to +impose the Common Prayer Book upon them; and they always talked with +the utmost contempt of our soldiers and army. I always waived the +discourse about the clergy, and the occasion of the war, but I could +not but be too sensible what they said of our men was true; and by +this I perceived they had an universal intelligence from among us, +both of what we were doing, and what sort of people we were that were +doing it; and they were mighty desirous of coming to blows with us. I +had an invitation from their general, but I declined it, lest I should +give offence. I found they accepted the pacification as a thing not +likely to hold, or that they did not design should hold; and that +they were resolved to keep their forces on foot, notwithstanding the +agreement. Their whole army was full of brave officers, men of as +much experience and conduct as any in the world; and all men who know +anything of the war, know good officers presently make a good army. + +Things being thus huddled up, the English came back to York, where +the army separated, and the Scots went home to increase theirs; for I +easily foresaw that peace was the farthest thing from their thoughts. + +The next year the flame broke out again. The king draws his forces +down into the north, as before, and expresses were sent to all the +gentlemen that had commands to be at the place by the 15th of July. As +I had accepted of no command in the army, so I had no inclination at +all to go, for I foresaw there would be nothing but disgrace attend +it. My father, observing such an alteration in my usual forwardness, +asked me one day what was the matter, that I who used to be so forward +to go into the army, and so eager to run abroad to fight, now showed +no inclination to appear when the service of the king and country +called me to it? I told him I had as much zeal as ever for the king's +service, and for the country too: but he knew a soldier could not +abide to be beaten; and being from thence a little more inquisitive, I +told him the observations I had made in the Scots army, and the people +I had conversed with there. "And, sir," says I, "assure yourself, if +the king offers to fight them, he will be beaten; and I don't love to +engage when my judgment tells me beforehand I shall be worsted." +And as I had foreseen, it came to pass; for the Scots resolving to +proceed, never stood upon the ceremony of aggression, as before, but +on the 20th of August they entered England with their army. + +However, as my father desired, I went to the king's army, which was +then at York, but not gotten all together. The king himself was at +London, but upon this news takes post for the army, and advancing a +part of his forces, he posted the Lord Conway and Sir Jacob Astley, +with a brigade of foot and some horse, at Newburn, upon the river +Tyne, to keep the Scots from passing that river. + +The Scots could have passed the Tyne without fighting; but to let us +see that they were able to force their passage, they fall upon his +body of men and notwithstanding all the advantages of the place, they +beat them from the post, took their baggage and two pieces of cannon, +with some prisoners. Sir Jacob Astley made what resistance he could, +but the Scots charged with so much fury, and being also overpowered, +he was soon put into confusion. Immediately the Scots made themselves +masters of Newcastle, and the next day of Durham, and laid those two +counties under intolerable contributions. + +Now was the king absolutely ruined; for among his own people the +discontents before were so plain, that had the clergy had any +forecast, they would never have embroiled him with the Scots, till he +had fully brought matters to an understanding at home. But the +case was thus: the king, by the good husbandry of Bishop Juxon, his +treasurer, had a million of ready money in his treasury, and upon that +account, having no need of a Parliament, had not called one in twelve +years; and perhaps had never called another, if he had not by this +unhappy circumstance been reduced to a necessity of it; for now +this ready money was spent in two foolish expeditions, and his army +appeared in a condition not fit to engage the Scots. The detachment +under Sir Jacob Astley, which were of the flower of his men, had +been routed at Newburn, and the enemy had possession of two entire +counties. + +All men blamed Laud for prompting the king to provoke the Scots, a +headstrong nation, and zealous for their own way of worship; and Laud +himself found too late the consequences of it, both to the whole cause +and to himself; for the Scots, whose native temper is not easily to +forgive an injury, pursued him by their party in England, and never +gave it over till they laid his head on the block. + +The ruined country now clamoured in his Majesty's ears with daily +petitions, and the gentry of other neighbouring counties cry out for +peace and Parliament. The king, embarrassed with these difficulties, +and quite empty of money, calls a great council of the nobility at +York, and demands their advice, which any one could have told him +before would be to call a Parliament. + +I cannot, without regret, look back upon the misfortune of the king, +who, as he was one of the best princes in his personal conduct that +ever reigned in England, had yet some of the greatest unhappinesses in +his conduct as a king, that ever prince had, and the whole course of +his life demonstrated it. + +1. An impolitic honesty. His enemies called it obstinacy; but as I was +perfectly acquainted with his temper, I cannot but think it was his +judgment, when he thought he was in the right, to adhere to it as a +duty though against his interest. + +2. Too much compliance when he was complying. No man but himself would +have denied what at some times he denied, and have granted what at +other times he granted; and this uncertainty of counsel proceeded from +two things. + +1. The heat of the clergy, to whom he was exceedingly devoted, and for +whom, indeed, he ruined himself. + +2. The wisdom of his nobility. + +Thus when the counsel of his priests prevailed, all was fire and +fury; the Scots were rebels, and must be subdued, and the Parliament's +demands were to be rejected as exorbitant. But whenever the king's +judgment was led by the grave and steady advice of his nobility and +counsellors, he was always inclined by them to temperate his measures +between the two extremes. And had he gone on in such a temper, he had +never met with the misfortunes which afterward attended him, or had +so many thousands of his friends lost their lives and fortunes in his +service. + +I am sure we that knew what it was to fight for him, and that loved +him better than any of the clergy could pretend to, have had many +a consultation how to bring over our master from so espousing their +interest, as to ruin himself for it; but 'twas in vain. + +I took this interval when I sat still and only looked on, to make +these remarks, because I remember the best friends the king had were +at this time of that opinion, that 'twas an unaccountable piece +of indiscretion, to commence a quarrel with the Scots, a poor and +obstinate people, for a ceremony and book of Church discipline, at a +time when the king stood but upon indifferent terms with his people at +home. + +The consequence was, it put arms into the hands of his subjects to +rebel against him; it embroiled him with his Parliament in England, to +whom he was fain to stoop in a fatal and unusual manner to get money, +all his own being spent, and so to buy off the Scots whom he could not +beat off. + +I cannot but give one instance of the unaccountable politics of his +ministers. If they overruled this unhappy king to it, with design to +exhaust and impoverish him, they were the worst of traitors; if not, +the grossest of fools. They prompted the king to equip a fleet against +the Scots, and to put on board it 5000 land men. Had this been all, +the design had been good, that while the king had faced the army upon +the borders, these 5000, landing in the Firth of Edinburgh, might +have put that whole nation into disorder. But in order to this, they +advised the king to lay out his money in fitting out the biggest ships +he had, and the "Royal Sovereign," the biggest ship the world had ever +seen, which cost him no less than £100,000, was now built, and fitted +out for this voyage. + +This was the most incongruous and ridiculous advice that could be +given, and made us all believe we were betrayed, though we knew not by +whom. + +To fit out ships of 100 guns to invade Scotland, which had not one +man-of-war in the world, nor any open confederacy with any prince or +state that had any fleet, 'twas a most ridiculous thing. An hundred +sail of Newcastle colliers, to carry the men with their stores and +provisions, and ten frigates of 40 guns each, had been as good a fleet +as reason and the nature of the thing could have made tolerable. + +Thus things were carried on, till the king, beggared by the +mismanagement of his counsels, and beaten by the Scots, was driven to +the necessity of calling a Parliament in England. + +It is not my design to enter into the feuds and brangles of this +Parliament. I have noted, by observations of their mistakes, who +brought the king to this happy necessity of calling them. + +His Majesty had tried Parliaments upon several occasions before, but +never found himself so much embroiled with them but he could send them +home, and there was an end of it; but as he could not avoid calling +these, so they took care to put him out of a condition to dismiss +them. + +The Scots army was now quartered upon the English. The counties, +the gentry, and the assembly of lords at York, petitioned for a +Parliament. + +The Scots presented their demands to the king, in which it was +observed that matters were concerted between them and a party in +England; and I confess when I saw that, I began to think the king in +an ill case; for as the Scots pretended grievances, we thought, +the king redressing those grievances, they could ask no more; and +therefore all men advised the king to grant their full demands. And +whereas the king had not money to supply the Scots in their march +home, I know there were several meetings of gentlemen with a design to +advance considerable sums of money to the king to set him free, and +in order to reinstate his Majesty, as before. Not that we ever advised +the king to rule without a Parliament, but we were very desirous of +putting him out of the necessity of calling them, at least just then. + +But the eighth article of the Scots' demands expressly required, that +an English Parliament might be called to remove all obstructions of +commerce, and to settle peace, religion, and liberty; and in another +article they tell the king, the 24th of September being the time his +Majesty appointed for the meeting of the peers, will make it too long +ere the Parliament meet. And in another, that a Parliament was the +only way of settling peace, and bring them to his Majesty's obedience. + +When we saw this in the army, 'twas time to look about. Everybody +perceived that the Scots army would call an English Parliament; and +whatever aversion the king had to it, we all saw he would be obliged +to comply with it; and now they all began to see their error, who +advised the king to this Scotch war. + +While these things were transacting, the assembly of the peers meet at +York, and by their advice a treaty was begun with the Scots. I had the +honour to be sent with the first message which was in writing. + +I brought it, attended by a trumpet and a guard of 500 horse, to +the Scots quarters. I was stopped at Darlington, and my errand being +known, General Leslie sent a Scots major and fifty horses to receive +me, but would let neither my trumpet or guard set foot within +their quarters. In this manner I was conducted to audience in the +chapter-house at Durham, where a committee of Scots lords who attended +the army received me very courteously, and gave me their answer in +writing also. + +'Twas in this answer that they showed, at least to me, their design +of embroiling the king with his English subjects; they discoursed very +freely with me, and did not order me to withdraw when they debated +their private opinions. They drew up several answers but did not like +them; at last they gave me one which I did not receive, I thought it +was too insolent to be borne with. As near as I can remember it was +thus: The commissioners of Scotland attending the service in the army, +do refuse any treaty in the city of York. + +One of the commissioners who treated me with more distinction than the +rest, and discoursed freely with me, gave me an opportunity to speak +more freely of this than I expected. + +I told them if they would return to his Majesty an answer fit for me +to carry, or if they would say they would not treat at all, I would +deliver such a message. But I entreated them to consider the answer +was to their sovereign, and to whom they made a great profession of +duty and respect, and at least they ought to give their reasons why +they declined a treaty at York, and to name some other place, or +humbly to desire his Majesty to name some other place; but to send +word they would not treat at York, I could deliver no such message, +for when put into English it would signify they would not treat at +all. + +I used a great many reasons and arguments with them on this head, +and at last with some difficulty obtained of them to give the reason, +which was the Earl of Strafford's having the chief command at York, +whom they declared their mortal enemy, he having declared them rebels +in Ireland. + +With this answer I returned. I could make no observations in the short +time I was with them, for as I stayed but one night, so I was guarded +as a close prisoner all the while. I saw several of their officers +whom I knew, but they durst not speak to me, and if they would have +ventured, my guard would not have permitted them. + +In this manner I was conducted out of their quarters to my own party +again, and having delivered my message to the king and told his +Majesty the circumstances, I saw the king receive the account of the +haughty behaviour of the Scots with some regret; however, it was his +Majesty's time now to bear, and therefore the Scots were complied +with, and the treaty appointed at Ripon; where, after much debate, +several preliminary articles were agreed on, as a cessation of arms, +quarters, and bounds to the armies, subsistence to the Scots army, and +the residue of the demands was referred to a treaty at London, &c. + +We were all amazed at the treaty, and I cannot but remember we used to +wish much rather we had been suffered to fight; for though we had been +worsted at first, the power and strength of the king's interest, which +was not yet tried, must, in fine, have been too strong for the Scots, +whereas now we saw the king was for complying with anything, and all +his friends would be ruined. + +I confess I had nothing to fear, and so was not much concerned, but +our predictions soon came to pass, for no sooner was this Parliament +called but abundance of those who had embroiled their king with his +people of both kingdoms, like the disciples when their Master was +betrayed to the Jews, forsook him and fled; and now Parliament tyranny +began to succeed Church tyranny, and we soldiers were glad to see it +at first. The bishops trembled, the judges went to gaol, the officers +of the customs were laid hold on; and the Parliament began to lay +their fingers on the great ones, particularly Archbishop Laud and the +Earl of Strafford. We had no great concern for the first, but the +last was a man of so much conduct and gallantry, and so beloved by the +soldiers and principal gentry of England, that everybody was touched +with his misfortune. + +The Parliament now grew mad in their turn, and as the prosperity of +any party is the time to show their discretion, the Parliament showed +they knew as little where to stop as other people. The king was not in +a condition to deny anything, and nothing could be demanded but they +pushed it. They attainted the Earl of Strafford, and thereby made +the king cut off his right hand to save his left, and yet not save +it neither. They obtained another bill to empower them to sit during +their own pleasure, and after them, triennial Parliaments to meet, +whether the king call them or no; and granting this completed his +Majesty's ruin. + +Had the House only regulated the abuses of the court, punished evil +counsellors, and restored Parliaments to their original and just +powers, all had been well, and the king, though he had been more than +mortified, had yet reaped the benefit of future peace; for now +the Scots were sent home, after having eaten up two counties, and +received a prodigious sum of money to boot. And the king, though too +late, goes in person to Edinburgh, and grants them all they could +desire, and more than they asked; but in England, the desires of ours +were unbounded, and drove at all extremes. + +They drew out the bishops from sitting in the House, made a +protestation equivalent to the Scotch Covenant, and this done, print +their remonstrance. This so provoked the king, that he resolves upon +seizing some of the members, and in an ill hour enters the House in +person to take them. Thus one imprudent thing on one hand produced +another of the other hand, till the king was obliged to leave them to +themselves, for fear of being mobbed into something or other unworthy +of himself. + +These proceedings began to alarm the gentry and nobility of England; +for, however willing we were to have evil counsellors removed, and +the government return to a settled and legal course, according to the +happy constitution of this nation, and might have been forward enough +to have owned the king had been misled, and imposed upon to do things +which he had rather had not been done, yet it did not follow, that +all the powers and prerogatives of the crown should devolve upon the +Parliament, and the king in a manner be deposed, or else sacrificed to +the fury of the rabble. + +The heats of the House running them thus to all extremes, and at last +to take from the king the power of the militia, which indeed was +all that was left to make him anything of a king, put the king upon +opposing force with force; and thus the flame of civil war began. + +However backward I was in engaging in the second year's expedition +against the Scots, I was as forward now, for I waited on the king +at York, where a gallant company of gentlemen as ever were seen in +England, engaged themselves to enter into his service; and here some +of us formed ourselves into troops for the guard of his person. + +The king having been waited upon by the gentry of Yorkshire, and +having told them his resolution of erecting his royal standard, and +received from them hearty assurances of support, dismisses them, and +marches to Hull, where lay the train of artillery, and all the +arms and ammunition belonging to the northern army which had been +disbanded. But here the Parliament had been beforehand with his +Majesty, so that when he came to Hull, he found the gates shut, and +Sir John Hotham, the governor, upon the walls, though with a great +deal of seeming humility and protestations of loyalty to his person, +yet with a positive denial to admit any of the king's attendants into +the town. If his Majesty pleased to enter the town in person with any +reasonable number of his household, he would submit, but would not +be prevailed on to receive the king as he would be received, with his +forces, though those forces were then but very few. + +The king was exceedingly provoked at this repulse, and indeed it was +a great surprise to us all, for certainly never prince began a war +against the whole strength of his kingdom under the circumstances that +he was in. He had not a garrison, or a company of soldiers in his +pay, not a stand of arms, or a barrel of powder, a musket, cannon +or mortar, not a ship of all the fleet, or money in his treasury to +procure them; whereas the Parliament had all his navy, and ordnance, +stores, magazines, arms, ammunition, and revenue in their keeping. +And this I take to be another defect of the king's counsel, and a sad +instance of the distraction of his affairs, that when he saw how all +things were going to wreck, as it was impossible but he should see it, +and 'tis plain he did see it, that he should not long enough before it +came to extremities secure the navy, magazines, and stores of war, in +the hands of his trusty servants, that would have been sure to have +preserved them for his use, at a time when he wanted them. + +It cannot be supposed but the gentry of England, who generally +preserved their loyalty for their royal master, and at last heartily +showed it, were exceedingly discouraged at first when they saw the +Parliament had all the means of making war in their own hands, and the +king was naked and destitute either of arms or ammunition, or money +to procure them. Not but that the king, by extraordinary application, +recovered the disorder the want of these things had thrown him into, +and supplied himself with all things needful. + +But my observation was this, had his Majesty had the magazines, navy, +and forts in his own hand, the gentry, who wanted but the prospect of +something to encourage them, had come in at first, and the Parliament, +being unprovided, would have been presently reduced to reason. But +this was it that balked the gentry of Yorkshire, who went home again, +giving the king good promises, but never appeared for him, till +by raising a good army in Shropshire and Wales, he marched towards +London, and they saw there was a prospect of their being supported. + +In this condition the king erected his standard at Nottingham, 22nd +August 1642, and I confess, I had very melancholy apprehensions of +the king's affairs, for the appearance to the royal standard was +but small. The affront the king had met with at Hull, had balked and +dispirited the northern gentry, and the king's affairs looked with +a very dismal aspect. We had expresses from London of the prodigious +success of the Parliament levies, how their men came in faster than +they could entertain them, and that arms were delivered out to whole +companies listed together, and the like. And all this while the +king had not got together a thousand foot, and had no arms for them +neither. When the king saw this, he immediately despatches five +several messengers, whereof one went to the Marquis of Worcester into +Wales; one went to the queen, then at Windsor; one to the Duke +of Newcastle, then Marquis of Newcastle, into the north; one into +Scotland; and one into France, where the queen soon after arrived to +raise money, and buy arms, and to get what assistance she could among +her own friends. Nor was her Majesty idle, for she sent over several +ships laden with arms and ammunition, with a fine train of artillery, +and a great many very good officers; and though one of the first fell +into the hands of the Parliament, with three hundred barrels of powder +and some arms, and one hundred and fifty gentlemen, yet most of the +gentlemen found means, one way or other, to get to us, and most of +the ships the queen freighted arrived; and at last her Majesty came +herself, and brought an extraordinary supply both of men, money, +arms, &c., with which she joined the king's forces under the Earl of +Newcastle in the north. + +Finding his Majesty thus bestirring himself to muster his friends +together, I asked him if he thought it might not be for his Majesty's +service to let me go among my friends, and his loyal subjects about +Shrewsbury? "Yes," says the king, smiling, "I intend you shall, and +I design to go with you myself." I did not understand what the king +meant then, and did not think it good manners to inquire, but the next +day I found all things disposed for a march, and the king on horseback +by eight of the clock; when calling me to him, he told me I should +go before, and let my father and all my friends know he would be at +Shrewsbury the Saturday following. I left my equipages, and taking +post with only one servant, was at my father's the next morning by +break of day. My father was not surprised at the news of the king's +coming at all, for, it seems, he, together with the royal gentry of +those parts, had sent particularly to give the king an invitation to +move that way, which I was not made privy to, with an account what +encouragement they had there in the endeavours made for his interest. +In short, the whole country was entirely for the king, and such was +the universal joy the people showed when the news of his Majesty's +coming down was positively known, that all manner of business was laid +aside, and the whole body of the people seemed to be resolved upon the +war. + +As this gave a new face to the king's affairs, so I must own it filled +me with joy; for I was astonished before, when I considered what +the king and his friends were like to be exposed to. The news of the +proceedings of the Parliament, and their powerful preparations, were +now no more terrible; the king came at the time appointed, and +having lain at my father's house one night, entered Shrewsbury in the +morning. The acclamations of the people, the concourse of the nobility +and gentry about his person, and the crowds which now came every day +into the standard, were incredible. + +The loyalty of the English gentry was not only worth notice, but the +power of the gentry is extraordinary visible in this matter. The +king, in about six weeks' time, which was the most of his stay at +Shrewsbury, was supplied with money, arms, ammunition, and a train of +artillery, and listed a body of an army upwards of 20,000 men. + +His Majesty seeing the general alacrity of his people, immediately +issued out commissions, and formed regiments of horse and foot; +and having some experienced officers about him, together with about +sixteen who came from France, with a ship loaded with arms and some +field-pieces which came very seasonably into the Severn, the men were +exercised, regularly disciplined, and quartered, and now we began to +look like soldiers. My father had raised a regiment of horse at his +own charge, and completed them, and the king gave out arms to them +from the supplies which I mentioned came from abroad. Another party +of horse, all brave stout fellows, and well mounted, came in from +Lancashire, and the Earl of Derby at the head of them. The Welshmen +came in by droves; and so great was the concourse of people, that the +king began to think of marching, and gave the command, as well as the +trust of regulating the army, to the brave Earl of Lindsey, as general +of the foot. The Parliament general being the Earl of Essex, two +braver men, or two better officers, were not in the kingdom; they had +both been old soldiers, and had served together as volunteers in the +Low Country wars, under Prince Maurice. They had been comrades and +companions abroad, and now came to face one another as enemies in the +field. + +Such was the expedition used by the king and his friends, in the +levies of this first army, that notwithstanding the wonderful +expedition the Parliament made, the king was in the field before them; +and now the gentry in other parts of the nation bestirred themselves, +and seized upon, and garrisoned several considerable places, for the +king. In the north, the Earl of Newcastle not only garrisoned the most +considerable places, but even the general possession of the north was +for the king, excepting Hull, and some few places, which the old Lord +Fairfax had taken up for the Parliament. On the other hand, entire +Cornwall and most of the western counties were the king's. The +Parliament had their chief interest in the south and eastern part +of England, as Kent, Surrey, and, Sussex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, +Cambridge, Bedford, Huntingdon, Hertford, Buckinghamshire, and the +other midland counties. These were called, or some of them at least, +the associated counties, and felt little of the war, other than +the charges; but the main support of the Parliament was the city of +London. + +The king made the seat of his court at Oxford, which he caused to be +regularly fortified. The Lord Say had been here, and had possession of +the city for the enemy, and was debating about fortifying it, but +came to no resolution, which was a very great over-sight in them; the +situation of the place, and the importance of it, on many accounts, +to the city of London, considered; and they would have retrieved this +error afterwards, but then 'twas too late; for the king made it the +headquarter, and received great supplies and assistance from the +wealth of the colleges, and the plenty of the neighbouring country. +Abingdon, Wallingford, Basing, and Reading, were all garrisoned and +fortified as outworks to defend this as the centre. And thus all +England became the theatre of blood, and war was spread into every +corner of the country, though as yet there was no stroke struck. I had +no command in this army. My father led his own regiment, and, old as +he was, would not leave his royal master, and my elder brother stayed +at home to support the family. As for me, I rode a volunteer in the +royal troop of guards, which may very well deserve the title of a +royal troop, for it was composed of young gentlemen, sons of the +nobility, and some of the prime gentry of the nation, and I think not +a person of so mean a birth or fortune as myself. We reckoned in this +troop two and thirty lords, or who came afterwards to be such, +and eight and thirty of younger sons of the nobility, five French +noblemen, and all the rest gentlemen of very good families and +estates. + +And that I may give the due to their personal valour, many of this +troop lived afterwards to have regiments and troops under their +command in the service of the king, many of them lost their lives for +him, and most of them their estates. Nor did they behave unworthy of +themselves in their first showing their faces to the enemy, as shall +be mentioned in its place. + +While the king remained at Shrewsbury, his loyal friends bestirred +themselves in several parts of the kingdom. Goring had secured +Portsmouth, but being young in matters of war, and not in time +relieved, though the Marquis of Hertford was marching to relieve him, +yet he was obliged to quit the place, and shipped himself for Holland, +from whence he returned with relief for the king, and afterwards +did very good service upon all occasions, and so effectually cleared +himself of the scandal the hasty surrender of Portsmouth had brought +upon his courage. + +The chief power of the king's forces lay in three places, in Cornwall, +in Yorkshire, and at Shrewsbury. In Cornwall, Sir Ralph Hopton, +afterwards Lord Hopton, Sir Bevil Grenvile, and Sir Nicholas Slanning +secured all the country, and afterwards spread themselves over +Devonshire and Somersetshire, took Exeter from the Parliament, +fortified Bridgewater and Barnstaple, and beat Sir William Waller at +the battle of Roundway Down, as I shall touch at more particularly +when I come to recite the part of my own travels that way. + +In the north, The Marquis of Newcastle secured all the country, +garrisoned York, Scarborough, Carlisle, Newcastle, Pomfret, Leeds, and +all the considerable places, and took the field with a very good army, +though afterwards he proved more unsuccessful than the rest, having +the whole power of a kingdom at his back, the Scots coming in with +an army to the assistance of the Parliament, which, indeed, was the +general turn of the scale of the war; for had it not been for this +Scots army, the king had most certainly reduced the Parliament, at +least to good terms of peace, in two years' time. + +The king was the third article. His force at Shrewsbury I have noted +already. The alacrity of the gentry filled him with hopes, and all his +army with vigour, and the 8th of October 1642, his Majesty gave orders +to march. The Earl of Essex had spent above a month after his leaving +London (for he went thence the 9th of September) in modelling and +drawing together his forces; his rendezvous was at St Albans, from +whence he marched to Northampton, Coventry, and Warwick, and leaving +garrisons in them, he comes on to Worcester. Being thus advanced, he +possesses Oxford, as I noted before, Banbury, Bristol, Gloucester, and +Worcester, out of all which places, except Gloucester, we drove him +back to London in a very little while. + +Sir John Byron had raised a very good party of 500 horse, most +gentlemen, for the king, and had possessed Oxford; but on the approach +of the Lord Say quitted it, being now but an open town, and retreated +to Worcester, from whence, on the approach of Essex's army, he +retreated to the king. And now all things grew ripe for action, both +parties having secured their posts, and settled their schemes of the +war, taken their posts and places as their measures and opportunities +directed. The field was next in their eye, and the soldiers began to +inquire when they should fight, for as yet there had been little or no +blood drawn; and 'twas not long before they had enough of it; for, I +believe, I may challenge all the historians in Europe to tell me of +any war in the world where, in the space of four years, there were so +many pitched battles, sieges, fights, and skirmishes, as in this war. +We never encamped or entrenched, never fortified the avenues to our +posts, or lay fenced with rivers and defiles; here was no leaguers in +the field, as at the story of Nuremberg, neither had our soldiers any +tents, or what they call heavy baggage. 'Twas the general maxim of +this war, "Where is the enemy? let us go and fight them," or, on the +other hand, if the enemy was coming, "What was to be done?" "Why, what +should be done? Draw out into the fields and fight them." I cannot say +'twas the prudence of the parties, and had the king fought less he had +gained more. And I shall remark several times when the eagerness of +fighting was the worst counsel, and proved our loss. This benefit, +however, happened in general to the country, that it made a quick, +though a bloody, end of the war, which otherwise had lasted till it +might have ruined the whole nation. + +On the 10th of October the king's army was in full march, his Majesty, +generalissimo, the Earl of Lindsey, general of the foot, Prince +Rupert, general of the horse; and the first action in the field was by +Prince Rupert and Sir John Byron. Sir John had brought his body of +500 horse, as I noted already, from Oxford to Worcester; the Lord +Say, with a strong party, being in the neighbourhood of Oxford, and +expected in the town, Colonel Sandys, a hot man, and who had more +courage than judgment, advances with about 1500 horse and dragoons, +with design to beat Sir John Byron out of Worcester, and take post +there for the Parliament. + +The king had notice that the Earl of Essex designed for Worcester, and +Prince Rupert was ordered to advance with a body of horse and dragoons +to face the enemy, and bring off Sir John Byron. This his Majesty did +to amuse the Earl of Essex, that he might expect him that way; whereas +the king's design was to get between the Earl of Essex's army and the +city of London; and his Majesty's end was doubly answered, for he +not only drew Essex on to Worcester, where he spent more time than he +needed, but he beat the party into the bargain. + +I went volunteer in this party, and rode in my father's regiment; for +though we really expected not to see the enemy, yet I was tired with +lying still. We came to Worcester just as notice was brought to +Sir John Byron, that a party of the enemy was on their march for +Worcester, upon which the prince immediately consulting what was to be +done, resolves to march the next morning and fight them. + +The enemy, who lay at Pershore, about eight miles from Worcester, and, +as I believe, had no notice of our march, came on very confidently +in the morning, and found us fairly drawn up to receive them. I must +confess this was the bluntest, downright way of making war that ever +was seen. The enemy, who, in all the little knowledge I had of war, +ought to have discovered our numbers, and guessed by our posture what +our design was, might easily have informed themselves that we intended +to attack them, and so might have secured the advantage of a bridge in +their front; but without any regard to these methods of policy, they +came on at all hazards. Upon this notice, my father proposed to the +prince to halt for them, and suffer ourselves to be attacked, since +we found them willing to give us the advantage. The prince approved of +the advice, so we halted within view of a bridge, leaving space enough +on our front for about half the number of their forces to pass and +draw up; and at the bridge was posted about fifty dragoons, with +orders to retire as soon as the enemy advanced, as if they had been +afraid. On the right of the road was a ditch, and a very high bank +behind, where we had placed 300 dragoons, with orders to lie flat on +their faces till the enemy had passed the bridge, and to let fly among +them as soon as our trumpets sounded a charge. Nobody but Colonel +Sandys would have been caught in such a snare, for he might easily +have seen that when he was over the bridge there was not room enough +for him to fight in. But the Lord of hosts was so much in their +mouths, for that was the word for that day, that they took little heed +how to conduct the host of the Lord to their own advantage. + +As we expected, they appeared, beat our dragoons from the bridge, and +passed it. We stood firm in one line with a reserve, and expected a +charge, but Colonel Sandys, showing a great deal more judgment than +we thought he was master of, extends himself to the left, finding +the ground too strait, and began to form his men with a great deal of +readiness and skill, for by this time he saw our number was greater +than he expected. The prince perceiving it, and foreseeing that the +stratagem of the dragoons would be frustrated by this, immediately +charges with the horse, and the dragoons at the same time standing +upon their feet, poured in their shot upon those that were passing +the bridge. This surprise put them into such disorder, that we had but +little work with them. For though Colonel Sandys with the troops next +him sustained the shock very well, and behaved themselves gallantly +enough, yet the confusion beginning in their rear, those that had not +yet passed the bridge were kept back by the fire of the dragoons, +and the rest were easily cut in pieces. Colonel Sandys was mortally +wounded and taken prisoner, and the crowd was so great to get back, +that many pushed into the water, and were rather smothered than +drowned. Some of them who never came into the fight, were so frighted, +that they never looked behind them till they came to Pershore, and, +as we were afterwards informed, the lifeguards of the general who had +quartered in the town, left it in disorder enough, expecting us at the +heels of their men. + +If our business had been to keep the Parliament army from coming to +Worcester, we had a very good opportunity to have secured the bridge +at Pershore; but our design lay another way, as I have said, and the +king was for drawing Essex on to the Severn, in hopes to get behind +him, which fell out accordingly. + +Essex, spurred by this affront in the infancy of their affairs, +advances the next day, and came to Pershore time enough to be at the +funeral of some of his men; and from thence he advances to Worcester. + +We marched back to Worcester extremely pleased with the good success +of our first attack, and our men were so flushed with this little +victory that it put vigour into the whole army. The enemy lost about +3000 men, and we carried away near 150 prisoners, with 500 horses, +some standards and arms, and among the prisoners their colonel; but he +died a little after of his wounds. + +Upon the approach of the enemy, Worcester was quitted, and the forces +marched back to join the king's army, which lay then at Bridgnorth, +Ludlow, and thereabout. As the king expected, it fell out; Essex found +so much work at Worcester to settle Parliament quarters, and secure +Bristol, Gloucester, and Hereford, that it gave the king a full day's +march of him. So the king, having the start of him, moves towards +London; and Essex, nettled to be both beaten in fight and outdone in +conduct, decamps, and follows the king. + +The Parliament, and the Londoners too, were in a strange consternation +at this mistake of their general; and had the king, whose great +misfortune was always to follow precipitant advices,--had the king, +I say, pushed on his first design, which he had formed with very good +reason, and for which he had been dodging with Essex eight or ten +days, viz., of marching directly to London, where he had a very +great interest, and where his friends were not yet oppressed and +impoverished, as they were afterwards, he had turned the scale of his +affairs. And every man expected it; for the members began to shift +for themselves, expresses were sent on the heels of one another to the +Earl of Essex to hasten after the king, and, if possible, to bring him +to a battle. Some of these letters fell into our hands, and we might +easily discover that the Parliament were in the last confusion at +the thoughts of our coming to London. Besides this, the city was in a +worse fright than the House, and the great moving men began to go +out of town. In short, they expected us, and we expected to come, but +Providence for our ruin had otherwise determined it. + +Essex, upon news of the king's march, and upon receipt of the +Parliament's letters, makes long marches after us, and on the 23rd of +October reaches the village of Kineton, in Warwickshire. The king was +almost as far as Banbury, and there calls a council of war. Some of +the old officers that foresaw the advantage the king had, the concern +the city was in, and the vast addition, both to the reputation of his +forces and the increase of his interest, it would be if the king could +gain that point, urged the king to march on to London. Prince +Rupert and the fresh colonels pressed for fighting, told the king it +dispirited their men to march with the enemy at their heels; that the +Parliament army was inferior to him by 6000 men, and fatigued with +hasty marching; that as their orders were to fight, he had nothing +to do but to post himself to advantage, and receive them to their +destruction; that the action near Worcester had let them know how easy +it was to deal with a rash enemy; and that 'twas a dishonour for him, +whose forces were so much superior, to be pursued by his subjects in +rebellion. These and the like arguments prevailed with the king to +alter his wiser measures and resolve to fight. Nor was this all; when +a resolution of fighting was taken, that part of the advice which they +who were for fighting gave, as a reason for their opinion, was forgot, +and instead of halting and posting ourselves to advantage till the +enemy came up, we were ordered to march back and meet them. + +Nay, so eager was the prince for fighting, that when, from the top of +Edgehill, the enemy's army was descried in the bottom between them +and the village of Kineton, and that the enemy had bid us defiance, +by discharging three cannons, we accepted the challenge, and answering +with two shots from our army, we must needs forsake the advantages +of the hills, which they must have mounted under the command of our +cannon, and march down to them into the plain. I confess, I thought +here was a great deal more gallantry than discretion; for it was +plainly taking an advantage out of our own hands, and putting it into +the hands of the enemy. An enemy that must fight, may always be fought +with to advantage. My old hero, the glorious Gustavus Adolphus, was as +forward to fight as any man of true valour mixed with any policy need +to be, or ought to be; but he used to say, "An enemy reduced to a +necessity of fighting is half beaten." + +Tis true, we were all but young in the war; the soldiers hot and +forward, and eagerly desired to come to hands with the enemy. But +I take the more notice of it here, because the king in this acted +against his own measures; for it was the king himself had laid the +design of getting the start of Essex, and marching to London. His +friends had invited him thither, and expected him, and suffered deeply +for the omission; and yet he gave way to these hasty counsels, and +suffered his judgment to be overruled by majority of voices; an error, +I say, the King of Sweden was never guilty of. For if all the officers +at a council of war were of a different opinion, yet unless their +reasons mastered his judgment, their votes never altered his measures. +But this was the error of our good, but unfortunate master, three +times in this war, and particularly in two of the greatest battles of +the time, viz., this of Edgehill, and that of Naseby. + +The resolution for fighting being published in the army, gave an +universal joy to the soldiers, who expressed an extraordinary ardour +for fighting. I remember my father talking with me about it, asked +me what I thought of the approaching battle. I told him I thought the +king had done very well; for at that time I did not consult the extent +of the design, and had a mighty mind, like other rash people, to see +it brought to a day, which made me answer my father as I did. "But," +said I, "sir, I doubt there will be but indifferent doings on both +sides, between two armies both made up of fresh men, that have never +seen any service." My father minded little what I spoke of that; but +when I seemed pleased that the king had resolved to fight, he looked +angrily at me, and told me he was sorry I could see no farther into +things. "I tell you," says he hastily, "if the king should kill and +take prisoners this whole army, general and all, the Parliament will +have the victory; for we have lost more by slipping this opportunity +of getting into London, than we shall ever get by ten battles." I +saw enough of this afterwards to convince me of the weight of what +my father said, and so did the king too; but it was then too late. +Advantages slipped in war are never recovered. + +We were now in a full march to fight the Earl of Essex. It was on +Sunday morning the 24th of October 1642, fair weather overhead, but +the ground very heavy and dirty. As soon as we came to the top of +Edgehill, we discovered their whole army. They were not drawn up, +having had two miles to march that morning, but they were very busy +forming their lines, and posting the regiments as they came up. Some +of their horse were exceedingly fatigued, having marched forty-eight +hours together; and had they been suffered to follow us three or four +days' march farther, several of their regiments of horse would +have been quite ruined, and their foot would have been rendered +unserviceable for the present. But we had no patience. + +As soon as our whole army was come to the top of the hill, we +were drawn up in order of battle. The king's army made a very fine +appearance; and indeed they were a body of gallant men as ever +appeared in the field, and as well furnished at all points; the +horse exceedingly well accoutred, being most of them gentlemen and +volunteers, some whole regiments serving without pay; their horses +very good and fit for service as could be desired. The whole army were +not above 18,000 men, and the enemy not 1000 over or under, though we +had been told they were not above 12,000; but they had been reinforced +with 4000 men from Northampton. The king was with the general, the +Earl of Lindsey, in the main battle; Prince Rupert commanded the right +wing, and the Marquis of Hertford, the Lord Willoughby, and several +other very good officers the left. + +The signal of battle being given with two cannon shots, we marched +in order of battalia down the hill, being drawn up in two lines with +bodies of reserve; the enemy advanced to meet us much in the same +form, with this difference only, that they had placed their cannon on +their right, and the king had placed ours in the centre, before, or +rather between two great brigades of foot. Their cannon began with us +first, and did some mischief among the dragoons of our left wing; but +our officers, perceiving the shot took the men and missed the horses, +ordered all to alight, and every man leading his horse, to advance in +the same order; and this saved our men, for most of the enemy's shot +flew over their heads. Our cannon made a terrible execution upon their +foot for a quarter of an hour, and put them into great confusion, +till the general obliged them to halt, and changed the posture of his +front, marching round a small rising ground by which he avoided the +fury of our artillery. + +By this time the wings were engaged, the king having given the signal +of battle, and ordered the right wing to fall on. Prince Rupert, who, +as is said, commanded that wing, fell on with such fury, and pushed +the left wing of the Parliament army so effectually, that in a moment +he filled all with terror and confusion. Commissary-General Ramsey, a +Scotsman, a Low Country Soldier, and an experienced officer, commanded +their left wing, and though he did all that an expert soldier, and +a brave commander could do, yet 'twas to no purpose; his lines were +immediately broken, and all overwhelmed in a trice. Two regiments of +foot, whether as part of the left wing, or on the left of the main +body, I know not, were disordered by their own horse, and rather +trampled to death by the horses, than beaten by our men; but they were +so entirely broken and disordered, that I do not remember that ever +they made one volley upon our men; for their own horse running away, +and falling foul on these foot, were so vigorously followed by our +men, that the foot never had a moment to rally or look behind them. +The point of the left wing of horse were not so soon broken as the +rest, and three regiments of them stood firm for some time. The +dexterous officers of the other regiments taking the opportunity, +rallied a great many of their scattered men behind them, and pieced +in some troops with those regiments; but after two or three charges, +which a brigade of our second line, following the prince, made upon +them, they also were broken with the rest. + +I remember that at the great battle of Leipsic, the right wing of the +Imperialists having fallen in upon the Saxons with like fury to this, +bore down all before them, and beat the Saxons quite out of the field; +upon which the soldiers cried, "Victoria, let us follow." "No, no," +said the old General Tilly, "let them go, but let us beat the Swedes +too, and then all's our own." Had Prince Rupert taken this method, and +instead of following the fugitives, who were dispersed so effectually +that two regiments would have secured them from rallying--I say, had +he fallen in upon the foot, or wheeled to the left, and fallen in +upon the rear of the enemy's right wing of horse, or returned to +the assistance of the left wing of our horse, we had gained the most +absolute and complete victory that could be; nor had 1000 men of +the enemy's army got off. But this prince, who was full of fire, and +pleased to see the rout of an enemy, pursued them quite to the town of +Kineton, where indeed he killed abundance of their men, and some time +also was lost in plundering the baggage. + +But in the meantime, the glory and advantage of the day was lost to +the king, for the right wing of the Parliament horse could not be so +broken. Sir William Balfour made a desperate charge upon the point of +the king's left, and had it not been for two regiments of dragoons who +were planted in the reserve, had routed the whole wing, for he broke +through the first line, and staggered the second, who advanced to +their assistance, but was so warmly received by those dragoons, who +came seasonably in, and gave their first fire on horseback, that his +fury was checked, and having lost a great many men, was forced to +wheel about to his own men; and had the king had but three regiments +of horse at hand to have charged him, he had been routed. The rest of +this wing kept their ground, and received the first fury of the enemy +with great firmness; after which, advancing in their turn, they +were at once masters of the Earl of Essex's cannon. And here we lost +another advantage; for if any foot had been at hand to support these +horse, they had carried off the cannon, or turned it upon the main +battle of the enemy's foot, but the foot were otherwise engaged. The +horse on this side fought with great obstinacy and variety of success +a great while. Sir Philip Stapleton, who commanded the guards of the +Earl of Essex, being engaged with a party of our Shrewsbury cavaliers, +as we called them, was once in a fair way to have been cut off by +a brigade of our foot, who, being advanced to fall on upon the +Parliament's main body, flanked Sir Philip's horse in their way, and +facing to the left, so furiously charged him with their pikes, that he +was obliged to retire in great disorder, and with the loss of a great +many men and horses. + +All this while the foot on both sides were desperately engaged, and +coming close up to the teeth of one another with the clubbed musket +and push of pike, fought with great resolution, and a terrible +slaughter on both sides, giving no quarter for a great while; and they +continued to do thus, till, as if they were tired, and out of wind, +either party seemed willing enough to leave off, and take breath. +Those which suffered most were that brigade which had charged Sir +William Stapleton's horse, who being bravely engaged in the front +with the enemy's foot, were, on the sudden, charged again in front +and flank by Sir William Balfour's horse and disordered, after a +very desperate defence. Here the king's standard was taken, the +standard-bearer, Sir Edward Verney, being killed; but it was rescued +again by Captain Smith, and brought to the king the same night, for +which the king knighted the captain. + +This brigade of foot had fought all the day, and had not been broken +at last, if any horse had been at hand to support them. The field +began to be now clear; both armies stood, as it were, gazing at one +another, only the king, having rallied his foot, seemed inclined to +renew the charge, and began to cannonade them, which they could not +return, most of their cannon being nailed while they were in our +possession, and all the cannoniers killed or fled; and our gunners did +execution upon Sir William Balfour's troops for a good while. + +My father's regiment being in the right with the prince, I saw little +of the fight but the rout of the enemy's left, and we had as full a +victory there as we could desire, but spent too much time in it. We +killed about 2000 men in that part of the action, and having totally +dispersed them, and plundered their baggage, began to think of our +fellows when 'twas too late to help them. We returned, however, +victorious to the king, just as the battle was over. The king asked +the prince what news? He told him he could give his Majesty a good +account of the enemy's horse. "Ay, by G--d," says a gentleman that +stood by me, "and of their carts too." That word was spoken with such +a sense of the misfortune, and made such an impression on the whole +army, that it occasioned some ill blood afterwards among us; and but +that the king took up the business, it had been of ill consequence, +for some person who had heard the gentleman speak it, informed the +prince who it was, and the prince resenting it, spoke something +about it in the hearing of the party when the king was present. The +gentleman, not at all surprised, told his Highness openly he had said +the words; and though he owned he had no disrespect for his Highness, +yet he could not but say, if it had not been so, the enemy's army had +been better beaten. The prince replied something very disobliging; +upon which the gentleman came up to the king, and kneeling, humbly +besought his Majesty to accept of his commission, and to give him +leave to tell the prince, that whenever his Highness pleased, he was +ready to give him satisfaction. The prince was exceedingly provoked, +and as he was very passionate, began to talk very oddly, and without +all government of himself. The gentleman, as bold as he, but much +calmer preserved his temper, but maintained his quarrel; and the king +was so concerned, that he was very much out of humour with the prince +about it. However, his Majesty, upon consideration, soon ended the +dispute, by laying his commands on them both to speak no more of it +for that day; and refusing the commission from the colonel, for he +was no less, sent for them both next morning in private, and made them +friends again. + +But to return to our story. We came back to the king timely enough to +put the Earl of Essex's men out of all humour of renewing the fight, +and as I observed before, both parties stood gazing at one another, +and our cannon playing upon them obliged Sir William Balfour's horse +to wheel off in some disorder, but they returned us none again, which, +as we afterwards understood, was, as I said before, for want of both +powder and gunners, for the cannoniers and firemen were killed, or +had quitted their train in the fight, when our horse had possession of +their artillery; and as they had spiked up some of the cannon, so they +had carried away fifteen carriages of powder. + +Night coming on, ended all discourse of more fighting, and the king +drew off and marched towards the hills. I know no other token of +victory which the enemy had than their lying in the field of battle +all night, which they did for no other reason than that, having lost +their baggage and provisions, they had nowhere to go, and which we did +not, because we had good quarters at hand. + +The number of prisoners and of the slain were not very unequal; the +enemy lost more men, we most of quality. Six thousand men on both +sides were killed on the spot, whereof, when our rolls were examined, +we missed 2500. We lost our brave general the old Earl of Lindsey, +who was wounded and taken prisoner, and died of his wounds; Sir Edward +Stradling, Colonel Lundsford, prisoners; and Sir Edward Verney and a +great many gentlemen of quality slain. On the other hand, we carried +off Colonel Essex, Colonel Ramsey, and the Lord St John, who also died +of his wounds; we took five ammunition waggons full of powder, and +brought off about 500 horse in the defeat of the left wing, with +eighteen standards and colours, and lost seventeen. + +The slaughter of the left wing was so great, and the flight so +effectual, that several of the officers rid clear away, coasting +round, and got to London, where they reported that the Parliament army +was entirely defeated--all lost, killed, or taken, as if none but them +were left alive to carry the news. This filled them with consternation +for a while, but when other messengers followed, all was restored +to quiet again, and the Parliament cried up their victory and +sufficiently mocked God and their general with their public thanks for +it. Truly, as the fight was a deliverance to them, they were in the +right to give thanks for it; but as to its being a victory, neither +side had much to boast of, and they less a great deal than we had. + +I got no hurt in this fight, and indeed we of the right wing had but +little fighting; I think I had discharged my pistols but once, and my +carabine twice, for we had more fatigue than fight; the enemy +fled, and we had little to do but to follow and kill those we could +overtake. I spoiled a good horse, and got a better from the enemy in +his room, and came home weary enough. My father lost his horse, and +in the fall was bruised in his thigh by another horse treading on him, +which disabled him for some time, and at his request, by his Majesty's +consent, I commanded the regiment in his absence. + +The enemy received a recruit of 4000 men the next morning; if they had +not, I believe they had gone back towards Worcester; but, encouraged +by that reinforcement, they called a council of war, and had a long +debate whether they could attack us again; but notwithstanding their +great victory, they durst not attempt it, though this addition of +strength made them superior to us by 3000 men. + +The king indeed expected, that when these troops joined them they +would advance, and we were preparing to receive them at a village +called Aynho, where the headquarters continued three or four days; +and had they really esteemed the first day's work a victory, as they +called it, they would have done it, but they thought not good to +venture, but march away to Warwick, and from thence to Coventry. The +king, to urge them to venture upon him, and come to a second battle, +sits down before Banbury, and takes both town and castle; and two +entire regiments of foot, and one troop of horse, quit the Parliament +service, and take up their arms for the king. This was done almost +before their faces, which was a better proof of a victory on our side, +than any they could pretend to. From Banbury we marched to Oxford; and +now all men saw the Parliament had made a great mistake, for they were +not always in the right any more than we, to leave Oxford without a +garrison. The king caused new regular works to be drawn round it, +and seven royal bastions with ravelins and out-works, a double ditch, +counterscarp, and covered way; all which, added to the advantage +of its situation, made it a formidable place, and from this time it +became our place of arms, and the centre of affairs on the king's +side. + +If the Parliament had the honour of the field, the king reaped the +fruits of the victory; for all this part of the country submitted to +him. Essex's army made the best of their way to London, and were but +in an ill condition when they came there, especially their horse. + +The Parliament, sensible of this, and receiving daily accounts of the +progress we made, began to cool a little in their temper, abated of +their first rage, and voted an address for peace; and sent to the king +to let him know they were desirous to prevent the effusion of more +blood, and to bring things to an accommodation, or, as they called it, +a right understanding. + +I was now, by the king's particular favour, summoned to the councils +of war, my father continuing absent and ill; and now I began to think +of the real grounds, and which was more, of the fatal issue of this +war. I say, I now began it; for I cannot say that I ever rightly +stated matters in my own mind before, though I had been enough used +to blood, and to see the destruction of people, sacking of towns, and +plundering the country; yet 'twas in Germany, and among strangers; but +I found a strange, secret and unaccountable sadness upon my spirits, +to see this acting in my own native country. It grieved me to the +heart, even in the rout of our enemies, to see the slaughter of them; +and even in the fight, to hear a man cry for quarter in English, moved +me to a compassion which I had never been used to; nay, sometimes +it looked to me as if some of my own men had been beaten; and when +I heard a soldier cry, "O God, I am shot," I looked behind me to see +which of my own troop was fallen. Here I saw myself at the cutting of +the throats of my friends; and indeed some of my near relations. My +old comrades and fellow-soldiers in Germany were some with us, some +against us, as their opinions happened to differ in religion. For my +part, I confess I had not much religion in me, at that time; but I +thought religion rightly practised on both sides would have made us +all better friends; and therefore sometimes I began to think, that +both the bishops of our side, and the preachers on theirs, made +religion rather the pretence than the cause of the war. And from those +thoughts I vigorously argued it at the council of war against marching +to Brentford, while the address for a treaty of peace from the +Parliament was in hand: for I was for taking the Parliament by the +handle which they had given us, and entering into a negotiation, with +the advantage of its being at their own request. + +I thought the king had now in his hands an opportunity to make an +honourable peace; for this battle of Edgehill, as much as they boasted +of the victory to hearten up their friends, had sorely weakened their +army, and discouraged their party too, which in effect was worse as to +their army. The horse were particularly in an ill case, and the foot +greatly diminished, and the remainder very sickly; but besides this, +the Parliament were greatly alarmed at the progress we made afterward; +and still fearing the king's surprising them, had sent for the Earl of +Essex to London, to defend them; by which the country was, as it were, +defeated and abandoned, and left to be plundered; our parties overrun +all places at pleasure. All this while I considered, that whatever the +soldiers of fortune meant by the war, our desires were to suppress +the exorbitant power of a party, to establish our king in his just +and legal rights; but not with a design to destroy the constitution of +government, and the being of Parliament. And therefore I thought now +was the time for peace, and there were a great many worthy gentlemen +in the army of my mind; and, had our master had ears to hear us, the +war might have had an end here. + +This address for peace was received by the king at Maidenhead, whither +this army was now advanced, and his Majesty returned answer by Sir +Peter Killegrew, that he desired nothing more, and would not be +wanting on his part. Upon this the Parliament name commissioners, and +his Majesty excepting against Sir John Evelyn, they left him out, +and sent others; and desired the king to appoint his residence near +London, where the commissioners might wait upon him. Accordingly the +king appointed Windsor for the place of treaty, and desired the +treaty might be hastened. And thus all things looked with a favourable +aspect, when one unlucky action knocked it all on the head, and filled +both parties with more implacable animosities than they had before, +and all hopes of peace vanished. + +During this progress of the king's armies, we were always abroad with +the horse ravaging the country, and plundering the Roundheads. Prince +Rupert, a most active vigilant party man, and I must own, fitter for +such than for a general, was never lying still, and I seldom stayed +behind; for our regiment being very well mounted, he would always send +for us, if he had any extraordinary design in hand. + +One time in particular he had a design upon Aylesbury, the capital of +Buckinghamshire; indeed our view at first was rather to beat the +enemy out of town and demolish their works, and perhaps raise some +contributions on the rich country round it, than to garrison the +place, and keep it; for we wanted no more garrisons, being masters of +the field. + +The prince had 2500 horse with him in this expedition, but no foot; +the town had some foot raised in the country by Mr Hampden, and two +regiments of country militia, whom we made light of, but we found they +stood to their tackle better than well enough. We came very early to +the town, and thought they had no notice of us; but some false brother +had given them the alarm, and we found them all in arms, the hedges +without the town lined with musketeers, on that side in particular +where they expected us, and two regiments of foot drawn up in view to +support them, with some horse in the rear of all. + +The prince, willing, however, to do something, caused some of his +horse to alight, and serve as dragoons; and having broken a way into +the enclosures, the horse beat the foot from behind the hedges, while +the rest who were alighted charged them in the lane which leads to +the town. Here they had cast up some works, and fired from their +lines very regularly, considering them as militia only, the governor +encouraging them by his example; so that finding without some foot +there would be no good to be done, we gave it over, and drew off; and +so Aylesbury escaped a scouring for that time. + +I cannot deny but these flying parties of horse committed great spoil +among the country people; and sometimes the prince gave a liberty to +some cruelties which were not at all for the king's interest; because +it being still upon our own country, and the king's own subjects, whom +in all his declarations he protested to be careful of, it seemed to +contradict all those protestations and declarations, and served to +aggravate and exasperate the common people; and the king's enemies +made all the advantages of it that was possible, by crying out of +twice as many extravagancies as were committed. + +Tis true, the king, who naturally abhorred such things, could not +restrain his men, no, nor his generals, so absolutely as he would +have done. The war, on his side, was very much _à la_ volunteer; +many gentlemen served him at their own charge, and some paid whole +regiments themselves: sometimes also the king's affairs were straiter +than ordinary, and his men were not very well paid, and this obliged +him to wink at their excursions upon the country, though he did not +approve of them. And yet I must own, that in those parts of England +where the war was hottest, there never was seen that ruin and +depopulation, murders, and barbarities, which I have seen even among +Protestant armies abroad, in Germany and other foreign parts of the +world. And if the Parliament people had seen those things abroad, as I +had, they would not have complained. + +The most I have seen was plundering the towns for provisions, drinking +up their beer, and turning our horses into their fields, or stacks +of corn; and sometimes the soldiers would be a little rude with the +wenches; but alas! what was this to Count Tilly's ravages in Saxony? +Or what was our taking of Leicester by storm, where they cried out of +our barbarities, to the sacking of New Brandenburg, or the taking of +Magdeburg? In Leicester, of 7000 or 8000 people in the town, 300 were +killed; in Magdeburg, of 25,000 scarce 2700 were left, and the whole +town burnt to ashes. I myself have seen seventeen or eighteen villages +on fire in a day, and the people driven away from their dwellings, +like herds of cattle. I do not instance these greater barbarities to +justify lesser actions, which are nevertheless irregular; but I do +say, that circumstances considered, this war was managed with as +much humanity on both sides as could be expected, especially also +considering the animosity of parties. + +But to return to the prince: he had not always the same success in +these enterprises, for sometimes we came short home. And I cannot omit +one pleasant adventure which happened to a party of ours, in one of +these excursions into Buckinghamshire. The major of our regiment was +soundly beaten by a party, which, as I may say, was led by a woman; +and, if I had not rescued him, I know not but he had been taken +prisoner by a woman. It seems our men had besieged some fortified +house about Oxfordshire, towards Thame, and the house being defended +by the lady in her husband's absence, she had yielded the house upon a +capitulation; one of the articles of which was, to march out with +all her servants, soldiers, and goods, and to be conveyed to Thame. +Whether she thought to have gone no farther, or that she reckoned +herself safe there, I know not; but my major, with two troops of +horse, meets with this lady and her party, about five miles from +Thame, as we were coming back from our defeated attack of Aylesbury. +We reckoned ourselves in an enemy's country, and had lived a little at +large, or at discretion, as 'tis called abroad; and these two troops, +with the major, were returning to our detachment from a little +village, where, at the farmer's house, they had met with some liquor, +and truly some of his men were so drunk they could but just sit upon +their horses. The major himself was not much better, and the whole +body were but in a sorry condition to fight. Upon the road they meet +this party; the lady having no design of fighting, and being, as she +thought, under the protection of the articles, sounds a parley, and +desired to speak with the officer. The major, as drunk as he was, +could tell her, that by the articles she was to be assured no farther +than Thame, and being now five miles beyond it, she was a fair enemy, +and therefore demanded to render themselves prisoners. The lady +seemed surprised, but being sensible she was in the wrong, offered +to compound for her goods, and would have given him £300, and I think +seven or eight horses. The major would certainly have taken it, if he +had not been drunk; but he refused it, and gave threatening words to +her, blustering in language which he thought proper to fright a woman, +viz., that he would cut them all to pieces, and give no quarter, and +the like. + +The lady, who had been more used to the smell of powder than he +imagined, called some of her servants to her, and, consulting with +them what to do, they all unanimously encouraged her to let them +fight; told her it was plain that the commander was drunk, and all +that were with him were rather worse than he, and hardly able to sit +their horses; and that therefore one bold charge would put them all +into confusion. In a word, she consented, and, as she was a woman, +they desired her to secure herself among the waggons; but she refused, +and told them bravely she would take her fate with them. In short, she +boldly bade my major defiance, and that he might do his worst, since +she had offered him fair, and he had refused it; her mind was altered +now, and she would give him nothing, and bade his officer that +parleyed longer with her be gone; so the parley ended. After this she +gave him fair leave to go back to his men; but before he could tell +his tale to them she was at his heels with all her men, and gave him +such a home charge as put his men into disorder, and, being too drunk +to rally, they were knocked down before they knew what to do with +themselves, and in a few minutes more they took to a plain flight. +But what was still worse, the men, being some of them very drunk, when +they came to run for their lives fell over one another, and tumbled +over their horses, and made such work that a troop of women might have +beaten them all. In this pickle, with the enemy at his heels, I +came in with him, hearing the noise. When I appeared the pursuers +retreated, and, seeing what a condition my people were in, and not +knowing the strength of the enemy, I contented myself with bringing +them off without pursuing the other; nor could I ever hear positively +who this female captain was. We lost seventeen or eighteen of our men, +and about thirty horses; but when the particulars of the story was +told us, our major was so laughed at by the whole army, and laughed +at everywhere, that he was ashamed to show himself for a week or a +fortnight after. + +But to return to the king: his Majesty, as I observed, was at +Maidenhead addressed by the Parliament for peace, and Windsor +being appointed for the place of treaty, the van of his army lay at +Colebrook. In the meantime, whether it were true or only a pretence, +but it was reported the Parliament general had sent a body of his +troops, with a train of artillery, to Hammersmith, in order to fall +upon some part of our army, or to take some advanced post, which was +to the prejudice of our men; whereupon the king ordered the army to +march, and, by the favour of a thick mist, came within half a mile of +Brentford before he was discovered. There were two regiments of foot, +and about 600 horse into the town, of the enemy's best troops; these +taking the alarm, posted themselves on the bridge at the west end of +the town. The king attacked them with a select detachment of his best +infantry, and they defended themselves with incredible obstinacy. I +must own I never saw raw men, for they could not have been in arms +above four months, act like them in my life. In short, there was no +forcing these men, for, though two whole brigades of our foot, backed +by our horse, made five several attacks upon them they could not break +them, and we lost a great many brave men in that action. At last, +seeing the obstinacy of these men, a party of horse was ordered to go +round from Osterley; and, entering the town on the north side, where, +though the horse made some resistance, it was not considerable, the +town was presently taken. I led my regiment through an enclosure, and +came into the town nearer to the bridge than the rest, by which means +I got first into the town; but I had this loss by my expedition, that +the foot charged me before the body was come up, and poured in their +shot very furiously. My men were but in an ill case, and would not +have stood much longer, if the rest of the horse coming up the lane +had not found them other employment. When the horse were thus entered, +they immediately dispersed the enemy's horse, who fled away towards +London, and falling in sword in hand upon the rear of the foot, who +were engaged at the bridge, they were all cut in pieces, except about +200, who, scorning to ask quarter, desperately threw themselves into +the river of Thames, where they were most of them drowned. + +The Parliament and their party made a great outcry at this +attempt--that it was base and treacherous while in a treaty of peace; +and that the king, having amused them with hearkening to a treaty, +designed to have seized upon their train of artillery first, and, +after that, to have surprised both the city of London and the +Parliament. And I have observed since, that our historians note this +action as contrary to the laws of honour and treaties, though as there +was no cessation of arms agreed on, nothing is more contrary to the +laws of war than to suggest it. + +That it was a very unhappy thing to the king and whole nation, as it +broke off the hopes of peace, and was the occasion of bringing the +Scots army in upon us, I readily acknowledge, but that there +was anything dishonourable in it, I cannot allow. For though the +Parliament had addressed to the king for peace, and such steps were +taken in it as before, yet, as I have said, there was no proposals +made on either side for a cessation of arms, and all the world must +allow, that in such cases the war goes on in the field, while the +peace goes on in the cabinet. And if the war goes on, admit the king +had designed to surprise the city or Parliament, or all of them, it +had been no more than the custom of war allows, and what they would +have done by him if they could. The treaty of Westphalia, or peace of +Munster, which ended the bloody wars of Germany, was a precedent for +this. That treaty was actually negotiating seven years, and yet the +war went on with all the vigour and rancour imaginable, even to the +last. Nay, the very time after the conclusion of it, but before the +news could be brought to the army, did he that was afterwards King +of Sweden, Carolus Gustavus, take the city of Prague by surprise, and +therein an inestimable booty. Besides, all the wars of Europe are full +of examples of this kind, and therefore I cannot see any reason to +blame the king for this action as to the fairness of it. Indeed, as +to the policy of it, I can say little; but the case was this. The king +had a gallant army, flushed with success, and things hitherto had gone +on very prosperously, both with his own army and elsewhere; he had +above 35,000 men in his own army, including his garrison left at +Banbury, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Oxford, Wallingford, Abingdon, +Reading, and places adjacent. On the other hand, the Parliament army +came back to London in but a very sorry condition;[1] for what with +their loss in their victory, as they called it, at Edgehill, their +sickness, and a hasty march to London, they were very much diminished, +though at London they soon recruited them again. And this prosperity +of the king's affairs might encourage him to strike this blow, +thinking to bring the Parliament to the better terms by the +apprehensions of the superior strength of the king's forces. + +But, however it was, the success did not equally answer the king's +expectation. The vigorous defence the troops posted at Brentford +made as above, gave the Earl of Essex opportunity, with extraordinary +application, to draw his forces out to Turnham Green. And the +exceeding alacrity of the enemy was such, that their whole army +appeared with them, making together an army of 24,000 men, drawn up +in view of our forces by eight o'clock the next morning. The city +regiments were placed between the regular troops, and all together +offered us battle, but we were not in a condition to accept it. The +king indeed was sometimes of the mind to charge them, and once or +twice ordered parties to advance to begin to skirmish, but upon better +advice altered his mind, and indeed it was the wisest counsel to defer +the fighting at that time. The Parliament generals were as unfixed in +their resolutions, on the other side, as the king; sometimes they sent +out parties, and then called them back again. One strong party of near +3000 men marched off towards Acton, with orders to amuse us on that +side, but were countermanded. Indeed, I was of the opinion we might +have ventured the battle, for though the Parliament's army were more +numerous, yet the city trained bands, which made up 4000 of their +foot, were not much esteemed, and the king was a great deal stronger +in horse than they. But the main reason that hindered the engagement, +was want of ammunition, which the king having duly weighed, he caused +the carriages and cannon to draw off first, and then the foot, the +horse continuing to force the enemy till all was clear gone; and then +we drew off too and marched to Kingston, and the next day to Reading. + +Now the king saw his mistake in not continuing his march for London, +instead of facing about to fight the enemy at Edgehill. And all the +honour we had gained in so many successful enterprises lay buried in +this shameful retreat from an army of citizens' wives; for truly that +appearance at Turnham Green was gay, but not great. There was as many +lookers-on as actors. The crowds of ladies, apprentices, and mob was +so great, that when the parties of our army advanced, and as they +thought, to charge, the coaches, horsemen, and crowd, that cluttered +away to be out of harm's way, looked little better than a rout. And I +was persuaded a good home charge from our horse would have sent their +whole army after them. But so it was, that this crowd of an army was +to triumph over us, and they did it, for all the kingdom was carefully +informed how their dreadful looks had frightened us away. + +Upon our retreat, the Parliament resent this attack, which they call +treacherous, and vote no accommodation; but they considered of it +afterwards, and sent six commissioners to the king with propositions. +But the change of the scene of action changed the terms of peace, and +now they made terms like conquerors, petition him to desert his army, +and return to the Parliament, and the like. Had his Majesty, at the +head of his army, with the full reputation they had before, and in the +ebb of their affairs, rested at Windsor, and commenced a treaty, they +had certainly made more reasonable proposals; but now the scabbard +seemed to be thrown away on both sides. + +The rest of the winter was spent in strengthening parties and places, +also in fruitless treaties of peace, messages, remonstrances, and +paper war on both sides, and no action remarkable happened anywhere +that I remember. Yet the king gained ground everywhere, and his forces +in the north increased under the Earl of Newcastle; also my Lord +Goring, then only called Colonel Goring, arrived from Holland, +bringing three ships laden with arms and ammunition, and notice that +the queen was following with more. Goring brought 4000 barrels of +gunpowder, and 20,000 small arms; all which came very seasonably, for +the king was in great want of them, especially the powder. Upon this +recruit the Earl of Newcastle draws down to York, and being above +16,000 strong, made Sir Thomas Fairfax give ground, and retreat to +Hull. + +Whoever lay still, Prince Rupert was always abroad, and I chose to go +out with his Highness as often as I had opportunity, for hitherto he +was always successful. About this time the prince being at Oxford, I +gave him intelligence of a party of the enemy who lived a little at +large, too much for good soldiers, about Cirencester. The prince, glad +of the news, resolved to attack them, and though it was a wet season, +and the ways exceeding bad, being in February, yet we marched all +night in the dark, which occasioned the loss of some horses and +men too, in sloughs and holes, which the darkness of the night had +suffered them to fall into. We were a very strong party, being about +3000 horse and dragoons, and coming to Cirencester very early in the +morning, to our great satisfaction the enemy were perfectly surprised, +not having the least notice of our march, which answered our end more +ways than one. However, the Earl of Stamford's regiment made some +resistance; but the town having no works to defend it, saving a slight +breastwork at the entrance of the road, with a turnpike, our dragoons +alighted, and forcing their way over the bellies of Stamford's foot, +they beat them from their defence, and followed them at their heels +into the town. Stamford's regiment was entirely cut in pieces, and +several others, to the number of about 800 men, and the town entered +without any other resistance. We took 1200 prisoners, 3000 arms, and +the county magazine, which at that time was considerable; for there +was about 120 barrels of powder, and all things in proportion. + +I received the first hurt I got in this war at this action, for having +followed the dragoons and brought my regiment within the barricado +which they had gained, a musket bullet struck my horse just in the +head, and that so effectually that he fell down as dead as a stone all +at once. The fall plunged me into a puddle of water and daubed me; and +my man having brought me another horse and cleaned me a little, I was +just getting up, when another bullet struck me on my left hand, which +I had just clapped on the horse's main to lift myself into the saddle. +The blow broke one of my fingers, and bruised my hand very much; and +it proved a very painful hurt to me. For the present I did not +much concern myself about it, but made my man tie it up close in my +handkerchief, and led up my men to the market-place, where we had +a very smart brush with some musketeers who were posted in the +churchyard; but our dragoons soon beat them out there, and the whole +town was then our own. We made no stay here, but marched back with +all our booty to Oxford, for we knew the enemy were very strong at +Gloucester, and that way. + +Much about the same time, the Earl of Northampton, with a strong +party, set upon Lichfield, and took the town, but could not take the +Close; but they beat a body of 4000 men coming to the relief of the +town, under Sir John Gell, of Derbyshire, and Sir William Brereton, of +Cheshire, and killing 600 of them, dispersed the rest. + +Our second campaign now began to open; the king marched from Oxford +to relieve Reading, which was besieged by the Parliament forces; +but General Fielding, Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Arthur Ashton being +wounded, surrendered to Essex before the king could come up; for +which he was tried by martial law, and condemned to die, but the king +forbore to execute the sentence. This was the first town we had lost +in the war, for still the success of the king's affairs was very +encouraging. This bad news, however, was overbalanced by an account +brought the king at the same time, by an express from York, that the +queen had landed in the north, and had brought over a great magazine +of arms and ammunition, besides some men. Some time after this her +Majesty, marching southward to meet the king, joined the army near +Edgehill, where the first battle was fought. She brought the king 3000 +foot, 1500 horse and dragoons, six pieces of cannon, 1500 barrels of +powder, 12,000 small arms. + +During this prosperity of the king's affairs his armies increased +mightily in the western counties also. Sir William Waller, indeed, +commanded for the Parliament in those parts too, and particularly in +Dorsetshire, Hampshire, and Berkshire, where he carried on their +cause but too fast; but farther west, Sir Nicholas Slanning, Sir Ralph +Hopton, and Sir Bevil Grenvile had extended the king's quarters from +Cornwall through Devonshire, and into Somersetshire, where they +took Exeter, Barnstaple, and Bideford; and the first of these they +fortified very well, making it a place of arms for the west, and +afterwards it was the residence of the queen. + +At last, the famous Sir William Waller and the king's forces met, and +came to a pitched battle, where Sir William lost all his honour again. +This was at Roundway Down in Wiltshire. Waller had engaged our Cornish +army at Lansdown, and in a very obstinate fight had the better of +them, and made them retreat to the Devizes. Sir William Hopton, +however, having a good body of foot untouched, sent expresses and +messengers one in the neck of another to the king for some horse, and +the king being in great concern for that army, who were composed of +the flower of the Cornish men, commanded me to march with all possible +secrecy, as well as expedition, with 1200 horse and dragoons from +Oxford, to join them. We set out in the depth of the night, to avoid, +if possible, any intelligence being given of our route, and soon +joined with the Cornish army, when it was as soon resolved to give +battle to Waller; and, give him his due, he was as forward to fight as +we. As it is easy to meet when both sides are willing to be found, Sir +William Waller met us upon Roundway Down, where we had a fair field on +both sides, and room enough to draw up our horse. In a word, there +was little ceremony to the work; the armies joined, and we charged his +horse with so much resolution, that they quickly fled, and quitted +the field; for we over-matched him in horse, and this was the entire +destruction of their army. For the infantry, which outnumbered ours +by 1500, were now at our mercy; some faint resistance they made, just +enough to give us occasion to break into their ranks with our horse, +where we gave time to our foot to defeat others that stood to their +work, upon which they began to disband, and run every way they could; +but our horse having surrounded them, we made a fearful havoc of them. + +We lost not about 200 men in this action; Waller lost about 4000 +killed and taken, and as many dispersed that never returned to their +colours. Those of foot that escaped got into Bristol, and Waller, with +the poor remains of his routed regiments, got to London; so that it +is plain some ran east, and some ran west, that is to say, they fled +every way they could. + +My going with this detachment prevented my being at the siege of +Bristol, which Prince Rupert attacked much about the same time, and it +surrendered in three days. The Parliament questioned Colonel +Nathaniel Fiennes, the governor, and had him tried as a coward by a +court-martial, and condemned to die, but suspended the execution also, +as the king did the governor of Reading. I have often heard Prince +Rupert say, they did Colonel Fiennes wrong in that affair; and that if +the colonel would have summoned him, he would have demanded a passport +of the Parliament, and have come up and convinced the court that +Colonel Fiennes had not misbehaved himself, and that he had not a +sufficient garrison to defend a city of that extent; having not above +1200 men in the town, excepting some of Waller's runaways, most of +whom were unfit for service, and without arms; and that the citizens +in general being disaffected to him, and ready on the first occasion +to open the gates to the king's forces, it was impossible for him to +have kept the city. "And when I had farther informed them," said the +prince, "of the measures I had taken for a general assault the next +day, I am confident I should have convinced them that I had taken the +city by storm, if he had not surrendered." + +The king's affairs were now in a very good posture, and three armies +in the north, west, and in the centre, counted in the musters about +70,000 men besides small garrisons and parties abroad. Several of the +lords, and more of the commons, began to fall off from the Parliament, +and make their peace with the king; and the affairs of the Parliament +began to look very ill. The city of London was their inexhaustible +support and magazine, both for men, money, and all things necessary; +and whenever their army was out of order, the clergy of their party +in but one Sunday or two, would preach the young citizens out of their +shops, the labourers from their masters, into the army, and recruit +them on a sudden. And all this was still owing to the omission I first +observed, of not marching to London, when it might have been so easily +effected. + +We had now another, or a fairer opportunity, than before, but as ill +use was made of it. The king, as I have observed, was in a very good +posture; he had three large armies roving at large over the kingdom. +The Cornish army, victorious and numerous, had beaten Waller, secured +and fortified Exeter, which the queen had made her residence, and +was there delivered of a daughter, the Princess Henrietta Maria, +afterwards Duchess of Orleans, and mother of the Duchess Dowager of +Savoy, commonly known in the French style by the title of Madam Royal. +They had secured Salisbury, Sherborne Castle, Weymouth, Winchester, +and Basing-house, and commanded the whole country, except Bridgewater +and Taunton, Plymouth and Lynn; all which places they held blocked +up. The king was also entirely master of all Wales, Monmouthshire, +Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, +Berkshire, and all the towns from Windsor up the Thames to +Cirencester, except Reading and Henley; and of the whole Severn, +except Gloucester. + +The Earl of Newcastle had garrisons in every strong place in the +north, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Boston in Lincolnshire, and +Newark-upon-Trent, Hull only excepted, whither the Lord Fairfax and +his son Sir Thomas were retreated, their troops being routed and +broken, Sir Thomas Fairfax his baggage, with his lady and servants +taken prisoners, and himself hardly scaping. + +And now a great council of war was held in the king's quarters, what +enterprise to go upon; and it happened to be the very same day when +the Parliament were in a serious debate what should become of them, +and whose help they should seek. And indeed they had cause for it; and +had our counsels been as ready and well-grounded as theirs, we had put +an end to the war in a month's time. + +In this council the king proposed the marching to London, to put an +end to the Parliament and encourage his friends and loyal subjects in +Kent, who were ready to rise for him; and showed us letters from +the Earl of Newcastle, wherein he offered to join his Majesty with a +detachment of 4000 horse, and 8000 foot, if his Majesty thought fit +to march southward, and yet leave forces sufficient to guard the +north from any invasion. I confess, when I saw the scheme the king had +himself drawn for this attempt, I felt an unusual satisfaction in my +mind, from the hopes that he might bring this war to some tolerable +end; for I professed myself on all occasions heartily weary with +fighting with friends, brothers, neighbours, and acquaintance, and I +made no question but this motion of the king's would effectually bring +the Parliament to reason. + +All men seemed to like the enterprise but the Earl of Worcester, who, +on particular views for securing the country behind, as he called it, +proposed the taking in the town of Gloucester and Hereford first. He +made a long speech of the danger of leaving Massey, an active bold +fellow, with a strong party in the heart of all the king's quarters, +ready on all occasions to sally out and surprise the neighbouring +garrisons, as he had done Sudley Castle and others; and of the ease +and freedom to all those western parts to have them fully cleared +of the enemy. Interest presently backs this advice, and all those +gentlemen whose estates lay that way, or whose friends lived about +Worcester, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, or the borders, and who, as they +said, had heard the frequent wishes of the country to have the city of +Gloucester reduced, fell in with this advice, alleging the consequence +it was for the commerce of the country to have the navigation of the +Severn free, which was only interrupted by this one town from the sea +up to Shrewsbury, &c. + +I opposed this, and so did several others. Prince Rupert was +vehemently against it; and we both offered, with the troops of the +country, to keep Gloucester blocked up during the king's march for +London, so that Massey should not be able to stir. + +This proposal made the Earl of Worcester's party more eager for the +siege than before, for they had no mind to a blockade which would +leave the country to maintain the troops all the summer; and of all +men the prince did not please them, for, he having no extraordinary +character for discipline, his company was not much desired even by +our friends. Thus, in an ill hour, 'twas resolved to sit down before +Gloucester. The king had a gallant army of 28,000 men whereof 11,000 +horse, the finest body of gentlemen that ever I saw together in my +life; their horses without comparison, and their equipages the finest +and the best in the world, and their persons Englishmen, which, I +think, is enough to say of them. + +According to the resolution taken in the council of war, the army +marched westward, and sat down before Gloucester the beginning of +August. There we spent a month to the least purpose that ever army +did. Our men received frequent affronts from the desperate sallies +of an inconsiderable enemy. I cannot forbear reflecting on the +misfortunes of this siege. Our men were strangely dispirited in all +the assaults they gave upon the place; there was something looked like +disaster and mismanagement, and our men went on with an ill will and +no resolution. The king despised the place, and thinking to carry it +sword in hand, made no regular approaches, and the garrison, being +desperate, made therefore the greater slaughter. In this work our +horse, who were so numerous and so fine, had no employment. Two +thousand horse had been enough for this business, and the enemy had no +garrison or party within forty miles of us, so that we had nothing to +do but look on with infinite regret upon the losses of our foot. + +The enemy made frequent and desperate sallies, in one of which I had +my share. I was posted upon a parade, or place of arms, with part of +my regiment, and part of Colonel Goring's regiment of horse, in order +to support a body of foot, who were ordered to storm the point of a +breastwork which the enemy had raised to defend one of the avenues to +the town. The foot were beat off with loss, as they always were; and +Massey, the governor, not content to have beaten them from his works, +sallies out with near 400 men, and falling in upon the foot as they +were rallying under the cover of our horse, we put ourselves in the +best posture we could to receive them. As Massey did not expect, I +suppose, to engage with any horse, he had no pikes with him, which +encouraged us to treat him the more rudely; but as to desperate men +danger is no danger, when he found he must clear his hands of us, +before he could despatch the foot, he faces up to us, fires but one +volley of his small shot, and fell to battering us with the stocks of +their muskets in such a manner that one would have thought they had +been madmen. + +We at first despised this way of clubbing us, and charging through +them, laid a great many of them upon the ground, and in repeating our +charge, trampled more of them under our horses' feet; and wheeling +thus continually, beat them off from our foot, who were just upon the +point of disbanding. Upon this they charged us again with their fire, +and at one volley killed thirty-three or thirty-four men and horses; +and had they had pikes with them, I know not what we should have done +with them. But at last charging through them again, we divided them; +one part of them being hemmed in between us and our own foot, were +cut in pieces to a man; the rest as I understood afterwards, retreated +into the town, having lost 300 of their men. + +In this last charge I received a rude blow from a stout fellow on +foot with the butt end of his musket which perfectly stunned me, and +fetched me off from my horse; and had not some near me took care of +me, I had been trod to death by our own men. But the fellow being +immediately killed, and my friends finding me alive, had taken me up, +and carried me off some distance, where I came to myself again after +some time, but knew little of what I did or said that night. This was +the reason why I say I afterwards understood the enemy retreated; for +I saw no more what they did then, nor indeed was I well of this blow +for all the rest of the summer, but had frequent pains in my head, +dizzinesses and swimming, that gave me some fears the blow had +injured the skull; but it wore off again, nor did it at all hinder my +attending my charge. + +This action, I think, was the only one that looked like a defeat given +the enemy at this siege. We killed them near 300 men, as I have said, +and lost about sixty of our troopers. + +All this time, while the king was harassing and weakening the best +army he ever saw together during the whole war, the Parliament +generals, or rather preachers, were recruiting theirs; for the +preachers were better than drummers to raise volunteers, zealously +exhorting the London dames to part with their husbands, and the city +to send some of their trained bands to join the army for the relief of +Gloucester; and now they began to advance towards us. + +The king hearing of the advance of Essex's army, who by this time was +come to Aylesbury, had summoned what forces he had within call, to +join him; and accordingly he received 3000 foot from Somersetshire; +and having battered the town for thirty-six hours, and made a fair +breach, resolves upon an assault, if possible, to carry the town +before the enemy came up. The assault was begun about seven in the +evening, and the men boldly mounted the breach; but after a very +obstinate and bloody dispute, were beaten out again by the besieged +with great loss. + +Being thus often repulsed, and the Earl of Essex's army approaching, +the king calls a council of war, and proposed to fight Essex's army. +The officers of the horse were for fighting; and without doubt we were +superior to him both in number and goodness of our horse, but the foot +were not in an equal condition; and the colonels of foot representing +to the king the weakness of their regiments, and how their men had +been balked and disheartened at this cursed siege, the graver counsel +prevailed, and it was resolved to raise the siege, and retreat towards +Bristol, till the army was recruited. Pursuant to this resolution, the +5th of September, the king, having before sent away his heavy cannon +and baggage, raised the siege, and marched to Berkeley Castle. The +Earl of Essex came the next day to Birdlip Hills; and understanding +by messengers from Colonel Massey, that the siege was raised, sends +a recruit of 2500 men into the city, and followed us himself with a +great body of horse. + +This body of horse showed themselves to us once in a large field fit +to have entertained them in; and our scouts having assured us they +were not above 4000, and had no foot with them, the king ordered +a detachment of about the same number to face them. I desired his +Majesty to let us have two regiments of dragoons with us, which was +then 800 men in a regiment, lest there might be some dragoons among +the enemy; which the king granted, and accordingly we marched, and +drew up in view of them. They stood their ground, having, as they +supposed, some advantage of the manner they were posted in, and +expected we would charge them. The king, who did us the honour to +command this party, finding they would not stir, calls me to him, and +ordered me with the dragoons, and my own regiment, to take a circuit +round by a village to a certain lane, where in their retreat they must +have passed, and which opened to a small common on the flank; with +orders, if they engaged, to advance and charge them in the flank. I +marched immediately; but though the country about there was almost all +enclosures, yet their scouts were so vigilant, that they discovered +me, and gave notice to the body; upon which their whole party moved to +the left, as if they intended to charge me, before the king with +his body of horse could come. But the king was too vigilant to be +circumvented so; and therefore his Majesty perceiving this, sends away +three regiments of horse to second me, and a messenger before them, to +order me to halt, and expect the enemy, for that he would follow with +the whole body. + +But before this order reached me, I had halted for some time; for +finding myself discovered, and not judging it safe to be entirely +cut off from the main body, I stopped at the village, and causing my +dragoons to alight, and line a thick hedge on my left, I drew up my +horse just at the entrance into the village opening to a common. +The enemy came up on the trot to charge me, but were saluted with a +terrible fire from the dragoons out of the hedge, which killed them +near 100 men. This being a perfect surprise to them, they halted, +and just at that moment they received orders from their main body +to retreat; the king at the same time appearing upon some heights in +their rear, which obliged them to think of retreating, or coming to a +general battle, which was none of their design. + +I had no occasion to follow them, not being in a condition to attack +the whole body; but the dragoons coming out into the common, gave them +another volley at a distance, which reached them effectually, for it +killed about twenty of them, and wounded more; but they drew off, and +never fired a shot at us, fearing to be enclosed between two parties, +and so marched away to their general's quarters, leaving ten or twelve +more of their fellows killed, and about 180 horses. Our men, after the +country fashion, gave them a shout at parting, to let them see we knew +they were afraid of us. + +However, this relieving of Gloucester raised the spirits as well as +the reputation of the Parliament forces, and was a great defeat to us; +and from this time things began to look with a melancholy aspect, for +the prosperous condition of the king's affairs began to decline. The +opportunities he had let slip were never to be recovered, and the +Parliament, in their former extremity, having voted an invitation +to the Scots to march to their assistance, we had now new enemies to +encounter; and, indeed, there began the ruin of his Majesty's affairs, +for the Earl of Newcastle, not able to defend himself against the +Scots on his rear, the Earl of Manchester in his front, and Sir Thomas +Fairfax on his flank, was everywhere routed and defeated, and his +forces obliged to quit the field to the enemy. + +About this time it was that we first began to hear of one Oliver +Cromwell, who, like a little cloud, rose out of the east, and spread +first into the north, till it shed down a flood that overwhelmed the +three kingdoms. + +He first was a private captain of horse, but now commanded a regiment +whom he armed _cap-à -pie à la cuirassier_; and, joining with the Earl +of Manchester, the first action we heard of him that made him anything +famous was about Grantham, where, with only his own regiment, he +defeated twenty-four troops of horse and dragoons of the king's +forces; then, at Gainsborough, with two regiments, his own of horse +and one of dragoons, where he defeated near 3000 of the Earl of +Newcastle's men, killed Lieutenant-General Cavendish, brother to the +Earl of Devonshire, who commanded them, and relieved Gainsborough; and +though the whole army came in to the rescue, he made good his retreat +to Lincoln with little loss; and the next week he defeated Sir John +Henderson at Winceby, near Horncastle, with sixteen regiments of horse +and dragoons, himself having not half that number; killed the Lord +Widdrington, Sir Ingram Hopton, and several gentlemen of quality. Thus +this firebrand of war began to blaze, and he soon grew a terror to +the north; for victory attended him like a page of honour, and he was +scarce ever known to be beaten during the whole war. + +Now we began to reflect again on the misfortune of our master's +counsels. Had we marched to London, instead of besieging Gloucester, +we had finished the war with a stroke. The Parliament's army was in +a most despicable condition, and had never been recruited, had we not +given them a month's time, which we lingered away at this fatal town +of Gloucester. But 'twas too late to reflect; we were a disheartened +army, but we were not beaten yet, nor broken. We had a large country +to recruit in, and we lost no time but raised men apace. In the +meantime his Majesty, after a short stay at Bristol, makes back again +towards Oxford with a part of the foot and all the horse. + +At Cirencester we had a brush again with Essex; that town owed us +a shrewd turn for having handled them coarsely enough before, when +Prince Rupert seized the county magazine. I happened to be in the town +that night with Sir Nicholas Crisp, whose regiment of horse quartered +there with Colonel Spencer and some foot; my own regiment was gone +before to Oxford. About ten at night, a party of Essex's men beat up +our quarters by surprise, just as we had served them before. They fell +in with us, just as people were going to bed, and having beaten the +out-guards, were gotten into the middle of the town before our men +could get on horseback. Sir Nicholas Crisp, hearing the alarm, gets +up, and with some of his clothes on, and some off, comes into my +chamber. "We are all undone," says he, "the Roundheads are upon us." +We had but little time to consult, but being in one of the principal +inns in the town, we presently ordered the gates of the inn to be +shut, and sent to all the inns where our men were quartered to do the +like, with orders, if they had any back-doors, or ways to get out, to +come to us. By this means, however, we got so much time as to get on +horseback, and so many of our men came to us by back ways, that we had +near 300 horse in the yards and places behind the house. And now we +began to think of breaking out by a lane which led from the back side +of the inn, but a new accident determined us another, though a worse +way. + +The enemy being entered, and our men cooped up in the yards of the +inns, Colonel Spencer, the other colonel, whose regiment of horse lay +also in the town, had got on horseback before us, and engaged with +the enemy, but being overpowered, retreated fighting, and sends to Sir +Nicholas Crisp for help. Sir Nicholas, moved to see the distress of +his friend, turning to me, says he, "What can we do for him?" I told +him I thought 'twas time to help him, if possible; upon which, opening +the inn gates, we sallied out in very good order, about 300 horse. +And several of the troops from other parts of the town joining us, we +recovered Colonel Spencer, and charging home, beat back the enemy to +their main body. But finding their foot drawn up in the churchyard, +and several detachments moving to charge us, we retreated in as good +order as we could. They did not think fit to pursue us, but they took +all the carriages which were under the convoy of this party, and laden +with provisions and ammunition, and above 500 of our horse, the foot +shifted away as well as they could. Thus we made off in a shattered +condition towards Farringdon, and so to Oxford, and I was very glad my +regiment was not there. + +We had small rest at Oxford, or indeed anywhere else; for the king was +marched from thence, and we followed him. I was something uneasy at my +absence from my regiment, and did not know how the king might resent +it, which caused me to ride after them with all expedition. But the +armies were engaged that very day at Newbury, and I came in too late. +I had not behaved myself so as to be suspected of a wilful shunning +the action; but a colonel of a regiment ought to avoid absence +from his regiment in time of fight, be the excuse never so just, as +carefully as he would a surprise in his quarters. The truth is, 'twas +an error of my own, and owing to two day's stay I made at the Bath, +where I met with some ladies who were my relations. And this is far +from being an excuse; for if the king had been a Gustavus Adolphus, I +had certainly received a check for it. + +This fight was very obstinate, and could our horse have come to action +as freely as the foot, the Parliament army had suffered much more; for +we had here a much better body of horse than they, and we never failed +beating them where the weight of the work lay upon the horse. + +Here the city train-bands, of which there was two regiments, and whom +we used to despise, fought very well. They lost one of their colonels, +and several officers in the action; and I heard our men say, they +behaved themselves as well as any forces the Parliament had. + +The Parliament cried victory here too, as they always did; and indeed +where the foot were concerned they had some advantage; but our horse +defeated them evidently. The king drew up his army in battalia, in +person, and faced them all the next day, inviting them to renew the +fight; but they had no stomach to come on again. + +It was a kind of a hedge fight, for neither army was drawn out in the +field; if it had, 'twould never have held from six in the morning to +ten at night. But they fought for advantages; sometimes one side had +the better, sometimes another. They fought twice through the town, in +at one end, and out at the other; and in the hedges and lanes, with +exceeding fury. The king lost the most men, his foot having suffered +for want of the succour of their horse, who on two several occasions +could not come at them. But the Parliament foot suffered also, and two +regiments were entirely cut in pieces, and the king kept the field. + +Essex, the Parliament general, had the pillage of the dead, and left +us to bury them; for while we stood all day to our arms, having given +them a fair field to fight us in, their camp rabble stripped the dead +bodies, and they not daring to venture a second engagement with us, +marched away towards London. + +The king lost in this action the Earls of Carnarvon and Sunderland, +the Lord Falkland, a French marquis and some very gallant officers, +and about 1200 men. The Earl of Carnarvon was brought into an inn in +Newbury, where the king came to see him. He had just life enough +to speak to his Majesty, and died in his presence. The king was +exceedingly concerned for him, and was observed to shed tears at the +sight of it. We were indeed all of us troubled for the loss of so +brave a gentleman, but the concern our royal master discovered, moved +us more than ordinary. Everybody endeavoured to have the king out +of the room, but he would not stir from the bedside, till he saw all +hopes of life was gone. + +The indefatigable industry of the king, his servants and friends, +continually to supply and recruit his forces, and to harass and +fatigue the enemy, was such, that we should still have given a good +account of the war had the Scots stood neuter. But bad news came every +day out of the north; as for other places, parties were always in +action. Sir William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton beat one another by +turns; and Sir Ralph had extended the king's quarters from Launceston +in Cornwall, to Farnham in Surrey, where he gave Sir William Waller a +rub, and drove him into the castle. But in the north, the storm grew +thick, the Scots advanced to the borders, and entered England in +confederacy with the Parliament, against their king; for which the +Parliament requited them afterwards as they deserved. + +Had it not been for this Scotch army, the Parliament had easily +been reduced to terms of peace; but after this they never made any +proposals fit for the king to receive. Want of success before had made +them differ among themselves. Essex and Waller could never agree; the +Earl of Manchester and the Lord Willoughby differed to the highest +degree; and the king's affairs went never the worse for it. But +this storm in the north ruined us all; for the Scots prevailed in +Yorkshire, and being joined with Fairfax, Manchester, and Cromwell, +carried all before them; so that the king was obliged to send Prince +Rupert, with a body of 4000 horse, to the assistance of the Earl of +Newcastle, where that prince finished the destruction of the king's +interest, by the rashest and unaccountablest action in the world, of +which I shall speak in its place. + +Another action of the king's, though in itself no greater a cause of +offence than the calling the Scots into the nation, gave great offence +in general, and even the king's own friends disliked it; and was +carefully improved by his enemies to the disadvantage of the king, and +of his cause. + +The rebels in Ireland had, ever since the bloody massacre of the +Protestants, maintained a war against the English, and the Earl of +Ormond was general and governor for the king. The king, finding his +affairs pinch him at home, sends orders to the Earl of Ormond to +consent to a cessation of arms with the rebels, and to ship over +certain of his regiments hither to his Majesty's assistance. 'Tis +true, the Irish had deserved to be very ill treated by the English; +but while the Parliament pressed the king with a cruel and unnatural +war at home, and called in an army out of Scotland to support their +quarrel with their king, I could never be convinced, that it was such +a dishonourable action for the king to suspend the correction of +his Irish rebels till he was in a capacity to do it with safety to +himself; or to delay any farther assistance to preserve himself at +home; and the troops he recalled being his own, it was no breach of +his honour to make use of them, since he now wanted them for his own +security against those who fought against him at home. + +But the king was persuaded to make one step farther, and that, I +confess, was unpleasing to us all; and some of his best and most +faithful servants took the freedom to speak plainly to him of it; and +that was bringing some regiments of the Irish themselves over. This +cast, as we thought, an odium upon our whole nation, being some of +those very wretches who had dipped their hands in the innocent blood +of the Protestants, and, with unheard-of butcheries, had massacred so +many thousands of English in cool blood. + +Abundance of gentlemen forsook the king upon this score; and seeing +they could not brook the fighting in conjunction with this wicked +generation, came into the declaration of the Parliament, and making +composition for their estates, lived retired lives all the rest of +war, or went abroad. + +But as exigences and necessities oblige us to do things which at other +times we would not do, and is, as to man, some excuse for such things; +so I cannot but think the guilt and dishonour of such an action must +lie, very much of it, at least, at their doors, who drove the king +to these necessities and distresses, by calling in an army of his +own subjects whom he had not injured, but had complied with them in +everything, to make war upon him without any provocation. + +As to the quarrel between the king and his Parliament, there may +something be said on both sides; and the king saw cause himself to +disown and dislike some things he had done, which the Parliament +objected against, such as levying money without consent of Parliament, +infractions on their privileges, and the like. Here, I say, was some +room for an argument at least, and concessions on both sides were +needful to come to a peace. But for the Scots, all their demands had +been answered, all their grievances had been redressed, they had made +articles with their sovereign, and he had performed those articles; +their capital enemy Episcopacy was abolished; they had not one thing +to demand of the king which he had not granted. And therefore they had +no more cause to take up arms against their sovereign than they had +against the Grand Seignior. But it must for ever lie against them as +a brand of infamy, and as a reproach on their whole nation that, +purchased by the Parliament's money, they sold their honesty, and +rebelled against their king for hire; and it was not many years +before, as I have said already, they were fully paid the wages of +their unrighteousness, and chastised for their treachery by the very +same people whom they thus basely assisted. Then they would have +retrieved it, if it had not been too late. + +But I could not but accuse this age of injustice and partiality, who +while they reproached the king for his cessation of arms with the +Irish rebels, and not prosecuting them with the utmost severity, +though he was constrained by the necessities of the war to do it, +could yet, at the same time, justify the Scots taking up arms in a +quarrel they had no concern in, and against their own king, with whom +they had articled and capitulated, and who had so punctually complied +with all their demands, that they had no claim upon him, no grievances +to be redressed, no oppression to cry out of, nor could ask anything +of him which he had not granted. + +But as no action in the world is so vile, but the actors can cover +with some specious pretence, so the Scots now passing into England +publish a declaration to justify their assisting the Parliament. To +which I shall only say, in my opinion, it was no justification at all; +for admit the Parliament's quarrel had been never so just, it could +not be just in them to aid them, because 'twas against their own king +too, to whom they had sworn allegiance, or at least had crowned him, +and thereby had recognised his authority. For if maladministration be, +according to Prynne's doctrine, or according to their own Buchanan, a +sufficient reason for subjects to take up arms against their prince, +the breach of his coronation oath being supposed to dissolve the oath +of allegiance, which however I cannot believe; yet this can never be +extended to make it lawful, that because a king of England may, +by maladministration, discharge the subjects of England from their +allegiance, that therefore the subjects of Scotland may take up arms +against the King of Scotland, he having not infringed the compact +of government as to them, and they having nothing to complain of for +themselves. Thus I thought their own arguments were against them, and +Heaven seemed to concur with it; for although they did carry the cause +for the English rebels, yet the most of them left their bones here in +the quarrel. + +But what signifies reason to the drum and the trumpet! The Parliament +had the supreme argument with those men, viz., the money; and having +accordingly advanced a good round sum, upon payment of this (for the +Scots would not stir a foot without it) they entered England on +the 15th of January 1643[-4], with an army of 12,000 men, under the +command of old Leslie, now Earl of Leven, an old soldier of great +experience, having been bred to arms from a youth in the service of +the Prince of Orange. + +The Scots were no sooner entered England but they were joined by all +the friends to the Parliament party in the north; and first, Colonel +Grey, brother to the Lord Grey, joined them with a regiment of horse, +and several out of Westmoreland and Cumberland, and so they advanced +to Newcastle, which they summon to surrender. The Earl of Newcastle, +who rather saw than was able to prevent this storm, was in Newcastle, +and did his best to defend it; but the Scots, increased by this time +to above 20,000, lay close siege to the place, which was but meanly +fortified, and having repulsed the garrison upon several sallies, +and pressing the place very close, after a siege of twelve days, or +thereabouts, they enter the town sword in hand. The Earl of Newcastle +got away, and afterwards gathered what forces together he could, but +[was] not strong enough to hinder the Scots from advancing to Durham, +which he quitted to them, nor to hinder the conjunction of the Scots +with the forces of Fairfax, Manchester, and Cromwell. Whereupon the +earl, seeing all things thus going to wreck, he sends his horse +away, and retreats with his foot into York, making all necessary +preparations for a vigorous defence there, in case he should be +attacked, which he was pretty sure of, as indeed afterwards happened. +York was in a very good posture of defence, the fortifications very +regular, and exceeding strong; well furnished with provisions, and +had now a garrison of 12,000 men in it. The governor under the Earl +of Newcastle was Sir Thomas Glemham, a good soldier, and a gentleman +brave enough. + +The Scots, as I have said, having taken Durham, Tynemouth Castle, +and Sunderland, and being joined by Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had taken +Selby, resolve, with their united strength, to besiege York; but +when they came to view the city, and saw a plan of the works, and had +intelligence of the strength of the garrison, they sent expresses to +Manchester and Cromwell for help, who came on, and joined them with +9000, making together about 30,000 men, rather more than less. + +Now had the Earl of Newcastle's repeated messengers convinced the +king that it was absolutely necessary to send some forces to his +assistance, or else all would be lost in the north. Whereupon Prince +Rupert was detached, with orders first to go into Lancashire and +relieve Lathom House, defended by the brave Countess of Derby, and +then, taking all the forces he could collect in Cheshire, Lancashire, +and Yorkshire, to march to relieve York. + +The prince marched from Oxford with but three regiments of horse and +one of dragoons, making in all about 2800 men. The colonels of horse +were Colonel Charles Goring, the Lord Byron, and myself; the dragoons +were of Colonel Smith. In our march we were joined by a regiment of +horse from Banbury, one of dragoons from Bristol, and three regiments +of horse from Chester, so that when we came into Lancashire we were +about 5000 horse and dragoons. These horse we received from Chester +were those who, having been at the siege of Nantwich, were obliged to +raise the siege by Sir Thomas Fairfax; and the foot having yielded, +the horse made good their retreat to Chester, being about 2000, of +whom three regiments now joined us. We received also 2000 foot from +West Chester, and 2000 more out of Wales, and with this strength we +entered Lancashire. We had not much time to spend, and a great deal of +work to do. + +Bolton and Liverpool felt the first fury of our prince; at Bolton, +indeed, he had some provocation, for here we were like to be beaten +off. When first the prince came to the town, he sent a summons to +demand the town for the king, but received no answer but from their +guns, commanding the messenger to keep off at his peril. They had +raised some works about the town, and having by their intelligence +learnt that we had no artillery, and were only a flying party (so they +called us), they contemned the summons, and showed themselves upon +their ramparts, ready for us. The prince was resolved to humble them, +if possible, and takes up his quarters close to the town. In the +evening he orders me to advance with one regiment of dragoons and my +horse, to bring them off, if occasion was, and to post myself as near +as possible I could to the lines, yet so as not to be discovered; +and at the same time, having concluded what part of the works to fall +upon, he draws up his men on two other sides, as if he would storm +them there; and, on a signal, I was to begin the real assault on my +side with my dragoons. + +I had got so near the town with my dragoons, making them creep upon +their bellies a great way, that we could hear the soldiers talk on the +walls, when the prince, believing one regiment would be too few, sends +me word that he had ordered a regiment of foot to help, and that I +should not discover myself till they were come up to me. This broke +our measures, for the march of this regiment was discovered by the +enemy, and they took the alarm. Upon this I sent to the prince, to +desire he would put off the storm for that night, and I would answer +for it the next day; but the prince was impatient, and sent orders we +should fall on as soon as the foot came up to us. The foot marched out +of the way, missed us, and fell in with a road that leads to another +part of the town; and being not able to find us, make an attack +upon the town themselves; but the defendants, being ready for them, +received them very warmly, and beat them off with great loss. + +I was at a loss now what to do; for hearing the guns, and by the noise +knowing it was an assault upon the town, I was very uneasy to have my +share in it; but as I had learnt under the King of Sweden punctually +to adhere to the execution of orders, and my orders being to lie still +till the foot came up with me, I would not stir if I had been sure to +have done never so much service; but, however, to satisfy myself, I +sent to the prince to let him know that I continued in the same place +expecting the foot, and none being yet come, I desired farther orders. +The prince was a little amazed at this, and finding there must be some +mistake, came galloping away in the dark to the place and drew off the +men, which was no hard matter, for they were willing enough to give it +over. + +As for me, the prince ordered me to come off so privately as not to +be discovered, if possible, which I effectually did; and so we were +balked for that night. The next day the prince fell on upon another +quarter with three regiments of foot, but was beaten off with loss, +and the like a third time. At last the prince resolved to carry it, +doubled his numbers, and, renewing the attack with fresh men, the foot +entered the town over their works, killing in the first heat of the +action all that came in their way; some of the foot at the same time +letting in the horse, and so the town was entirely won. There was +about 600 of the enemy killed, and we lost above 400 in all, which was +owing to the foolish mistakes we made. Our men got some plunder here, +which the Parliament made a great noise about; but it was their due, +and they bought it dear enough. + +Liverpool did not cost us so much, nor did we get so much by it, the +people having sent their women and children and best goods on board +the ships in the road; and as we had no boats to board them with, we +could not get at them. Here, as at Bolton, the town and fort was taken +by storm, and the garrison were many of them cut in pieces, which, by +the way, was their own faults. + +Our next step was Lathom House, which the Countess of Derby had +gallantly defended above eighteen weeks against the Parliament forces; +and this lady not only encouraged her men by her cheerful and noble +maintenance of them, but by examples of her own undaunted spirit, +exposing herself upon the walls in the midst of the enemy's shot, +would be with her men in the greatest dangers; and she well deserved +our care of her person, for the enemy were prepared to use her very +rudely if she fell into their hands. + +Upon our approach the enemy drew off, and the prince not only +effectually relieved this vigorous lady, but left her a good quantity +of all sorts of ammunition, three great guns, 500 arms, and 200 men, +commanded by a major, as her extraordinary guard. + +Here the way being now opened, and our success answering our +expectation, several bodies of foot came in to us from Westmoreland +and from Cumberland; and here it was that the prince found means to +surprise the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which was recovered for +the king by the management of the mayor of the town, and some loyal +gentlemen of the county, and a garrison placed there again for the +king. + +But our main design being the relief of York, the prince advanced that +way apace, his army still increasing; and being joined by the Lord +Goring from Richmondshire with 4000 horse, which were the same the +Earl of Newcastle had sent away when he threw himself into York with +the infantry, we were now 18,000 effective men, whereof 10,000 horse +and dragoons; so the prince, full of hopes, and his men in good heart, +boldly marched directly for York. + +The Scots, as much surprised at the taking of Newcastle as at the +coming of their enemy, began to inquire which way they should get +home, if they should be beaten; and calling a council of war, they all +agreed to raise the siege. The prince, who drew with him a great train +of carriages charged with provision and ammunition for the relief of +the city, like a wary general, kept at a distance from the enemy, and +fetching a great compass about, brings all safe into the city, and +enters into York himself with all his army. + +No action of this whole war had gained the prince so much honour, or +the king's affairs so much advantage, as this, had the prince but had +the power to have restrained his courage after this, and checked his +fatal eagerness for fighting. Here was a siege raised, the reputation +of the enemy justly stirred, a city relieved, and furnished with all +things necessary in the face of an army superior in a number by near +10,000 men, and commanded by a triumvirate of Generals Leven, Fairfax, +and Manchester. Had the prince but remembered the proceeding of the +great Duke of Parma at the relief of Paris, he would have seen the +relieving the city was his business; 'twas the enemy's business to +fight if possible, 'twas his to avoid it; for, having delivered the +city, and put the disgrace of raising the siege upon the enemy, he had +nothing further to do but to have waited till he had seen what course +the enemy would take, and taken his further measures from their +motion. + +But the prince, a continual friend to precipitant counsels, would hear +no advice. I entreated him not to put it to the hazard; I told him +that he ought to consider if he lost the day he lost the kingdom, and +took the crown off from the king's head. I put him in mind that it +was impossible those three generals should continue long together; and +that if they did, they would not agree long in their counsels, which +would be as well for us as their separating. 'Twas plain Manchester +and Cromwell must return to the associated counties, who would not +suffer them to stay, for fear the king should attempt them. That he +could subsist well enough, having York city and river at his back; +but the Scots would eat up the country, make themselves odious, and +dwindle away to nothing, if he would but hold them at bay a little. +Other general officers were of the same mind; but all I could say, or +they either, to a man deaf to anything but his own courage, signified +nothing. He would draw out and fight; there was no persuading him to +the contrary, unless a man would run the risk of being upbraided with +being a coward, and afraid of the work. The enemy's army lay on a +large common, called Marston Moor, doubtful what to do. Some were for +fighting the prince, the Scots were against it, being uneasy at having +the garrison of Newcastle at their backs; but the prince brought their +councils of war to a result, for he let them know they must fight him, +whether they would or no; for the prince being, as before, 18,000 men, +and the Earl of Newcastle having joined him with 8000 foot out of the +city, were marched in quest of the enemy, had entered the moor in view +of their army, and began to draw up in order of battle; but the night +coming on, the armies only viewed each other at a distance for that +time. We lay all night upon our arms, and with the first of the day +were in order of battle; the enemy was getting ready, but part of +Manchester's men were not in the field, but lay about three miles off, +and made a hasty march to come up. + +The prince's army was exceedingly well managed; he himself commanded +the left wing, the Earl of Newcastle the right wing; and the Lord +Goring, as general of the foot, assisted by Major-General Porter +and Sir Charles Lucas, led the main battle. I had prevailed with the +prince, according to the method of the King of Sweden, to place some +small bodies of musketeers in the intervals of his horse, in the left +wing, but could not prevail upon the Earl of Newcastle to do it in the +right, which he afterwards repented. In this posture we stood facing +the enemy, expecting they would advance to us, which at last they +did; and the prince began the day by saluting them with his artillery, +which, being placed very well, galled them terribly for a quarter +of an hour. They could not shift their front, so they advanced the +hastier to get within our great guns, and consequently out of their +danger, which brought the fight the sooner on. + +The enemy's army was thus ordered; Sir Thomas Fairfax had the right +wing, in which was the Scots horse, and the horse of his own and his +father's army; Cromwell led the left wing, with his own and the Earl +of Manchester's horse, and the three generals, Leslie, old Fairfax, +and Manchester, led the main battle. + +The prince, with our left wing, fell on first, and, with his usual +fury, broke like a clap of thunder into the right wing of the Scots +horse, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and, as nothing could stand in his +way, he broke through and through them, and entirely routed them, +pursuing them quite out of the field. Sir Thomas Fairfax, with a +regiment of lances, and about 500 of his own horse, made good the +ground for some time; but our musketeers, which, as I said, were such +an unlooked-for sort of an article in a fight among the horse, that +those lances, which otherwise were brave fellows, were mowed down with +their shot, and all was put into confusion. Sir Thomas Fairfax was +wounded in the face, his brother killed, and a great slaughter was +made of the Scots, to whom I confess we showed no favour at all. + +While this was doing on our left, the Lord Goring with the main battle +charged the enemy's foot; and particularly one brigade commanded by +Major-General Porter, being mostly pikemen, not regarding the fire of +the enemy, charged with that fury in a close body of pikes, that they +overturned all that came in their way, and breaking into the middle of +the enemy's foot, filled all with terror and confusion, insomuch that +the three generals, thinking all had been lost, fled, and quitted the +field. + +But matters went not so well with that always unfortunate gentleman +the Earl of Newcastle and our right wing of horse; for Cromwell +charged the Earl of Newcastle with a powerful body of horse. And +though the earl, and those about him, did what men could do, and +behaved themselves with all possible gallantry, yet there was no +withstanding Cromwell's horse, but, like Prince Rupert, they bore down +all before them. And now the victory was wrung out of our hands by our +own gross miscarriage; for the prince, as 'twas his custom, too eager +in the chase of the enemy, was gone and could not be heard of. The +foot in the centre, the right wing of the horse being routed by +Cromwell, was left, and without the guard of his horse; Cromwell +having routed the Earl of Newcastle, and beaten him quite out of the +field, and Sir Thomas Fairfax rallying his dispersed troops, they fall +all together upon the foot. General Lord Goring, like himself, fought +like a lion, but, forsaken of his horse, was hemmed in on all sides, +and overthrown; and an hour after this, the prince returning, too late +to recover his friends, was obliged with the rest to quit the field to +conquerors. + +This was a fatal day to the king's affairs, and the risk too much +for any man in his wits to run; we lost 4000 men on the spot, 3000 +prisoners, among whom was Sir Charles Lucas, Major-General Porter, +Major-General Tilyard, and about 170 gentlemen of quality. We lost all +our baggage, twenty-five pieces of cannon, 3000 carriages, 150 barrels +of powder, 10,000 arms. The prince got into York with the Earl of +Newcastle, and a great many gentlemen; and 7000 or 8000 of the men, as +well horse as foot. + +I had but very coarse treatment in this fight; for returning with the +prince from the pursuit of the right wing, and finding all lost, I +halted with some other officers, to consider what to do. At first we +were for making our retreat in a body, and might have done so well +enough, if we had known what had happened, before we saw ourselves in +the middle of the enemy; for Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had got together +his scattered troops, and joined by some of the left wing, knowing +who we were, charged us with great fury. 'Twas not a time to think of +anything but getting away, or dying upon the spot; the prince kept +on in the front, and Sir Thomas Fairfax by this charge cut off about +three regiments of us from our body; but bending his main strength +at the prince, left us, as it were, behind him, in the middle of the +field of battle. We took this for the only opportunity we could have +to get off, and joining together, we made across the place of battle +in as good order as we could, with our carabines presented. In this +posture we passed by several bodies of the enemy's foot, who stood +with their pikes charged to keep us off; but they had no occasion, for +we had no design to meddle with them, but to get from them. + +Thus we made a swift march, and thought ourselves pretty secure; but +our work was not done yet, for on a sudden we saw ourselves under a +necessity of fighting our way through a great body of Manchester's +horse, who came galloping upon us over the moor. They had, as we +suppose, been pursuing some of our broken troops which were fled +before, and seeing us, they gave us a home charge. We received them as +well as we could, but pushed to get through them, which at last we did +with a considerable loss to them. However, we lost so many men, either +killed or separated from us (for all could not follow the same way), +that of our three regiments we could not be above 400 horse together +when we got quite clear, and these were mixed men, some of one troop +and regiment, some of another. Not that I believe many of us were +killed in the last attack, for we had plainly the better of the enemy, +but our design being to get off, some shifted for themselves one way +and some another, in the best manner they could, and as their several +fortunes guided them. Four hundred more of this body, as I afterwards +understood, having broke through the enemy's body another way, kept +together, and got into Pontefract Castle, and 300 more made northward +and to Skipton, where the prince afterwards fetched them off. + +These few of us that were left together, with whom I was, being now +pretty clear of pursuit, halted, and began to inquire who and who +we were, and what we should do; and on a short debate, I proposed we +should make to the first garrison of the king's that we could recover, +and that we should keep together, lest the country people should +insult us upon the roads. With this resolution we pushed on westward +for Lancashire, but our misfortunes were not yet at an end. We +travelled very hard, and got to a village upon the river Wharfe, near +Wetherby. At Wetherby there was a bridge, but we understood that a +party from Leeds had secured the town and the post, in order to stop +the flying Cavaliers, and that 'twould be very hard to get through +there, though, as we understood afterwards, there were no soldiers +there but a guard of the townsmen. In this pickle we consulted what +course to take. To stay where we were till morning, we all concluded, +would not be safe. Some advised to take the stream with our horses, +but the river, which is deep, and the current strong, seemed to bid +us have a care what we did of that kind, especially in the night. We +resolved therefore to refresh ourselves and our horses, which indeed +is more than we did, and go on till we might come to a ford or bridge, +where we might get over. Some guides we had, but they either were +foolish or false, for after we had rode eight or nine miles, they +plunged us into a river at a place they called a ford, but 'twas a +very ill one, for most of our horses swam, and seven or eight were +lost, but we saved the men. However, we got all over. + +We made bold with our first convenience to trespass upon the country +for a few horses, where we could find them, to remount our men whose +horses were drowned, and continued our march. But being obliged to +refresh ourselves at a small village on the edge of Bramham Moor, we +found the country alarmed by our taking some horses, and we were no +sooner got on horseback in the morning, and entering on the moor, but +we understood we were pursued by some troops of horse. There was +no remedy but we must pass this moor; and though our horses were +exceedingly tired, yet we pressed on upon a round trot, and recovered +an enclosed country on the other side, where we halted. And here, +necessity putting us upon it, we were obliged to look out for more +horses, for several of our men were dismounted, and others' horses +disabled by carrying double, those who lost their horses getting up +behind them. But we were supplied by our enemies against their will. + +The enemy followed us over the moor, and we having a woody enclosed +country about us, where we were, I observed by their moving, they had +lost sight of us; upon which I proposed concealing ourselves till we +might judge of their numbers. We did so, and lying close in a wood, +they passed hastily by us, without skirting or searching the wood, +which was what on another occasion they would not have done. I found +they were not above 150 horse, and considering, that to let them +go before us, would be to alarm the country, and stop our design, I +thought, since we might be able to deal with them, we should not meet +with a better place for it, and told the rest of our officers my mind, +which all our party presently (for we had not time for a long debate) +agreed to. + +Immediately upon this I caused two men to fire their pistols in the +wood, at two different places, as far asunder as I could. This I did +to give them an alarm, and amuse them; for being in the lane, they +would otherwise have got through before we had been ready, and I +resolved to engage them there, as soon as 'twas possible. After this +alarm, we rushed out of the wood, with about a hundred horse, and +charged them on the flank in a broad lane, the wood being on their +right. Our passage into the lane being narrow, gave us some difficulty +in our getting out; but the surprise of the charge did our work; for +the enemy, thinking we had been a mile or two before, had not the +least thoughts of this onset, till they heard us in the wood, and then +they who were before could not come back. We broke into the lane just +in the middle of them, and by that means divided them; and facing to +the left, charged the rear. First our dismounted men, which were near +fifty, lined the edge of the wood, and fired with their carabines upon +those which were before, so warmly, that they put them into a great +disorder. Meanwhile fifty more of our horse from the farther part of +the wood showed themselves in the lane upon their front. This put them +of the foremost party into a great perplexity, and they began to face +about, to fall upon us who were engaged in the rear. But their +facing about in a lane where there was no room to wheel, as one who +understands the manner of wheeling a troop of horse must imagine, put +them into a great disorder. Our party in the head of the lane taking +the advantage of this mistake of the enemy, charged in upon them, and +routed them entirely. + +Some found means to break into the enclosures on the other side of the +lane, and get away. About thirty were killed, and about twenty-five +made prisoners, and forty very good horses were taken; all this while +not a man of ours was lost, and not above seven or eight wounded. +Those in the rear behaved themselves better, for they stood our charge +with a great deal of resolution, and all we could do could not break +them; but at last our men who had fired on foot through the hedges at +the other party, coming to do the like here, there was no standing +it any longer. The rear of them faced about and retreated out of +the lane, and drew up in the open field to receive and rally their +fellows. We killed about seventeen of them, and followed them to the +end of the lane, but had no mind to have any more fighting than needs +must, our condition at that time not making it proper, the towns round +us being all in the enemy's hands, and the country but indifferently +pleased with us; however, we stood facing them till they thought fit +to march away. Thus we were supplied with horses enough to remount our +men, and pursued our first design of getting into Lancashire. As for +our prisoners, we let them off on foot. + +But the country being by this time alarmed, and the rout of our army +everywhere known, we foresaw abundance of difficulties before us; we +were not strong enough to venture into any great towns, and we were +too many to be concealed in small ones. Upon this we resolved to halt +in a great wood about three miles beyond the place where we had the +last skirmish, and sent our scouts to discover the country, and learn +what they could, either of the enemy or of our friends. + +Anybody may suppose we had but indifferent quarters here, either for +ourselves or for our horses; but, however, we made shift to lie here +two days and one night. In the interim I took upon me, with two more, +to go to Leeds to learn some news; we were disguised like country +ploughmen; the clothes we got at a farmer's house, which for that +particular occasion we plundered; and I cannot say no blood was shed +in a manner too rash, and which I could not have done at another time; +but our case was desperate, and the people too surly, and shot at us +out of the window, wounded one man and shot a horse, which we counted +as great a loss to us as a man, for our safety depended upon our +horses. Here we got clothes of all sorts, enough for both sexes, and +thus dressing myself up _au paysan,_ with a white cap on my head, and +a fork on my shoulder, and one of my comrades in the farmer's wife's +russet gown and petticoat, like a woman, the other with an old crutch +like a lame man, and all mounted on such horses as we had taken the +day before from the country, away we go to Leeds by three several +ways, and agreed to meet upon the bridge. My pretended country woman +acted her part to the life, though the party was a gentleman of good +quality, of the Earl of Worcester's family; and the cripple did as +well as he; but I thought myself very awkward in my dress, which made +me very shy, especially among the soldiers. We passed their sentinels +and guards at Leeds unobserved, and put up our horses at several +houses in the town, from whence we went up and down to make our +remarks. My cripple was the fittest to go among the soldiers, because +there was less danger of being pressed. There he informed himself of +the matters of war, particularly that the enemy sat down again to the +siege of York; that flying parties were in pursuit of the Cavaliers; +and there he heard that 500 horse of the Lord Manchester's men had +followed a party of Cavaliers over Bramham Moor, and that entering a +lane, the Cavaliers, who were 1000 strong, fell upon them, and killed +them all but about fifty. This, though it was a lie, was very pleasant +to us to hear, knowing it was our party, because of the other part of +the story, which was thus: That the Cavaliers had taken possession of +such a wood, where they rallied all the troops of their flying army; +that they had plundered the country as they came, taking all the +horses they could get; that they had plundered Goodman Thomson's +house, which was the farmer I mentioned, and killed man, woman, and +child; and that they were about 2000 strong. + +My other friend in woman's clothes got among the good wives at an +inn, where she set up her horse, and there she heard the same sad +and dreadful tidings; and that this party was so strong, none of +the neighbouring garrisons durst stir out; but that they had sent +expresses to York, for a party of horse to come to their assistance. + +I walked up and down the town, but fancied myself so ill disguised, +and so easy to be known, that I cared not to talk with anybody. We +met at the bridge exactly at our time, and compared our intelligence, +found it answered our end of coming, and that we had nothing to do but +to get back to our men; but my cripple told me, he would not stir till +he bought some victuals: so away he hops with his crutch, and buys +four or five great pieces of bacon, as many of hung beef, and two +or three loaves; and borrowing a sack at the inn (which I suppose +he never restored), he loads his horse, and getting a large leather +bottle, he filled that of aqua-vitae instead of small beer; my woman +comrade did the like. I was uneasy in my mind, and took no care but to +get out of the town; however, we all came off well enough; but +'twas well for me that I had no provisions with me, as you will hear +presently. + +We came, as I said, into the town by several ways, and so we went out; +but about three miles from the town we met again exactly where we had +agreed. I being about a quarter of a mile from the rest, I meets three +country fellows on horseback; one had a long pole on his shoulder, +another a fork, the third no weapon at all, that I saw. I gave them +the road very orderly, being habited like one of their brethren; but +one of them stopping short at me, and looking earnestly calls out, +"Hark thee, friend," says he, in a broad north-country tone, "whar +hast thou thilk horse?" I must confess I was in the utmost confusion +at the question, neither being able to answer the question, nor to +speak in his tone; so I made as if I did not hear him, and went on. +"Na, but ye's not gang soa," says the boor, and comes up to me, and +takes hold of the horse's bridle to stop me; at which, vexed at heart +that I could not tell how to talk to him, I reached him a great knock +on the pate with my fork, and fetched him off of his horse, and then +began to mend my pace. The other clowns, though it seems they knew not +what the fellow wanted, pursued me, and finding they had better heels +than I, I saw there was no remedy but to make use of my hands, and +faced about. + +The first that came up with me was he that had no weapons, so I +thought I might parley with him, and speaking as country-like as I +could, I asked him what he wanted? "Thou'st knaw that soon," says +Yorkshire, "and ise but come at thee." "Then keep awa', man," said +I, "or ise brain thee." By this time the third man came up, and the +parley ended; for he gave me no words, but laid at me with his long +pole, and that with such fury, that I began to be doubtful of him. +I was loth to shoot the fellow, though I had pistols under my grey +frock, as well for that the noise of a pistol might bring more people +in, the village being on our rear, and also because I could not +imagine what the fellow meant, or would have. But at last, finding +he would be too many for me with that long weapon, and a hardy strong +fellow, I threw myself off my horse, and running in with him, stabbed +my fork into his horse. The horse being wounded, staggered awhile, and +then fell down, and the booby had not the sense to get down in time, +but fell with him. Upon which, giving him a knock or two with my fork, +I secured him. The other, by this time, had furnished himself with a +great stick out of a hedge, and before I was disengaged from the last +fellow, gave me two such blows, that if the last had not missed my +head and hit me on the shoulder, I had ended the fight and my life +together. 'Twas time to look about me now, for this was a madman. I +defended myself with my fork, but 'twould not do. At last, in short, I +was forced to pistol him and get on horseback again, and with all the +speed I could make, get away to the wood to our men. + +If my two fellow-spies had not been behind, I had never known what was +the meaning of this quarrel of the three countrymen, but my cripple +had all the particulars. For he being behind us, as I have already +observed, when he came up to the first fellow who began the fray, he +found him beginning to come to himself. So he gets off, and pretends +to help him, and sets him up upon his breech, and being a very merry +fellow, talked to him: "Well, and what's the matter now?" says he to +him. "Ah, wae's me," says the fellow, "I is killed." "Not quite, mon," +says the cripple. "Oh, that's a fau thief," says he, and thus they +parleyed. My cripple got him on's feet, and gave him a dram of his +aqua-vitae bottle, and made much of him, in order to know what was the +occasion of the quarrel. Our disguised woman pitied the fellow too, +and together they set him up again upon his horse, and then he told +him that that fellow was got upon one of his brother's horses who +lived at Wetherby. They said the Cavaliers stole him, but 'twas like +such rogues. No mischief could be done in the country, but 'twas the +poor Cavaliers must bear the blame, and the like, and thus they jogged +on till they came to the place where the other two lay. The first +fellow they assisted as they had done t'other, and gave him a dram +out of the leather bottle, but the last fellow was past their care, +so they came away. For when they understood that 'twas my horse they +claimed, they began to be afraid that their own horses might be known +too, and then they had been betrayed in a worse pickle than I, and +must have been forced to have done some mischief or other to have got +away. + +I had sent out two troopers to fetch them off, if there was any +occasion; but their stay was not long and the two troopers saw them at +a distance coming towards us, so they returned. + +I had enough of going for a spy, and my companions had enough of +staying in the wood for other intelligences agreed with ours, and all +concurred in this, that it was time to be going; however, this use we +made of it, that while the country thought us so strong we were in the +less danger of being attacked, though in the more of being observed; +but all this while we heard nothing of our friends till the next day. +We heard Prince Rupert, with about 1000 horse, was at Skipton, and +from thence marched away to Westmoreland. + +We concluded now we had two or three days' time good; for, since +messengers were sent to York for a party to suppress us, we must have +at least two days' march of them, and therefore all concluded we +were to make the best of our way. Early in the morning, therefore, we +decamped from those dull quarters; and as we marched through a village +we found the people very civil to us, and the women cried out, "God +bless them, 'tis pity the Roundheads should make such work with +such brave men," and the like. Finding we were among our friends, +we resolved to halt a little and refresh ourselves; and, indeed, the +people were very kind to us, gave us victuals and drink, and took care +of our horses. It happened to be my lot to stop at a house where +the good woman took a great deal of pains to provide for us; but I +observed the good man walked about with a cap upon his head, and very +much out of order. I took no great notice of it, being very sleepy, +and having asked my landlady to let me have a bed, I lay down and +slept heartily. When I waked I found my landlord on another bed +groaning very heavily. + +When I came downstairs, I found my cripple talking with my landlady; +he was now out of his disguise, but we called him cripple still; and +the other, who put on the woman's clothes, we called Goody Thompson. +As soon as he saw me, he called me out, "Do you know," says he, "the +man of the house you are quartered in?" "No, not I," says I. "No; so I +believe, nor they you," says he; "if they did, the good wife would not +have made you a posset, and fetched a white loaf for you." "What do +you mean?" says I. "Have you seen the man?" says he. "Seen him," says +I; "yes, and heard him too; the man's sick, and groans so heavily," +says I, "that I could not lie upon the bed any longer for him." "Why, +this is the poor man," says he, "that you knocked down with your fork +yesterday, and I have had all the story out yonder at the next door." +I confess it grieved me to have been forced to treat one so roughly +who was one of our friends, but to make some amends, we contrived +to give the poor man his brother's horse; and my cripple told him +a formal story, that he believed the horse was taken away from the +fellow by some of our men, and if he knew him again, if 'twas his +friend's horse, he should have him. The man came down upon the news, +and I caused six or seven horses, which were taken at the same time, +to be shown him; he immediately chose the right; so I gave him the +horse, and we pretended a great deal of sorrow for the man's hurt, and +that we had not knocked the fellow on the head as well as took away +the horse. The man was so overjoyed at the revenge he thought was +taken on the fellow, that we heard him groan no more. + +We ventured to stay all day at this town and the next night, and got +guides to lead us to Blackstone Edge, a ridge of mountains which +part this side of Yorkshire from Lancashire. Early in the morning we +marched, and kept our scouts very carefully out every way, who brought +us no news for this day. We kept on all night, and made our horses do +penance for that little rest they had, and the next morning we passed +the hills and got into Lancashire, to a town called Littlebrough, +and from thence to Rochdale, a little market town. And now we thought +ourselves safe as to the pursuit of enemies from the side of York. Our +design was to get to Bolton, but all the county was full of the enemy +in flying parties, and how to get to Bolton we knew not. At last we +resolved to send a messenger to Bolton; but he came back and told +us he had with lurking and hiding tried all the ways that he thought +possible, but to no purpose, for he could not get into the town. We +sent another, and he never returned, and some time after we understood +he was taken by the enemy. At last one got into the town, but brought +us word they were tired out with constant alarms, had been strictly +blocked up, and every day expected a siege, and therefore advised us +either to go northward where Prince Rupert and the Lord Goring ranged +at liberty, or to get over Warrington Bridge, and so secure our +retreat to Chester. + +This double direction divided our opinions. I was for getting into +Chester, both to recruit myself with horses and with money, both which +I wanted, and to get refreshment, which we all wanted; but the major +part of our men were for the north. First they said there was their +general, and 'twas their duty to the cause, and the king's interest +obliged us to go where we could do best service; and there was their +friends, and every man might hear some news of his own regiment, for +we belonged to several regiments. Besides, all the towns to the +left of us were possessed by Sir William Brereton, Warrington, and +Northwich, garrisoned by the enemy, and a strong party at Manchester, +so that 'twas very likely we should be beaten and dispersed before +we could get to Chester. These reasons, and especially the last, +determined us for the north, and we had resolved to march the +next morning, when other intelligence brought us to more speedy +resolutions. We kept our scouts continually abroad to bring us +intelligence of the enemy, whom we expected on our backs, and also to +keep an eye upon the country; for, as we lived upon them something +at large, they were ready enough to do us any ill turn, as it lay in +their power. + +The first messenger that came to us was from our friends at Bolton, to +inform us that they were preparing at Manchester to attack us. One of +our parties had been as far as Stockport, on the edge of Cheshire, and +was pursued by a party of the enemy, but got off by the help of the +night. Thus, all things looked black to the south, we had resolved to +march northward in the morning, when one of our scouts from the side +of Manchester, assured us Sir Thomas Middleton, with some of the +Parliament forces and the country troops, making above 1200 men, were +on the march to attack us, and would certainly beat up our quarters +that night. Upon this advice we resolved to be gone; and, getting all +things in readiness, we began to march about two hours before night. +And having gotten a trusty fellow for a guide, a fellow that we found +was a friend to our side, he put a project into my head which saved +us all for that time; and that was, to give out in the village that +we were marched to Yorkshire, resolving to get into Pontefract Castle; +and accordingly he leads us out of the town the same way we came in, +and, taking a boy with him, he sends the boy back just at night, and +bade him say he saw us go up the hills at Blackstone Edge; and it +happened very well, for this party were so sure of us, that they had +placed 400 men on the road to the northward to intercept our retreat +that way, and had left no way for us, as they thought, to get away but +back again. + +About ten o'clock at night, they assaulted our quarters, but found we +were gone; and being informed which way, they followed upon the spur, +and travelling all night, being moonlight, they found themselves the +next day about fifteen miles east, just out of their way. For we had, +by the help of our guide, turned short at the foot of the hills, and +through blind, untrodden paths, and with difficulty enough, by noon +the next day had reached almost twenty-five miles north, near a town +called Clitheroe. Here we halted in the open field, and sent out +our people to see how things were in the country. This part of +the country, almost unpassable, and walled round with hills, was +indifferent quiet, and we got some refreshment for ourselves, but very +little horse-meat, and so went on. But we had not marched far before +we found ourselves discovered, and the 400 horse sent to lie in wait +for us as before, having understood which way we went, followed us +hard; and by letters to some of their friends at Preston, we found we +were beset again. + +Our guide began now to be out of his knowledge, and our scouts brought +us word, the enemy's horse was posted before us, and we knew they were +in our rear. In this exigence, we resolved to divide our small +body, and so amusing them, at least one might get off, if the other +miscarried. I took about eighty horse with me, among which were all +that I had of our own regiment, amounting to above thirty-two, and +took the hills towards Yorkshire. Here we met with such unpassable +hills, vast moors, rocks, and stonyways, as lamed all our horses and +tired our men; and some times I was ready to think we should never be +able to get over them, till our horses failing, and jackboots being +but indifferent things to travel in, we might be starved before we +should find any road, or towns; for guide we had none, but a boy who +knew but little, and would cry when we asked him any questions. I +believe neither men nor horses ever passed in some places where we +went, and for twenty hours we saw not a town nor a house, excepting +sometimes from the top of the mountains, at a vast distance. I am +persuaded we might have encamped here, if we had had provisions, till +the war had been over, and have met with no disturbance; and I have +often wondered since, how we got into such horrible places, as much +as how we got out. That which was worse to us than all the rest, was, +that we knew not where we were going, nor what part of the country we +should come into, when we came out of those desolate crags. At +last, after a terrible fatigue, we began to see the western parts of +Yorkshire, some few villages, and the country at a distance looked a +little like England, for I thought before it looked like old Brennus +Hill, which the Grisons call "the grandfather of the Alps." We got +some relief in the villages, which indeed some of us had so much need +of, that they were hardly able to sit their horses, and others were +forced to help them off, they were so faint. I never felt so much of +the power of hunger in my life, for having not eaten in thirty hours, +I was as ravenous as a hound; and if I had had a piece of horse-flesh, +I believe I should not have had patience to have staid dressing +it, but have fallen upon it raw, and have eaten it as greedily as a +Tartar. However I ate very cautiously, having often seen the danger of +men's eating heartily after long fasting. + +Our next care was to inquire our way. Halifax, they told us, was on +our right. There we durst not think of going. Skipton was before us, +and there we knew not how it was, for a body of 3000 horse, sent out +by the enemy in pursuit of Prince Rupert, had been there but two days +before, and the country people could not tell us whether they were +gone, or no. And Manchester's horse, which were sent out after our +party, were then at Halifax, in quest of us, and afterwards marched +into Cheshire. In this distress we would have hired a guide, but none +of the country people would go with us, for the Roundheads would hang +them, they said, when they came there. Upon this I called a fellow to +me, "Hark ye, friend," says I, "dost thee know the way so as to bring +us into Westmoreland, and not keep the great road from York?" "Ay, +merry," says he, "I ken the ways weel enou!" "And you would go and +guide us," said I, "but that you are afraid the Roundheads will hang +you?" "Indeed would I," says the fellow. "Why then," says I, "thou +hadst as good be hanged by a Cavalier as a Roundhead, for if thou wilt +not go, I'll hang thee just now." "Na, and ye serve me soa," says the +fellow, "Ise ene gang with ye, for I care not for hanging; and ye'll +get me a good horse, Ise gang and be one of ye, for I'll nere come +heame more." This pleased us still better, and we mounted the fellow, +for three of our men died that night with the extreme fatigue of the +last service. + +Next morning, when our new trooper was mounted and clothed we hardly +knew him; and this fellow led us by such ways, such wildernesses, and +yet with such prudence, keeping the hills to the left, that we might +have the villages to refresh ourselves, that without him, we had +certainly either perished in those mountains, or fallen into the +enemy's hands. We passed the great road from York so critically as to +time, that from one of the hills he showed us a party of the enemy's +horse who were then marching into Westmoreland. We lay still that day, +finding we were not discovered by them; and our guide proved the best +scout that we could have had; for he would go out ten miles at a time, +and bring us in all the news of the country. Here he brought us word, +that York was surrendered upon articles, and that Newcastle, which had +been surprised by the king's party, was besieged by another army of +Scots advanced to help their brethren. + +Along the edges of those vast mountains we passed with the help of our +guide, till we came into the forest of Swale; and finding ourselves +perfectly concealed here, for no soldier had ever been here all the +war, nor perhaps would not, if it had lasted seven years, we thought +we wanted a few days' rest, at least for our horses. So we resolved to +halt; and while we did so, we made some disguises, and sent out some +spies into the country; but as here were no great towns, nor no post +road, we got very little intelligence. We rested four days, and then +marched again; and indeed having no great stock of money about us, +and not very free of that we had, four days was enough for those poor +places to be able to maintain us. + +We thought ourselves pretty secure now; but our chief care was how to +get over those terrible mountains; for having passed the great road +that leads from York to Lancaster, the crags, the farther northward we +looked, looked still the worse, and our business was all on the other +side. Our guide told us, he would bring us out, if we would have +patience, which we were obliged to, and kept on this slow march, till +he brought us to Stanhope, in the country of Durham; where some of +Goring's horse, and two regiments of foot, had their quarters. This +was nineteen days from the battle of Marston Moor. The prince, who +was then at Kendal in Westmoreland, and who had given me over as lost, +when he had news of our arrival, sent an express to me, to meet him +at Appleby. I went thither accordingly, and gave him an account of our +journey, and there I heard the short history of the other part of our +men, whom we parted from in Lancashire. They made the best of their +way north; they had two resolute gentlemen who commanded; and being +so closely pursued by the enemy, that they found themselves under a +necessity of fighting, they halted, and faced about, expecting the +charge. The boldness of the action made the officer who led the +enemy's horse (which it seems were the county horse only) afraid +of them; which they perceiving, taking the advantage of his fears, +bravely advance, and charge them; and though they were above 200 +horse, they routed them, killed about thirty or forty, got some +horses, and some money, and pushed on their march night and day; but +coming near Lancaster, they were so waylaid and pursued, that they +agreed to separate, and shift every man for himself. Many of them fell +into the enemy's hands; some were killed attempting to pass through +the river Lune; some went back, six or seven got to Bolton, and about +eighteen got safe to Prince Rupert. + +The prince was in a better condition hereabouts than I expected; he +and my Lord Goring, with the help of Sir Marmaduke Langdale, and the +gentlemen of Cumberland, had gotten a body of 4000 horse, and about +6000 foot; they had retaken Newcastle, Tynemouth, Durham, Stockton, +and several towns of consequence from the Scots, and might have cut +them out work enough still, if that base people, resolved to engage +their whole interest to ruin their sovereign, had not sent a second +army of 10,000 men, under the Earl of Callander, to help their first. +These came and laid siege to Newcastle, but found more vigorous +resistance now than they had done before. + +There were in the town Sir John Morley, the Lord Crawford, Lord +Reay, and Maxwell, Scots; and old soldiers, who were resolved their +countrymen should buy the town very dear, if they had it; and had it +not been for our disaster at Marston Moor, they had never had it; for +Callander, finding he was not able to carry the town, sends to General +Leven to come from the siege of York to help him. + +Meantime the prince forms a very good army, and the Lord Goring, with +10,000 men, shows himself on the borders of Scotland, to try if that +might not cause the Scots to recall their forces; and, I am persuaded, +had he entered Scotland, the Parliament of Scotland had recalled the +Earl of Callander, for they had but 5000 men left in arms to send +against him; but they were loth to venture. However, this effect it +had, that it called the Scots northward again, and found them work +there for the rest of the summer to reduce the several towns in the +bishopric of Durham. + +I found with the prince the poor remains of my regiment, which, when +joined with those that had been with me, could not all make up three +troops, and but two captains, three lieutenants, and one cornet; the +rest were dispersed, killed, or taken prisoners. However, with those, +which we still called a regiment, I joined the prince, and after +having done all we could on that side, the Scots being returned from +York, the prince returned through Lancashire to Chester. + +The enemy often appeared and alarmed us, and once fell on one of our +parties, and killed us about a hundred men; but we were too many for +them to pretend to fight us, so we came to Bolton, beat the troops +of the enemy near Warrington, where I got a cut with a halberd in my +face, and arrived at Chester the beginning of August. + +The Parliament, upon their great success in the north, thinking the +king's forces quite unbroken, had sent their General Essex into the +west, where the king's army was commanded by Prince Maurice, Prince +Rupert's elder brother, but not very strong; and the king being, as +they supposed, by the absence of Prince Rupert, weakened so much as +that he might be checked by Sir William Waller, who, with 4500 foot, +and 1500 horse, was at that time about Winchester, having lately +beaten Sir Ralph Hopton;--upon all these considerations, the Earl of +Essex marches westward. + +The forces in the west being too weak to oppose him, everything gave +way to him, and all people expected he would besiege Exeter, where +the queen was newly lying-in, and sent a trumpet to desire he would +forbear the city, while she could be removed, which he did, and passed +on westward, took Tiverton, Bideford, Barnstaple, Launceston, relieved +Plymouth, drove Sir Richard Grenvile up into Cornwall, and followed +him thither, but left Prince Maurice behind him with 4000 men about +Barnstaple and Exeter. The king, in the meantime, marches from Oxford +into Worcester, with Waller at his heels. At Edgehill his Majesty +turns upon Waller, and gave him a brush, to put him in mind of the +place. The king goes on to Worcester, sends 300 horse to relieve +Durley Castle, besieged by the Earl of Denby, and sending part of his +forces to Bristol, returns to Oxford. + +His Majesty had now firmly resolved to march into the west, not having +yet any account of our misfortunes in the north. Waller and Middleton +waylay the king at Cropredy Bridge. The king assaults Middleton at the +bridge. + +Waller's men were posted with some cannon to guard a pass. Middleton's +men put a regiment of the king's foot to the rout, and pursued them. +Waller's men, willing to come in for the plunder, a thing their +general had often used them to, quit their post at the pass, and their +great guns, to have part in the victory. The king coming in seasonably +to the relief of his men, routs Middleton, and at the same time sends +a party round, who clapped in between Sir William Waller's men and +their great guns, and secured the pass and the cannon too. The +king took three colonels, besides other officers, and about 300 men +prisoners, with eight great guns, nineteen carriages of ammunition, +and killed about 200 men. + +Waller lost his reputation in this fight, and was exceedingly slighted +ever after, even by his own party; but especially by such as were +of General Essex's party, between whom and Waller there had been +jealousies and misunderstandings for some time. + +The king, about 8000 strong, marched on to Bristol, where Sir William +Hopton joined him, and from thence he follows Essex into Cornwall. +Essex still following Grenvile, the king comes to Exeter, and joining +with Prince Maurice, resolves to pursue Essex; and now the Earl of +Essex began to see his mistake, being cooped up between two seas, +the king's army in his rear, the country his enemy, and Sir Richard +Grenvile in his van. + +The king, who always took the best measures when he was left to his +own counsel, wisely refuses to engage, though superior in number, and +much stronger in horse. Essex often drew out to fight, but the king +fortifies, takes the passes and bridges, plants cannon, and secures +the country to keep off provisions, and continually straitens their +quarters, but would not fight. + +Now Essex sends away to the Parliament for help, and they write to +Waller, and Middleton, and Manchester to follow, and come up with +the king in his rear; but some were too far off, and could not, as +Manchester and Fairfax; others made no haste, as having no mind to it, +as Waller and Middleton, and if they had, it had been too late. + +At last the Earl of Essex, finding nothing to be done, and unwilling +to fall into the king's hands, takes shipping, and leaves his army to +shift for themselves. The horse, under Sir William Balfour, the +best horse officer, and, without comparison, the bravest in all the +Parliament army, advanced in small parties, as if to skirmish, but +following in with the whole body, being 3500 horse, broke through, and +got off. Though this was a loss to the king's victory, yet the foot +were now in a condition so much the worse. Brave old Skippon proposed +to fight through with the foot and die, as he called it, like +Englishmen, with sword in hand; but the rest of the officers shook +their heads at it, for, being well paid, they had at present no +occasion for dying. + +Seeing it thus, they agreed to treat, and the king grants them +conditions, upon laying down their arms, to march off free. This was +too much. Had his Majesty but obliged them upon oath not to serve +again for a certain time, he had done his business; but this was not +thought of; so they passed free, only disarmed, the soldiers not being +allowed so much as their swords. + +The king gained by this treaty forty pieces of cannon, all of brass, +300 barrels of gunpowder, 9000 arms, 8000 swords, match and bullet in +proportion, 200 waggons, 150 colours and standards, all the bag and +baggage of the army, and about 1000 of the men listed in his army. +This was a complete victory without bloodshed; and had the king +but secured the men from serving but for six months, it had most +effectually answered the battle of Marston Moor. + +As it was, it infused new life into all his Majesty's forces and +friends, and retrieved his affairs very much; but especially it +encouraged us in the north, who were more sensible of the blow +received at Marston Moor, and of the destruction the Scots were +bringing upon us all. + +While I was at Chester, we had some small skirmishes with Sir William +Brereton. One morning in particular Sir William drew up, and faced us, +and one of our colonels of horse observing the enemy to be not, as he +thought, above 200, desires leave of Prince Rupert to attack them +with the like number, and accordingly he sallied out with 200 horse. I +stood drawn up without the city with 800 more, ready to bring him off, +if he should be put to the worst, which happened accordingly; for, not +having discovered neither the country nor the enemy as he ought, Sir +William Brereton drew him into an ambuscade; so that before he came up +with Sir William's forces, near enough to charge, he finds about 300 +horse in his rear. Though he was surprised at this, yet, being a man +of a ready courage, he boldly faces about with 150 of his men, +leaving the other fifty to face Sir William. With this small party, he +desperately charges the 300 horse in his rear, and putting them into +disorder, breaks through them, and, had there been no greater force, +he had cut them all in pieces. Flushed with this success, and loth +to desert the fifty men he had left behind, he faces about again, and +charges through them again, and with these two charges entirely routs +them. Sir William Brereton finding himself a little disappointed, +advances, and falls upon the fifty men just as the colonel came up to +them; they fought him with a great deal of bravery, but the colonel +being unfortunately killed in the first charge, the men gave way, and +came flying all in confusion, with the enemy at their heels. As soon +as I saw this, I advanced, according to my orders, and the enemy, +as soon as I appeared, gave over the pursuit. This gentleman, as I +remember, was Colonel Marrow; we fetched off his body, and retreated +into Chester. + +The next morning the prince drew out of the city with about 1200 horse +and 2000 foot, and attacked Sir William Brereton in his quarters. The +fight was very sharp for the time, and near 700 men, on both sides, +were killed; but Sir William would not put it to a general engagement, +so the prince drew off, contenting himself to have insulted him in his +quarters. + +We now had received orders from the king to join him; but I +representing to the prince the condition of my regiment, which was +now 100 men, and that, being within twenty-five miles of my father's +house, I might soon recruit it, my father having got some men together +already, I desired leave to lie at Shrewsbury for a month, to make up +my men. Accordingly, having obtained his leave, I marched to Wrexham, +where in two days' time I got twenty men, and so on to Shrewsbury. I +had not been here above ten days, but I received an express to come +away with what recruits I had got together, Prince Rupert having +positive orders to meet the king by a certain day. I had not mounted +100 men, though I had listed above 200, when these orders came; but +leaving my father to complete them for me, I marched with those I had +and came to Oxford. + +The king, after the rout of the Parliament forces in the west, was +marched back, took Barnstaple, Plympton, Launceston, Tiverton, and +several other places, and left Plymouth besieged by Sir Richard +Grenvile, met with Sir William Waller at Shaftesbury, and again at +Andover, and boxed him at both places, and marched for Newbury. Here +the king sent for Prince Rupert to meet him, who with 3000 horse made +long marches to join him; but the Parliament having joined their three +armies together, Manchester from the north, Waller and Essex (the +men being clothed and armed) from the west, had attacked the king and +obliged him to fight the day before the prince came up. + +The king had so posted himself, as that he could not be obliged to +fight but with advantage, the Parliament's forces being superior in +number, and therefore, when they attacked him, he galled them with +his cannon, and declining to come to a general battle, stood upon the +defensive, expecting Prince Rupert with the horse. + +The Parliament's forces had some advantage over our foot, and took the +Earl of Cleveland prisoner. But the king, whose foot were not above +one to two, drew his men under the cannon of Donnington Castle, and +having secured his artillery and baggage, made a retreat with his foot +in very good order, having not lost in all the fight above 300 men, +and the Parliament as many. We lost five pieces of cannon and took +two, having repulsed the Earl of Manchester's men on the north side of +the town, with considerable loss. + +The king having lodged his train of artillery and baggage in +Donnington Castle, marched the next day for Oxford. There we joined +him with 3000 horse and 2000 foot. Encouraged with this reinforcement, +the king appears upon the hills on the north-west of Newbury, and +faces the Parliament army. The Parliament having too many generals as +well as soldiers, they could not agree whether they should fight or +no. This was no great token of the victory they boasted of, for they +were now twice our number in the whole, and their foot three for one. +The king stood in battalia all day, and finding the Parliament forces +had no stomach to engage him, he drew away his cannon and baggage out +of Donnington Castle in view of their whole army, and marched away to +Oxford. + +This was such a false step of the Parliament's generals, that all the +people cried shame of them. The Parliament appointed a committee to +inquire into it. Cromwell accused Manchester, and he Waller, and so +they laid the fault upon one another. Waller would have been glad to +have charged it upon Essex, but as it happened he was not in the army, +having been taken ill some days before. But as it generally is when a +mistake is made, the actors fall out among themselves, so it was here. +No doubt it was as false a step as that of Cornwall, to let the king +fetch away his baggage and cannon in the face of three armies, and +never fire a shot at them. + +The king had not above 8000 foot in his army, and they above 25,000. +Tis true the king had 8000 horse, a fine body, and much superior to +theirs; but the foot might, with the greatest ease in the world, have +prevented the removing the cannon, and in three days' time have taken +the castle, with all that was in it. + +Those differences produced their self-denying ordinance, and the +putting by most of their old generals, as Essex, Waller, Manchester, +and the like; and Sir Thomas Fairfax, a terrible man in the field, +though the mildest of men out of it, was voted to have the command +of all their forces, and Lambert to take the command of Sir Thomas +Fairfax's troops in the north, old Skippon being Major-General. + +This winter was spent on the enemy's side in modelling, as they called +it, their army, and on our side in recruiting ours, and some petty +excursions. Amongst the many addresses I observed one from Sussex or +Surrey, complaining of the rudeness of their soldiers, from which I +only observed that there were disorders among them as well as among +us, only with this difference, that they, for reasons I mentioned +before, were under circumstances to prevent it better than the +king. But I must do the king's memory that justice, that he used all +possible methods, by punishment of soldiers, charging, and sometimes +entreating, the gentlemen not to suffer such disorders and such +violences in their men; but it was to no purpose for his Majesty to +attempt it, while his officers, generals, and great men winked at it; +for the licentiousness of the soldier is supposed to be approved by +the officer when it is not corrected. + +The rudeness of the Parliament soldiers began from the divisions among +their officers; for in many places the soldiers grew so out of all +discipline and so unsufferably rude, that they, in particular, refused +to march when Sir William Waller went to Weymouth. This had turned to +good account for us, had these cursed Scots been out of our way, but +they were the staff of the party; and now they were daily solicited to +march southward, which was a very great affliction to the king and all +his friends. + +One booty the king got at this time, which was a very seasonable +assistance to his affairs, viz., a great merchant ship, richly laden +at London, and bound to the East Indies, was, by the seamen, brought +into Bristol, and delivered up to the king. Some merchants in Bristol +offered the king £40,000 for her, which his Majesty ordered should be +accepted, reserving only thirty great guns for his own use. + +The treaty at Uxbridge now was begun, and we that had been well beaten +in the war heartily wished the king would come to a peace; but we all +foresaw the clergy would ruin it all. The Commons were for Presbytery, +and would never agree the bishops should be restored. The king was +willinger to comply with anything than this, and we foresaw it would +be so; from whence we used to say among ourselves, "That the clergy +was resolved if there should be no bishop there should be no king." + +This treaty at Uxbridge was a perfect war between the men of the gown, +ours was between those of the sword; and I cannot but take notice +how the lawyers, statesmen, and the clergy of every side bestirred +themselves, rather to hinder than promote the peace. + +There had been a treaty at Oxford some time before, where the +Parliament insisting that the king should pass a bill to abolish +Episcopacy, quit the militia, abandon several of his faithful servants +to be exempted from pardon, and making several other most extravagant +demands, nothing was done, but the treaty broke off, both parties +being rather farther exasperated, than inclined to hearken to +conditions. + +However, soon after the success in the west, his Majesty, to let them +see that victory had not puffed him up so as to make him reject the +peace, sends a message to the Parliament, to put them in mind of +messages of like nature which they had slighted; and to let them know, +that notwithstanding he had beaten their forces, he was yet willing to +hearken to a reasonable proposal for putting an end to the war. + +The Parliament pretended the king, in his message, did not treat with +them as a legal Parliament, and so made hesitations; but after long +debates and delays they agreed to draw up propositions for peace to be +sent to the king. As this message was sent to the Houses about August, +I think they made it the middle of November before they brought the +propositions for peace; and, when they brought them, they had no +power to enter either upon a treaty, or so much as preliminaries for a +treaty, only to deliver the letter, and receive an answer. + +However, such were the circumstances of affairs at this time, that the +king was uneasy to see himself thus treated, and take no notice of it: +the king returned an answer to the propositions, and proposed a treaty +by commissioners which the Parliament appointed. + +Three months more were spent in naming commissioners. There was much +time spent in this treaty, but little done; the commissioners debated +chiefly the article of religion, and of the militia; in the latter +they were very likely to agree, in the former both sides seemed +too positive. The king would by no means abandon Episcopacy nor the +Parliament Presbytery; for both in their opinion were _jure divino_. + +The commissioners finding this point hardest to adjust, went from +it to that of the militia; but the time spinning out, the king's +commissioners demanded longer time for the treaty; the other sent up +for instructions, but the House refused to lengthen out the time. + +This was thought an insolence upon the king, and gave all good people +a detestation of such haughty behaviour; and thus the hopes of peace +vanished, both sides prepared for war with as much eagerness as +before. + +The Parliament was employed at this time in what they called +a-modelling their army; that is to say, that now the Independent party +[was] beginning to prevail; and, as they outdid all the others in +their resolution of carrying on the war to all extremities, so they +were both the more vigorous and more politic party in carrying it on. + +Indeed, the war was after this carried on with greater animosity than +ever, and the generals pushed forward with a vigour that, as it +had something in it unusual, so it told us plainly from this time, +whatever they did before, they now pushed at the ruin even of the +monarchy itself. + +All this while also the war went on, and though the Parliament had no +settled army, yet their regiments and troops were always in action; +and the sword was at work in every part of the kingdom. + +Among an infinite number of party skirmishings and fights this winter, +one happened which nearly concerned me, which was the surprise of the +town and castle of Shrewsbury. Colonel Mitton, with about 1200 horse +and foot, having intelligence with some people in the town, on a +Sunday morning early broke into the town and took it, castle and all. +The loss for the quality, more than the number, was very great to +the king's affairs. They took there fifteen pieces of cannon, Prince +Maurice's magazine of arms and ammunition, Prince Rupert's baggage, +above fifty persons of quality and officers. There was not above +eight or ten men killed on both sides, for the town was surprised, not +stormed. I had a particular loss in this action; for all the men and +horses my father had got together for the recruiting my regiment were +here lost and dispersed, and, which was the worse, my father happening +to be then in the town, was taken prisoner, and carried to Beeston +Castle in Cheshire. + +I was quartered all this winter at Banbury, and went little abroad; +nor had we any action till the latter end of February, when I was +ordered to march to Leicester with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, in order, +as we thought, to raise a body of men in that county and Staffordshire +to join the king. + +We lay at Daventry one night, and continuing our march to pass the +river above Northampton, that town being possessed by the enemy, we +understood a party of Northampton forces were abroad, and intended to +attack us. Accordingly, in the afternoon our scouts brought us word +the enemy were quartered in some villages on the road to Coventry. Our +commander, thinking it much better to set upon them in their quarters, +than to wait for them in the field, resolves to attack them early in +the morning before they were aware of it. We refreshed ourselves in +the field for that day, and, getting into a great wood near the enemy, +we stayed there all night, till almost break of day, without being +discovered. + +In the morning very early we heard the enemy's trumpets sound to +horse. This roused us to look abroad, and, sending out a scout, he +brought us word a part of the enemy was at hand. We were vexed to +be so disappointed, but finding their party small enough to be dealt +with, Sir Marmaduke ordered me to charge them with 300 horse and 200 +dragoons, while he at the same time entered the town. Accordingly I +lay still till they came to the very skirt of the wood where I was +posted, when I saluted them with a volley from my dragoons out of the +wood, and immediately showed myself with my horse on their front ready +to charge them. They appeared not to be surprised, and received our +charge with great resolution; and, being above 400 men, they pushed me +vigorously in their turn, putting my men into some disorder. In this +extremity I sent to order my dragoons to charge them in the flank, +which they did with great bravery, and the other still maintained the +fight with desperate resolution. There was no want of courage in our +men on both sides, but our dragoons had the advantage, and at last +routed them, and drove them back to the village. Here Sir Marmaduke +Langdale had his hands full too, for my firing had alarmed the towns +adjacent, that when he came into the town he found them all in arms, +and, contrary to his expectation, two regiments of foot, with about +500 horse more. As Sir Marmaduke had no foot, only horse and dragoons, +this was a surprise to him; but he caused his dragoons to enter the +town and charge the foot, while his horse secured the avenues of the +town. + +The dragoons bravely attacked the foot, and Sir Marmaduke falling +in with his horse, the fight was obstinate and very bloody, when the +horse that I had routed came flying into the street of the village, +and my men at their heels. Immediately I left the pursuit, and fell +in with all my force to the assistance of my friends, and, after an +obstinate resistance, we routed the whole party; we killed about +700 men, took 350, 27 officers, 100 arms, all their baggage, and 200 +horses, and continued our march to Harborough, where we halted to +refresh ourselves. + +Between Harborough and Leicester we met with a party of 800 dragoons +of the Parliament forces. They, found themselves too few to attack +us, and therefore to avoid us they had gotten into a small wood; but +perceiving themselves discovered, they came boldly out, and placed +themselves at the entrance into a lane, lining both sides of the +hedges with their shot. We immediately attacked them, beat them from +their hedges, beat them into the wood, and out of the wood again, +and forced them at last to a downright run away, on foot, among the +enclosures, where we could not follow them, killed about 100 of them, +and took 250 prisoners, with all their horses, and came that night to +Leicester. When we came to Leicester, and had taken up our quarters, +Sir Marmaduke Langdale sent for me to sup with him, and told me +that he had a secret commission in his pocket, which his Majesty had +commanded him not to open till he came to Leicester; that now he had +sent for me to open it together, that we might know what it was we +were to do, and to consider how to do it; so pulling out his sealed +orders, we found we were to get what force we could together, and a +certain number of carriages with ammunition, which the governor of +Leicester was to deliver us, and a certain quantity of provision, +especially corn and salt, and to relieve Newark. This town had been +long besieged. The fortifications of the place, together with its +situation, had rendered it the strongest place in England; and, as it +was the greatest pass in England, so it was of vast consequence to the +king's affairs. There was in it a garrison of brave old rugged boys, +fellows that, like Count Tilly's Germans, had iron faces, and they had +defended themselves with extraordinary bravery a great while, but were +reduced to an exceeding strait for want of provisions. + +Accordingly we received the ammunition and provision, and away we went +for Newark; about Melton Mowbray, Colonel Rossiter set upon us, with +above 3000 men; we were about the same number, having 2500 horse, and +800 dragoons. We had some foot, but they were still at Harborough, and +were ordered to come after us. + +Rossiter, like a brave officer as he was, charged us with great fury, +and rather outdid us in number, while we defended ourselves with all +the eagerness we could, and withal gave him to understand we were +not so soon to be beaten as he expected. While the fight continued +doubtful, especially on our side, our people, who had charge of the +carriages and provisions, began to enclose our flanks with them, as +if we had been marching, which, though it was done without orders, had +two very good effects, and which did us extraordinary service. First, +it secured us from being charged in the flank, which Rossiter had +twice attempted; and secondly, it secured our carriages from being +plundered, which had spoiled our whole expedition. Being thus +enclosed, we fought with great security; and though Rossiter made +three desperate charges upon us; he could never break us. Our men +received him with so much courage, and kept their order so well, that +the enemy, finding it impossible to force us, gave it over, and left +us to pursue our orders. We did not offer to chase them, but contented +enough to have repulsed and beaten them off, and our business being to +relieve Newark, we proceeded. + +If we are to reckon by the enemy's usual method, we got the victory, +because we kept the field, and had the pillage of their dead; but +otherwise, neither side had any great cause to boast. We lost about +150 men, and near as many hurt; they left 170 on the spot, and carried +off some. How many they had wounded we could not tell; we got seventy +or eighty horses, which helped to remount some of our men that had +lost theirs in the fight. We had, however, this advantage, that we +were to march on immediately after this service, the enemy only to +retire to their quarters, which was but hard by. This was an injury to +our wounded men, who we were after obliged to leave at Belvoir Castle, +and from thence we advanced to Newark. + +Our business at Newark was to relieve the place, and this we resolved +to do whatever it cost, though, at the same time, we resolved not to +fight unless we were forced to it. The town was rather blocked up than +besieged; the garrison was strong, but ill-provided; we had sent them +word of our coming to them, and our orders to relieve them, and they +proposed some measures for our doing it. The chief strength of the +enemy lay on the other side of the river; but they having also some +notice of our design, had sent over forces to strengthen their leaguer +on this side. The garrison had often surprised them by sallies, and +indeed had chiefly subsisted for some time by what they brought in on +this manner. + +Sir Marmaduke Langdale, who was our general for the expedition, was +for a general attempt to raise the siege, but I had persuaded him off +of that; first, because, if we should be beaten, as might be probable, +we then lost the town. Sir Marmaduke briskly replied, "A soldier ought +never to suppose he shall be beaten." "But, sir," says I, "you'll get +more honour by relieving the town, than by beating them. One will be +a credit to your conduct, as the other will be to your courage; and if +you think you can beat them, you may do it afterward, and then if you +are mistaken, the town is nevertheless secured, and half your victory +gained." + +He was prevailed with to adhere to this advice, and accordingly we +appeared before the town about two hours before night. The horse drew +up before the enemy's works; the enemy drew up within their works, and +seeing no foot, expected when our dragoons would dismount and attack +them. They were in the right to let us attack them, because of the +advantage of their batteries and works, if that had been our design; +but, as we intended only to amuse them, this caution of theirs +effected our design; for, while we thus faced them with our horse, two +regiments of foot, which came up to us but the night before, and +was all the infantry we had, with the waggons of provisions, and 500 +dragoons, taking a compass clean round the town, posted themselves on +the lower side of the town by the river. Upon a signal the garrison +agreed on before, they sallied out at this very juncture with all the +men they could spare, and dividing themselves in two parties, while +one party moved to the left to meet our relief, the other party fell +on upon part of that body which faced us. We kept in motion, and upon +this signal advanced to their works, and our dragoons fired upon +them, and the horse, wheeling and counter-marching often, kept them +continually expecting to be attacked. By this means the enemy were +kept employed, and our foot, with the waggons, appearing on that +quarter where they were least expected, easily defeated the advanced +guards and forced that post, where, entering the leaguer, the other +part of the garrison, who had sallied that way, came up to them, +received the waggons, and the dragoons entered with them into the +town. That party which we faced on the other side of the works knew +nothing of what was done till all was over; the garrison retreated in +good order, and we drew off, having finished what we came for without +fighting. Thus we plentifully stored the town with all things wanting, +and with an addition of 500 dragoons to their garrison; after which we +marched away without fighting a stroke. + +Our next orders were to relieve Pontefract Castle, another garrison +of the king's, which had been besieged ever since a few days after the +fight at Marston Moor, by the Lord Fairfax, Sir Thomas Fairfax, and +other generals in their turn. By the way we were joined with 800 horse +out of Derbyshire, and some foot, so many as made us about 4500 men in +all. + +Colonel Forbes, a Scotchman, commanded at the siege, in the absence of +the Lord Fairfax. The colonel had sent to my lord for more troops, and +his lordship was gathering his forces to come up to him, but he was +pleased to come too late. We came up with the enemy's leaguer about +the break of day, and having been discovered by their scouts, they, +with more courage than discretion, drew out to meet us. We saw no +reason to avoid them, being stronger in horse than they; and though we +had but a few foot, we had 1000 dragoons, which helped us out. We had +placed our horse and foot throughout in one line, with two reserves +of horse, and between every division of horse a division of foot, only +that on the extremes of our wings there were two parties of horse +on each point by themselves, and the dragoons in the centre on foot. +Their foot charged us home, and stood with push of pike a great while; +but their horse charging our horse and musketeers, and being closed +on the flanks, with those two extended troops on our wings, they +were presently disordered, and fled out of the field. The foot, thus +deserted, were charged on every side and broken. They retreated still +fighting, and in good order for a while; but the garrison sallying +upon them at the same time, and being followed close by our horse, +they were scattered, entirely routed, and most of them killed. The +Lord Fairfax was come with his horse as far as Ferrybridge, but the +fight was over, and all he could do was to rally those that fled, and +save some of their carriages, which else had fallen into our hands. We +drew up our little army in order of battle the next day, expecting the +Lord Fairfax would have charged us; but his lordship was so far from +any such thoughts that he placed a party of dragoons, with orders to +fortify the pass at Ferrybridge, to prevent our falling upon him in +his retreat, which he needed not have done; for, having raised the +siege of Pontefract, our business was done, we had nothing to say to +him, unless we had been strong enough to stay. + +We lost not above thirty men in this action, and the enemy 300, with +about 150 prisoners, one piece of cannon, all their ammunition, 1000 +arms, and most of their baggage, and Colonel Lambert was once taken +prisoner, being wounded, but got off again. + +We brought no relief for the garrison, but the opportunity to furnish +themselves out of the country, which they did very plentifully. The +ammunition taken from the enemy was given to them, which they wanted, +and was their due, for they had seized it in the sally they made, +before the enemy was quite defeated. + +I cannot omit taking notice on all occasions how exceeding serviceable +this method was of posting musketeers in the intervals, among the +horse, in all this war. I persuaded our generals to it as much as +possible, and I never knew a body of horse beaten that did so: yet I +had great difficulty to prevail upon our people to believe it, though +it was taught me by the greatest general in the world, viz., the King +of Sweden. Prince Rupert did it at the battle of Marston Moor; and had +the Earl of Newcastle not been obstinate against it in his right wing, +as I observed before, the day had not been lost. In discoursing this +with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, I had related several examples of the +serviceableness of these small bodies of firemen, and with great +difficulty brought him to agree, telling him I would be answerable +for the success. But after the fight, he told me plainly he saw the +advantage of it, and would never fight otherwise again if he had any +foot to place. So having relieved these two places, we hastened by +long marches through Derbyshire, to join Prince Rupert on the edge of +Shropshire and Cheshire. We found Colonel Rossiter had followed us at +a distance ever since the business at Melton Mowbray, but never cared +to attack us, and we found he did the like still. Our general would +fain have been doing with him again, but we found him too shy. Once +we laid a trap for him at Dovebridge, between Derby and +Burton-upon-Trent, the body being marched two days before. Three +hundred dragoons were left to guard the bridge, as if we were afraid +he should fall upon us. Upon this we marched, as I said, on to Burton, +and the next day, fetching a compass round, came to a village near +Titbury Castle, whose name I forgot, where we lay still expecting our +dragoons would be attacked. + +Accordingly, the colonel, strengthened with some troops of horse from +Yorkshire, comes up to the bridge, and finding some dragoons posted, +advances to charge them. The dragoons immediately get a-horseback, and +run for it, as they were ordered. But the old lad was not to be caught +so, for he halts immediately at the bridge, and would not come over +till he had sent three or four flying parties abroad to discover the +country. One of these parties fell into our hands, and received but +coarse entertainment. Finding the plot would not take, we appeared and +drew up in view of the bridge, but he would not stir. So we continued +our march into Cheshire, where we joined Prince Rupert and Prince +Maurice, making together a fine body, being above 8000 horse and +dragoons. + +This was the best and most successful expedition I was in during this +war. 'Twas well concerted, and executed with as much expedition and +conduct as could be desired, and the success was answerable to it. And +indeed, considering the season of the year (for we set out from Oxford +the latter end of February), the ways bad, and the season wet, it +was a terrible march of above 200 miles, in continual action, and +continually dodged and observed by a vigilant enemy, and at a time +when the north was overrun by their armies, and the Scots wanting +employment for their forces. Yet in less than twenty-three days we +marched 200 miles, fought the enemy in open field four times, relieved +one garrison besieged, and raised the siege of another, and joined our +friends at last in safety. + +The enemy was in great pain for Sir William Brereton and his forces, +and expresses rode night and day to the Scots in the north, and to the +parties in Lancashire to come to his help. The prince, who used to be +rather too forward to fight than otherwise, could not be persuaded to +make use of this opportunity, but loitered, if I may be allowed to say +so, till the Scots, with a brigade of horse and 2000 foot, had joined +him; and then 'twas not thought proper to engage them. + +I took this opportunity to go to Shrewsbury to visit my father, who +was a prisoner of war there, getting a pass from the enemy's governor. +They allowed him the liberty of the town, and sometimes to go to his +own house upon his parole, so that his confinement was not very much +to his personal injury. But this, together with the charges he had +been at in raising the regiment, and above £20,000 in money and plate, +which at several times he had lent, or given rather to the king, had +reduced our family to very ill circumstances; and now they talked of +cutting down his woods. + +I had a great deal of discourse with my father on this affair; and, +finding him extremely concerned, I offered to go to the king and +desire his leave to go to London and treat about his composition, or +to render myself a prisoner in his stead, while he went up himself. +In this difficulty I treated with the governor of the town, who very +civilly offered me his pass to go for London, which I accepted, and, +waiting on Prince Rupert, who was then at Worcester, I acquainted him +with my design. The prince was unwilling I should go to London; +but told me he had some prisoners of the Parliament's friends in +Cumberland, and he would get an exchange for my father. I told him +if he would give me his word for it I knew I might depend upon it, +otherwise there was so many of the king's party in their hands, that +his Majesty was tired with solicitations for exchanges, for we never +had a prisoner but there was ten offers of exchanges for him. The +prince told me I should depend upon him; and he was as good as his +word quickly after. + +While the prince lay at Worcester he made an incursion into +Herefordshire, and having made some of the gentlemen prisoners, +brought them to Worcester; and though it was an action which had not +been usual, they being persons not in arms, yet the like being my +father's case, who was really not in commission, nor in any military +service, having resigned his regiment three years before to me, the +prince insisted on exchanging them for such as the Parliament had +in custody in like circumstances. The gentlemen seeing no remedy, +solicited their own case at the Parliament, and got it passed in +their behalf; and by this means my father got his liberty, and by the +assistance of the Earl of Denbigh got leave to come to London to make +a composition as a delinquent for his estate. This they charged at +£7000, but by the assistance of the same noble person he got off for +£4000. Some members of the committee moved very kindly that my father +should oblige me to quit the king's service, but that, as a thing +which might be out of his power, was not insisted on. + +The modelling the Parliament army took them up all this winter, and +we were in great hopes the divisions which appeared amongst them might +have weakened their party; but when they voted Sir Thomas Fairfax to +be general, I confess I was convinced the king's affairs were lost and +desperate. Sir Thomas, abating the zeal of his party, and the mistaken +opinion of his cause, was the fittest man amongst them to undertake +the charge. He was a complete general, strict in his discipline, wary +in conduct, fearless in action, unwearied in the fatigue of the +war, and withal, of a modest, noble, generous disposition. We all +apprehended danger from him, and heartily wished him of our own side; +and the king was so sensible, though he would not discover it, that +when an account was brought him of the choice they had made, he +replied, "he was sorry for it; he had rather it had been anybody than +he." + +The first attempts of this new general and new army were at Oxford, +which, by the neighbourhood of a numerous garrison in Abingdon, began +to be very much straitened for provisions; and the new forces under +Cromwell and Skippon, one lieutenant-general, the other major-general +to Fairfax, approaching with a design to block it up, the king left +the place, supposing his absence would draw them away, as it soon did. + +The king resolving to leave Oxford, marches from thence with all his +forces, the garrison excepted, with design to have gone to Bristol; +but the plague was in Bristol, which altered the measures, and changed +the course of the king's designs, so he marched for Worcester about +the beginning of June 1645. The foot, with a train of forty pieces of +cannon, marching into Worcester, the horse stayed behind some time in +Gloucestershire. + +The first action our army did, was to raise the siege of Chester; Sir +William Brereton had besieged it, or rather blocked it up, and when +his Majesty came to Worcester, he sent Prince Rupert with 4000 horse +and dragoons, with orders to join some foot out of Wales, to raise the +siege; but Sir William thought fit to withdraw, and not stay for them, +and the town was freed without fighting. The governor took care in +this interval to furnish himself with all things necessary for another +siege; and, as for ammunition and other necessaries, he was in no +want. + +I was sent with a party into Staffordshire, with design to intercept +a convoy of stores coming from London, for the use of Sir William +Brereton; but they having some notice of the design, stopped, and went +out of the road to Burton-upon-Trent, and so I missed them; but that +we might not come back quite empty, we attacked Hawkesley House, and +took it, where we got good booty, and brought eighty prisoners back to +Worcester. From Worcester the king advanced into Shropshire, and took +his headquarters at Bridgnorth. This was a very happy march of the +king's, and had his Majesty proceeded, he had certainly cleared the +north once more of his enemies, for the country was generally for him. +At his advancing so far as Bridgnorth, Sir William Brereton fled up +into Lancashire; the Scots brigades who were with him retreated into +the north, while yet the king was above forty miles from them, and all +things lay open for conquest. The new generals, Fairfax and Cromwell, +lay about Oxford, preparing as if they would besiege it, and gave +the king's army so much leisure, that his Majesty might have been at +Newcastle before they could have been half way to him. But Heaven, +when the ruin of a person or party is determined, always so infatuates +their counsels as to make them instrumental to it themselves. + +The king let slip this great opportunity, as some thought, intending +to break into the associated counties of Northampton, Cambridge, +Norfolk, where he had some interests forming. What the design was, +we knew not, but the king turns eastward, and marches into +Leicestershire, and having treated the country but very indifferently, +as having deserved no better of us, laid siege to Leicester. + +This was but a short siege; for the king, resolving not to lose time, +fell on with his great guns, and having beaten down their works, our +foot entered, after a vigorous resistance, and took the town by storm. +There was some blood shed here, the town being carried by assault; but +it was their own faults; for after the town was taken, the soldiers +and townsmen obstinately fought us in the market-place; insomuch that +the horse was called to enter the town to clear the streets. But this +was not all; I was commanded to advance with these horse, being three +regiments, and to enter the town; the foot, who were engaged in the +streets, crying out, "Horse, horse." Immediately I advanced to the +gate, for we were drawn up about musket-shot from the works, to have +supported our foot in case of a sally. Having seized the gate, I +placed a guard of horse there, with orders to let nobody pass in +or out, and dividing my troops, rode up by two ways towards the +market-place. The garrison defending themselves in the market-place, +and in the churchyard with great obstinacy, killed us a great many +men; but as soon as our horse appeared they demanded quarter, which +our foot refused them in the first heat, as is frequent in all +nations, in like cases, till at last they threw down their arms, and +yielded at discretion; and then I can testify to the world, that fair +quarter was given them. I am the more particular in this relation, +having been an eye-witness of the action, because the king was +reproached in all the public libels, with which those times abounded, +for having put a great many to death, and hanged the committee of +the Parliament, and some Scots, in cold blood, which was a notorious +forgery; and as I am sure there was no such thing done, so I must +acknowledge I never saw any inclination in his Majesty to cruelty, or +to act anything which was not practised by the general laws of war, +and by men of honour in all nations. + +But the matter of fact, in respect to the garrison, was as I have +related; and, if they had thrown down their arms sooner, they had had +mercy sooner; but it was not for a conquering army, entering a town by +storm, to offer conditions of quarter in the streets. + +Another circumstance was, that a great many of the inhabitants, both +men and women, were killed, which is most true; and the case was thus: +the inhabitants, to show their over-forward zeal to defend the town, +fought in the breach; nay, the very women, to the honour of the +Leicester ladies, if they like it, officiously did their parts; and +after the town was taken, and when, if they had had any brains in +their zeal, they would have kept their houses, and been quiet, they +fired upon our men out of their windows, and from the tops of their +houses, and threw tiles upon their heads; and I had several of my men +wounded so, and seven or eight killed. This exasperated us to the last +degree; and, finding one house better manned than ordinary, and many +shot fired at us out of the windows, I caused my men to attack it, +resolved to make them an example for the rest; which they did, and +breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there, without +distinction; and I appeal to the world if they were to blame. If the +Parliament committee, or the Scots deputies were here, they ought to +have been quiet, since the town was taken; but they began with us, +and, I think, brought it upon themselves. This is the whole case, so +far as came within my knowledge, for which his Majesty was so much +abused. + +We took here Colonel Gray and Captain Hacker, and about 300 prisoners, +and about 300 more were killed. This was the last day of May 1645. + +His Majesty having given over Oxford for lost, continued here some +days, viewed the town, ordered the fortifications to be augmented, +and prepares to make it the seat of war. But the Parliament, roused at +this appearance of the king's army, orders their general to raise the +siege of Oxford, where the garrison had, in a sally, ruined some of +their works, and killed them 150 men, taking several prisoners, and +carrying them with them into the city; and orders him to march towards +Leicester, to observe the king. + +The king had now a small, but gallant army, all brave tried soldiers, +and seemed eager to engage the new-modelled army; and his Majesty, +hearing that Sir Thomas Fairfax, having raised the siege of Oxford, +advanced towards him, fairly saves him the trouble of a long march, +and meets him half way. + +The army lay at Daventry, and Fairfax at Towcester, about eight miles +off. Here the king sends away 600 horse, with 3000 head of cattle, to +relieve his people in Oxford; the cattle he might have spared better +than the men. The king having thus victualled Oxford, changes his +resolution of fighting Fairfax, to whom Cromwell was now joined with +4000 men, or was within a day's march, and marches northward. This +was unhappy counsel, because late given. Had we marched northward +at first, we had done it; but thus it was. Now we marched with a +triumphing enemy at our heels, and at Naseby their advanced parties +attacked our rear. The king, upon this, alters his resolution again, +and resolves to fight, and at midnight calls us up at Harborough to +come to a council of war. Fate and the king's opinion determined the +council of war; and 'twas resolved to fight. Accordingly the van, in +which was Prince Rupert's brigade of horse, of which my regiment was a +part, counter-marched early in the morning. + +By five o'clock in the morning, the whole army, in order of battle, +began to descry the enemy from the rising grounds, about a mile from +Naseby, and moved towards them. They were drawn up on a little ascent +in a large common fallow field, in one line extended from one side of +the field to the other, the field something more than a mile over, our +army in the same order, in one line, with the reserve. + +The king led the main battle of foot, Prince Rupert the right wing of +the horse, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale the left. Of the enemy Fairfax +and Skippon led the body, Cromwell and Rossiter the right, and Ireton +the left, the numbers of both armies so equal, as not to differ 500 +men, save that the king had most horse by about 1000, and Fairfax most +foot by about 500. The number was in each army about 18,000 men. The +armies coming close up, the wings engaged first. The prince with +his right wing charged with his wonted fury, and drove all the +Parliament's wing of horse, one division excepted, clear out of the +field; Ireton, who commanded this wing, give him his due, rallied +often, and fought like a lion; but our wing bore down all before them, +and pursued them with a terrible execution. + +Ireton seeing one division of his horse left, repaired to them, and +keeping his ground, fell foul of a brigade of our foot, who coming up +to the head of the line, he like a madman charges them with his horse. +But they with their pikes tore him to pieces; so that this division +was entirely ruined. Ireton himself, thrust through the thigh with +a pike, wounded in the face with a halberd, was unhorsed and taken +prisoner. + +Cromwell, who commanded the Parliament's right wing, charged Sir +Marmaduke Langdale with extraordinary fury, but he, an old tried +soldier, stood firm, and received the charge with equal gallantry, +exchanging all their shot, carabines and pistols and then fell on +sword in hand. Rossiter and Whalley had the better on the point of +the wing, and routed two divisions of horse, pushed them behind the +reserves, where they rallied and charged again, but were at last +defeated; the rest of the horse, now charged in the flank, retreated +fighting, and were pushed behind the reserves of foot. + +While this was doing the foot engaged with equal fierceness, and for +two hours there was a terrible fire. The king's foot, backed with +gallant officers, and full of rage at the rout of their horse, +bore down the enemy's brigade led by Skippon. The old man, wounded, +bleeding, retreats to their reserves. All the foot, except the +general's brigade, were thus driven into the reserves, where their +officers rallied them, and bring them on to a fresh charge; and here +the horse, having driven our horse above a quarter of a mile from the +foot, face about, and fall in on the rear of the foot. + +Had our right wing done thus, the day had been secured; but Prince +Rupert, according to his custom, following the flying enemy, never +concerned himself with the safety of those behind; and yet he returned +sooner than he had done in like cases too. At our return we found +all in confusion, our foot broken, all but one brigade, which, though +charged in the front, flank, and rear, could not be broken till Sir +Thomas Fairfax himself came up to the charge with fresh men, and then +they were rather cut in pieces than beaten, for they stood with their +pikes charged every way to the last extremity. + +In this condition, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, we saw the +king rallying his horse, and preparing to renew the fight; and our +wing of horse coming up to him, gave him opportunity to draw up a +large body of horse, so large that all the enemy's horse facing us +stood still and looked on, but did not think fit to charge us till +their foot, who had entirely broken our main battle, were put in order +again, and brought up to us. + +The officers about the king advised his Majesty rather to draw off; +for, since our foot were lost, it would be too much odds to expose the +horse to the fury of their whole army, and would but be sacrificing +his best troops without any hopes of success. The king, though with +great regret at the loss of his foot, yet seeing there was no other +hope, took this advice, and retreated in good order to Harborough, and +from thence to Leicester. + +This was the occasion of the enemy having so great a number of +prisoners; for the horse being thus gone off, the foot had no means +to make their retreat, and were obliged to yield themselves. +Commissary-General Ireton being taken by a captain of foot, makes the +captain his prisoner, to save his life, and gives him his liberty for +his courtesy before. + +Cromwell and Rossiter, with all the enemy's horse, followed us as far +as Leicester, and killed all that they could lay hold on straggling +from the body, but durst not attempt to charge us in a body. The +king, expecting the enemy would come to Leicester, removes to +Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where we had some time to recollect ourselves. + +This was the most fatal action of the whole war, not so much for +the loss of our cannon, ammunition, and baggage, of which the enemy +boasted so much, but as it was impossible for the king ever to +retrieve it. The foot, the best that ever he was master of, could +never be supplied; his army in the west was exposed to certain ruin, +the north overrun with the Scots; in short, the case grew desperate, +and the king was once upon the point of bidding us all disband, and +shift for ourselves. + +We lost in this fight not above 2000 slain, and the Parliament near +as many, but the prisoners were a great number; the whole body of foot +being, as I have said, dispersed, there were 4500 prisoners, besides +400 officers, 2000 horses, 12 pieces of cannon, 40 barrels of powder, +all the king's baggage, coaches, most of his servants, and his +secretary, with his cabinet of letters, of which the Parliament +made great improvement, and basely enough caused his private +letters--between his Majesty and the queen, her Majesty's letters to +the king, and a great deal of such stuff--to be printed. + +After this fatal blow, being retreated, as I have said, to +Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, the king ordered us to divide; +his Majesty, with a body of horse, about 3000, went to Lichfield, and +through Cheshire into North Wales, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale, with +about 2500, went to Newark. + +The king remained in Wales for several months; and though the length +of the war had almost drained that country of men, yet the king +raised a great many men there, recruited his horse regiments, and got +together six or seven regiments of foot, which seemed to look like the +beginning of a new army. + +I had frequent discourses with his Majesty in this low ebb of his +affairs, and he would often wish he had not exposed his army at +Naseby. I took the freedom once to make a proposition to his Majesty, +which, if it had taken effect, I verily believe would have given a new +turn to his affairs; and that was, at once to slight all his garrisons +in the kingdom, and give private orders to all the soldiers in every +place, to join in bodies, and meet at two general rendezvous, which I +would have appointed to be, one at Bristol, and one at West Chester. +I demonstrated how easily all the forces might reach these two places; +and both being strong and wealthy places, and both seaports, he would +have a free communication by sea with Ireland, and with his friends +abroad; and having Wales entirely his own, he might yet have an +opportunity to make good terms for himself, or else have another fair +field with the enemy. + +Upon a fair calculation of his troops in several garrisons and small +bodies dispersed about, I convinced the king, by his own accounts, +that he might have two complete armies, each of 25,000 foot, 8000 +horse, and 2000 dragoons; that the Lord Goring and the Lord Hopton +might ship all their forces, and come by sea in two tides, and be +with him in a shorter time than the enemy could follow. With two such +bodies he might face the enemy, and make a day of it; but now his men +were only sacrificed, and eaten up by piecemeal in a party-war, +and spent their lives and estates to do him no service. That if the +Parliament garrisoned the towns and castles he should quit, they would +lessen their army, and not dare to see him in the field: and if they +did not, but left them open, then 'twould be no loss to him, but he +might possess them as often as he pleased. + +This advice I pressed with such arguments, that the king was once +going to despatch orders for the doing it; but to be irresolute in +counsel is always the companion of a declining fortune; the king was +doubtful, and could not resolve till it was too late. + +And yet, though the king's forces were very low, his Majesty was +resolved to make one adventure more, and it was a strange one; for, +with but a handful of men, he made a desperate march, almost 250 miles +in the middle of the whole kingdom, compassed about with armies and +parties innumerable, traversed the heart of his enemy's country, +entered their associated counties, where no army had ever yet come, +and in spite of all their victorious troops facing and following him, +alarmed even London itself and returned safe to Oxford. + +His Majesty continued in Wales from the battle at Naseby till the 5th +or 6th of August, and till he had an account from all parts of the +progress of his enemies, and the posture of his own affairs. + +Here we found, that the enemy being hard pressed in Somersetshire by +the Lord Goring, and Lord Hopton's forces, who had taken Bridgewater, +and distressed Taunton, which was now at the point of surrender, +they had ordered Fairfax and Cromwell, and the whole army, to march +westward to relieve the town; which they did, and Goring's troops were +worsted, and himself wounded at the fight at Langport. + +The Scots, who were always the dead weight upon the king's affairs, +having no more work to do in the north, were, at the Parliament's +desire, advanced southward, and then ordered away towards South Wales, +and were set down to the siege of Hereford. Here this famous Scotch +army spent several months in a fruitless siege, ill provided of +ammunition, and worse with money; and having sat near three months +before the town, and done little but eaten up the country round them, +upon the repeated accounts of the progress of the Marquis of Montrose +in that kingdom, and pressing instances of their countrymen, they +resolved to raise their siege, and go home to relieve their friends. + +The king, who was willing to be rid of the Scots, upon good terms, and +therefore to hasten them, and lest they should pretend to push on the +siege to take the town first, gives it out, that he was resolved with +all his forces to go into Scotland, and join Montrose; and so having +secured Scotland, to renew the war from thence. + +And accordingly his Majesty marches northwards, with a body of 4000 +horse; and, had the king really done this, and with that body of horse +marched away (for he had the start of all his enemies, by above a +fortnight's march), he had then had the fairest opportunity for a +general turn of all his affairs, that he ever had in all the latter +part of this war. For Montrose, a gallant daring soldier, who from +the least shadow of force in the farthest corner of this country, had, +rolling like a snowball, spread all over Scotland, was come into +the south parts, and had summoned Edinburgh, frighted away their +statesmen, beaten their soldiers at Dundee and other places; and +letters and messengers in the heels of one another, repeated their +cries to their brethren in England, to lay before them the sad +condition of the country, and to hasten the army to their relief. The +Scots lords of the enemy's party fled to Berwick, and the chancellor +of Scotland goes himself to General Leslie, to press him for help. + +In this extremity of affairs Scotland lay when we marched out of +Wales. The Scots, at the siege of Hereford, hearing the king was gone +northward with his horse, conclude he was gone directly for Scotland, +and immediately send Leslie with 4000 horse and foot to follow, but +did not yet raise the siege. But the king, still irresolute, turns +away to the eastward, and comes to Lichfield, where he showed his +resentments at Colonel Hastings for his easy surrender of Leicester. + +In this march the enemy took heart. We had troops of horse on every +side upon us like hounds started at a fresh stag. Leslie, with the +Scots, and a strong body followed in our rear, Major-General Poyntz, +Sir John Gell, Colonel Rossiter, and others in our way; they pretended +to be 10,000 horse, and yet never durst face us. The Scots made one +attempt upon a troop which stayed a little behind, and took some +prisoners; but when a regiment of our horse faced them they retired. +At a village near Lichfield another party of about 1000 horse attacked +my regiment. We were on the left of the army, and at a little too +far a distance. I happened to be with the king at that time, and +my lieutenant-colonel with me, so that the major had charge of the +regiment. He made a very handsome defence, but sent messengers for +speedy relief. We were on a march, and therefore all ready, and the +king orders me a regiment of dragoons and 300 horse, and the body +halted to bring us off, not knowing how strong the enemy might be. +When I came to the place I found my major hard laid to, but fighting +like a lion. The enemy had broke in upon him in two places, and had +routed one troop, cutting them off from the body, and had made them +all prisoners. Upon this I fell in with the 300 horse, and cleared +my major from a party who charged him in the flank; the dragoons +immediately lighting, one party of them comes up on my wing, and +saluting the enemy with their muskets, put them to a stand, the other +party of dragoons wheeling to the left endeavouring to get behind +them. The enemy, perceiving they should be overpowered, retreated in +as good order as they could, but left us most of our prisoners, and +about thirty of their own. We lost about fifteen of our men, and +the enemy about forty, chiefly by the fire of our dragoons in their +retreat. + +In this posture we continued our march; and though the king halted +at Lichfield--which was a dangerous article, having so many of the +enemy's troops upon his hands, and this time gave them opportunity to +get into a body--yet the Scots, with their General Leslie, resolving +for the north, the rest of the troops were not able to face us, till, +having ravaged the enemy's country through Staffordshire, Warwick, +Leicester, and Nottinghamshire, we came to the leaguer before Newark. + +The king was once more in the mind to have gone into Scotland, and +called a council of war to that purpose; but then it was resolved by +all hands that it would be too late to attempt it, for the Scots and +Major-General Poyntz were before us, and several strong bodies +of horse in our rear; and there was no venturing now, unless any +advantage presented to rout one of those parties which attended us. + +Upon these and like considerations we resolved for Newark; on our +approach the forces which blocked up that town drew off, being too +weak to oppose us, for the king was now above 5000 horse and dragoons, +besides 300 horse and dragoons he took with him from Newark. + +We halted at Newark to assist the garrison, or give them time rather +to furnish themselves from the country with what they wanted, which +they were very diligent in doing; for in two days' time they filled +a large island which lies under the town, between the two branches of +the Trent, with sheep, oxen, cows, and horses, an incredible number; +and our affairs being now something desperate, we were not very +nice in our usage of the country, for really if it was not with a +resolution both to punish the enemy and enrich ourselves, no man can +give any rational account why this desperate journey was undertaken. +'Tis certain the Newarkers, in the respite they gained by our coming, +got above £50,000 from the country round them in corn, cattle, money, +and other plunder. + +From hence we broke into Lincolnshire, and the king lay at Belvoir +Castle, and from Belvoir Castle to Stamford. The swiftness of our +march was a terrible surprise to the enemy; for our van being at a +village on the great road called Stilton, the country people fled +into the Isle of Ely, and every way, as if all was lost. Indeed our +dragoons treated the country very coarsely, and all our men in general +made themselves rich. Between Stilton and Huntingdon we had a small +bustle with some of the associated troops of horse, but they were soon +routed, and fled to Huntingdon, where they gave such an account of us +to their fellows that they did not think fit to stay for us, but left +their foot to defend themselves as well as they could. + +While this was doing in the van a party from Burleigh House, near +Stamford, the seat of the Earl of Exeter, pursued four troops of +our horse, who, straggling towards Peterborough, and committing some +disorders there, were surprised before they could get into a posture +of fighting; and encumbered, as I suppose, with their plunder, they +were entirely routed, lost most of their horses, and were forced to +come away on foot; but finding themselves in this condition, they got +in a body into the enclosures, and in that posture turning dragoons, +they lined the hedges, and fired upon the enemy with their carabines. +This way of fighting, though not very pleasant to troopers, put the +enemy's horse to some stand, and encouraged our men to venture into a +village, where the enemy had secured forty of their horse; and boldly +charging the guard, they beat them off, and recovering those horses, +the rest made their retreat good to Wansford Bridge; but we lost near +100 horses, and about twelve of our men taken prisoners. + +The next day the king took Huntingdon; the foot which were left in the +town, as I observed by their horse, had posted themselves at the foot +of the bridge, and fortified the pass, with such things as the haste +and shortness of the time would allow; and in this posture they seemed +resolute to defend themselves. I confess, had they in time planted a +good force here, they might have put a full stop to our little army; +for the river is large and deep, the country on the left marshy, full +of drains and ditches, and unfit for horse, and we must have either +turned back, or took the right hand into Bedfordshire; but here not +being above 400 foot, and they forsaken of their horse, the resistance +they made was to no other purpose than to give us occasion to knock +them on the head, and plunder the town. + +However, they defended the bridge, as I have said, and opposed our +passage. I was this day in the van, and our forlorn having entered +Huntingdon without any great resistance till they came to the bridge, +finding it barricaded, they sent me word; I caused the troops to halt, +and rode up to the forlorn, to view the countenance of the enemy, and +found by the posture they had put themselves in, that they resolved to +sell us the passage as dear as they could. + +I sent to the king for some dragoons, and gave him account of what I +observed of the enemy, and that I judged them to be 1000 men; for I +could not particularly see their numbers. Accordingly the king ordered +500 dragoons to attack the bridge, commanded by a major; the enemy had +200 musketeers placed on the bridge, their barricade served them for +a breastwork on the front, and the low walls on the bridge served +to secure their flanks. Two bodies of their foot were placed on the +opposite banks of the river, and a reserve stood in the highway on the +rear. The number of their men could not have been better ordered, and +they wanted not courage answerable to the conduct of the party. They +were commanded by one Bennet, a resolute officer, who stood in the +front of his men on the bridge with a pike in his hand. + +Before we began to fall on, the king ordered to view the river, to see +if it was nowhere passable, or any boat to be had; but the river being +not fordable, and the boats all secured on the other side, the attack +was resolved on, and the dragoons fell on with extraordinary bravery. +The foot defended themselves obstinately, and beat off our dragoons +twice, and though Bennet was killed upon the spot, and after him his +lieutenant, yet their officers relieving them with fresh men, they +would certainly have beat us all off, had not a venturous fellow, one +of our dragoons, thrown himself into the river, swam over, and, in the +midst of a shower of musket-bullets, cut the rope which tied a great +flat-bottom boat, and brought her over. With the help of this boat, I +got over 100 troopers first, and then their horses, and then 200 more +without their horses; and with this party fell in with one of the +small bodies of foot that were posted on that side, and having routed +them, and after them the reserve which stood on the road, I made up +to the other party. They stood their ground, and having rallied the +runaways of both the other parties, charged me with their pikes, and +brought me to a retreat; but by this time the king had sent over 300 +men more, and they coming up to me, the foot retreated. Those on the +bridge finding how 'twas, and having no supplies sent them, as before, +fainted, and fled; and the dragoons rushing forward, most of them were +killed; about 150 of the enemy were killed, of which all the officers +at the bridge, the rest run away. + +The town suffered for it, for our men left them little of anything +they could carry. Here we halted and raised contributions, took money +of the country and of the open towns, to exempt them from plunder. +Twice we faced the town of Cambridge, and several of our officers +advised his Majesty to storm it. But having no foot, and but 1200 +dragoons, wiser heads diverted him from it, and leaving Cambridge +on the left, we marched to Woburn, in Bedfordshire, and our parties +raised money all over the country quite into Hertfordshire, within +five miles of St Alban's. + +The swiftness of our march, and uncertainty which way we intended, +prevented all possible preparation to oppose us, and we met with no +party able to make head against us. From Woburn the king went through +Buckingham to Oxford; some of our men straggling in the villages for +plunder, were often picked up by the enemy. But in all this long march +we did not lose 200 men, got an incredible booty, and brought six +waggons laden with money, besides 2000 horses and 3000 head of cattle, +into Oxford. From Oxford his Majesty moves again into Gloucestershire, +having left about 1500 of his horse at Oxford to scour the country, +and raise contributions, which they did as far as Reading. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax was returned from taking Bridgewater, and was sat +down before Bristol, in which Prince Rupert commanded with a strong +garrison, 2500 foot and 1000 horse. We had not force enough to attempt +anything there. But the Scots, who lay still before Hereford, +were afraid of us, having before parted with all their horse under +Lieutenant-General Leslie, and but ill stored with provisions; and if +we came on their backs, were in a fair way to be starved, or made to +buy their provisions at the price of their blood. + +His Majesty was sensible of this, and had we had but ten regiments of +foot, would certainly have fought the Scots. But we had no foot, or so +few as was not worth while to march them. However, the king marched +to Worcester, and the Scots, apprehending they should be blocked +up, immediately raised the siege, pretending it was to go help their +brethren in Scotland, and away they marched northwards. + +We picked up some of their stragglers, but they were so poor, had been +so ill paid, and so harassed at the siege, that they had neither money +nor clothes; and the poor soldiers fed upon apples and roots, and ate +the very green corn as it grew in the fields, which reduced them to +a very sorry condition of health, for they died like people infected +with the plague. + +'Twas now debated whether we should yet march for Scotland, but two +things prevented--(1.) The plague was broke out there, and multitudes +died of it, which made the king backward, and the men more backward. +(2.) The Marquis of Montrose, having routed a whole brigade of +Leslie's best horse, and carried all before him, wrote to his Majesty +that he did not now want assistance, but was in hopes in a few days +to send a body of foot into England to his Majesty's assistance. This +over-confidence of his was his ruin; for, on the contrary, had he +earnestly pressed the king to have marched, and fallen in with his +horse, the king had done it, and been absolutely master of Scotland +in a fortnight's time; but Montrose was too confident, and defied them +all, till at last they got their forces together, and Leslie with his +horse out of England, and worsted him in two or three encounters, and +then never left him till they drove him out of Scotland. + +While his Majesty stayed at Worcester, several messengers came to him +from Cheshire for relief, being exceedingly straitened by the forces +of the Parliament; in order to which the king marched, but Shrewsbury +being in the enemy's hands, he was obliged to go round by Ludlow, +where he was joined by some foot out of Wales. I took this opportunity +to ask his Majesty's leave to go by Shrewsbury to my father's, +and, taking only two servants, I left the army two days before they +marched. + +This was the most unsoldier-like action that ever I was guilty of, to +go out of the army to pay a visit when a time of action was just at +hand; and, though I protest I had not the least intimation, no, not +from my own thoughts, that the army would engage, at least before they +came to Chester, before which I intended to meet them, yet it looked +so ill, so like an excuse or a sham of cowardice, or disaffection to +the cause and to my master's interest, or something I know not what, +that I could not bear to think of it, nor never had the heart to see +the king's face after it. + +From Ludlow the king marched to relieve Chester. Poyntz, who commanded +the Parliament's forces, follows the king, with design to join with +the forces before Chester, under Colonel Jones, before the king could +come up. To that end Poyntz passes through Shrewsbury the day that the +king marched from Ludlow; yet the king's forces got the start of him, +and forced him to engage. Had the king engaged him but three hours +sooner, and consequently farther off from Chester, he had ruined him, +for Poyntz's men, not able to stand the shock of the king's horse, +gave ground, and would in half-an-hour more have been beaten out of +the field; but Colonel Jones, with a strong party from the camp, which +was within two miles; comes up in the heat of the action, falls on in +the king's rear, and turned the scale of the day. The body was, after +an obstinate fight, defeated, and a great many gentlemen of quality +killed and taken prisoners. The Earl of Lichfield was of the number of +the former, and sixty-seven officers of the latter, with 1000 others. +The king, with about 500 horse, got into Chester, and from thence into +Wales, whither all that could get away made up to him as fast as they +could, but in a bad condition. + +This was the last stroke they struck; the rest of the war was nothing +but taking all his garrisons from him one by one, till they finished +the war with the captivating his person, and then, for want of other +business, fell to fighting with one another. + +I was quite disconsolate at the news of this last action, and the +more because I was not there. My regiment wholly dispersed, my +lieutenant-colonel, a gentleman of a good family, and a near relation +to my mother, was prisoner, my major and three captains killed, and +most of the rest prisoners. + +The king, hopeless of any considerable party in Wales, Bristol being +surrendered, sends for Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice, who came +to him. With them, and the Lord Digby, Sir Marmaduke Langdale, and a +great train of gentlemen, his Majesty marches to Newark again, leaves +1000 horse with Sir William Vaughan to attempt the relief of Chester, +in doing whereof he was routed the second time by Jones and his men, +and entirely dispersed. + +The chief strength the king had in these parts was at Newark, and the +Parliament were very earnest with the Scots to march southward and to +lay siege to Newark; and while the Parliament pressed them to it, and +they sat still and delayed it, several heats began, and some ill blood +between them, which afterwards broke out into open war. The English +reproached the Scots with pretending to help them, and really +hindering their affairs. The Scots returned that they came to fight +for them, and are left to be starved, and can neither get money nor +clothes. At last they came to this, the Scots will come to the siege +if the Parliament will send them money, but not before. However, as +people sooner agree in doing ill than in doing well, they came to +terms, and the Scots came with their whole army to the siege of +Newark. + +The king, foreseeing the siege, calls his friends about him, tells +them he sees his circumstances are such that they can help him but +little, nor he protect them, and advises them to separate. The Lord +Digby, with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, with a strong body of horse, +attempt to get into Scotland to join with Montrose, who was still in +the Highlands, though reduced to a low ebb, but these gentlemen are +fallen upon on every side and routed, and at last, being totally +broken and dispersed, they fly to the Earl of Derby's protection in +the Isle of Man. + +Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice, Colonel Gerard, and above 400 +gentlemen, all officers of horse, lay their commissions down, and +seizing upon Wootton House for a retreat, make proposals to the +Parliament to leave the kingdom, upon their parole not to return again +in arms against the Parliament, which was accepted, though afterwards +the prince declined it. I sent my man post to the prince to be +included in this treaty, and for leave for all that would accept of +like conditions, but they had given in the list of their names, and +could not alter it. + +This was a sad time. The poor remains of the king's fortunes went +everywhere to wreck. Every garrison of the enemy was full of the +Cavalier prisoners, and every garrison the king had was beset with +enemies, either blocked up or besieged. Goring and the Lord Hopton +were the only remainders of the king's forces which kept in a body, +and Fairfax was pushing them with all imaginable vigour with his whole +army about Exeter and other parts of Devonshire and Cornwall. + +In this condition the king left Newark in the night, and got to +Oxford. The king had in Oxford 8000 men, and the towns of Banbury, +Farringdon, Donnington Castle, and such places as might have been +brought together in twenty-four hours, 15,000 or 20,000 men, with +which, if he had then resolved to have quitted the place, +and collected the forces in Worcester, Hereford, Lichfield, +Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and all the small castles and garrisons he had +thereabouts, he might have had near 40,000 men, might have beaten +the Scots from Newark, Colonel Jones from Chester, and all, before +Fairfax, who was in the west, could be able to come to their relief. +And this his Majesty's friends in North Wales had concerted; and, in +order to it, Sir Jacob Ashby gathered what forces he could, in our +parts, and attempted to join the king at Oxford, and to have proposed +it to him; but Sir Jacob was entirely routed at Stow-on-the-Wold, and +taken prisoner, and of 3000 men not above 600 came to Oxford. + +All the king's garrisons dropped one by one; Hereford, which had stood +out against the whole army of the Scots, was surprised by six men and +a lieutenant dressed up for country labourers, and a constable pressed +to work, who cut the guards in pieces, and let in a party of the +enemy. Chester was reduced by famine, all the attempts the king made +to relieve it being frustrated. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax routed the Lord Hopton at Torrington, and drove him +to such extremities, that he was forced up into the farthest corner of +Cornwall. The Lord Hopton had a gallant body of horse with him of nine +brigades, but no foot; Fairfax, a great army. + +Heartless, and tired out with continual ill news, and ill success, +I had frequent meetings with some gentlemen who had escaped from +the rout of Sir William Vaughan, and we agreed upon a meeting at +Worcester, of all the friends we could get, to see if we could raise +a body fit to do any service; or, if not, to consider what was to be +done. At this meeting we had almost as many opinions as people; our +strength appeared too weak to make any attempt, the game was too far +gone in our parts to be retrieved; all we could make up did not amount +to above 800 horse. + +'Twas unanimously agreed not to go into the Parliament as long as our +royal master did not give up the cause; but in all places, and by all +possible methods, to do him all the service we could. Some proposed +one thing, some another; at last we proposed getting vessels to carry +us to the Isle of Man to the Earl of Derby, as Sir Marmaduke Langdale, +Lord Digby, and others had done. I did not foresee any service +it would be to the king's affairs, but I started a proposal that, +marching to Pembroke in a body, we should there seize upon all the +vessels we could, and embarking ourselves, horses, and what foot +we could get, cross the Severn Sea, and land in Cornwall to the +assistance of Prince Charles, who was in the army of the Lord Hopton, +and where only there seemed to be any possibility of a chance for the +remaining part of our cause. + +This proposal was not without its difficulties, as how to get to the +seaside, and, when there, what assurance of shipping. The enemy, under +Major-General Langhorn, had overrun Wales, and 'twould be next to +impossible to effect it. + +We could never carry our proposal with the whole assembly; but, +however, about 200 of us resolved to attempt it, and [the] meeting +being broken up without coming to any conclusion, we had a private +meeting among ourselves to effect it. + +We despatched private messengers to Swansea and Pembroke, and other +places; but they all discouraged us from the attempt that way, and +advised us to go higher towards North Wales, where the king's interest +had more friends, and the Parliament no forces. Upon this we met, and +resolved, and having sent several messengers that way, one of my men +provided us two small vessels in a little creek near Harlech Castle, +in Merionethshire. We marched away with what expedition we could, and +embarked in the two vessels accordingly. It was the worst voyage sure +that ever man went; for first we had no manner of accommodation for so +many people, hay for our horses we got none, or very little, but good +store of oats, which served us for our own bread as well as provender +for the horses. + +In this condition we put off to sea, and had a fair wind all the first +night, but early in the morning a sudden storm drove us within two or +three leagues of Ireland. In this pickle, sea-sick, our horses rolling +about upon one another, and ourselves stifled for want of room, no +cabins nor beds, very cold weather, and very indifferent diet, we +wished ourselves ashore again a thousand times; and yet we were not +willing to go ashore in Ireland if we could help it; for the rebels +having possession of every place, that was just having our throats cut +at once. Having rolled about at the mercy of the winds all day, the +storm ceasing in the evening, we had fair weather again, but wind +enough, which being large, in two days and a night we came upon the +coast of Cornwall, and, to our no small comfort, landed the next day +at St Ives, in the county of Cornwall. + +We rested ourselves here, and sent an express to the Lord Hopton, who +was then in Devonshire, of our arrival, and desired him to assign us +quarters, and send us his farther orders. His lordship expressed a +very great satisfaction at our arrival, and left it to our own conduct +to join him as we saw convenient. + +We were marching to join him, when news came that Fairfax had given +him an entire defeat at Torrington. This was but the old story over +again. We had been used to ill news a great while, and 'twas the less +surprise to us. + +Upon this news we halted at Bodmin, till we should hear farther; and +it was not long before we saw a confirmation of the news before our +eyes, for the Lord Hopton, with the remainder of his horse, which he +had brought off at Torrington in a very shattered condition, retreated +to Launceston, the first town in Cornwall, and hearing that Fairfax +pursued him, came on to Bodmin. Hither he summoned all the troops +which he had left, which, when he had got together, were a fine +body indeed of 5000 horse, but few foot but what were at Pendennis, +Barnstaple, and other garrisons. These were commanded by the Lord +Hopton. The Lord Goring had taken shipping for France to get relief a +few days before. + +Here a grand council of war was called, and several things were +proposed, but as it always is in distress, people are most irresolute, +so 'twas here. Some were for breaking through by force, our number +being superior to the enemy's horse. To fight them with their foot +would be desperation and ridiculous; and to retreat would but be +to coop up themselves in a narrow place, where at last they must be +forced to fight upon disadvantage, or yield at mercy. Others opposed +this as a desperate action, and without probability of success, and +all were of different opinions. I confess, when I saw how things +were, I saw 'twas a lost game, and I was for the opinion of breaking +through, and doing it now, while the country was open and large, and +not being forced to it when it must be with more disadvantage. But +nothing was resolved on, and so we retreated before the enemy. Some +small skirmishes there happened near Bodmin, but none that were very +considerable. + +'Twas the 1st of March when we quitted Bodmin, and quartered at large +at Columb, St Dennis, and Truro, and the enemy took his quarters at +Bodmin, posting his horse at the passes from Padstow on the north, to +Wadebridge, Lostwithiel, and Fowey, spreading so from sea to sea, +that now breaking through was impossible. There was no more room for +counsel; for unless we had ships to carry us off, we had nothing to do +but when we were fallen upon, to defend ourselves, and sell victory as +dear as we could to the enemies. + +The Prince of Wales seeing the distress we were in, and loth to +fall into the enemy's hands, ships himself on board some vessels at +Falmouth, with about 400 lords and gentlemen. And as I had no command +here to oblige my attendance, I was once going to make one, but my +comrades, whom I had been the principal occasion of bringing hither, +began to take it ill, that I would leave them, and so I resolved we +would take our fate together. + +While thus we had nothing before us but a soldier's death, a fair +field, and a strong enemy, and people began to look one upon another, +the soldiers asked how their officers looked, and the officers asked +how their soldiers looked, and every day we expected to be our last, +when unexpectedly the enemy's general sent a trumpet to Truro to my +Lord Hopton, with a very handsome gentlemanlike offer:-- + +That since the general could not be ignorant of his present condition, +and that the place he was in could not afford him subsistence or +defence; and especially considering that the state of our affairs were +such, that if we should escape from thence we could not remove to +our advantage, he had thought good to let us know, that if we would +deliver up our horses and arms, he would, for avoiding the effusion of +Christian blood, or the putting any unsoldierly extremities upon us, +allow such honourable and safe conditions, as were rather better than +our present circumstances could demand, and such as should discharge +him to all the world, as a gentleman, as a soldier, and as a +Christian. + +After this followed the conditions he would give us, which were as +follows, viz.:--That all the soldiery, as well English as foreigners, +should have liberty to go beyond the seas, or to their own dwellings, +as they pleased; and to such as shall choose to live at home, +protection for their liberty, and from all violence and plundering +of soldiers, and to give them bag and baggage, and all their goods, +except horses and arms. + +That for officers in commissions, and gentlemen of quality, he would +allow them horses for themselves and one servant, or more, suitable +to their quality, and such arms as are suitable to gentlemen of such +quality travelling in times of peace; and such officers as would go +beyond sea, should take with them their full arms and number of horses +as are allowed in the army to such officers. + +That all the troopers shall receive on the delivery of their +horses, 20s. a man to carry them home; and the general's pass and +recommendation to any gentleman who desires to go to the Parliament to +settle the composition for their estates. + +Lastly, a very honourable mention of the general, and offer of their +mediation to the Parliament, to treat him as a man of honour, and one +who has been tender of the country, and behaved himself with all the +moderation and candour that could be expected from an enemy. + +Upon the unexpected receipt of this message, a council of war was +called, and the letter read; no man offered to speak a word; the +general moved it, but every one was loth to begin. + +At last an old colonel starts up, and asked the general what he +thought might occasion the writing this letter? The general told him, +he could not tell; but he could tell, he was sure, of one thing, that +he knew what was not the occasion of it, viz., that is, not any want +of force in their army to oblige us to other terms. Then a doubt was +started, whether the king and Parliament were not in any treaty, which +this agreement might be prejudicial to. + +This occasioned a letter to my Lord Fairfax, wherein our general +returning the civilities, and neither accepting nor refusing his +proposal, put it upon his honour, whether there was not some agreement +or concession between his Majesty and the Parliament, in order to a +general peace, which this treaty might be prejudicial to, or thereby +be prejudicial to us. + +The Lord Fairfax ingenuously declared, he had heard the king had made +some concessions, and he heartily wished he would make such as would +settle the kingdom in peace, that Englishmen might not wound and +destroy one another; but that he declared he knew of no treaty +commenced, nor anything passed which could give us the least shadow +of hope for any advantage in not accepting his conditions; at last +telling us, that though he did not insult over our circumstances, yet +if we thought fit, upon any such supposition, to refuse his offers, he +was not to seek in his measures. + +And it appeared so, for he immediately advanced his forlorns, and +dispossessed us of two advanced quarters, and thereby straitened us +yet more. + +We had now nothing to say, but treat, and our general was so sensible +of our condition, that he returned the trumpet with a safe-conduct for +commissioners at twelve o'clock that night; upon which a cessation of +arms was agreed on, we quitting Truro to the Lord Fairfax, and he left +St Allen to us to keep our headquarters. + +The conditions were soon agreed on; we disbanded nine full brigades of +horse, and all the conditions were observed with the most honour and +care by the enemy that ever I saw in my life. + +Nor can I omit to make very honourable mention of this noble +gentleman, though I did not like his cause; but I never saw a man of +a more pleasant, calm, courteous, downright, honest behaviour in my +life; and for his courage and personal bravery in the field, that we +had felt enough of. No man in the world had more fire and fury in him +while in action, or more temper and softness out of it. In short, and +I cannot do him greater honour, he exceedingly came near the character +of my foreign hero, Gustavus Adolphus, and in my account is, of all +the soldiers in Europe, the fittest to be reckoned in the second place +of honour to him. + +I had particular occasion to see much of his temper in all this +action, being one of the hostages given by our general for the +performance of the conditions, in which circumstance the general did +me several times the honour to send to me to dine with him; and was +exceedingly pleased to discourse with me about the passages of the +wars in Germany, which I had served in, he having been at the same +time in the Low Countries in the service of Prince Maurice; but I +observed if at any time my civilities extended to commendations of his +own actions, and especially to comparing him to Gustavus Adolphus, he +would blush like a woman, and be uneasy, declining the discourse, and +in this he was still more like him. + +Let no man scruple my honourable mention of this noble enemy, since +no man can suspect me of favouring the cause he embarked in, which +I served as heartily against as any man in the army; but I cannot +conceal extraordinary merit for its being placed in an enemy. + +This was the end of our making war, for now we were all under parole +never to bear arms against the Parliament; and though some of us did +not keep our word, yet I think a soldier's parole ought to be the most +sacred in such case, that a soldier may be the easier trusted at all +times upon his word. For my part, I went home fully contented, since +I could do my royal master no better service, that I had come off no +worse. + +The enemy going now on in a full current of success, and the king +reduced to the last extremity, and Fairfax, by long marches, being +come back within five miles of Oxford, his Majesty, loth to be cooped +up in a town which could on no account hold long out, quits the town +in a disguise, leaving Sir Thomas Clemham governor, and being only +attended with Mr Ashburnham and one more, rides away to Newark, and +there fatally committed himself to the honour and fidelity of the +Scots under General Leven. + +There had been some little bickering between the Parliament and the +Scots commissioners concerning the propositions which the Scots were +for a treaty with the king upon, and the Parliament refused it. The +Parliament, upon all proposals of peace, had formerly invited the king +to come and throw himself upon the honour, fidelity, and affection of +his Parliament. And now the king from Oxford offering to come up +to London on the protection of the Parliament for the safety of his +person, they refused him, and the Scots differed from them in it, and +were for a personal treaty. + +This, in our opinion, was the reason which prompted the king to throw +himself upon the fidelity of the Scots, who really by their infidelity +had been the ruin of all his affairs, and now, by their perfidious +breach of honour and faith with him, will be virtually and mediately +the ruin of his person. + +The Scots were, as all the nation besides them was, surprised at the +king's coming among them; the Parliament began very high with them, +and send an order to General Leven to send the king to Warwick Castle; +but he was not so hasty to part with so rich a prize. As soon as the +king came to the general, he signs an order to Colonel Bellasis, the +governor of Newark, to surrender it, and immediately the Scots decamp +homewards, carrying the king in the camp with them, and marching on, a +house was ordered to be provided for the king at Newcastle. + +And now the Parliament saw their error, in refusing his Majesty a +personal treaty, which, if they had accepted (their army was not yet +taught the way of huffing their masters), the kingdom might have been +settled in peace. Upon this the Parliament send to General Leven to +have his Majesty not be sent, which was their first language, but be +suffered to come to London to treat with his Parliament; before it +was, "Let the king be sent to Warwick Castle"; now 'tis, "To let his +Majesty come to London to treat with his people." + +But neither one or the other would do with the Scots; but we who knew +the Scots best knew that there was one thing would do with them, if +the other would not, and that was money; and therefore our hearts +ached for the king. + +The Scots, as I said, had retreated to Newcastle with the king, and +there they quartered their whole army at large upon the country; +the Parliament voted they had no farther occasion for the Scots, and +desired them to go home about their business. I do not say it was +in these words, but in whatsoever good words their messages might +be expressed, this and nothing less was the English of it. The Scots +reply, by setting forth their losses, damages, and dues, the substance +of which was, "Pay us our money and we will be gone, or else we won't +stir." The Parliament call for an account of their demands, which the +Scots give in, amounting to a million; but, according to their custom, +and especially finding that the army under Fairfax inclined gradually +that way, fall down to £500,000, and at last to £400,000; but all the +while this is transacting a separate treaty is carried on at London +with the commissioners of Scotland, and afterwards at Edinburgh, by +which it is given them to understand that, whereas upon payment of the +money, the Scots army is to march out of England, and to give up all +the towns and garrisons which they hold in this kingdom, so they are +to take it for granted that 'tis the meaning of the treaty that they +shall leave the king in the hands of the English Parliament. + +To make this go down the better, the Scotch Parliament, upon his +Majesty's desire to go with their army into Scotland, send him for +answer, that it cannot be for the safety of his Majesty or of the +State to come into Scotland, not having taken the Covenant, and this +was carried in their Parliament but by two voices. + +The Scots having refused his coming into Scotland, as was concerted +between the two Houses, and their army being to march out of +England, the delivering up the king became a consequence of the +thing--unavoidable, and of necessity. + +His Majesty, thus deserted of those into whose hands he had thrown +himself, took his leave of the Scots general at Newcastle, telling him +only, in few words, this sad truth, that he was bought and sold. The +Parliament commissioners received him at Newcastle from the Scots, and +brought him to Holmby House, in Northamptonshire; from whence, upon +the quarrels and feuds of parties, he was fetched by a party of horse, +commanded by one Cornet Joyce, from the army, upon their mutinous +rendezvous at Triplow Heath; and, after this, suffering many violences +and varieties of circumstances among the army, was carried to Hampton +Court, from whence his Majesty very readily made his escape; but not +having notice enough to provide effectual means for his more effectual +deliverance, was obliged to deliver himself to Colonel Hammond in the +Isle of Wight. Here, after some very indifferent usage, the Parliament +pursued a farther treaty with him, and all points were agreed but +two: the entire abolishing Episcopacy, which the king declared to be +against his conscience and his coronation oath; and the sale of the +Church lands, which he declared, being most of them gifts to God and +the Church, by persons deceased, his Majesty thought could not be +alienated without the highest sacrilege, and if taken from the uses +to which they were appointed by the wills of the donors, ought to be +restored back to the heirs and families of the persons who bequeathed +them. + +And these two articles so stuck with his Majesty, that he ventured +his fortune, and royal family, and his own life for them. However, at +last, the king condescended so far in these, that the Parliament voted +his Majesty's concessions to be sufficient to settle and establish the +peace of the nation. + +This vote discovered the bottom of all the counsels which then +prevailed; for the army, who knew if peace were once settled, they +should be undone, took the alarm at this, and clubbing together in +committees and councils, at last brought themselves to a degree +of hardness above all that ever this nation saw; for calling into +question the proceedings of their masters who employed them, they +immediately fall to work upon the Parliament, remove Colonel Hammond, +who had the charge of the king, and used him honourably, place a +new guard upon him, dismiss the commissioners, and put a stop to the +treaty; and, following their blow, march to London, place regiments of +foot at the Parliament-house door, and, as the members came up, +seize upon all those whom they had down in a list as promoters of the +settlement and treaty, and would not suffer them to sit; but the rest +who, being of their own stamp, are permitted to go on, carry on the +designs of the army, revive their votes of non-addresses to the +king, and then, upon the army's petition to bring all delinquents to +justice, the mask was thrown off, the word all is declared to be +meant the king, as well as every man else they pleased. 'Tis too sad +a story, and too much a matter of grief to me, and to all good men, to +renew the blackness of those days, when law and justice was under the +feet of power; the army ruled the Parliament, the private officers +their generals, the common soldiers their officers, and confusion was +in every part of the government. In this hurry they sacrificed their +king, and shed the blood of the English nobility without mercy. + +The history of the times will supply the particulars which I omit, +being willing to confine myself to my own accounts and observations. +I was now no more an actor, but a melancholy observator of the +misfortunes of the times. I had given my parole not to take up arms +against the Parliament, and I saw nothing to invite me to engage on +their side. I saw a world of confusion in all their counsels, and I +always expected that in a chain of distractions, as it generally falls +out, the last link would be destruction; and though I pretended to no +prophecy, yet the progress of affairs have brought it to pass, and I +have seen Providence, who suffered, for the correction of this nation, +the sword to govern and devour us, has at last brought destruction by +the sword upon the head of most of the party who first drew it. + + * * * * * + +If together with the brief account of what concern I had in the +active part of the war, I leave behind me some of my own remarks +and observations, it may be pertinent enough to my design, and not +unuseful to posterity. + +1. I observed by the sequel of things that it may be some excuse to +the first Parliament, who began this war, to say that they manifested +their designs were not aimed at the monarchy, nor their quarrel at +the person of the king; because, when they had in their power, though +against his will, they would have restored both his person and dignity +as a king, only loading it with such clogs of the people's power as +they at first pretended to, viz., the militia, and power of naming +the great officers at court, and the like; which powers, it was never +denied, had been stretched too far in the beginning of this king's +reign, and several things done illegally, which his Majesty had been +sensible of, and was willing to rectify; but they having obtained the +power by victory, resolved so to secure themselves, as that, whenever +they laid down their arms, the king should not be able to do the like +again. And thus far they were not to be so much blamed, and we did +not on our own part blame them, when they had obtained the power, for +parting with it on good terms. + +But when I have thus far advocated for the enemies, I must be very +free to state the crimes of this bloody war by the events of it. 'Tis +manifest there were among them from the beginning a party who aimed +at the very root of the government, and at the very thing which they +brought to pass, viz., the deposing and murdering of their sovereign; +and, as the devil is always master where mischief is the work, this +party prevailed, turned the other out of doors, and overturned all +that little honesty that might be in the first beginning of this +unhappy strife. + +The consequence of this was, the Presbyterians saw their error when +it was too late, and then would gladly have joined the royal party to +have suppressed this new leaven which had infected the lump; and this +is very remarkable, that most of the first champions of this war who +bore the brunt of it, when the king was powerful and prosperous, and +when there was nothing to be got by it but blows, first or last, were +so ill used by this independent, powerful party, who tripped up +the heels of all their honesty, that they were either forced by ill +treatment to take up arms on our side, or suppressed and reduced by +them. In this the justice of Providence seemed very conspicuous, that +these having pushed all things by violence against the king, and by +arms and force brought him to their will, were at once both robbed +of the end, their Church government, and punished for drawing their +swords against their masters, by their own servants drawing the sword +against them; and God, in His due time, punished the others too. And +what was yet farther strange, the punishment of this crime of making +war against their king, singled out those very men, both in the +army and in the Parliament, who were the greatest champions of the +Presbyterian cause in the council and in the field. Some minutes, too, +of circumstances I cannot forbear observing, though they are not very +material, as to the fatality and revolutions of days and times. A +Roman Catholic gentleman of Lancashire, a very religious man in his +way, who had kept a calculate of times, and had observed mightily the +fatality of times, places, and actions, being at my father's house, +was discoursing once upon the just judgment of God in dating His +providences, so as to signify to us His displeasure at particular +circumstances; and, among an infinite number of collections he had +made, these were some which I took particular notice of, and from +whence I began to observe the like:-- + +1. That King Edward VI. died the very same day of the same month +in which he caused the altar to be taken down, and the image of the +Blessed Virgin in the Cathedral of St Paul's. + +2. That Cranmer was burnt at Oxford the same day and month that he +gave King Henry VIII. advice to divorce his Queen Catherine. + +3. That Queen Elizabeth died the same day and month that she resolved, +in her Privy Council, to behead the Queen of Scots. + +4. That King James died the same day that he published his book +against Bellarmine. + +5. That King Charles's long Parliament, which ruined him, began the +very same day and month which that Parliament began, that at the +request of his predecessor robbed the Roman Church of all her +revenues, and suppressed abbeys and monasteries. + +How just his calculations were, or how true the matter of fact, +I cannot tell, but it put me upon the same in several actions and +successes of this war. And I found a great many circumstances, as to +time or action, which befell both his Majesty and his parties first; + +Then others which befell the Parliament and Presbyterian faction, +which raised the war; + +Then the Independent tyranny which succeeded and supplanted the first +party; + +Then the Scots who acted on both sides; + +Lastly, the restoration and re-establishment of the loyalty and +religion of our ancestors. + +1. For King Charles I.; 'tis observable, that the charge against the +Earl of Strafford, a thing which his Majesty blamed himself for all +the days of his life, and at the moment of his last suffering, was +first read in the Lords' House on the 30th of January, the same day of +the month six years that the king himself was brought to the block. + +2. That the king was carried away prisoner from Newark, by the Scots, +May 10, the same day six years that, against his conscience and +promise, he passed the bill of attainder against the loyal, noble Earl +of Strafford. + +3. The same day seven years that the king entered the House of Commons +for the five members, which all his friends blamed him for, the same +day the Rump voted bringing his Majesty to trial, after they had set +by the Lords for not agreeing to it, which was the 3rd of January +1648. + +4. The 12th of May 1646, being the surrender of Newark, the Parliament +held a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing, for the reduction of the +king and his party, and finishing the war, which was the same day five +years that the Earl of Strafford was beheaded. + +5. The battle at Naseby, which ruined the king's affairs, and where +his secretary and his office was taken, was the 14th of June, the same +day and month the first commission was given out by his Majesty to +raise forces. + +6. The queen voted a traitor by the Parliament the 3rd of May, the +same day and month she carried the jewels into France. + +7. The same day the king defeated Essex in the west, his son, King +Charles II., was defeated at Worcester. + +8. Archbishop Laud's house at Lambeth assaulted by the mob, the same +day of the same month that he advised the king to make war upon the +Scots. + +9. Impeached the 15th of December 1640, the same day twelvemonth that +he ordered the Common Prayer-book of Scotland to be printed, in order +to be imposed upon the Scots, from which all our troubles began. + +But many more, and more strange, are the critical junctures of affairs +in the case of the enemy, or at least more observed by me:-- + +1. Sir John Hotham, who repulsed his Majesty and refused him +admittance into Hull before the war, was seized at Hull by the same +Parliament for whom he had done it, the same 10th day of August two +years that he drew the first blood in that war. + +2. Hampden of Buckinghamshire killed the same day one year that the +mob petition from Bucks was presented to the king about him, as one of +the five members. + +3. Young Captain Hotham executed the 1st of January, the same day that +he assisted Sir Thomas Fairfax in the first skirmish with the king's +forces at Bramham Moor. + +4. The same day and month, being the 6th of August 1641, that the +Parliament voted to raise an army against the king, the same day and +month, _anno_ 1648, the Parliament were assaulted and turned out of +doors by that very army, and none left to sit but who the soldiers +pleased, which were therefore called the Rump. + +5. The Earl of Holland deserted the king, who had made him general of +the horse, and went over to the Parliament, and the 9th of March +1641, carried the Commons' reproaching declaration to the king; and +afterwards taking up arms for the king against the Parliament, was +beheaded by them the 9th of March 1648, just seven years after. + +6. The Earl of Holland was sent by the king to come to his assistance +and refused, the 11th of July 1641, and that very day seven years +after was taken by the Parliament at St Neots. + +7. Colonel Massey defended Gloucester against the king, and beat +him off the 5th of September 1643; was taken after by Cromwell's men +fighting for the king, on the 5th of September 1651, two or three days +after the fight at Worcester. + +8. Richard Cromwell resigning, because he could not help it, the +Parliament voted a free Commonwealth, without a single person or House +of Lords. This was the 25th of May 1658; the 25th of May 1660, the +king landed at Dover, and restored the government of a single person +and House of Lords. + +9. Lambert was proclaimed a traitor by the Parliament April the 20th, +being the same day he proposed to Oliver Cromwell to take upon him the +title of king. + +10. Monk being taken prisoner at Nantwich by Sir Thomas Fairfax, +revolted to the Parliament the same day nineteen years he declared for +the king, and thereby restored the royal authority. + +11. The Parliament voted to approve of Sir John Hotham's repulsing +the king at Hull, the 28th of April 1642; the 28th of April 1660, the +Parliament first debated in the House the restoring the king to the +crown. + +12. The agitators of the army formed themselves into a cabal, and held +their first meeting to seize on the king's person, and take him into +their custody from Holmby, the 28th of April 1647; the same day, +1660, the Parliament voted the agitators to be taken into custody, and +committed as many of them as could be found. + +13. The Parliament voted the queen a traitor for assisting her +husband, the king, May the 3rd, 1643; her son, King Charles II., was +presented with the votes of Parliament to restore him, and the present +of £50,000, the 3rd of May 1660. + +14. The same day the Parliament passed the Act for recognition of +Oliver Cromwell, October 13th, 1654, Lambert broke up the Parliament +and set up the army, 1659, October the 13th. + +Some other observations I have made, which, as not so pertinent, I +forbear to publish, among which I have noted the fatality of some days +to parties, as-- + +The 2nd of September: The fight at Dunbar; the fight at Worcester; the +oath against a single person passed; Oliver's first Parliament called. +For the enemy. + +The 2nd of September: Essex defeated in Cornwall; Oliver died; city +works demolished. For the king. + +The 29th of May: Prince Charles born; Leicester taken by storm; King +Charles II. restored. Ditto. + +Fatality of circumstances in this unhappy war, as-- + +1. The English Parliament call in the Scots, to invade their king, and +are invaded themselves by the same Scots, in defence of the king whose +case, and the design of the Parliament, the Scots had mistaken. + +2. The Scots, who unjustly assisted the Parliament to conquer their +lawful sovereign, contrary to their oath of allegiance, and without +any pretence on the king's part, are afterwards absolutely conquered +and subdued by the same Parliament they assisted. + +3. The Parliament, who raised an army to depose their king, deposed by +the very army they had raised. + +4. The army broke three Parliaments, and are at last broke by a free +Parliament; and all they had done by the military power, undone at +once by the civil. + +5. Abundance of the chief men, who by their fiery spirits involved the +nation in a civil war, and took up arms against their prince, first or +last met with ruin or disgrace from their own party. + +(1.) Sir John Hotham and his son, who struck the first stroke, both +beheaded or hanged by the Parliament. + +(2.) Major-General Massey three times taken prisoner by them, and once +wounded at Worcester. + +(3.) Major-General Langhorn, (4.) Colonel Poyer, and (5.) Colonel +Powell, changed sides, and at last taken, could obtain no other favour +than to draw lots for their lives; Colonel Poyer drew the dead lot, +and was shot to death. + +(6.) Earl of Holland: who, when the House voted who should be +reprieved, Lord Goring, who had been their worst enemy, or the Earl of +Holland, who excepting one offence, had been their constant servant, +voted Goring to be spared, and the Earl to die. + +(7.) The Earl of Essex, their first general; + +(8.) Sir William Waller; + +(9.) Lieutenant-General Ludlow; + +(10.) The Earl of Manchester; + +--all disgusted and voted out of the army, though they had stood the +first shock of the war, to make way for the new model of the army, and +introduce a party. + + * * * * * + +In all these confusions I have observed two great errors, one of the +king, and one of his friends. + +Of the king, that when he was in their custody, and at their mercy, +he did not comply with their propositions of peace, before their army, +for want of employment, fell into heats and mutinies; that he did not +at first grant the Scots their own conditions, which, if he had done, +he had gone into Scotland; and then, if the English would have fought +the Scots for him, he had a reserve of his loyal friends, who would +have had room to have fallen in with the Scots to his assistance, +who were after dispersed and destroyed in small parties attempting to +serve him. + +While his Majesty remained at Newcastle, the queen wrote to him, +persuading him to make peace upon any terms; and in politics her +Majesty's advice was certainly the best. For, however low he was +brought by a peace, it must have been better than the condition he was +then in. + +The error I mention of the king's friends was this, that after they +saw all was lost, they could not be content to sit still, and reserve +themselves for better fortunes, and wait the happy time when the +divisions of the enemy would bring them to certain ruin; but must +hasten their own miseries by frequent fruitless risings, in the face +of a victorious enemy, in small parties; and I always found these +effects from it:-- + +1. The enemy, who were always together by the ears, when they were let +alone, were united and reconciled when we gave them any interruption; +as particularly, in the case of the first assault the army made upon +them, when Colonel Pride, with his regiment, garbled the House, as +they called it. At that time a fair opportunity offered; but it was +omitted till it was too late. That insult upon the House had been +attempted the year before, but was hindered by the little insurrection +of the royal party, and the sooner they had fallen out, the better. + +2. These risings being desperate, with vast disadvantages, and always +suppressed, ruined all our friends; the remnants of the Cavaliers were +lessened, the stoutest and most daring were cut off, and the king's +interest exceedingly weakened, there not being less than 30,000 of +his best friends cut off in the several attempts made at Maidstone, +Colchester, Lancashire, Pembroke, Pontefract, Kingston, Preston, +Warrington, Worcester, and other places. Had these men all reserved +their fortunes to a conjunction with the Scots, at either of the +invasions they made into this kingdom, and acted with the conduct and +courage they were known masters of, perhaps neither of those Scots +armies had been defeated. + +But the impatience of our friends ruined all; for my part, I had as +good a mind to put my hand to the ruin of the enemy as any of them, +but I never saw any tolerable appearance of a force able to match the +enemy, and I had no mind to be beaten and then hanged. Had we let them +alone, they would have fallen into so many parties and factions, and +so effectually have torn one another to pieces, that whichsoever party +had come to us, we should, with them, have been too hard for all the +rest. + +This was plain by the course of things afterwards; when the +Independent army had ruffled the Presbyterian Parliament, the soldiery +of that party made no scruple to join us, and would have restored the +king with all their hearts, and many of them did join us at last. + +And the consequence, though late, ended so; for they fell out so +many times, army and Parliament, Parliament and army, and alternately +pulled one another down so often till at last the Presbyterians who +began the war, ended it, and, to be rid of their enemies, rather than +for any love to the monarchy, restored King Charles the Second, and +brought him in on the very day that they themselves had formerly +resolved the ruin of his father's government, being the 29th of May, +the same day twenty years that the private cabal in London concluded +their secret league with the Scots, to embroil his father King Charles +the First. + + +[Footnote 1: General Ludlow, in his Memoirs, p. 52, says their men +returned from Warwick to London, not like men who had obtained a +victory, but like men that had been beaten.] + + + + +NOTES. + + +p. 1. The preface to the first edition, which appeared in 1720, was +written by Defoe as "Editor" of the manuscript. The second edition +appeared between 1740 and 1750, after the death of Defoe. (He was +probably born in 1671 and he died in 1731.) In the preface to that +edition it was argued that the Cavalier was certainly a real person. + +p. 2, l. 35. "Nicely" is here used in the stricter and more uncommon +sense of "minutely." This use of words in a slightly different sense +from their common modern significance will be noticed frequently; +cf. p. 8, l. 17 "passionately," p. 18, l. 40 "refined," p. 31, l. 18 +"particular." + +p. 3, l. 3. Charles XII the famous soldier king of Sweden died in 1718. + +p. 3, l. 31. Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was one of the staunchest +supporters of Charles I, and Chancellor under Charles II. His _History +of the Rebellion_ is naturally written from the Royalist standpoint. +This statement concerning "the editors" can only be intended by Defoe +to give colour of truth to his story of the manuscript. + +p. 10, l. 17. England had been nominally at war with Spain since the +beginning of the reign of Charles I. Peace was actually made in 1630. + +p. 12, l. 3. A pistole was a gold coin used chiefly in France and +Spain. Its value varied but it was generally worth about fifteen or +sixteen shillings. + +p. 14, l. 5. Cardinal Richelieu, one of the greatest statesmen of +the seventeenth century, was practically supreme in France during the +reign of Louis XIII. + +p. 14, l. 16. The cause of the war with Savoy is told at length on +page 23. Savoy being the frontier province between France and Italy it +was important that France should maintain her influence there. + +p. 14, l. 18. Pinerolo was a frontier fortress. + +p. 14, l. 36. The queen-mother was Mary de Medicis who had been regent +during the minority of Louis XIII. + +p. 15, l. 3. The Protestants or Huguenots of Southern France had been +tolerated since 1598 but Richelieu deprived them of many of their +privileges. + +p. 15, l. 21. In 1625 when England was in alliance with France English +ships had been joined with the French fleet to reduce la Rochelle, the +great stronghold of Protestantism in Southern France. + +p. 16, l. 7. The Louvre, now famous as a picture gallery and museum, +was formerly one of the palaces of the French Kings. + +p. 17, l. 16. The Bastille was the famous prison destroyed in 1789 at +the outbreak of the French Revolution. + +p. 18, l. 13. In the seventeenth century Italy was still divided into +several states each with its own prince. + +p. 18, l. 22. Susa was another Savoyard fortress. + +p. 19, l. 17. A halberd was a weapon consisting of a long wooden shaft +surmounted by an axe-like head. + +p. 21, l. 30. The Cantons were the political divisions of Switzerland. + +p. 23, l. 7. Casale, a strong town on the Po. + +p. 25, l. 14. A dragoon was a cavalry soldier armed with an infantry +firearm and trained to fight on foot as well as on horseback. + +p. 27, l. 25. Saluzzo a town S.E. of Pinerolo. + +p. 29, l. 12. This truce prepared for the definite "Peace of +Cherasco," April 1631, which confirmed the Duchy of Mantua to the Duke +of Nevers but left only Pinerolo in the hands of the French. + +p. 31, l. 12. This refers to the Treaty of Bärwalde, 1631, by which +Gustavus Adolphus promised to consider the interests of the French +(who were the natural enemies of the Empire). + +p. 31, l. 16. In 1628 the Duke of Pomerania had been obliged to put +his coast line under the care of the imperial troops. In attacking it +therefore in 1639 Gustavus Adolphus was aiming a blow at the Emperor +and obtaining a good basis for further conquests. + +p. 31, l. 25. _Gazette_ is the old name for _newspaper_. + +p. 33, l. 12. Bavaria was the chief Catholic State not under the +direct government of the Emperor. Maximilian, its elector, was +appointed head of the Catholic League which was formed in 1609 in +opposition to the Protestant Union which had been formed in 1608. + +p. 33, l. 20. By the end of the sixteenth century the Turks had +advanced far into Europe, had detached half of Hungary from the +Emperor's dominions and made him pay tribute for the other half. +During the seventeenth century, however, they were slowly driven back. + +p. 33, l. 37. In 1628 the two Dukes of Mecklenburg had been "put to +the ban" by the Emperor for having given help to Christian of Denmark +who had taken up the cause of the Protestants. + +p. 34, l. 10. Gustavus Adolphus had been at war with Poland from 1617 +to 1629. + +p. 34, l. 30. This was not a treaty of active alliance. Both John +George of Saxony and George William of Brandenburg were Protestant +princes but they were at first anxious to maintain neutrality between +Sweden and the Emperor. The impolitic action of Ferdinand drove them +to join Gustavus Adolphus in 1631. + +p. 34, l. 33. The German Diet was the meeting of the German princes +to consult on imperial matters. Ratisbon is one of the chief towns of +Bavaria. + +p. 35, l. 17. The story of Magdeburg is told on p. 42. + +p. 36, l. 1. Count Tilly was a Bavarian General of genius who had been +put at the head of the forces of the Catholic League in 1609. + +p. 36, l. 31. The Protestant Union formed in 1608 had been forced to +dissolve itself in 1621. + +p. 37, l. 5. Wallenstein is one of the greatest generals and the most +interesting figure in seventeenth century history. A Bohemian by birth +he fought for the Emperor with an army raised by himself. + +p. 37, l. 16. The Conclusions of Leipsic are described on p. 39. + +p. 38, l. 29. The King of Hungary was Ferdinand (afterwards Ferdinand +III) son of Ferdinand II. The "King of the Romans" was a title +bestowed on the person who was destined to become Emperor. (The Empire +was elective but tended to become hereditary.) + +p. 39, l. 39. The Peace of Augsburg, 1555, had been intended to settle +the differences between the Lutherans and Catholics but it had left +many problems unsolved. + +p. 42, l. 21. The Protestant bishopric of Magdeburg had been forcibly +restored to the Catholics in 1629. In 1631 the citizens of their own +accord, relying on Swedish help, declared against the Emperor. + +p. 47, l. 40. Torgau, a strongly fortified town in Saxony. + +p. 57, l. 37. The Prince of Orange at this time was William II who +married Mary, daughter of Charles I. + +p. 59, l. 3. Except for the date, which should be 17th of September, +and the numbers on both sides which he exaggerates, the Cavalier's +account of the battle of Leipsic is fairly accurate. + +p. 61, l. 39. Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry wearing helmet and +cuirass (two plates fastened together for the protection of the breast +and back). + +p. 65, l. 10. _Crabats_ is an old form of _Croats_ the name of the +inhabitants of Croatia. + +p. 66, l. 38. _Rix dollar_ is the English form of _Reichsthaler_ or +imperial dollar. + +p. 67, l. 6. "Husband" is here used in the sense of "thrifty person." + +p. 69, l. 18. A ducat was a gold coin generally worth about nine +shillings. + +p. 70, l. 29. This passage describes the conquest of the string of +ecclesiastical territories known as the "Priest's Lane." + +p. 71, l. 23. A partisan was a military weapon used by footmen in the +sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and not unlike the halberd in +form. + +p. 73, l. 10. "Bastion" is the name given to certain projecting +portions of a fortified building. + +p. 78, l. 23. The Palatinate (divided into Upper and Lower) was a +Protestant state whose elector, the son-in-law of James I, had been +driven out by the Emperor in 1620. + +p. 79, l. 11. _Reformado_: A military term borrowed from the Spanish, +signifying an officer who, for some disgrace is deprived of his +command but retains his rank. Defoe uses it to describe an officer not +having a regular command. + +p. 81, l. 15. Frederick, Elector Palatine, had been elected King by +the Protestants of Bohemia in opposition to the Emperor Ferdinand. It +was his acceptance of this position which led to the confiscation of +his Palatinate together with his new kingdom. + +p. 81, l. 24. James I had, after much hesitation, sent in 1625 an +expedition to the aid of the Elector, but it had miscarried. Charles I +was too much occupied at home to prosecute an active foreign policy. + +p. 81, l. 35. The Elector died in the same year as Gustavus Adolphus. +His son Charles Lewis was restored to the Lower Palatinate only, which +was confirmed to him at the end of the war in 1648. + +p. 82, l. 3. The battle of Nieuport, one of the great battles between +Holland and Spain, was fought in 1600 near the Flemish town of that +name. Prince Maurice won a brilliant victory under very difficult +conditions. + +p. 82, l. 30. A ravelin is an outwork of a fortified building. + +p. 86, l. 16. It was the attempt in 1607 to force Catholicism on the +Protestants of the free city of Donauwörth which led to the formation +of the Protestant Union in 1608. + +p. 87, l. 9. The Duringer Wald.--Thuringia Wald. + +p. 97, l. 29. Camisado (fr. Latin Camisia=a shirt) is generally used +to denote a night attack. + +p. 98, l. 4. Note the inconsistency between this statement of the +Cavaliers interest in the curiosities at Munich and his indifference +in Italy where he had "no gust to antiquities." + +p. 99, l. 7. Gustavus Adolphus had entered Nuremberg March 1631. +Wallenstein was now bent on re-taking it. + +p. 100, l. 29. The Cavalier's enthusiasm for Gustavus Adolphus leads +to misrepresentation. The Swedish king has sometimes been blamed for +failing to succour Magdeburg. + +p. 101, l. 23. Redoubts are the most strongly fortified points in the +temporary fortification of a large space. + +p. 107, l. 13. The Cavalier glosses over the fact that Gustavus +Adolphus really retreated from his camp at Nuremberg, being +practically starved out, as Wallenstein refused to come to an +engagement. + +p. 110, l. 38. Though the honours of war in the battle of Lützen went +to the Swedes it is probable that they lost more men than did the +Imperialists. + +p. 113, l. 37. The battle of Nördlingen was one of the decisive +battles of the war. It restored to the Catholics the bishoprics of the +South which Gustavus Adolphus had taken. + +p. 114, l. 39. The title "Infant" or "Infante" belongs to all princes +of the royal house in Spain. The Cardinal Infant really brought 15000 +men to the help of the Emperor. + +p. 116, l. 37. The King of Hungary had succeeded to the command of the +imperial army after the murder of Wallenstein in 1634. + +p. 119, l. 34. The treaty of Westphalia in 1648 ended the Thirty +Years' War by a compromise. The Emperor recognised that he could have +no real authority in matters of religion over the states governed +by Protestant princes, North Germany remained Protestant, the South, +Catholic. + +p. 120, l. 11. This statement is an anachronism. Prince Maurice of +Nassau the famous son of William the Silent died in 1625. + +p. 120, l. 39. The Netherlands belonged to Spain in the seventeenth +century but revolted. The Northern provinces which were Protestant won +their independence, the Southern provinces which were Catholic (modern +Belgium) submitted to Spain on conditions. + +p. 121, l. 19. The siege of Ostend, then in the hands of the Dutch, +was begun in July 1601 and came to an end in September 1604, when the +garrison surrendered with the honours of war. + +p. 122, l. 31. In 1637 Laud had tried to force a new liturgy on +Scotland but this had been forcibly resisted. In 1638 the National +Covenant against "papistry" was signed by all classes in Scotland. +In the same year episcopacy was abolished there and Charles thereupon +resolved to subdue the Scots by arms. This led to the first "Bishops' +War" of 1639 which the Cavalier proceeds to describe. + +p. 126, l. 4. Mercenaries (soldiers who fought in any army for the +mere pay) were chiefly drawn from Switzerland in the seventeenth +century. + +p. 127, l. 38. By the Treaty of Berwick signed in June 1638 Charles +consented to allow the Scotch to settle their own ecclesiastical +affairs. When they again resolved to abolish episcopacy he broke his +word and in 1640 the Second "Bishops' War" took place. It was the +expenses of these wars which forced Charles to call parliament again. + +p. 135, l. 34. It was the English Prayer Book with some slight changes +that Laud had attempted to impose on the Scotch. + +p. 137, l. 31. Charles had in fact called the "Short Parliament" to +meet between these two expeditions but had quarrelled with it and +dissolved it. + +p. 138, l. 7. The Scotch had no real part in the death of the King. +The Presbyterians indeed upheld monarchy though not as Charles +understood it. + +p. 140, l. 26. The Long Parliament of 1640 passed an act by which it +could not be dissolved without its own consent. + +p. 143, l. 4. The Treaty of Ripon (October 1640) left Northumberland +and Durham in the hands of the Scotch until the King should be able +to pay the £850 a day during their stay in England which he promised +them. + +p. 143, l. 9. The permanent treaty signed in 1641 gave consent to +all the demands of the Scotch, including their freedom to abolish +episcopacy. + +p. 143, l. 29. The Earl of Stafford had been the chief supporter of +Charles' method of government without parliament. He was executed in +1641 and Laud suffered the same fate in 1645. + +p. 144, l. 21. By the "Grand Remonstrance" the parliament tried to +seize on the royal power. + +p. 146, l. 13. The "gentry" of England were not, of course, all on the +Royalist side. Many of them, and some of the nobility, fought for the +parliament, though it is true that the majority were for the King. + +p. 151, l. 27. In 1643 by the Solemn League and Covenant the Scotch +consented to help parliament against the King on condition that +Presbyterianism should be adopted as the English state religion. + +p. 159, l. 33. The left wing was under the command of Lord Wilmot. + +p. 170, l. 36. Leicester was taken by the King in 1645. + +p. 180, l. 28. The Cavalier ascribes to himself the part taken by +Prince Maurice (the brother of Prince Rupert) and Lord Wilmot in +bringing aid to Hopton. + +p. 187, l. 29. It was the King rather than the parliamentarians who +was anxious to give battle. The Royalists barred the way to London. + +p. 189, l. 32. See note to p. 61, l. 39. + +p. 192, l. 29. The parliamentarians certainly won a victory at the +second battle of Newbury. + +p. 194, l. 2. The Scotch nobles, alarmed at the violence of the +parliamentarians, supported Charles in the second civil war (1648), +and after his death Scotland recognised Charles II as King. Cromwell +however conquered their country. + +p. 194, l. 27. In 1641 a great Irish rebellion had followed the recall +of Strafford who had been Lord Lieutenant of that country. + +p. 195, l. 12. It was not until 1645, when his cause was declining in +England, that Charles determined to seek direct help from the Irish. +This he did in the Glamorgan Treaty of that year by which he agreed +to the legal restoration of Catholicism in Ireland. But the Treaty was +discovered by the Parliament and Charles denied any knowledge of it. + +p. 196, l. 11. The "Grand Seignior" was the name generally given to the +Sultan of Turkey. + +p. 197, l. 5. William Prynne was the famous Puritan lawyer whose +imprisonment by the Star Chamber had made him one of the heroes of +Puritanism. George Buchanan was the famous Scotch scholar from whom +James I had derived much of his learning. + +p. 197, l. 28. The dates are given both according to our present +mode of reckoning and according to the old system by which the year +commenced on 25th March. + +p. 198, l. 6. The Scots besieged Newcastle for nine months, not merely +a few days as the Cavalier relates. + +p. 202, l. 39. The great Spanish general, the Duke of Parma, went to +the relief of Paris which was in the hands of the Catholics and was +being besieged by the then Protestant Henry of Navarre in 1590. + +p. 204, l. 9. As pointed out in the introduction the Cavalier's +account of the disposition of forces in this battle is inaccurate. + +p. 205, l. 27. It was really Rupert's hitherto unconquered cavalry +which was thus borne down by Cromwell's horse. + +p. 216, l. 4. A posset was a drink of milk curdled with an acid +liquid. + +p. 219, l. 40. The Grisons are the people of one of the Swiss Cantons. + +p. 222, l. 36. Newcastle was not retaken by Rupert. + +p. 230, l. 8. By the Self-Denying Ordinance of 1645 all members of +Parliament were compelled to resign their commands. This rid the +parliamentarians of some of their most incapable commanders. Exception +was made in favour of Cromwell who was soon appointed Lieutenant +General. + +p. 230, l. 17. On the "New Model" the armies of the parliamentary side +were reorganized as a whole, made permanent, and given a uniform and +regular pay. + +p. 231, l. 15. It was not only the ecclesiastical conditions laid down +by the parliamentarians at the Treaty of Uxbridge which determined the +King's refusal. He was asked besides taking the Covenant to surrender +the militia. + +p. 243, l. 26. The estates of many of the Cavalier gentlemen were +forfeited. Some were allowed to "compound," i.e. to keep part of their +estates on payment of a sum of money. + +p. 253, l. 32. Montrose had created a Royalist party in Scotland and +was fighting there for the King. + +p. 258, l. 1. The "forlorn" was a body of men sent in advance of an +expedition. + +p. 272, l. 21. After the defeat of the Royalists dissension arose +between the parliament and the army and naturally the army was able to +coerce the parliament. + +p. 274, l. 2. Cornet Joyce secured the person of the King by the order +of Cromwell, the idol of the army. + +p. 274, l. 26. The Cavalier exaggerates the likelihood of an +understanding between the King and the parliament. In reality Charles +was merely playing off one party against the other. + +p. 275, l. 7. In January 1648 parliament had passed a vote of "No +Addresses," renouncing any further negotiation with the King, but +after the second civil war of that year (in which the Presbyterians +joined the King) they resumed them again in the Treaty of Newport. +The army however became more violent, and the result was the forcible +exclusion of all moderate members of parliament in "Pride's Purge," +December 1648. The trial and execution of the King followed. + +p. 275, l. 35. The Cavalier refers to the acts of retaliation which +followed the Restoration of Charles II. + +p. 276, l. 27. There were many republicans among the "Independents" +or "Sectaries" in the army, but the policy actually carried out can +hardly have been planned before the war. + +p. 278, l. 5. Cardinal Bellarmine was one of the great +Controversialists of the Counter-Reformation. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of a Cavalier, by Daniel Defoe + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 12259 *** diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a2f191 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #12259 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12259) diff --git a/old/12259-8.txt b/old/12259-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..253cb1f --- /dev/null +++ b/old/12259-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,10574 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of a Cavalier, by Daniel Defoe + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Memoirs of a Cavalier + A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England. + From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648. + + +Author: Daniel Defoe + +Release Date: May 4, 2004 [EBook #12259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER *** + + + + +Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Audrey Longhurst, Leah Moser and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + +MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER + +or + +A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England. +From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648. + +By Daniel Defoe + +Edited with Introduction and Notes by Elizabeth O'Neill + +1922 + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +Daniel Defoe is, perhaps, best known to us as the author of _Robinson +Crusoe_, a book which has been the delight of generations of boys and +girls ever since the beginning of the eighteenth century. For it was +then that Defoe lived and wrote, being one of the new school of prose +writers which grew up at that time and which gave England new forms +of literature almost unknown to an earlier age. Defoe was a vigorous +pamphleteer, writing first on the Whig side and later for the Tories +in the reigns of William III and Anne. He did much to foster the +growth of the newspaper, a form of literature which henceforth became +popular. He also did much towards the development of the modern novel, +though he did not write novels in our sense of the word. His books +were more simple than is the modern novel. What he really wrote were +long stories told, as is _Robinson Crusoe_, in the first person and +with so much detail that it is hard to believe that they are works of +imagination and not true stories. "The little art he is truly master +of, is of forging a story and imposing it upon the world as truth." So +wrote one of his contemporaries. Charles Lamb, in criticizing Defoe, +notices this minuteness of detail and remarks that he is, therefore, +an author suited only for "servants" (meaning that this method can +appeal only to comparatively uneducated minds). Really as every boy +and girl knows, a good story ought to have this quality of seeming +true, and the fact that Defoe can so deceive us makes his work the +more excellent reading. + +The _Memoirs of a Cavalier_ resembles _Robinson Crusoe_ in so far as +it is a tale told by a man of his own experiences and adventures. It +has just the same air of truth and for a long time after its first +publication in 1720 people were divided in opinion as to whether it +was a book of real memoirs or not. A critical examination has shown +that it is Defoe's own work and not, as he declares, the contents of +a manuscript which he found "by great accident, among other valuable +papers" belonging to one of King William's secretaries of state. +Although his gifts of imagination enabled him to throw himself into +the position of the Cavalier he lapses occasionally into his own +characteristic prose and the style is often that of the eighteenth +rather than the seventeenth century, more eloquent than quaint. Again, +he is not careful to hide inconsistencies between his preface and the +text. Thus, he says in his preface that he discovered the manuscript +in 1651; yet we find in the _Memoirs_ a reference to the Restoration, +which shows that it must have been written after 1660 at least. There +is abundant proof that the book is really a work of fiction and that +the Cavalier is an imaginary character; but, in one sense, it is a +true history, inasmuch as the author has studied the events and spirit +of the time in which his scene is laid and, though he makes many +mistakes of detail, he gives us a very true picture of one of the most +interesting periods in English and European history. The _Memoirs_ +thus represent the English historical novel in its beginnings, a much +simpler thing than it was to become in the hands of Scott and later +writers. + +The period in which the scene is laid is that of the English Civil +War, in which the Cavalier fought on the side of King Charles I +against the Puritans. But his adventures in this war belong to the +second part of the book. In the first part, he tells of his birth and +parentage, the foreign travel which was the fashionable completion +of the education of a gentleman in the seventeenth century, and his +adventures as a volunteer officer in the Swedish army, where he gained +the experience which was to serve him well in the Civil War at home. +Many a real Cavalier must have had just such a career as Defoe's hero +describes as his own. After a short time at Oxford, "long enough for +a gentleman," he embarked on a period of travel, going to Italy by +way of France. The Cavalier, however, devotes but little space to +description, vivid enough as far as it goes, of his adventures in +these two counties for a space of over two years. Italy, especially, +attracted the attention of gentlemen and scholars in those days, +but the Cavalier was more bent on soldiering than sightseeing and he +hurries on to tell of his adventures in Germany, where he first really +took part in warfare, becoming a volunteer officer in the army of +Gustavus Adolphus, the hero King of Sweden, and where he met with +those adventures the story of which forms the bulk of the first part +of the _Memoirs_. + +To appreciate the tale, it will be necessary to have a clear idea +of the state of affairs in Europe at the time. The war which was +convulsing Germany, and in which almost every other European power +interfered at some time, was the Thirty Years' War (1618--1648), a +struggle having a special character of its own as the last of the +religious wars which had torn Europe asunder for a century and the +first of a long series of wars in which the new and purely political +principle of the Balance of Power can be seen at work. The struggle +was, nominally, between Protestant and Catholic Germany for, during +the Reformation period, Germany, which consisted of numerous states +under the headship of the Emperor, had split into two great camps. The +Northern states had become Protestant under their Protestant princes. +The Southern states had remained, for the most part, Catholic or had +been won back to Catholicism in the religious reaction known as the +Counter-Reformation. As the Catholic movement spread, under a Catholic +Emperor like Ferdinand of Styria, who was elected in 1619, it was +inevitable that the privileges granted to Protestants should be +curtailed. They determined to resist and, as the Emperor had the +support of Spain, the Protestant Union found it necessary to call in +help from outside. Thus it was that the other European powers came to +interfere in German affairs. Some helped the Protestants from motives +of religion, more still from considerations of policy, and the long +struggle of thirty years may be divided into marked periods in which +one power after another, Denmark, Sweden, France, allied themselves +with the Protestants against the Emperor. The _Memoirs_ are +concerned with the first two years of the Swedish period of the war +(1630--1634), during which Gustavus Adolphus almost won victory +for the Protestants who were, however, to lose the advantage of his +brilliant generalship through his death at the battle of Lützen in +1632. Through the death of "this conquering king," the Swedes lost the +fruits of their victory and the battle of Lützen marks the end of what +may be termed the heroic period of the war. Gustavus Adolphus stands +out among the men of his day for the loftiness of his character as +well as for the genius of his generalship. It is, therefore, fitting +enough that Defoe should make his Cavalier withdraw from the Swedish +service after the death of the "glorious king" whom he "could never +mention without some remark of his extraordinary merit." For two years +longer, he wanders through Germany still watching the course of the +war and then returns to England, soon to take part in another war at +home, namely the Civil War, in which the English people were divided +into two great parties according as they supported King Charles I or +the members of the Long Parliament who opposed him. According to the +_Memoirs_, the Cavalier "went into arms" without troubling himself "to +examine sides." Defoe probably considered this attitude as typical +of many of the Cavalier party, and, of course, loyalty to the king's +person was one of their strongest motives. The Cavalier does not enter +largely into the causes of the war. What he gives us is a picture of +army life in that troubled period. It will be well, however, to bear +in mind the chief facts in the history of the times. + +From the beginning of his reign, Charles had had trouble with his +parliaments, which had already become very restless under James I. +Charles's parliaments disapproved of his foreign policy and their +unwillingness to grant subsidies led him to fall back on questionable +methods of raising money, especially during the eleven years +(1629--1640) in which he ruled without a parliament. Charles had no +great scheme of tyranny, but avoided parliaments because of their +criticism of his policy. At first the opposition had been purely +political, but the parliament of 1629 had attacked also Charles's +religious policy. He favoured the schemes of Laud (archbishop of +Canterbury 1633--1649) and the Arminian school among the clergy, who +wished to revive many of the old Catholic practices and some of the +beliefs which had been swept away by the Reformation. Many people +in England objected not only to these but even to the wearing of the +surplice, the simplest of the old vestments, on the use of which Laud +tried to insist. This party came to be known as Puritans and they +formed the chief strength of the opposition to the King in the Long +Parliament which met in 1640. For their attack on the Church led many +who had at first opposed the King's arbitrary methods to go over to +his side. Thus, the moderate men as well as the loyalists formed a +king's party and the opposition was almost confined to men who hated +the Church as much as the King. The Puritans who loved simplicity +of dress and severity of manners and despised the flowing locks and +worldly vanities which the Cavaliers loved were, by these, nicknamed +Roundheads on account of their short hair. Defoe, in the _Memoirs_, +gives us less of this side of the history of the times than might have +been expected. The war actually began in August, 1642, and what +Defoe gives us is military history, correct in essentials and full +of detail, which is, however, far from accurate. For instance, in his +account of the battle of Marston Moor, he makes prince Rupert command +the left wing, whereas he really commanded the right wing, the left +being led by Lord Goring who, according to Defoe's account, commanded +the main battle. He conveys to us, however, the true spirit of the +war, emphasizing the ability and the mistakes on both sides, showing +how the king's miscalculations or Rupert's rashness deprived the +Royalist party of the advantages of the superior generalship and +fighting power which were theirs in the first part of the war and how +gradually the Roundheads got the better of the Cavaliers. The detailed +narrative comes to an end with the delivery of the King to the +Parliament by the Scots, to whom he had given himself up in his +extremity. A few lines tell of his trial and execution and the +_Memoirs_ end with some pages of "remarks and observations" on the +war and a list of coincidences which had been noted in its course. +The latter, savouring somewhat of superstition, appear natural in +what purports to be a seventeenth century text, but the summing up of +conclusions about the war is rather such as might be made by a more or +less impartial observer at a later date than by one who had taken an +active part in the struggle. In reading the _Memoirs_ this mixture of +what belongs to the seventeenth century with the reflections of Defoe, +in many ways a typical eighteenth century figure, must be borne in +mind. The inaccuracies are pointed out in the notes, but these need +not prevent us from entering with zest into the spirit of the story. + +E. O'NEILL. + +4 _March_ 1908. + + + + +CONTENTS + + INTRODUCTION. + PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + TEXT: Part I. + Part II. + NOTES. + + + + +PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + + +As an evidence that 'tis very probable these Memorials were written +many years ago, the persons now concerned in the publication assure +the reader that they have had them in their possession finished, as +they now appear, above twenty years; that they were so long ago found +by great accident, among other valuable papers, in the closet of an +eminent public minister, of no less figure than one of King William's +secretaries of state. + +As it is not proper to trace them any farther, so neither is there any +need to trace them at all, to give reputation to the story related, +seeing the actions here mentioned have a sufficient sanction from all +the histories of the times to which they relate, with this addition, +that the admirable manner of relating them and the wonderful variety +of incidents with which they are beautified in the course of a private +gentleman's story, add such delight in the reading, and give such a +lustre, as well to the accounts themselves as to the person who was +the actor, that no story, we believe, extant in the world ever came +abroad with such advantage. + +It must naturally give some concern in the reading that the name of a +person of so much gallantry and honour, and so many ways valuable +to the world, should be lost to the readers. We assure them no small +labour has been thrown away upon the inquiry, and all we have been +able to arrive to of discovery in this affair is, that a memorandum +was found with this manuscript, in these words, but not signed by any +name, only the two letters of a name, which gives us no light into the +matter, which memoir was as follows:-- + +_Memorandum_. + +"I found this manuscript among my father's writings, and I understand +that he got them as plunder, at, or after, the fight at Worcester, +where he served as major of ----'s regiment of horse on the side of +the Parliament. I.K." + +As this has been of no use but to terminate the inquiry after the +person, so, however, it seems most naturally to give an authority to +the original of the work, viz., that it was born of a soldier; and +indeed it is through every part related with so soldierly a style, and +in the very language of the field, that it seems impossible anything +but the very person who was present in every action here related, +could be the relater of them. + +The accounts of battles, the sieges, and the several actions of which +this work is so full, are all recorded in the histories of those +times; such as the great battle of Leipsic, the sacking of Magdeburg, +the siege of Nuremburg, the passing the river Lech in Bavaria; such +also as the battle of Kineton, or Edgehill, the battles of Newbury, +Marston Moor, and Naseby, and the like: they are all, we say, recorded +in other histories, and written by those who lived in those times, and +perhaps had good authority for what they wrote. But do those relations +give any of the beautiful ideas of things formed in this account? +Have they one half of the circumstances and incidents of the actions +themselves that this man's eyes were witness to, and which his memory +has thus preserved? He that has read the best accounts of those +battles will be surprised to see the particulars of the story so +preserved, so nicely and so agreeably described, and will confess +what we allege, that the story is inimitably told; and even the great +actions of the glorious King GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS receive a lustre +from this man's relations which the world was never made sensible of +before, and which the present age has much wanted of late, in order to +give their affections a turn in favour of his late glorious successor. + +In the story of our own country's unnatural wars, he carries on the +same spirit. How effectually does he record the virtues and glorious +actions of King Charles the First, at the same time that he frequently +enters upon the mistakes of his Majesty's conduct, and of his friends, +which gave his enemies all those fatal advantages against him, which +ended in the overthrow of his armies, the loss of his crown and life, +and the ruin of the constitution! + +In all his accounts he does justice to his enemies, and honours +the merit of those whose cause he fought against; and many accounts +recorded in his story, are not to be found even in the best histories +of those times. + +What applause does he give to gallantry of Sir Thomas Fairfax, to his +modesty, to his conduct, under which he himself was subdued, and to +the justice he did the king's troops when they laid down their arms! + +His description of the Scots troops in the beginning of the war, and +the behaviour of the party under the Earl of Holland, who went over +against them, are admirable; and his censure of their conduct, who +pushed the king upon the quarrel, and then would not let him fight, is +no more than what many of the king's friends (though less knowing as +soldiers) have often complained of. + +In a word, this work is a confutation of many errors in all the +writers upon the subject of our wars in England, and even in that +extraordinary history written by the Earl of Clarendon; but the +editors were so just that when, near twenty years ago, a person +who had written a whole volume in folio, by way of answer to and +confutation of Clarendon's "History of the Rebellion," would have +borrowed the clauses in this account, which clash with that history, +and confront it,--we say the editors were so just as to refuse them. + +There can be nothing objected against the general credit of this work, +seeing its truth is established upon universal history; and almost all +the facts, especially those of moment, are confirmed for their general +part by all the writers of those times. If they are here embellished +with particulars, which are nowhere else to be found, that is the +beauty we boast of; and that it is that much recommend this work to +all the men of sense and judgment that read it. + +The only objection we find possible to make against this work is, that +it is not carried on farther, or, as we may say finished, with the +finishing the war of the time; and this we complain of also. But then +we complain of it as a misfortune to the world, not as a fault in the +author; for how do we know but that this author might carry it on, and +have another part finished which might not fall into the same hands, +or may still remain with some of his family, and which they cannot +indeed publish, to make it seem anything perfect, for want of the +other parts which we have, and which we have now made public? Nor is +it very improbable but that if any such farther part is in being, the +publishing these two parts may occasion the proprietors of the third +to let the world see it, and that by such a discovery the name of the +person may also come to be known, which would, no doubt, be a great +satisfaction to the reader as well as us. + +This, however, must be said, that if the same author should have +written another part of this work, and carried it on to the end of +those times, yet as the residue of those melancholy days, to the +Restoration, were filled with the intrigues of government, the +political management of illegal power, and the dissensions and +factions of a people who were then even in themselves but a faction, +and that there was very little action in the field, it is more than +probable that our author, who was a man of arms, had little share in +those things, and might not care to trouble himself with looking at +them. + +But besides all this, it might happen that he might go abroad again +at that time, as most of the gentlemen of quality, and who had an +abhorrence for the power that then governed here, did. Nor are we +certain that he might live to the end of that time, so we can give +no account whether he had any share in the subsequent actions of that +time. + +'Tis enough that we have the authorities above to recommend this part +to us that is now published. The relation, we are persuaded, will +recommend itself, and nothing more can be needful, because nothing +more can invite than the story itself, which, when the reader enters +into, he will find it very hard to get out of till he has gone through +it. + + + + +MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER. + +PART I. + + +It may suffice the reader, without being very inquisitive after my +name, that I was born in the county of Salop, in the year 1608, under +the government of what star I was never astrologer enough to +examine; but the consequences of my life may allow me to suppose some +extraordinary influence affected my birth. + +My father was a gentleman of a very plentiful fortune, having an +estate of above £5000 per annum, of a family nearly allied to several +of the principal nobility, and lived about six miles from the town; +and my mother being at ---- on some particular occasion, was surprised +there at a friend's house, and brought me very safe into the world. + +I was my father's second son, and therefore was not altogether so much +slighted as younger sons of good families generally are. But my father +saw something in my genius also which particularly pleased him, and so +made him take extraordinary care of my education. + +I was taught, therefore, by the best masters that could be had, +everything that was needful to accomplish a young gentleman for the +world; and at seventeen years old my tutor told my father an academic +education was very proper for a person of quality, and he thought me +very fit for it: so my father entered me of ---- College in Oxford, +where I continued three years. + +A collegiate life did not suit me at all, though I loved books well +enough. It was never designed that I should be either a lawyer, +physician, or divine; and I wrote to my father that I thought I had +stayed there long enough for a gentleman, and with his leave I desired +to give him a visit. + +During my stay at Oxford, though I passed through the proper exercises +of the house, yet my chief reading was upon history and geography, +as that which pleased my mind best, and supplied me with ideas most +suitable to my genius; by one I understood what great actions had been +done in the world, and by the other I understood where they had been +done. + +My father readily complied with my desire of coming home; for besides +that he thought, as I did, that three years' time at the university +was enough, he also most passionately loved me, and began to think of +my settling near him. + +At my arrival I found myself extraordinarily caressed by my father, +and he seemed to take a particular delight in my conversation. My +mother, who lived in perfect union with him both in desires and +affection, received me very passionately. Apartments were provided for +me by myself, and horses and servants allowed me in particular. + +My father never went a-hunting, an exercise he was exceeding fond of, +but he would have me with him; and it pleased him when he found me +like the sport. I lived thus, in all the pleasures 'twas possible for +me to enjoy, for about a year more, when going out one morning with my +father to hunt a stag, and having had a very hard chase, and gotten +a great way off from home, we had leisure enough to ride gently back; +and as we returned my father took occasion to enter into a serious +discourse with me concerning the manner of my settling in the world. + +He told me, with a great deal of passion, that he loved me above all +the rest of his children, and that therefore he intended to do very +well for me; and that my eldest brother being already married +and settled, he had designed the same for me, and proposed a very +advantageous match for me, with a young lady of very extraordinary +fortune and merit, and offered to make a settlement of £2000 per annum +on me, which he said he would purchase for me without diminishing his +paternal estate. + +There was too much tenderness in this discourse not to affect me +exceedingly. I told him I would perfectly resign myself unto his +disposal. But as my father had, together with his love for me, a very +nice judgment in his discourse, he fixed his eyes very attentively on +me, and though my answer was without the least reserve, yet he +thought he saw some uneasiness in me at the proposal, and from thence +concluded that my compliance was rather an act of discretion than +inclination; and that, however I seemed so absolutely given up to what +he had proposed, yet my answer was really an effect of my obedience +rather than my choice. + +So he returned very quick upon me: "Look you, son, though I give you +my own thoughts in the matter, yet I would have you be very plain with +me; for if your own choice does not agree with mine, I will be your +adviser, but will never impose upon you, and therefore let me know +your mind freely." "I don't reckon myself capable, sir," said I, with +a great deal of respect, "to make so good a choice for myself as you +can for me; and though my opinion differed from yours, its being your +opinion would reform mine, and my judgment would as readily comply as +my duty." "I gather at least from thence," said my father, "that your +designs lay another way before, however they may comply with mine; and +therefore I would know what it was you would have asked of me if I had +not offered this to you; and you must not deny me your obedience in +this, if you expect I should believe your readiness in the other." + +"Sir," said I, "'twas impossible I should lay out for myself just +what you have proposed; but if my inclinations were never so contrary, +though at your command you shall know them, yet I declare them to be +wholly subjected to your order. I confess my thoughts did not tend +towards marriage or a settlement; for, though I had no reason to +question your care of me, yet I thought a gentleman ought always to +see something of the world before he confined himself to any part of +it. And if I had been to ask your consent to anything, it should have +been to give me leave to travel for a short time, in order to qualify +myself to appear at home like a son to so good a father." + +"In what capacity would you travel?" replied my father. "You must go +abroad either as a private gentleman, as a scholar, or as a soldier." +"If it were in the latter capacity, sir," said I, returning pretty +quick, "I hope I should not misbehave myself; but I am not so +determined as not to be ruled by your judgment." "Truly," replied my +father, "I see no war abroad at this time worth while for a man to +appear in, whether we talk of the cause or the encouragement; and +indeed, son, I am afraid you need not go far for adventures of that +nature, for times seem to look as if this part of Europe would find us +work enough." My father spake then relating to the quarrel likely +to happen between the King of England and the Spaniard,' [1] for I +believe he had no notions of a civil war in his head. + +In short, my father, perceiving my inclinations very forward to go +abroad, gave me leave to travel, upon condition I would promise to +return in two years at farthest, or sooner, if he sent for me. + +While I was at Oxford I happened into the society of a young +gentleman, of a good family, but of a low fortune, being a younger +brother, and who had indeed instilled into me the first desires of +going abroad, and who, I knew, passionately longed to travel, but had +not sufficient allowance to defray his expenses as a gentleman. We +had contracted a very close friendship, and our humours being very +agreeable to one another, we daily enjoyed the conversation of +letters. He was of a generous free temper, without the least +affectation or deceit, a handsome proper person, a strong body, very +good mien, and brave to the last degree. His name was Fielding and we +called him Captain, though it be a very unusual title in a college; +but fate had some hand in the title, for he had certainly the lines of +a soldier drawn in his countenance. I imparted to him the resolutions +I had taken, and how I had my father's consent to go abroad, and would +know his mind whether he would go with me. He sent me word he would go +with all his heart. + +My father, when he saw him, for I sent for him immediately to come +to me, mightily approved my choice; so we got our equipage ready, and +came away for London. + +'Twas on the 22nd of April 1630, when we embarked at Dover, landed in +a few hours at Calais, and immediately took post for Paris. I shall +not trouble the reader with a journal of my travels, nor with the +description of places, which every geographer can do better than I; +but these Memoirs being only a relation of what happened either to +ourselves, or in our own knowledge, I shall confine myself to that +part of it. + +We had indeed some diverting passages in our journey to Paris, as +first, the horse my comrade was upon fell so very lame with a slip +that he could not go, and hardly stand, and the fellow that rid with +us express, pretended to ride away to a town five miles off to get a +fresh horse, and so left us on the road with one horse between two of +us. We followed as well as we could, but being strangers, missed the +way, and wandered a great way out the road. Whether the man performed +in reasonable time or not we could not be sure, but if it had not been +for an old priest, we had never found him. We met this man, by a very +good accident, near a little village whereof he was curate. We spoke +Latin enough just to make him understand us, and he did not speak it +much better himself; but he carried us into the village to his house, +gave us wine and bread, and entertained us with wonderful courtesy. +After this he sent into the village, hired a peasant, and a horse for +my captain, and sent him to guide us into the road. At parting he +made a great many compliments to us in French, which we could just +understand; but the sum was, to excuse him for a question he had +a mind to ask us. After leave to ask what he pleased, it was if we +wanted any money for our journey, and pulled out two pistoles, which +he offered either to give or lend us. + +I mention this exceeding courtesy of the curate because, though +civility is very much in use in France, and especially to strangers, +yet 'tis a very unusual thing to have them part with their money. + +We let the priest know, first, that we did not want money, and next +that we were very sensible of the obligation he had put upon us; and +I told him in particular, if I lived to see him again, I would +acknowledge it. + +This accident of our horse was, as we afterwards found, of some use +to us. We had left our two servants behind us at Calais to bring our +baggage after us, by reason of some dispute between the captain of the +packet and the custom-house officer, which could not be adjusted, and +we were willing to be at Paris. The fellows followed as fast as they +could, and, as near as we could learn, in the time we lost our way, +were robbed, and our portmanteaus opened. They took what they pleased; +but as there was no money there, but linen and necessaries, the loss +was not great. + +Our guide carried us to Amiens, where we found the express and our two +servants, who the express meeting on the road with a spare horse, had +brought back with him thither. + +We took this for a good omen of our successful journey, having escaped +a danger which might have been greater to us than it was to our +servants; for the highwaymen in France do not always give a traveller +the civility of bidding him stand and deliver his money, but +frequently fire on him first, and then take his money. + +We stayed one day at Amiens, to adjust this little disorder, and +walked about the town, and into the great church, but saw nothing +very remarkable there; but going across a broad street near the great +church, we saw a crowd of people gazing at a mountebank doctor, who +made a long harangue to them with a thousand antic postures, and gave +out bills this way, and boxes of physic that way, and had a great +trade, when on a sudden the people raised a cry, "_Larron, Larron_!" +(in English, "Thief, thief"), on the other side the street, and all +the auditors ran away, from Mr Doctor to see what the matter was. +Among the rest we went to see, and the case was plain and short +enough. Two English gentlemen and a Scotchman, travellers as we were, +were standing gazing at this prating doctor, and one of them catched +a fellow picking his pocket. The fellow had got some of his money, for +he dropped two or three pieces just by him, and had got hold of +his watch, but being surprised let it slip again. But the reason of +telling this story is for the management of it. This thief had his +seconds so ready, that as soon as the Englishman had seized him they +fell in, pretended to be mighty zealous for the stranger, takes the +fellow by the throat, and makes a great bustle; the gentleman not +doubting but the man was secured let go his own hold of him, and left +him to them. The hubbub was great, and 'twas these fellows cried, +"_Larron, larron_!" but with a dexterity peculiar to themselves had +let the right fellow go, and pretended to be all upon one of their own +gang. At last they bring the man to the gentleman to ask him what the +fellow had done, who, when he saw the person they seized on, presently +told them that was not the man. Then they seemed to be in more +consternation than before, and spread themselves all over the street, +crying, "_Larron, larron_!" pretending to search for the fellow; and +so one one way, one another, they were all gone, the noise went over, +the gentlemen stood looking one at another, and the bawling doctor +began to have the crowd about him again. This was the first French +trick I had the opportunity of seeing, but I was told they have a +great many more as dexterous as this. + +We soon got acquaintance with these gentlemen, who were going to +Paris, as well as we; so the next day we made up our company with +them, and were a pretty troop of five gentlemen and four servants. + +As we had really no design to stay long at Paris, so indeed, excepting +the city itself, there was not much to be seen there. Cardinal +Richelieu, who was not only a supreme minister in the Church, but +Prime Minister in the State, was now made also General of the King's +Forces, with a title never known in France before nor since, viz., +Lieutenant-General "au place du Roi," in the king's stead, or, as some +have since translated it, representing the person of the king. + +Under this character he pretended to execute all the royal powers in +the army without appeal to the king, or without waiting for orders; +and having parted from Paris the winter before had now actually begun +the war against the Duke of Savoy, in the process of which he restored +the Duke of Mantua, and having taken Pignerol from the duke, put it +into such a state of defence as the duke could never force it out of +his hands, and reduced the duke, rather by manage and conduct than +by force, to make peace without it; so as annexing it to the crown of +France it has ever since been a thorn in his foot that has always +made the peace of Savoy lame and precarious, and France has since made +Pignerol one of the strongest fortresses in the world. + +As the cardinal, with all the military part of the court, was in the +field, so the king, to be near him, was gone with the queen and all +the court, just before I reached Paris, to reside at Lyons. All these +considered, there was nothing to do at Paris; the court looked like a +citizen's house when the family was all gone into the country, and +I thought the whole city looked very melancholy, compared to all the +fine things I had heard of it. + +The queen-mother and her party were chagrined at the cardinal, who, +though he owed his grandeur to her immediate favour, was now grown too +great any longer to be at the command of her Majesty, or indeed in her +interest; and therefore the queen was under dissatisfaction and her +party looked very much down. + +The Protestants were everywhere disconsolate, for the losses they had +received at Rochelle, Nimes, and Montpelier had reduced them to an +absolute dependence on the king's will, without all possible hopes of +ever recovering themselves, or being so much as in a condition to +take arms for their religion, and therefore the wisest of them plainly +foresaw their own entire reduction, as it since came to pass. And I +remember very well that a Protestant gentleman told me once, as we +were passing from Orleans to Lyons, that the English had ruined them; +and therefore, says he, "I think the next occasion the king takes to +use us ill, as I know 'twill not be long before he does, we must all +fly over to England, where you are bound to maintain us for having +helped to turn us out of our own country." I asked him what he meant +by saying the English had done it? He returned short upon me: "I do +not mean," says he, "by not relieving Rochelle, but by helping to ruin +Rochelle, when you and the Dutch lent ships to beat our fleet, which +all the ships in France could not have done without you." + +I was too young in the world to be very sensible of this before, and +therefore was something startled at the charge; but when I came to +discourse with this gentleman, I soon saw the truth of what he said +was undeniable, and have since reflected on it with regret, that the +naval power of the Protestants, which was then superior to the royal, +would certainly have been the recovery of all their fortunes, had it +not been unhappily broke by their brethren of England and Holland, +the former lending seven men-of-war, and the latter twenty, for the +destruction of the Rochellers' fleet; and by these very ships the +Rochellers' fleet were actually beaten and destroyed, and they never +afterwards recovered their force at sea, and by consequence sunk under +the siege, which the English afterwards in vain attempted to prevent. + +These things made the Protestants look very dull, and expected the +ruin of all their party, which had certainly happened had the cardinal +lived a few years longer. + +We stayed in Paris, about three weeks, as well to see the court and +what rarities the place afforded, as by an occasion which had like to +have put a short period to our ramble. + +Walking one morning before the gate of the Louvre, with a design to +see the Swiss drawn up, which they always did, and exercised just +before they relieved the guards, a page came up to me, and speaking +English to me, "Sir," says he, "the captain must needs have your +immediate assistance." I, that had not the knowledge of any person +in Paris but my own companion, whom I called captain, had no room to +question, but it was he that sent for me; and crying out hastily to +him, "Where?" followed the fellow as fast as 'twas possible. He led +me through several passages which I knew not, and at last through a +tennis-court and into a large room, where three men, like gentlemen, +were engaged very briskly two against one. The room was very dark, so +that I could not easily know them asunder, but being fully possessed +with an opinion before of my captain's danger, I ran into the room +with my sword in my hand. I had not particularly engaged any of them, +nor so much as made a pass at any, when I received a very dangerous +thrust in my thigh, rather occasioned by my too hasty running in, +than a real design of the person; but enraged at the hurt, without +examining who it was hurt me, I threw myself upon him, and run my +sword quite through his body. + +The novelty of the adventure, and the unexpected fall of the man by +a stranger come in nobody knew how, had becalmed the other two, that +they really stood gazing at me. By this time I had discovered that my +captain was not there, and that 'twas some strange accident brought +me thither. I could speak but little French, and supposed they could +speak no English, so I stepped to the door to see for the page that +brought me thither, but seeing nobody there and the passage clear, +I made off as fast as I could, without speaking a word; nor did the +other two gentlemen offer to stop me. + +But I was in a strange confusion when, coming into those entries and +passages which the page led me through, I could by no means find my +way out. At last seeing a door open that looked through a house into +the street, I went in, and out at the other door; but then I was at +as great a loss to know where I was, and which was the way to my +lodgings. The wound in my thigh bled apace, and I could feel the blood +in my breeches. In this interval came by a chair; I called, and went +into it, and bid them, as well as I could, go to the Louvre; for +though I knew not the name of the street where I lodged, I knew I +could find the way to it when I was at the Bastille. The chairmen went +on their own way, and being stopped by a company of the guards as they +went, set me down till the soldiers were marched by; when looking out +I found I was just at my own lodging, and the captain was standing at +the door looking for me. I beckoned him to me, and, whispering, told +him I was very much hurt, but bid him pay the chairmen, and ask no +questions but come to me. + +I made the best of my way upstairs, but had lost so much blood, that I +had hardly spirits enough to keep me from swooning till he came in. +He was equally concerned with me to see me in such a bloody condition, +and presently called up our landlord, and he as quickly called in his +neighbours, that I had a room full of people about me in a quarter +of an hour. But this had like to have been of worse consequence to me +than the other, for by this time there was great inquiring after the +person who killed a man at the tennis-court. My landlord was then +sensible of his mistake, and came to me and told me the danger I was +in, and very honestly offered to convey me to a friend's of his, where +I should be very secure; I thanked him, and suffered myself to be +carried at midnight whither he pleased. He visited me very often, till +I was well enough to walk about, which was not in less than ten days, +and then we thought fit to be gone, so we took post for Orleans. But +when I came upon the road I found myself in a new error, for my wound +opened again with riding, and I was in a worse condition than before, +being forced to take up at a little village on the road, called ----, +about ---- miles from Orleans, where there was no surgeon to be had, +but a sorry country barber, who nevertheless dressed me as well as he +could, and in about a week more I was able to walk to Orleans at three +times. Here I stayed till I was quite well, and took coach for Lyons +and so through Savoy into Italy. + +I spent nearly two years' time after this bad beginning in travelling +through Italy, and to the several courts of Rome, Naples, Venice, and +Vienna. + +When I came to Lyons the king was gone from thence to Grenoble to meet +the cardinal, but the queens were both at Lyons. + +The French affairs seemed at this time to have but an indifferent +aspect. There was no life in anything but where the cardinal was: he +pushed on everything with extraordinary conduct, and generally with +success; he had taken Susa and Pignerol from the Duke of Savoy, and +was preparing to push the duke even out of all his dominions. + +But in the meantime everywhere else things looked ill; the troops +were ill-paid, the magazines empty, the people mutinous, and a general +disorder seized the minds of the court; and the cardinal, who was the +soul of everything, desired this interview at Grenoble, in order to +put things into some better method. + +This politic minister always ordered matters so, that if there was +success in anything the glory was his, but if things miscarried it was +all laid upon the king. This conduct was so much the more nice, as it +is the direct contrary to the custom in like cases, where kings assume +the glory of all the success in an action, and when a thing miscarries +make themselves easy by sacrificing their ministers and favourites +to the complaints and resentments of the people; but this accurate +refined statesman got over this point. + +While we were at Lyons, and as I remember, the third day after our +coming thither, we had like to have been involved in a state broil, +without knowing where we were. It was of a Sunday in the evening, the +people of Lyons, who had been sorely oppressed in taxes, and the war +in Italy pinching their trade, began to be very tumultuous. We found +the day before the mob got together in great crowds, and talked oddly; +the king was everywhere reviled, and spoken disrespectfully of, and +the magistrates of the city either winked at, or durst not attempt to +meddle, lest they should provoke the people. + +But on Sunday night, about midnight, we were waked by a prodigious +noise in the street. I jumped out of bed, and running to the window, +I saw the street as full of mob as it could hold, some armed with +muskets and halberds, marched in very good order; others in disorderly +crowds, all shouting and crying out, "Du paix le roi," and the like. +One that led a great party of this rabble carried a loaf of bread upon +the top of a pike, and other lesser loaves, signifying the smallness +of their bread, occasioned by dearness. + +By morning this crowd was gathered to a great height; they ran roving +over the whole city, shut up all the shops, and forced all the +people to join with them from thence. They went up to the castle, and +renewing the clamour, a strange consternation seized all the princes. + +They broke open the doors of the officers, collectors of the new +taxes, and plundered their houses, and had not the persons themselves +fled in time they had been very ill-treated. + +The queen-mother, as she was very much displeased to see such +consequences of the government, in whose management she had no share, +so I suppose she had the less concern upon her. However, she came into +the court of the castle and showed herself to the people, gave money +amongst them, and spoke gently to them; and by a way peculiar to +herself, and which obliged all she talked with, she pacified the mob +gradually, sent them home with promises of redress and the like; and +so appeased this tumult in two days by her prudence, which the guards +in the castle had small mind to meddle with, and if they had, would in +all probability have made the better side the worse. + +There had been several seditions of the like nature in sundry other +parts of France, and the very army began to murmur, though not to +mutiny, for want of provisions. + +This sedition at Lyons was not quite over when we left the place, +for, finding the city all in a broil, we considered we had no business +there, and what the consequence of a popular tumult might be we did +not see, so we prepared to be gone. We had not rid above three miles +out of the city but we were brought as prisoners of war, by a party of +mutineers, who had been abroad upon the scout, and were charged +with being messengers sent to the cardinal for forces to reduce the +citizens. With these pretences they brought us back in triumph, and +the queen-mother, being by this time grown something familiar to them, +they carried us before her. + +When they inquired of us who we were, we called ourselves Scots; for +as the English were very much out of favour in France at this time, +the peace having been made not many months, and not supposed to +be very durable, because particularly displeasing to the people of +England, so the Scots were on the other extreme with the French. +Nothing was so much caressed as the Scots, and a man had no more to +do in France, if he would be well received there, than to say he was a +Scotchman. + +When we came before the queen-mother she seemed to receive us with +some stiffness at first, and caused her guards to take us into +custody; but as she was a lady of most exquisite politics, she did +this to amuse the mob, and we were immediately after dismissed; and +the queen herself made a handsome excuse to us for the rudeness we had +suffered, alleging the troubles of the times; and the next morning we +had three dragoons of the guards to convoy us out of the jurisdiction +of Lyons. + +I confess this little adventure gave me an aversion to popular tumults +all my life after, and if nothing else had been in the cause, would +have biassed me to espouse the king's party in England when our +popular heats carried all before it at home. + +But I must say, that when I called to mind since, the address, the +management, the compliance in show, and in general the whole conduct +of the queen-mother with the mutinous people of Lyons, and compared it +with the conduct of my unhappy master the King of England, I could not +but see that the queen understood much better than King Charles the +management of politics and the clamours of the people. + +Had this princess been at the helm in England, she would have +prevented all the calamities of the Civil War here, and yet not have +parted with what that good prince yielded in order to peace neither. +She would have yielded gradually, and then gained upon them gradually; +she would have managed them to the point she had designed them, as she +did all parties in France; and none could effectually subject her but +the very man she had raised to be her principal support--I mean the +cardinal. + +We went from hence to Grenoble, and arrived there the same day that +the king and the cardinal with the whole court went out to view a body +of 6000 Swiss foot, which the cardinal had wheedled the cantons to +grant to the king to help to ruin their neighbour the Duke of Savoy. + +The troops were exceeding fine, well-accoutred, brave, clean-limbed, +stout fellows indeed. Here I saw the cardinal; there was an air of +church gravity in his habit, but all the vigour of a general, and +the sprightliness of a vast genius in his face. He affected a little +stiffness in his behaviour, but managed all his affairs with such +clearness, such steadiness, and such application, that it was no +wonder he had such success in every undertaking. + +Here I saw the king, whose figure was mean, his countenance hollow, +and always seemed dejected, and every way discovering that weakness in +his countenance that appeared in his actions. + +If he was ever sprightly and vigorous it was when the cardinal was +with him, for he depended so much on everything he did, he that was at +the utmost dilemma when he was absent, always timorous, jealous, and +irresolute. + +After the review the cardinal was absent some days, having been to +wait on the queen-mother at Lyons, where, as it was discoursed, they +were at least seemingly reconciled. + +I observed while the cardinal was gone there was no court, the king +was seldom to be seen, very small attendance given, and no bustle at +the castle; but as soon as the cardinal returned, the great councils +were assembled, the coaches of the ambassadors went every day to the +castle, and a face of business appeared upon the whole court. + +Here the measures of the Duke of Savoy's ruin were concerted, and in +order to it the king and the cardinal put themselves at the head +of the army, with which they immediately reduced all Savoy, took +Chamberri and the whole duchy except Montmelian. + +The army that did this was not above 22,000 men, including the Swiss, +and but indifferent troops neither, especially the French foot, who, +compared to the infantry I have since seen in the German and Swedish +armies, were not fit to be called soldiers. On the other hand, +considering the Savoyards and Italian troops, they were good troops; +but the cardinal's conduct made amends for all these deficiencies. + +From hence I went to Pignerol, which was then little more than a +single fortification on the hill near the town called St Bride's, but +the situation of that was very strong. I mention this because of the +prodigious works since added to it, by which it has since obtained the +name of "the right hand of France." They had begun a new line below +the hill, and some works were marked out on the side of the town next +the fort; but the cardinal afterwards drew the plan of the works with +his own hand, by which it was made one of the strongest fortresses in +Europe. + +While I was at Pignerol, the governor of Milan, for the Spaniards, +came with an army and sat down before Casale. The grand quarrel, +and for which the war in this part of Italy was begun, was this: The +Spaniards and Germans pretended to the duchy of Mantua; the Duke +of Nevers, a Frenchman, had not only a title to it, but had got +possession of it; but being ill-supported by the French, was beaten +out by the Imperialists, and after a long siege the Germans took +Mantua itself, and drove the poor duke quite out of the country. + +The taking of Mantua elevated the spirits of the Duke of Savoy, and +the Germans and Spaniards being now at more leisure, with a complete +army came to his assistance, and formed the siege of Montferrat. + +For as the Spaniards pushed the Duke of Mantua, so the French by +way of diversion lay hard upon the Duke of Savoy. They had seized +Montferrat, and held it for the Duke of Mantua, and had a strong +French garrison under Thoiras, a brave and experienced commander; and +thus affairs stood when we came into the French army. + +I had no business there as a soldier, but having passed as a Scotch +gentleman with the mob at Lyons, and after with her Majesty the +queen-mother, when we obtained the guard of her dragoons, we had also +her Majesty's pass, with which we came and went where we pleased. And +the cardinal, who was then not on very good terms with the queen, but +willing to keep smooth water there, when two or three times our passes +came to be examined, showed a more than ordinary respect to us on that +very account, our passes being from the queen. + +Casale being besieged, as I have observed, began to be in danger, for +the cardinal, who 'twas thought had formed a design to ruin Savoy, was +more intent upon that than upon the succour of the Duke of Mantua; but +necessity calling upon him to deliver so great a captain as Thoiras, +and not to let such a place as Casale fall into the hands of the +enemy, the king, or cardinal rather, ordered the Duke of Montmorency, +and the Maréchal D'Effiat, with 10,000 foot and 2000 horse, to march +and join the Maréchals De La Force and Schomberg, who lay already with +an army on the frontiers of Genoa, but too weak to attempt the raising +the siege of Casale. + +As all men thought there would be a battle between the French and the +Spaniards, I could not prevail with myself to lose the opportunity, +and therefore by the help of the passes above mentioned, I came to +the French army under the Duke of Montmorency. We marched through the +enemy's country with great boldness and no small hazard, for the Duke +of Savoy appeared frequently with great bodies of horse on the rear of +the army, and frequently skirmished with our troops, in one of which +I had the folly--I can call it no better, for I had no business +there--to go out and see the sport, as the French gentlemen called it. +I was but a raw soldier, and did not like the sport at all, for this +party was surrounded by the Duke of Savoy, and almost all killed, for +as to quarter they neither asked nor gave. I ran away very fairly, +one of the first, and my companion with me, and by the goodness of our +horses got out of the fray, and being not much known in the army, we +came into the camp an hour or two after, as if we had been only riding +abroad for the air. + +This little rout made the general very cautious, for the Savoyards +were stronger in horse by three or four thousand, and the army always +marched in a body, and kept their parties in or very near hand. + +I escaped another rub in this French army about five days after, which +had like to have made me pay dear for my curiosity. + +The Duke de Montmorency and the Maréchal Schomberg joined their army +about four or five days after, and immediately, according to the +cardinal's instructions, put themselves on the march for the relief of +Casale. + +The army had marched over a great plain, with some marshy grounds +on the right and the Po on the left, and as the country was so well +discovered that 'twas thought impossible any mischief should happen, +the generals observed the less caution. At the end of this plain was a +long wood and a lane or narrow defile through the middle of it. + +Through this pass the army was to march, and the van began to file +through it about four o'clock. By three hours' time all the army was +got through, or into the pass, and the artillery was just entered +when the Duke of Savoy with 4000 horse and 1500 dragoons with every +horseman a footman behind him, whether he had swam the Po or passed it +above at a bridge, and made a long march after, was not examined, but +he came boldly up the plain and charged our rear with a great deal of +fury. + +Our artillery was in the lane, and as it was impossible to turn them +about and make way for the army, so the rear was obliged to support +themselves and maintain the fight for above an hour and a half. + +In this time we lost abundance of men, and if it had not been for two +accidents all that line had been cut off. One was, that the wood was +so near that those regiments which were disordered presently sheltered +themselves in the wood; the other was, that by this time the Maréchal +Schomberg, with the horse of the van, began to get back through the +lane, and to make good the ground from whence the other had been +beaten, till at last by this means it came to almost a pitched battle. + +There were two regiments of French dragoons who did excellent service +in this action, and maintained their ground till they were almost all +killed. + +Had the Duke of Savoy contented himself with the defeat of five +regiments on the right, which he quite broke and drove into the wood, +and with the slaughter and havoc which he had made among the rest, +he had come off with honour, and might have called it a victory; but +endeavouring to break the whole party and carry off some cannon, the +obstinate resistance of these few dragoons lost him his advantages, +and held him in play till so many fresh troops got through the pass +again as made us too strong for him, and had not night parted them he +had been entirely defeated. + +At last, finding our troops increase and spread themselves on his +flank, he retired and gave over. We had no great stomach to pursue him +neither, though some horse were ordered to follow a little way. + +The duke lost about a thousand men, and we almost twice as many, and +but for those dragoons had lost the whole rear-guard and half our +cannon. I was in a very sorry case in this action too. I was with the +rear in the regiment of horse of Perigoort, with a captain of which +regiment I had contracted some acquaintance. I would have rid off at +first, as the captain desired me, but there was no doing it, for the +cannon was in the lane, and the horse and dragoons of the van eagerly +pressing back through the lane must have run me down or carried me +with them. As for the wood, it was a good shelter to save one's life, +but was so thick there was no passing it on horseback. + +Our regiment was one of the first that was broke, and being all in +confusion, with the Duke of Savoy's men at our heels, away we ran into +the wood. Never was there so much disorder among a parcel of runaways +as when we came to this wood; it was so exceeding bushy and thick at +the bottom there was no entering it, and a volley of small shot from +a regiment of Savoy's dragoons poured in upon us at our breaking into +the wood made terrible work among our horses. + +For my part I was got into the wood, but was forced to quit my horse, +and by that means, with a great deal of difficulty, got a little +farther in, where there was a little open place, and being quite spent +with labouring among the bushes I sat down resolving to take my fate +there, let it be what it would, for I was not able to go any farther. +I had twenty or thirty more in the same condition come to me in less +than half-an-hour, and here we waited very securely the success of the +battle, which was as before. + +It was no small relief to those with me to hear the Savoyards were +beaten, for otherwise they had all been lost; as for me, I confess, +I was glad as it was because of the danger, but otherwise I cared not +much which had the better, for I designed no service among them. + +One kindness it did me, that I began to consider what I had to do +here, and as I could give but a very slender account of myself for +what it was I run all these risks, so I resolved they should fight it +among themselves, for I would come among them no more. + +The captain with whom, as I noted above, I had contracted some +acquaintance in this regiment, was killed in this action, and the +French had really a great blow here, though they took care to conceal +it all they could; and I cannot, without smiling, read some of the +histories and memoirs of this action, which they are not ashamed to +call a victory. + +We marched on to Saluzzo, and the next day the Duke of Savoy presented +himself in battalia on the other side of a small river, giving us a +fair challenge to pass and engage him. We always said in our camp that +the orders were to fight the Duke of Savoy wherever we met him; but +though he braved us in our view we did not care to engage him, but we +brought Saluzzo to surrender upon articles, which the duke could not +relieve without attacking our camp, which he did not care to do. + +The next morning we had news of the surrender of Mantua to the +Imperial army. We heard of it first from the Duke of Savoy's cannon, +which he fired by way of rejoicing, and which seemed to make him +amends for the loss of Saluzzo. + +As this was a mortification to the French, so it quite damped the +success of the campaign, for the Duke de Montmorency imagining that +the Imperial general would send immediate assistance to the Marquis +Spinola, who besieged Casale, they called frequent councils of war +what course to take, and at last resolved to halt in Piedmont. A few +days after their resolutions were changed again by the news of the +death of the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emanuel, who died, as some say, +agitated with the extremes of joy and grief. + +This put our generals upon considering again whether they should march +to the relief of Casale, but the chimera of the Germans put them by, +and so they took up quarters in Piedmont. They took several small +places from the Duke of Savoy, making advantage of the consternation +the duke's subjects were in on the death of their prince, and spread +themselves from the seaside to the banks of the Po. But here an enemy +did that for them which the Savoyards could not, for the plague got +into their quarters and destroyed abundance of people, both of the +army and of the country. + +I thought then it was time for me to be gone, for I had no manner of +courage for that risk; and I think verily I was more afraid of being +taken sick in a strange country than ever I was of being killed in +battle. Upon this resolution I procured a pass to go for Genoa, and +accordingly began my journey, but was arrested at Villa Franca by a +slow lingering fever, which held me about five days, and then turned +to a burning malignancy, and at last to the plague. My friend, the +captain, never left me night nor day; and though for four days more I +knew nobody, nor was capable of so much as thinking of myself, yet it +pleased God that the distemper gathered in my neck, swelled and broke. +During the swelling I was raging mad with the violence of pain, which +being so near my head swelled that also in proportion, that my eyes +were swelled up, and for the twenty-four hours my tongue and mouth; +then, as my servant told me, all the physicians gave me over, as past +all remedy, but by the good providence of God the swelling broke. + +The prodigious collection of matter which this swelling discharged +gave me immediate relief, and I became sensible in less than an hour's +time; and in two hours or thereabouts fell into a little slumber which +recovered my spirits and sensibly revived me. Here I lay by it till +the middle of September. My captain fell sick after me, but recovered +quickly. His man had the plague, and died in two days; my man held it +out well. + +About the middle of September we heard of a truce concluded between +all parties, and being unwilling to winter at Villa Franca, I got +passes, and though we were both but weak, we began to travel in +litters for Milan. + +And here I experienced the truth of an old English proverb, that +standers-by see more than the gamesters. + +The French, Savoyards, and Spaniards made this peace or truce all for +separate and several grounds, and every one were mistaken. + +The French yielded to it because they had given over the relief of +Casale, and were very much afraid it would fall into the hands of the +Marquis Spinola. The Savoyards yielded to it because they were afraid +the French would winter in Piedmont; the Spaniards yielded to it +because the Duke of Savoy being dead, and the Count de Colalto, the +Imperial general, giving no assistance, and his army weakened by +sickness and the fatigues of the siege, he foresaw he should never +take the town, and wanted but to come off with honour. + +The French were mistaken, because really Spinola was so weak that had +they marched on into Montferrat the Spaniards must have raised the +siege; the Duke of Savoy was mistaken, because the plague had so +weakened the French that they durst not have stayed to winter in +Piedmont; and Spinola was mistaken, for though he was very slow, if he +had stayed before the town one fortnight longer, Thoiras the governor +must have surrendered, being brought to the last extremity. + +Of all these mistakes the French had the advantage, for Casale, was +relieved, the army had time to be recruited, and the French had the +best of it by an early campaign. + +I passed through Montferrat in my way to Milan just as the truce was +declared, and saw the miserable remains of the Spanish army, who by +sickness, fatigue, hard duty, the sallies of the garrison and such +like consequences, were reduced to less than 2000 men, and of them +above 1000 lay wounded and sick in the camp. + +Here were several regiments which I saw drawn out to their arms that +could not make up above seventy or eighty men, officers and all, and +those half starved with hunger, almost naked, and in a lamentable +condition. From thence I went into the town, and there things were +still in a worse condition, the houses beaten down, the walls and +works ruined, the garrison, by continual duty, reduced from 4500 men +to less than 800, without clothes, money, or provisions, the brave +governor weak with continual fatigue, and the whole face of things in +a miserable case. + +The French generals had just sent them 30,000 crowns for present +supply, which heartened them a little, but had not the truce been made +as it was, they must have surrendered upon what terms the Spaniards +had pleased to make them. + +Never were two armies in such fear of one another with so little +cause; the Spaniards afraid of the French whom the plague had +devoured, and the French afraid of the Spaniards whom the siege had +almost ruined. + +The grief of this mistake, together with the sense of his master, +the Spaniards, leaving him without supplies to complete the siege of +Casale, so affected the Marquis Spinola, that he died for grief, and +in him fell the last of that rare breed of Low Country soldiers, who +gave the world so great and just a character of the Spanish infantry, +as the best soldiers of the world; a character which we see them so +very much degenerated from since, that they hardly deserve the name of +soldiers. + +I tarried at Milan the rest of the winter, both for the recovery of my +health, and also for supplies from England. + +Here it was I first heard the name of Gustavus Adolphus, the king of +Sweden, who now began his war with the emperor; and while the king +of France was at Lyons, the league with Sweden was made, in which the +French contributed 1,200,000 crowns in money, and 600,000 per annum +to the attempt of Gustavus Adolphus. About this time he landed in +Pomerania, took the towns of Stettin and Stralsund, and from thence +proceeded in that prodigious manner of which I shall have occasion to +be very particular in the prosecution of these Memoirs. + +I had indeed no thoughts of seeing that king or his armies. I had +been so roughly handled already, that I had given over the thoughts +of appearing among the fighting people, and resolved in the spring +to pursue my journey to Venice, and so for the rest of Italy. Yet +I cannot deny that as every Gazette gave us some accounts of the +conquests and victories of this glorious prince, it prepossessed my +thoughts with secret wishes of seeing him, but these were so young +and unsettled, that I drew no resolutions from them for a long while +after. + +About the middle of January I left Milan and came to Genoa, from +thence by sea to Leghorn, then to Naples, Rome, and Venice, but saw +nothing in Italy that gave me any diversion. + +As for what is modern, I saw nothing but lewdness, private murders, +stabbing men at the corner of a street, or in the dark, hiring of +bravos, and the like. These were to me the modern excellencies of +Italy; and I had no gust to antiquities. + +'Twas pleasant indeed when I was at Rome to say here stood the +Capitol, there the Colossus of Nero, here was the Amphitheatre of +Titus, there the Aqueduct of----, here the Forum, there the Catacombs, +here the Temple of Venus, there of Jupiter, here the Pantheon, and the +like; but I never designed to write a book. As much as was useful I +kept in my head, and for the rest, I left it to others. + +I observed the people degenerated from the ancient glorious +inhabitants, who were generous, brave, and the most valiant of all +nations, to a vicious baseness of soul, barbarous, treacherous, +jealous and revengeful, lewd and cowardly, intolerably proud and +haughty, bigoted to blind, incoherent devotion, and the grossest of +idolatry. + +Indeed, I think the unsuitableness of the people made the place +unpleasant to me, for there is so little in a country to recommend it +when the people disgrace it, that no beauties of the creation can make +up for the want of those excellencies which suitable society procure +the defect of. This made Italy a very unpleasant country to me; +the people were the foil to the place, all manner of hateful vices +reigning in their general way of living. + +I confess I was not very religious myself, and being come abroad into +the world young enough, might easily have been drawn into evils that +had recommended themselves with any tolerable agreeableness to nature +and common manners; but when wickedness presented itself full-grown in +its grossest freedoms and liberties, it quite took away all the gust +to vice that the devil had furnished me with. + +The prodigious stupid bigotry of the people also was irksome to me; I +thought there was something in it very sordid. The entire empire the +priests have over both the souls and bodies of the people, gave me a +specimen of that meanness of spirit, which is nowhere else to be seen +but in Italy, especially in the city of Rome. + +At Venice I perceived it quite different, the civil authority having +a visible superiority over the ecclesiastic, and the Church being more +subject there to the State than in any other part of Italy. + +For these reasons I took no pleasure in filling my memoirs of Italy +with remarks of places or things. All the antiquities and valuable +remains of the Roman nation are done better than I can pretend to by +such people who made it more their business; as for me, I went to see, +and not to write, and as little thought then of these Memoirs as I ill +furnished myself to write them. + +I left Italy in April, and taking the tour of Bavaria, though very +much out of the way, I passed through Munich, Passau, Lintz, and at +last to Vienna. + +I came to Vienna the 10th of April 1631, intending to have gone from +thence down the Danube into Hungary, and by means of a pass, which I +had obtained from the English ambassador at Constantinople, I designed +to have seen all the great towns on the Danube, which were then in the +hands of the Turks, and which I had read much of in the history of +the war between the Turks and the Germans; but I was diverted from my +design by the following occasion. + +There had been a long bloody war in the empire of Germany for twelve +years, between the emperor, the Duke of Bavaria, the King of +Spain, and the Popish princes and electors on the one side, and the +Protestant princes on the other; and both sides having been exhausted +by the war, and even the Catholics themselves beginning to dislike the +growing power of the house of Austria, 'twas thought all parties were +willing to make peace. Nay, things were brought to that pass that some +of the Popish princes and electors began to talk of making alliances +with the King of Sweden. + +Here it is necessary to observe, that the two Dukes of Mecklenburg +having been dispossessed of most of their dominions by the tyranny +of the Emperor Ferdinand, and being in danger of losing the rest, +earnestly solicited the King of Sweden to come to their assistance; +and that prince, as he was related to the house of Mecklenburg, and +especially as he was willing to lay hold of any opportunity to break +with the emperor, against whom he had laid up an implacable prejudice, +was very ready and forward to come to their assistance. + +The reasons of his quarrel with the emperor were grounded upon the +Imperialists concerning themselves in the war of Poland, where the +emperor had sent 8000 foot and 2000 horse to join the Polish army +against the king, and had thereby given some check to his arms in that +war. + +In pursuance, therefore, of his resolution to quarrel with the +emperor, but more particularly at the instances of the princes +above-named, his Swedish Majesty had landed the year before at +Stralsund with about 12,000 men, and having joined with some forces +which he had left in Polish Prussia, all which did not make 30,000 +men, he began a war with the emperor, the greatest in event, filled +with the most famous battles, sieges, and extraordinary actions, +including its wonderful success and happy conclusion, of any war ever +maintained in the world. + +The King of Sweden had already taken Stettin, Stralsund, Rostock, +Wismar, and all the strong places on the Baltic, and began to spread +himself in Germany. He had made a league with the French, as I +observed in my story of Saxony; he had now made a treaty with the Duke +of Brandenburg, and, in short, began to be terrible to the empire. + +In this conjuncture the emperor called the General Diet of the empire +to be held at Ratisbon, where, as was pretended, all sides were +to treat of peace and to join forces to beat the Swedes out of the +empire. Here the emperor, by a most exquisite management, brought the +affairs of the Diet to a conclusion, exceedingly to his own advantage, +and to the farther oppression of the Protestants; and, in particular, +in that the war against the King of Sweden was to be carried on in +such manner as that the whole burden and charge would lie on the +Protestants themselves, and they be made the instruments to oppose +their best friends. Other matters also ended equally to their +disadvantage, as the methods resolved on to recover the Church lands, +and to prevent the education of the Protestant clergy; and what +remained was referred to another General Diet to be held at +Frankfort-au-Main in August 1631. + +I won't pretend to say the other Protestant princes of Germany had +never made any overtures to the King of Sweden to come to their +assistance, but 'tis plain they had entered into no league with him; +that appears from the difficulties which retarded the fixing of the +treaties afterward, both with the Dukes of Brandenburg and Saxony, +which unhappily occasioned the ruin of Magdeburg. + +But 'tis plain the Swede was resolved on a war with the emperor. His +Swedish majesty might, and indeed could not but foresee that if he +once showed himself with a sufficient force on the frontiers of the +empire, all the Protestant princes would be obliged by their interest +or by his arms to fall in with him, and this the consequence made +appear to be a just conclusion, for the Electors of Brandenburg and +Saxony were both forced to join with him. + +First, they were willing to join with him--at least they could not +find in their hearts to join with the emperor, of whose power they +had such just apprehensions. They wished the Swedes success, and would +have been very glad to have had the work done at another man's charge, +but, like true Germans, they were more willing to be saved than to +save themselves, and therefore hung back and stood upon terms. + +Secondly, they were at last forced to it. The first was forced to join +by the King of Sweden himself, who being come so far was not to be +dallied with, and had not the Duke of Brandenburg complied as he did, +he had been ruined by the Swede. The Saxon was driven into the arms +of the Swede by force, for Count Tilly, ravaging his country, made him +comply with any terms to be saved from destruction. + +Thus matters stood at the end of the Diet at Ratisbon. The King +of Sweden began to see himself leagued against at the Diet both by +Protestant and Papist; and, as I have often heard his Majesty say +since, he had resolved to try to force them off from the emperor, and +to treat them as enemies equally with the rest if they did not. + +But the Protestants convinced him soon after, that though they +were tricked into the outward appearance of a league against him at +Ratisbon, they had no such intentions; and by their ambassadors to him +let him know that they only wanted his powerful assistance to defend +their councils, when they would soon convince him that they had a due +sense of the emperor's designs, and would do their utmost for their +liberty. And these I take to be the first invitations the King of +Sweden had to undertake the Protestant cause as such, and which +entitled him to say he fought for the liberty and religion of the +German nation. + +I have had some particular opportunities to hear these things form the +mouths of some of the very princes themselves, and therefore am the +forwarder to relate them; and I place them here because, previous +to the part I acted on this bloody scene, 'tis necessary to let the +reader into some part of that story, and to show him in what manner +and on what occasions this terrible war began. + +The Protestants, alarmed at the usage they had met with at the former +Diet, had secretly proposed among themselves to form a general union +or confederacy, for preventing that ruin which they saw, unless some +speedy remedies were applied, would be inevitable. The Elector of +Saxony, the head of the Protestants, a vigorous and politic prince, +was the first that moved it; and the Landgrave of Hesse, a zealous and +gallant prince, being consulted with, it rested a great while between +those two, no method being found practicable to bring it to pass, the +emperor being so powerful in all parts, that they foresaw the petty +princes would not dare to negotiate an affair of such a nature, +being surrounded with the Imperial forces, who by their two generals, +Wallenstein and Tilly, kept them in continual subjection and terror. + +This dilemma had like to have stifled the thoughts of the union as +a thing impracticable, when one Seigensius, a Lutheran minister, a +person of great abilities, and one whom the Elector of Saxony made +great use of in matters of policy as well as religion, contrived for +them this excellent expedient. + +I had the honour to be acquainted with this gentleman while I was at +Leipsic. It pleased him exceedingly to have been the contriver of so +fine a structure as the Conclusions of Leipsic, and he was glad to be +entertained on that subject. I had the relation from his own mouth, +when, but very modestly, he told me he thought 'twas an inspiration +darted on a sudden into his thoughts, when the Duke of Saxony calling +him into his closet one morning, with a face full of concern, shaking +his head, and looking very earnestly, "What will become of us, +doctor?" said the duke; "we shall all be undone at Frankfort-au-Main." +"Why so, please your highness?" says the doctor. "Why, they will fight +with the King of Sweden with our armies and our money," says the duke, +"and devour our friends and ourselves by the help of our friends and +ourselves." "But what is become of the confederacy, then," said the +doctor, "which your highness had so happily framed in your thoughts, +and which the Landgrave of Hesse was so pleased with?" "Become of it?" +says the duke, "'tis a good thought enough, but 'tis impossible to +bring it to pass among so many members of the Protestant princes as +are to be consulted with, for we neither have time to treat, nor will +half of them dare to negotiate the matter, the Imperialists being +quartered in their very bowels." "But may not some expedient be found +out," says the doctor, "to bring them all together to treat of it in +a general meeting?" "'Tis well proposed," says the duke, "but in what +town or city shall they assemble where the very deputies shall not +be besieged by Tilly or Wallenstein in fourteen days' time, and +sacrificed to the cruelty and fury of the Emperor Ferdinand?" "Will +your highness be the easier in it," replies the doctor, "if a way may +be found out to call such an assembly upon other causes, at which the +emperor may have no umbrage, and perhaps give his assent? You know the +Diet at Frankfort is at hand; 'tis necessary the Protestants should +have an assembly of their own to prepare matters for the General Diet, +and it may be no difficult matter to obtain it." The duke, surprised +with joy at the motion, embraced the doctor with an extraordinary +transport. "Thou hast done it, doctor," said he, and immediately +caused him to draw a form of a letter to the emperor, which he did +with the utmost dexterity of style, in which he was a great master, +representing to his Imperial Majesty that, in order to put an end to +the troubles of Germany, his Majesty would be pleased to permit the +Protestant princes of the empire to hold a Diet to themselves, to +consider of such matters as they were to treat of at the General +Diet, in order to conform themselves to the will and pleasure of his +Imperial Majesty, to drive out foreigners, and settle a lasting peace +in the empire. He also insinuated something of their resolutions +unanimously to give their suffrages in favour of the King of Hungary +at the election of a king of the Romans, a thing which he knew the +emperor had in his thought, and would push at with all his might at +the Diet. This letter was sent, and the bait so neatly concealed, that +the Electors of Bavaria and Mentz, the King of Hungary, and several +of the Popish princes, not foreseeing that the ruin of them all lay in +the bottom of it, foolishly advised the emperor to consent to it. + +In consenting to this the emperor signed his own destruction, for here +began the conjunction of the German Protestants with the Swede, which +was the fatalest blow to Ferdinand, and which he could never recover. + +Accordingly the Diet was held at Leipsic, February 8, 1630, where the +Protestants agreed on several heads for their mutual defence, +which were the grounds of the following war. These were the famous +Conclusions of Leipsic, which so alarmed the emperor and the whole +empire, that to crush it in the beginning, the emperor commanded Count +Tilly immediately to fall upon the Landgrave of Hesse and the Duke of +Saxony as the principal heads of the union; but it was too late. + +The Conclusions were digested into ten heads:-- + +1. That since their sins had brought God's judgments upon the whole +Protestant Church, they should command public prayers to be made to +Almighty God for the diverting the calamities that attended them. + +2. That a treaty of peace might be set on foot, in order to come to a +right understanding with the Catholic princes. + +3. That a time for such a treaty being obtained, they should appoint +an assembly of delegates to meet preparatory to the treaty. + +4. That all their complaints should be humbly represented to his +Imperial Majesty and the Catholic Electors, in order to a peaceable +accommodation. + +5. That they claim the protection of the emperor, according to the +laws of the empire, and the present emperor's solemn oath and promise. + +6. That they would appoint deputies who should meet at certain +times to consult of their common interest, and who should be always +empowered to conclude of what should be thought needful for their +safety. + +7. That they will raise a competent force to maintain and defend their +liberties, rights, and religion. + +8. That it is agreeable to the Constitution of the empire, concluded +in the Diet at Augsburg, to do so. + +9. That the arming for their necessary defence shall by no means +hinder their obedience to his Imperial Majesty, but that they will +still continue their loyalty to him. + +10. They agree to proportion their forces, which in all amounted to +70,000 men. + +The emperor, exceedingly startled at the Conclusions, issued out a +severe proclamation or ban against them, which imported much the +same thing as a declaration of war, and commanded Tilly to begin, +and immediately to fall on the Duke of Saxony with all the fury +imaginable, as I have already observed. + +Here began the flame to break out; for upon the emperor's ban, the +Protestants send away to the King of Sweden for succour. + +His Swedish Majesty had already conquered Mecklenburg, and part of +Pomerania, and was advancing with his victorious troops, increased +by the addition of some regiments raised in those parts, in order to +carry on the war against the emperor, having designed to follow up +the Oder into Silesia, and so to push the war home to the emperor's +hereditary countries of Austria and Bohemia, when the first messengers +came to him in this case; but this changed his measures, and brought +him to the frontiers of Brandenburg resolved to answer the desires +of the Protestants. But here the Duke of Brandenburg began to halt, +making some difficulties and demanding terms, which drove the king to +use some extremities with him, and stopped the Swedes for a while, +who had otherwise been on the banks of the Elbe as soon as Tilly, +the Imperial general, had entered Saxony, which if they had done, the +miserable destruction of Magdeburg had been prevented, as I observed +before. The king had been invited into the union, and when he first +came back from the banks of the Oder he had accepted it, and was +preparing to back it with all his power. + +The Duke of Saxony had already a good army which he had with infinite +diligence recruited, and mustered them under the cannon of Leipsic. +The King of Sweden having, by his ambassador at Leipsic, entered into +the union of the Protestants, was advancing victoriously to their aid, +just as Count Tilly had entered the Duke of Saxony's dominions. The +fame of the Swedish conquests, and of the hero who commanded them, +shook my resolution of travelling into Turkey, being resolved to see +the conjunction of the Protestant armies, and before the fire was +broke out too far to take the advantage of seeing both sides. + +While I remained at Vienna, uncertain which way I should proceed, I +remember I observed they talked of the King of Sweden as a prince of +no consideration, one that they might let go on and tire himself in +Mecklenburg and thereabout, till they could find leisure to deal with +him, and then might be crushed as they pleased; but 'tis never safe +to despise an enemy, so this was not an enemy to be despised, as they +afterwards found. + +As to the Conclusions of Leipsic, indeed, at first they gave the +Imperial court some uneasiness, but when they found the Imperial +armies, began to fright the members out of the union, and that the +several branches had no considerable forces on foot, it was the +general discourse at Vienna, that the union at Leipsic only gave +the emperor an opportunity to crush absolutely the Dukes of Saxony, +Brandenburg, and the Landgrave of Hesse, and they looked upon it as a +thing certain. + +I never saw any real concern in their faces at Vienna till news came +to court that the King of Sweden had entered into the union; but as +this made them very uneasy, they began to move the powerfulest methods +possible to divert this storm; and upon this news Tilly was hastened +to fall into Saxony before this union could proceed to a conjunction +of forces. This was certainly a very good resolution, and no measure +could have been more exactly concerted, had not the diligence of the +Saxons prevented it. + +The gathering of this storm, which from a cloud began to spread over +the empire, and from the little duchy of Mecklenburg began to threaten +all Germany, absolutely determined me, as I noted before, as to +travelling, and laying aside the thoughts of Hungary, I resolved, if +possible, to see the King of Sweden's army. + +I parted from Vienna the middle of May, and took post for Great Glogau +in Silesia, as if I had purposed to pass into Poland, but designing +indeed to go down the Oder to Custrim in the marquisate of +Brandenburg, and so to Berlin. But when I came to the frontiers of +Silesia, though I had passes, I could go no farther, the guards on +all the frontiers were so strict, so I was obliged to come back into +Bohemia, and went to Prague. From hence I found I could easily pass +through the Imperial provinces to the lower Saxony, and accordingly +took passes for Hamburg, designing, however, to use them no farther +than I found occasion. + +By virtue of these passes I got into the Imperial army, under Count +Tilly, then at the siege of Magdeburg, May the 2nd. + +I confess I did not foresee the fate of this city, neither, I believe, +did Count Tilly himself expect to glut his fury with so entire a +desolation, much less did the people expect it. I did believe they +must capitulate, and I perceived by discourse in the army that Tilly +would give them but very indifferent conditions; but it fell out +otherwise. The treaty of surrender was, as it were, begun, nay, some +say concluded, when some of the out-guards of the Imperialists finding +the citizens had abandoned the guards of the works, and looked to +themselves with less diligence than usual, they broke in, carried an +half-moon, sword in hand, with little resistance; and though it was +a surprise on both sides, the citizens neither fearing, nor the army +expecting the occasion, the garrison, with as much resolution as could +be expected under such a fright, flew to the walls, twice beat the +Imperialists off, but fresh men coming up, and the administrator of +Magdeburg himself being wounded and taken, the enemy broke in, took +the city by storm, and entered with such terrible fury, that, +without respect to age or condition, they put all the garrison and +inhabitants, man, woman, and child, to the sword, plundered the city, +and when they had done this set it on fire. + +This calamity sure was the dreadfulest sight that ever I saw; the +rage of the Imperial soldiers was most intolerable, and not to be +expressed. Of 25,000, some said 30,000 people, there was not a soul to +be seen alive, till the flames drove those that were hid in vaults and +secret places to seek death in the streets rather than perish in the +fire. Of these miserable creatures some were killed too by the furious +soldiers, but at last they saved the lives of such as came out of +their cellars and holes, and so about two thousand poor desperate +creatures were left. The exact number of those that perished in +this city could never be known, because those the soldiers had first +butchered the flames afterwards devoured. + +I was on the outer side of the Elbe when this dreadful piece of +butchery was done. The city of Magdeburg had a sconce or fort over +against it called the toll-house, which joined to the city by a very +fine bridge of boats. This fort was taken by the Imperialists a few +days before, and having a mind to see it, and the rather because from +thence I could have a very good view of the city, I was going over +Tilley's bridge of boats to view this fort. About ten o'clock in the +morning I perceived they were storming by the firing, and immediately +all ran to the works; I little thought of the taking the city, but +imagined it might be some outwork attacked, for we all expected +the city would surrender that day, or next, and they might have +capitulated upon very good terms. + +Being upon the works of the fort, on a sudden I heard the dreadfulest +cry raised in the city that can be imagined; 'tis not possible to +express the manner of it, and I could see the women and children +running about the streets in a most lamentable condition. + +The city wall did not run along the side where the river was with +so great a height, but we could plainly see the market-place and the +several streets which run down to the river. In about an hour's time +after this first cry all was in confusion; there was little shooting, +the execution was all cutting of throats and mere house murders. The +resolute garrison, with the brave Baron Falkenberg, fought it out +to the last, and were cut in pieces, and by this time the Imperial +soldiers having broke open the gates and entered on all sides, the +slaughter was very dreadful. We could see the poor people in crowds +driven down the streets, flying from the fury of the soldiers, who +followed butchering them as fast as they could, and refused mercy to +anybody, till driving them to the river's edge, the desperate wretches +would throw themselves into the river, where thousands of them +perished, especially women and children. Several men that could swim +got over to our side, where the soldiers not heated with fight gave +them quarter, and took them up, and I cannot but do this justice to +the German officers in the fort: they had five small flat boats, and +they gave leave to the soldiers to go off in them, and get what booty +they could, but charged them not to kill anybody, but take them all +prisoners. + +Nor was their humanity ill rewarded, for the soldiers, wisely avoiding +those places where their fellows were employed in butchering the +miserable people, rowed to other places, where crowds of people stood +crying out for help, and expecting to be every minute either drowned +or murdered; of these at sundry times they fetched over near six +hundred, but took care to take in none but such as offered them good +pay. + +Never was money or jewels of greater service than now, for those that +had anything of that sort to offer were soonest helped. + +There was a burgher of the town who, seeing a boat coming near him, +but out of his call, by the help of a speaking trumpet, told the +soldiers in it he would give them 20,000 dollars to fetch him off. +They rowed close to the shore, and got him with his wife and six +children into the boat, but such throngs of people got about the boat +that had like to have sunk her, so that the soldiers were fain to +drive a great many out again by main force, and while they were doing +this some of the enemies coming down the street desperately drove them +all into the water. + +The boat, however, brought the burgher and his wife and children safe, +and though they had not all that wealth about them, yet in jewels and +money he gave them so much as made all the fellows very rich. + +I cannot pretend to describe the cruelty of this day: the town by +five in the afternoon was all in a flame; the wealth consumed was +inestimable, and a loss to the very conqueror. I think there was +little or nothing left but the great church and about a hundred +houses. + +This was a sad welcome into the army for me, and gave me a horror and +aversion to the emperor's people, as well as to his cause. I quitted +the camp the third day after this execution, while the fire was hardly +out in the city; and from thence getting safe-conduct to pass into the +Palatinate, I turned out of the road at a small village on the Elbe, +called Emerfield, and by ways and towns I can give but small account +of, having a boor for our guide, whom we could hardly understand, I +arrived at Leipsic on the 17th of May. + +We found the elector intense upon the strengthening of his army, but +the people in the greatest terror imaginable, every day expecting +Tilly with the German army, who by his cruelty at Magdeburg was become +so dreadful to the Protestants that they expected no mercy wherever he +came. + +The emperor's power was made so formidable to all the Protestants, +particularly since the Diet at Ratisbon left them in a worse case +than it found them, that they had not only formed the Conclusions of +Leipsic, which all men looked on as the effect of desperation rather +than any probable means of their deliverance, but had privately +implored the protection and assistance of foreign powers, and +particularly the King of Sweden, from whom they had promises of a +speedy and powerful assistance. And truly if the Swede had not with +a very strong hand rescued them, all their Conclusions at Leipsic had +served but to hasten their ruin. I remember very well when I was in +the Imperial army they discoursed with such contempt of the forces +of the Protestant, that not only the Imperialists but the Protestants +themselves gave them up as lost. The emperor had not less than 200,000 +men in several armies on foot, who most of them were on the back of +the Protestants in every corner. If Tilly did but write a threatening +letter to any city or prince of the union, they presently submitted, +renounced the Conclusions of Leipsic, and received Imperial garrisons, +as the cities of Ulm and Memmingen, the duchy of Wirtemberg, and +several others, and almost all Suaben. + +Only the Duke of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse upheld the drooping +courage of the Protestants, and refused all terms of peace, slighted +all the threatenings of the Imperial generals, and the Duke of +Brandenburg was brought in afterward almost by force. + +The Duke of Saxony mustered his forces under the walls of Leipsic, +and I having returned to Leipsic, two days before, saw them pass the +review. The duke, gallantly mounted, rode through the ranks, attended +by his field-marshal Arnheim, and seemed mighty well pleased with +them, and indeed the troops made a very fine appearance; but I that +had seen Tilly's army and his old weather-beaten soldiers, whose +discipline and exercises were so exact, and their courage so often +tried, could not look on the Saxon army without some concern for them +when I considered who they had to deal with. Tilly's men were rugged +surly fellows, their faces had an air of hardy courage, mangled with +wounds and scars, their armour showed the bruises of musket bullets, +and the rust of the winter storms. I observed of them their clothes +were always dirty, but their arms were clean and bright; they were +used to camp in the open fields, and sleep in the frosts and rain; +their horses were strong and hardy like themselves, and well taught +their exercises; the soldiers knew their business so exactly that +general orders were enough; every private man was fit to command, and +their wheelings, marchings, counter-marchings and exercise were done +with such order and readiness, that the distinct words of command +were hardly of any use among them; they were flushed with victory, and +hardly knew what it was to fly. + +There had passed some messages between Tilly and the duke, and he gave +always such ambiguous answers as he thought might serve to gain time; +but Tilly was not to be put off with words, and drawing his army +towards Saxony, sends four propositions to him to sign, and demands an +immediate reply. The propositions were positive. + +1. To cause his troops to enter into the emperor's service, and to +march in person with them against the King of Sweden. + +2. To give the Imperial army quarters in his country, and supply them +with necessary provisions. + +3. To relinquish the union of Leipsic, and disown the ten Conclusions. + +4. To make restitution of the goods and lands of the Church. + +The duke being pressed by Tilly's trumpeter for an immediate answer +sat all night, and part of the next day, in council with his privy +councillors, debating what reply to give him, which at last was +concluded, in short, that he would live and die in defence of the +Protestant religion, and the Conclusions of Leipsic, and bade Tilly +defiance. + +The die being thus cast, he immediately decamped with his whole army +for Torgau, fearing that Tilly should get there before him, and so +prevent his conjunction with the Swede. The duke had not yet concluded +any positive treaty with the King of Swedeland, and the Duke of +Brandenburg having made some difficulty of joining, they both stood +on some niceties till they had like to have ruined themselves all at +once. + +Brandenburg had given up the town of Spandau to the king by a former +treaty to secure a retreat for his army, and the king was advanced +as far as Frankfort-upon-the-Oder, when on a sudden some small +difficulties arising, Brandenburg seems cold in the matter, and with +a sort of indifference demands to have his town of Spandau restored to +him again. Gustavus Adolphus, who began presently to imagine the duke +had made his peace with the emperor, and so would either be his enemy +or pretend a neutrality, generously delivered him his town of Spandau, +but immediately turns about, and with his whole army besieges him in +his capital city of Berlin. This brought the duke to know his error, +and by the interpositions of the ladies, the Queen of Sweden being the +duke's sister, the matter was accommodated, and the duke joined his +forces with the king. + +But the duke of Saxony had like to have been undone by this delay, +for the Imperialists, under Count de Furstenberg, were entered his +country, and had possessed themselves of Halle, and Tilly was on +his march to join him, as he afterwards did, and ravaging the +whole country laid siege to Leipsic itself. The duke driven to this +extremity rather flies to the Swede than treats with him, and on the +2nd of September the duke's army joined with the King of Sweden. + +I had not come to Leipsic but to see the Duke of Saxony's army, and +that being marched, as I have said, for Torgau, I had no business +there, but if I had, the approach of Tilly and the Imperial army was +enough to hasten me away, for I had no occasion to be besieged there; +so on the 27th of August I left the town, as several of the principal +inhabitants had done before, and more would have done had not the +governor published a proclamation against it, and besides they knew +not whither to fly, for all places were alike exposed. The poor people +were under dreadful apprehensions of a siege, and of the merciless +usage of the Imperial soldiers, the example of Magdeburg being fresh +before them, the duke and his army gone from them, and the town, +though well furnished, but indifferently fortified. + +In this condition I left them, buying up stores of provisions, +working hard to scour their moats, set up palisadoes, repair their +fortifications, and preparing all things for a siege; and following +the Saxon army to Torgau, I continued in the camp till a few days +before they joined the King of Sweden. + +I had much ado to persuade my companion from entering into the +service of the Duke of Saxony, one of whose colonels, with whom we had +contracted a particular acquaintance, offering him a commission to be +cornet in one of the old regiments of horse; but the difference I had +observed between this new army and Tilly's old troops had made such +an impression on me, that I confess I had yet no manner of inclination +for the service, and therefore persuaded him to wait a while till we +had seen a little further into affairs, and particularly till we had +seen the Swedish army which we had heard so much of. + +The difficulties which the Elector-Duke of Saxony made of joining with +the king were made up by a treaty concluded with the king on the 2nd +of September at Coswig, a small town on the Elbe, whither the king's +army was arrived the night before; for General Tilly being now entered +into the duke's country, had plundered and ruined all the lower part +of it, and was now actually besieging the capital city of Leipsic. +These necessities made almost any conditions easy to him; the greatest +difficulty was that the King of Sweden demanded the absolute command +of the army, which the duke submitted to with less goodwill than he +had reason to do, the king's experience and conduct considered. + +I had not patience to attend the conclusions of their particular +treaties, but as soon as ever the passage was clear I quitted the +Saxon camp and went to see the Swedish army. I fell in with the +out-guards of the Swedes at a little town called Beltsig, on the river +Wersa, just as they were relieving the guards and going to march, and +having a pass from the English ambassador was very well received by +the officer who changed the guards, and with him I went back into +the army. By nine in the morning the army was in full march, the king +himself at the head of them on a grey pad, and riding from one brigade +to another, ordered the march of every line himself. + +When I saw the Swedish troops, their exact discipline, their order, +the modesty and familiarity of their officers, and the regular living +of the soldiers, their camp seemed a well-ordered city; the meanest +country woman with her market ware was as safe from violence as in the +streets of Vienna. There were no women in the camp but such as being +known to the provosts to be the wives of the soldiers, who were +necessary for washing linen, taking care of the soldiers' clothes, and +dressing their victuals. + +The soldiers were well clad, not gay, furnished with excellent arms, +and exceedingly careful of them; and though they did not seem so +terrible as I thought Tilly's men did when I first saw them, yet the +figure they made, together with what we had heard of them, made them +seem to me invincible: the discipline and order of their marchings, +camping, and exercise was excellent and singular, and, which was to +be seen in no armies but the king's, his own skill, judgment, and +vigilance having added much to the general conduct of armies then in +use. + +As I met the Swedes on their march I had no opportunity to acquaint +myself with anybody till after the conjunction of the Saxon army, +and then it being but four days to the great battle of Leipsic, our +acquaintance was but small, saving what fell out accidentally by +conversation. + +I met with several gentlemen in the king's army who spoke English very +well; besides that there were three regiments of Scots in the army, +the colonels whereof I found were extraordinarily esteemed by the +king, as the Lord Reay, Colonel Lumsdell, and Sir John Hepburn. The +latter of these, after I had by an accident become acquainted with, I +found had been for many years acquainted with my father, and on that +account I received a great deal of civility from him, which afterwards +grew into a kind of intimate friendship. He was a complete soldier +indeed, and for that reason so well beloved by that gallant king, that +he hardly knew how to go about any great action without him. + +It was impossible for me now to restrain my young comrade from +entering into the Swedish service, and indeed everything was so +inviting that I could not blame him. A captain in Sir John Hepburn's +regiment had picked acquaintance with him, and he having as much +gallantry in his face as real courage in his heart, the captain had +persuaded him to take service, and promised to use his interest to get +him a company in the Scotch brigade. I had made him promise me not +to part from me in my travels without my consent, which was the only +obstacle to his desires of entering into the Swedish pay; and being +one evening in the captain's tent with him and discoursing very freely +together, the captain asked him very short but friendly, and looking +earnestly at me, "Is this the gentleman, Mr Fielding, that has done +so much prejudice to the King of Sweden's service?" I was doubly +surprised at the expression, and at the colonel, Sir John Hepburn, +coming at that very moment into the tent. The colonel hearing +something of the question, but knowing nothing of the reason of it, +any more than as I seemed a little to concern myself at it, yet after +the ceremony due to his character was over, would needs know what I +had done to hinder his Majesty's service. "So much truly," says the +captain, "that if his Majesty knew it he would think himself very +little beholden to him." "I am sorry, sir," said I, "that I should +offend in anything, who am but a stranger; but if you would please to +inform me, I would endeavour to alter anything in my behaviour that is +prejudicial to any one, much less to his Majesty's service." "I shall +take you at your word, sir," says the captain; "the King of Sweden, +sir, has a particular request to you." "I should be glad to know two +things, sir," said I; "first, how that can be possible, since I am +not yet known to any man in the army, much less to his Majesty? and +secondly, what the request can be?" "Why, sir, his Majesty desires you +would not hinder this gentleman from entering into his service, who +it seems desires nothing more, if he may have your consent to it." "I +have too much honour for his Majesty," returned I, "to deny anything +which he pleases to command me; but methinks 'tis some hardship you +should make that the king's order, which 'tis very probable he knows +nothing of." Sir John Hepburn took the case up something gravely, and +drinking a glass of Leipsic beer to the captain, said, "Come, captain, +don't press these gentlemen; the king desires no man's service but +what is purely volunteer." So we entered into other discourse, and the +colonel perceiving by my talk that I had seen Tilly's army, was mighty +curious in his questions, and seeming very well satisfied with the +account I gave him. + +The next day the army having passed the Elbe at Wittenberg, and joined +the Saxon army near Torgau, his Majesty caused both armies to draw +up in battalia, giving every brigade the same post in the lines as he +purposed to fight in. I must do the memory of that glorious general +this honour, that I never saw an army drawn up with so much variety, +order, and exact regularity since, though I have seen many armies +drawn up by some of the greatest captains of the age. The order by +which his men were directed to flank and relieve one another, the +methods of receiving one body of men if disordered into another, and +rallying one squadron without disordering another was so admirable; +the horse everywhere flanked lined and defended by the foot, and the +foot by the horse, and both by the cannon, was such that if those +orders were but as punctually obeyed, 'twere impossible to put an army +so modelled into any confusion. + +The view being over, and the troops returned to their camps, the +captain with whom we drank the day before meeting me told me I must +come and sup with him in his tent, where he would ask my pardon for +the affront he gave me before. I told him he needed not put himself +to the trouble, I was not affronted at all; that I would do myself the +honour to wait on him, provided he would give me his word not to speak +any more of it as an affront. + +We had not been a quarter of an hour in his tent but Sir John Hepburn +came in again, and addressing to me, told me he was glad to find me +there; that he came to the captain's tent to inquire how to send to +me; and that I must do him the honour to go with him to wait on the +king, who had a mind to hear the account I could give him of the +Imperial army from my own mouth. I must confess I was at some loss in +my mind how to make my address to his Majesty, but I had heard so much +of the conversable temper of the king, and his particular sweetness of +humour with the meanest soldier, that I made no more difficulty, but +having paid my respects to Colonel Hepburn, thanked him for the honour +he had done me, and offered to rise and wait upon him. "Nay," says +the Colonel, "we will eat first, for I find Gourdon," which was the +captain's name, "has got something for supper, and the king's order is +at seven o'clock." So we went to supper, and Sir John, becoming very +friendly, must know my name; which, when I had told him, and of what +place and family, he rose from his seat, and embracing me, told me he +knew my father very well, and had been intimately acquainted with +him, and told me several passages wherein my father had particularly +obliged him. After this we went to supper, and the king's health being +drank round, the colonel moved the sooner because he had a mind to +talk with me. + +When we were going to the king he inquired of me where I had been, and +what occasion brought me to the army. I told him the short history of +my travels, and that I came hither from Vienna on purpose to see the +King of Sweden and his army. He asked me if there was any service he +could do me, by which he meant, whether I desired an employment. +I pretended not to take him so, but told him the protection his +acquaintance would afford me was more than I could have asked, since I +might thereby have opportunity to satisfy my curiosity, which was the +chief end of my coming abroad. He perceiving by this that I had no +mind to be a soldier, told me very kindly I should command him in +anything; that his tent and equipage, horses and servants should +always have orders to be at my service; but that as a piece of +friendship, he would advise me to retire to some place distant from +the army, for that the army would march to-morrow, and the king was +resolved to fight General Tilly, and he would not have me hazard +myself; that if I thought fit to take his advice, he would have me +take that interval to see the court at Berlin, whither he would send +one of his servants to wait on me. + +His discourse was too kind not to extort the tenderest acknowledgment +from me that I was capable of. I told him his care of me was so +obliging, that I knew not what return to make him, but if he pleased +to leave me to my choice I desired no greater favour than to trail a +pike under his command in the ensuing battle. "I can never answer it +to your father," says he, "to suffer you to expose yourself so far." +I told him my father would certainly acknowledge his friendship in the +proposal made me; but I believed he knew him better than to think he +would be well pleased with me if I should accept of it; that I was +sure my father would have rode post five hundred miles to have been +at such a battle under such a general, and it should never be told +him that his son had rode fifty miles to be out of it. He seemed to +be something concerned at the resolution I had taken, and replied very +quickly upon me, that he approved very well of my courage; "but," says +he, "no man gets any credit by running upon needless adventures, nor +loses any by shunning hazards which he has no order for. 'Tis enough," +says he, "for a gentleman to behave well when he is commanded upon any +service; I have had fighting enough," says he, "upon these points +of honour, and I never got anything but reproof for it from the king +himself." + +"Well, sir," said I, "however if a man expects to rise by his valour, +he must show it somewhere; and if I were to have any command in an +army, I would first try whether I could deserve it. I have never yet +seen any service, and must have my induction some time or other. I +shall never have a better schoolmaster than yourself, nor a better +school than such an army." "Well," says Sir John, "but you may have +the same school and the same teaching after this battle is over; for +I must tell you beforehand, this will be a bloody touch. Tilly has +a great army of old lads that are used to boxing, fellows with +iron faces, and 'tis a little too much to engage so hotly the first +entrance into the wars. You may see our discipline this winter, and +make your campaign with us next summer, when you need not fear but +we shall have fighting enough, and you will be better acquainted with +things. We do never put our common soldiers upon pitched battles the +first campaign, but place our new men in garrisons and try them in +parties first." "Sir," said I, with a little more freedom, "I believe +I shall not make a trade of the war, and therefore need not serve an +apprenticeship to it; 'tis a hard battle where none escapes. If I +come off, I hope I shall not disgrace you, and if not, 'twill be some +satisfaction to my father to hear his son died fighting under the +command of Sir John Hepburn, in the army of the King of Sweden, and I +desire no better epitaph upon my tomb." + +"Well," says Sir John, and by this time we were just come to the +king's quarters, and the guards calling to us interrupted his reply; +so we went into the courtyard where the king was lodged, which was in +an indifferent house of one of the burghers of Dieben, and Sir John +stepping up, met the king coming down some steps into a large room +which looked over the town wall into a field where part of the +artillery was drawn up. Sir John Hepburn sent his man presently to me +to come up, which I did; and Sir John without any ceremony carries me +directly up to the king, who was leaning on his elbow in the window. +The king turning about, "This is the English gentleman," says Sir +John, "who I told your Majesty had been in the Imperial army." "How +then did he get hither," says the king, "without being taken by the +scouts?" At which question, Sir John saying nothing, "By a pass, +and please your Majesty, from the English ambassador's secretary at +Vienna," said I, making a profound reverence. "Have you then been at +Vienna?" says the king. "Yes, and please your Majesty," said I; upon +which the king, folding up a letter he had in his hand, seemed much +more earnest to talk about Vienna than about Tilly. "And, pray, what +news had you at Vienna?" "Nothing, sir," said I, "but daily accounts +one in the neck of another of their own misfortunes, and your +Majesty's conquests, which makes a very melancholy court there." "But, +pray," said the king, "what is the common opinion there about these +affairs?" "The common people are terrified to the last degree," said +I, "and when your Majesty took Frankfort-upon-Oder, if your army had +marched but twenty miles into Silesia, half the people would have run +out of Vienna, and I left them fortifying the city." "They need not," +replied the king, smiling; "I have no design to trouble them, it is +the Protestant countries I must be for." + +Upon this the Duke of Saxony entered the room, and finding the king +engaged, offered to retire; but the king, beckoning with his hand, +called to him in French; "Cousin," says the king, "this gentleman has +been travelling and comes from Vienna," and so made me repeat what +I had said before; at which the king went on with me, and Sir John +Hepburn informing his Majesty that I spoke High Dutch, he changed +his language, and asked me in Dutch where it was that I saw General +Tilly's army. I told his Majesty at the siege of Magdeburg. "At +Magdeburg!" said the king, shaking his head; "Tilly must answer to me +some day for that city, and if not to me, to a greater King than I. +Can you guess what army he had with him?" said the king. "He had two +armies with him," said I, "but one I suppose will do your Majesty +no harm." "Two armies!" said the king. "Yes, sir, he has one army +of about 26,000 men," said I, "and another of about 15,000 women and +their attendants," at which the king laughed heartily. "Ay, ay," says +the king, "those 15,000 do us as much harm as the 26,000, for they +eat up the country, and devour the poor Protestants more than the men. +Well," says the king, "do they talk of fighting us?" "They talk big +enough, sir," said I, "but your Majesty has not been so often fought +with as beaten in their discourse." "I know not for the men," says the +king, "but the old man is as likely to do it as talk of it, and I hope +to try them in a day or two." + +The king inquired after that several matters of me about the Low +Countries, the Prince of Orange, and of the court and affairs in +England; and Sir John Hepburn informing his Majesty that I was the son +of an English gentleman of his acquaintance, the king had the goodness +to ask him what care he had taken of me against the day of battle. +Upon which Sir John repeated to him the discourse we had together by +the way; the king seeming particularly pleased with it, began to take +me to task himself. "You English gentlemen," says he, "are too +forward in the wars, which makes you leave them too soon again." "Your +Majesty," replied I, "makes war in so pleasant a manner as makes +all the world fond of fighting under your conduct." "Not so pleasant +neither," says the king, "here's a man can tell you that sometimes it +is not very pleasant." "I know not much of the warrior, sir," said +I, "nor of the world, but if always to conquer be the pleasure of the +war, your Majesty's soldiers have all that can be desired." "Well," +says the king, "but however, considering all things, I think you would +do well to take the advice Sir John Hepburn has given you." "Your +Majesty may command me to anything, but where your Majesty and so many +gallant gentlemen hazard their lives, mine is not worth mentioning; +and I should not dare to tell my father at my return into England +that I was in your Majesty's army, and made so mean a figure that +your Majesty would not permit me to fight under that royal standard." +"Nay," replied the king, "I lay no commands upon you, but you are +young." "I can never die, sir," said I, "with more honour than in your +Majesty's service." I spake this with so much freedom, and his Majesty +was so pleased with it, that he asked me how I would choose to serve, +on horseback or on foot. I told his Majesty I should be glad to +receive any of his Majesty's commands, but if I had not that honour I +had purposed to trail a pike under Sir John Hepburn, who had done me +so much honour as to introduce me into his Majesty's presence. "Do so, +then," replied the king, and turning to Sir John Hepburn, said, "and +pray, do you take care of him." At which, overcome with the goodness +of his discourse, I could not answer a word, but made him a profound +reverence and retired. + +The next day but one, being the 7th of September, before day the army +marched from Dieben to a large field about a mile from Leipsic, where +we found Tilly's army in full battalia in admirable order, which made +a show both glorious and terrible. Tilly, like a fair gamester, had +taken up but one side of the plain, and left the other free, and all +the avenues open for the king's army; nor did he stir to the charge +till the king's army was completely drawn up and advanced toward him. +He had in his army 44,000 old soldiers, every way answerable to what +I have said of them before; and I shall only add, a better army, I +believe, never was so soundly beaten. + +The king was not much inferior in force, being joined with the Saxons, +who were reckoned 22,000 men, and who drew up on the left, making a +main battle and two wings, as the king did on the right. + +The king placed himself at the right wing of his own horse, Gustavus +Horn had the main battle of the Swedes, the Duke of Saxony had the +main battle of his own troops, and General Arnheim the right wing of +his horse. The second line of the Swedes consisted of the two Scotch +brigades, and three Swedish, with the Finland horse in the wings. + +In the beginning of the fight, Tilly's right wing charged with such +irresistible fury upon the left of the king's army where the Saxons +were posted, that nothing could withstand them. The Saxons fled amain, +and some of them carried the news over the country that all was lost, +and the king's army overthrown; and indeed it passed for an oversight +with some that the king did not place some of his old troops among the +Saxons, who were new-raised men. The Saxons lost here near 2000 men, +and hardly ever showed their faces again all the battle, except some +few of their horse. + +I was posted with my comrade, the captain, at the head of three +Scottish regiments of foot, commanded by Sir John Hepburn, with +express directions from the colonel to keep by him. Our post was in +the second line, as a reserve to the King of Sweden's main battle, +and, which was strange, the main battle, which consisted of four great +brigades of foot, were never charged during the whole fight; and yet +we, who had the reserve, were obliged to endure the whole weight +of the Imperial army. The occasion was, the right wing of the +Imperialists having defeated the Saxons, and being eager in the chase, +Tilly, who was an old soldier, and ready to prevent all mistakes, +forbids any pursuit. "Let them go," says he, "but let us beat the +Swedes, or we do nothing." Upon this the victorious troops fell in +upon the flank of the king's army, which, the Saxons being fled, lay +open to them. Gustavus Horn commanded the left wing of the Swedes, and +having first defeated some regiments which charged him, falls in upon +the rear of the Imperial right wing, and separates them from the van, +who were advanced a great way forward in pursuit of the Saxons, and +having routed the said rear or reserve, falls on upon Tilly's main +battle, and defeated part of them; the other part was gone in chase of +the Saxons, and now also returned, fell in upon the rear of the left +wing of the Swedes, charging them in the flank, for they drew up upon +the very ground which the Saxons had quitted. This changed the whole +front, and made the Swedes face about to the left, and made a great +front on their flank to make this good. Our brigades, who were placed +as a reserve for the main battle, were, by special order from the +king, wheeled about to the left, and placed for the right of this new +front to charge the Imperialists; they were about 12,000 of their best +foot, besides horse, and flushed with the execution of the Saxons, +fell on like furies. The king by this time had almost defeated the +Imperialists' left wing; their horse, with more haste than good speed, +had charged faster than their foot could follow, and having broke into +the king's first line, he let them go, where, while the second line +bears the shock, and bravely resisted them, the king follows them on +the crupper with thirteen troops of horse, and some musketeers, by +which being hemmed in, they were all cut down in a moment as it were, +and the army never disordered with them. This fatal blow to the left +wing gave the king more leisure to defeat the foot which followed, and +to send some assistance to Gustavus Horn in his left wing, who had his +hands full with the main battle of the Imperialists. + +But those troops who, as I said, had routed the Saxons, being called +off from the pursuit, had charged our flank, and were now grown very +strong, renewed the battle in a terrible manner. Here it was I saw our +men go to wreck. Colonel Hall, a brave soldier, commanded the rear of +the Swede's left wing; he fought like a lion, but was slain, and most +of his regiment cut off, though not unrevenged, for they entirely +ruined Furstenberg's regiment of foot. Colonel Cullembach, with his +regiment of horse, was extremely overlaid also, and the colonel and +many brave officers killed, and in short all that wing was shattered, +and in an ill condition. + +In this juncture came the king, and having seen what havoc the enemy +made of Cullembach's troops, he comes riding along the front of our +three brigades, and himself led us on to the charge; the colonel of +his guards, the Baron Dyvel, was shot dead just as the king had given +him some orders. When the Scots advanced, seconded by some regiments +of horse which the king also sent to the charge, the bloodiest fight +began that ever men beheld, for the Scottish brigades, giving fire +three ranks at a time over one another's heads, poured in their shot +so thick, that the enemy were cut down like grass before a scythe; +and following into the thickest of their foot with the clubs of their +muskets made a most dreadful slaughter, and yet was there no flying. +Tilly's men might be killed and knocked down, but no man turned his +back, nor would give an inch of ground, but as they were wheeled, or +marched, or retreated by their officers. + +There was a regiment of cuirassiers which stood whole to the last, +and fought like lions; they went ranging over the field when all +their army was broken, and nobody cared for charging them; they were +commanded by Baron Kronenburg, and at last went off from the battle +whole. These were armed in black armour from head to foot, and they +carried off their general. About six o'clock the field was cleared of +the enemy, except at one place on the king's side, where some of them +rallied, and though they knew all was lost would take no quarter, but +fought it out to the last man, being found dead the next day in rank +and file as they were drawn up. + +I had the good fortune to receive no hurt in this battle, excepting +a small scratch on the side of my neck by the push of a pike; but my +friend received a very dangerous wound when the battle was as good as +over. He had engaged with a German colonel, whose name we could never +learn, and having killed his man, and pressed very close upon him, +so that he had shot his horse, the horse in the fall kept the colonel +down, lying on one of his legs; upon which he demanded quarter, which +Captain Fielding granting, helped him to quit his horse, and having +disarmed him, was bringing him into the line, when the regiment of +cuirassiers, which I mentioned, commanded by Baron Kronenburg, came +roving over the field, and with a flying charge saluted our front with +a salvo of carabine shot, which wounded us a great many men, and among +the rest the captain received a shot in his thigh, which laid him on +the ground, and being separated from the line, his prisoner got away +with them. + +This was the first service I was in, and indeed I never saw any fight +since maintained with such gallantry, such desperate valour, together +with such dexterity of management, both sides being composed of +soldiers fully tried, bred to the wars, expert in everything, exact in +their order, and incapable of fear, which made the battle be much more +bloody than usual. Sir John Hepburn, at my request, took particular +care of my comrade, and sent his own surgeon to look after him; +and afterwards, when the city of Leipsic was retaken, provided him +lodgings there, and came very often to see him; and indeed I was in +great care for him too, the surgeons being very doubtful of him a +great while; for having lain in the field all night among the dead, +his wound, for want of dressing, and with the extremity of cold, was +in a very ill condition, and the pain of it had thrown him into a +fever. 'Twas quite dusk before the fight ended, especially where the +last rallied troops fought so long, and therefore we durst not break +our order to seek out our friends, so that 'twas near seven o'clock +the next morning before we found the captain, who, though very weak by +the loss of blood, had raised himself up, and placed his back against +the buttock of a dead horse. I was the first that knew him, and +running to him, embraced him with a great deal of joy; he was not able +to speak, but made signs to let me see he knew me, so we brought him +into the camp, and Sir John Hepburn, as I noted before, sent his own +surgeons to look after him. + +The darkness of the night prevented any pursuit, and was the only +refuge the enemy had left: for had there been three hours more +daylight ten thousand more lives had been lost, for the Swedes (and +Saxons especially) enraged by the obstinacy of the enemy, were so +thoroughly heated that they would have given quarter but to few. The +retreat was not sounded till seven o'clock, when the king drew up the +whole army upon the field of battle, and gave strict command that none +should stir from their order; so the army lay under their arms all +night, which was another reason why the wounded soldiers suffered very +much by the cold; for the king, who had a bold enemy to deal with, was +not ignorant what a small body of desperate men rallied together might +have done in the darkness of the night, and therefore he lay in his +coach all night at the head of the line, though it froze very hard. + +As soon as the day began to peep the trumpets sounded to horse, and +all the dragoons and light-horse in the army were commanded to the +pursuit. The cuirassiers and some commanded musketeers advanced some +miles, if need were, to make good their retreat, and all the foot +stood to their arms for a reverse; but in half-an-hour word was +brought to the king that the enemy were quite dispersed, upon which +detachments were made out of every regiment to search among the dead +for any of our friends that were wounded; and the king himself gave a +strict order, that if any were found wounded and alive among the enemy +none should kill them, but take care to bring them into the camp--a +piece of humanity which saved the lives of near a thousand of the +enemies. + +This piece of service being over, the enemy's camp was seized upon, +and the soldiers were permitted to plunder it; all the cannon, arms, +and ammunition was secured for the king's use, the rest was given up +to the soldiers, who found so much plunder that they had no reason to +quarrel for shares. + +For my share, I was so busy with my wounded captain that I got nothing +but a sword, which I found just by him when I first saw him; but my +man brought me a very good horse with a furniture on him, and one +pistol of extraordinary workmanship. + +I bade him get upon his back and make the best of the day for himself, +which he did, and I saw him no more till three days after, when he +found me out at Leipsic, so richly dressed that I hardly knew him; and +after making his excuse for his long absence, gave me a very pleasant +account where he had been. He told me that, according to my order, +being mounted on the horse he had brought me, he first rid into the +field among the dead to get some clothes suitable to the equipage of +his horse, and having seized on a laced coat, a helmet, a sword, and +an extraordinary good cane, was resolved to see what was become of the +enemy; and following the track of the dragoons, which he could +easily do by the bodies on the road, he fell in with a small party +of twenty-five dragoons, under no command but a corporal, making to +a village where some of the enemies' horse had been quartered. The +dragoons, taking him for an officer by his horse, desired him to +command them, told him the enemy was very rich, and they doubted not +a good booty. He was a bold, brisk fellow, and told them, with all +his heart, but said he had but one pistol, the other being broken with +firing; so they lent him a pair of pistols, and a small piece they had +taken, and he led them on. There had been a regiment of horse and +some troops of Crabats in the village, but they were fled on the first +notice of the pursuit, excepting three troops, and these, on sight +of this small party, supposing them to be only the first of a greater +number, fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. They took the +village, and about fifty horses, with all the plunder of the enemy, +and with the heat of the service he had spoiled my horse, he said, for +which he had brought me two more; for he, passing for the commander of +the party, had all the advantage the custom of war gives an officer in +like cases. + +I was very well pleased with the relation the fellow gave me, and, +laughing at him, "Well, captain," said I, "and what plunder have ye +got?" "Enough to make me a captain, sir," says he, "if you please, and +a troop ready raised too; for the party of dragoons are posted in the +village by my command, till they have farther orders." In short, +he pulled out sixty or seventy pieces of gold, five or six watches, +thirteen or fourteen rings, whereof two were diamond rings, one of +which was worth fifty dollars, silver as much as his pockets would +hold; besides that he had brought three horses, two of which were +laden with baggage, and a boor he had hired to stay with them at +Leipsic till he had found me out. "But I am afraid, captain," says I, +"you have plundered the village instead of plundering the enemy." "No +indeed, not we," says he, "but the Crabats had done it for us and we +light of them just as they were carrying it off." "Well," said I, "but +what will you do with your men, for when you come to give them orders +they will know you well enough?" "No, no," says he, "I took care of +that, for just now I gave a soldier five dollars to carry them news +that the army was marched to Merseburg, and that they should follow +thither to the regiment." + +Having secured his money in my lodgings, he asked me if I pleased to +see his horses, and to have one for myself? I told him I would go and +see them in the afternoon; but the fellow being impatient goes and +fetches them. There were three horses, one whereof was a very good +one, and by the furniture was an officer's horse of the Crabats, and +that my man would have me accept, for the other he had spoiled, as +he said. I was but indifferently horsed before, so I accepted of the +horse, and went down with him to see the rest of his plunder there. +He had got three or four pair of pistols, two or three bundles of +officers' linen, and lace, a field-bed, and a tent, and several other +things of value; but at last, coming to a small fardel, "And this," +says he, "I took whole from a Crabat running away with it under his +arm," so he brought it up into my chamber. He had not looked into it, +he said, but he understood 'twas some plunder the soldiers had made, +and finding it heavy took it by consent. We opened it and found it was +a bundle of some linen, thirteen or fourteen pieces of plate, and in a +small cup, three rings, a fine necklace of pearl and the value of 100 +rix-dollars in money. + +The fellow was amazed at his own good fortune, and hardly knew what +to do with himself; I bid him go take care of his other things, and +of his horses, and come again. So he went and discharged the boor that +waited and packed up all his plunder, and came up to me in his old +clothes again. "How now, captain," says I, "what, have you altered +your equipage already?" "I am no more ashamed, sir, of your livery," +answered he, "than of your service, and nevertheless your servant for +what I have got by it." "Well," says I to him, "but what will you do +now with all your money?" "I wish my poor father had some of it," says +he, "and for the rest I got it for you, sir, and desire you would take +it." He spoke it with so much honesty and freedom that I could not +but take it very kindly; but, however, I told him I would not take a +farthing from him as his master, but I would have him play the good +husband with it, now he had such good fortune to get it. He told me +he would take my directions in everything. "Why, then," said I, "I'll +tell you what I would advise you to do, turn it all into ready money, +and convey it by return home into England, and follow yourself the +first opportunity, and with good management you may put yourself in a +good posture of living with it." The fellow, with a sort of dejection +in his looks, asked me if he had disobliged me in anything? "Why?" +says I. "That I was willing to turn him out of his service." "No, +George" (that was his name), says I, "but you may live on this money +without being a servant." "I'd throw it all into the Elbe," says he, +"over Torgau bridge, rather than leave your service; and besides," +says he, "can't I save my money without going from you? I got it in +your service, and I'll never spend it out of your service, unless you +put me away. I hope my money won't make me the worse servant; if I +thought it would, I'd soon have little enough." "Nay, George," says +I, "I shall not oblige you to it, for I am not willing to lose you +neither: come, then," says I, "let us put it all together, and see +what it will come to." So he laid it all together on the table, and by +our computation he had gotten as much plunder as was worth about 1400 +rix-dollars, besides three horses with their furniture, a tent, a bed, +and some wearing linen. Then he takes the necklace of pearl, a very +good watch, a diamond ring, and 100 pieces of gold, and lays them by +themselves, and having, according to our best calculation, valued the +things, he put up all the rest, and as I was going to ask him what +they were left out for, he takes them up in his hand, and coming round +the table, told me, that if I did not think him unworthy of my service +and favour, he begged I would give him leave to make that present to +me; that it was my first thought his going out, that he had got it +all in my service, and he should think I had no kindness for him if I +should refuse it. + +I was resolved in my mind not to take it from him, and yet I could +find no means to resist his importunity. At last I told him, I would +accept of part of his present, and that I esteemed his respect in +that as much as the whole, and that I would not have him importune me +farther; so I took the ring and watch, with the horse and furniture as +before, and made him turn all the rest into money at Leipsic, and +not suffering him to wear his livery, made him put himself into a +tolerable equipage, and taking a young Leipsicer into my service, he +attended me as a gentleman from that time forward. + +The king's army never entered Leipsic, but proceeded to Merseberg, and +from thence to Halle, and so marched on into Franconia, while the Duke +of Saxony employed his forces in recovering Leipsic and driving the +Imperialists out of his country. I continued at Leipsic twelve days, +being not willing to leave my comrade till he was recovered; but Sir +John Hepburn so often importuned me to come into the army, and sent +me word that the king had very often inquired for me, that at last I +consented to go without him; so having made our appointment where to +meet, and how to correspond by letters, I went to wait on Sir John +Hepburn, who then lay with the king's army at the city of Erfurt in +Saxony. As I was riding between Leipsic and Halle, I observed my +horse went very awkwardly and uneasy, and sweat very much, though the +weather was cold, and we had rid but very softly; I fancied therefore +that the saddle might hurt the horse, and calls my new captain up. +"George," says I, "I believe this saddle hurts the horse." So we +alighted, and looking under the saddle found the back of the horse +extremely galled; so I bid him take off the saddle, which he did, and +giving the horse to my young Leipsicer to lead, we sat down to see if +we could mend it, for there was no town near us. Says George, pointing +with his finger, "If you please to cut open the pannel there, I'll get +something to stuff into it which will bear it from the horse's back." +So while he looked for something to thrust in, I cut a hole in +the pannel of the saddle, and, following it with my finger, I felt +something hard, which seemed to move up and down. Again, as I thrust +it with my finger, "Here's something that should not be here," says I, +not yet imagining what afterwards fell out, and calling, "Run back," +bade him put up his finger. "Whatever 'tis," says he, "'tis this hurts +the horse, for it bears just on his back when the saddle is set on." +So we strove to take hold on it, but could not reach it; at last we +took the upper part of the saddle quite from the pannel, and there +lay a small silk purse wrapped in a piece of leather, and full of gold +ducats. "Thou art born to be rich, George," says I to him, "here's +more money." We opened the purse and found in it four hundred and +thirty-eight small pieces of gold. + +There I had a new skirmish with him whose the money should be. I +told him 'twas his, he told me no; I had accepted of the horse and +furniture, and all that was about him was mine, and solemnly vowed he +would not have a penny of it. I saw no remedy, but put up the money +for the present, mended our saddle, and went on. We lay that night at +Halle, and having had such a booty in the saddle, I made him search +the saddles of the other two horses, in one of which we found three +French crowns, but nothing in the other. + +We arrived at Erfurt the 28th of September, but the army was removed, +and entered into Franconia, and at the siege of Koningshoven we came +up with them. The first thing I did was to pay my civilities to Sir +John Hepburn, who received me very kindly, but told me withal that +I had not done well to be so long from him, and the king had +particularly inquired for me, had commanded him to bring me to him at +my return. I told him the reason of my stay at Leipsic, and how I had +left that place and my comrade, before he was cured of his wounds, to +wait on him according to his letters. He told me the king had spoken +some things very obliging about me, and he believed would offer me +some command in the army, if I thought well to accept of it. I told +him I had promised my father not to take service in an army without +his leave, and yet if his Majesty should offer it, I neither knew +how to resist it, nor had I an inclination to anything more than the +service, and such a leader, though I had much rather have served as a +volunteer at my own charge (which, as he knew, was the custom of our +English gentlemen) than in any command. He replied, "Do as you think +fit; but some gentlemen would give 20,000 crowns to stand so fair for +advancement as you do." + +The town of Koningshoven capitulated that day, and Sir John was +ordered to treat with the citizens, so I had no further discourse with +him then; and the town being taken, the army immediately advanced down +the river Maine, for the king had his eye upon Frankfort and Mentz, +two great cities, both which he soon became master of, chiefly by +the prodigious expedition of his march; for within a month after the +battle, he was in the lower parts of the empire, and had passed from +the Elbe to the Rhine, an incredible conquest, had taken all the +strong cities, the bishoprics of Bamberg, of Wurtzburg, and almost all +the circle of Franconia, with part of Schawberland--a conquest large +enough to be seven years a-making by the common course of arms. + +Business going on thus, the king had not leisure to think of small +matters, and I being not thoroughly resolved in my mind, did not press +Sir John to introduce me. I had wrote to my father with an account +of my reception in the army, the civilities of Sir John Hepburn, the +particulars of the battle, and had indeed pressed him to give me +leave to serve the King of Sweden, to which particular I waited for +an answer, but the following occasion determined me before an answer +could possibly reach me. + +The king was before the strong castle of Marienburg, which commands +the city of Wurtzburg. He had taken the city, but the garrison and +richer part of the burghers were retired into the castle, and trusting +to the strength of the place, which was thought impregnable, they bade +the Swedes do their worst; 'twas well provided with all things, and a +strong garrison in it, so that the army indeed expected 'twould be a +long piece of work. The castle stood on a high rock, and on the steep +of the rock was a bastion which defended the only passage up the hill +into the castle; the Scots were chose out to make this attack, and the +king was an eye-witness of their gallantry. In the action Sir John was +not commanded out, but Sir James Ramsey led them on; but I observed +that most of the Scotch officers in the other regiments prepared to +serve as volunteers for the honour of their countrymen, and Sir John +Hepburn led them on. I was resolved to see this piece of service, +and therefore joined myself to the volunteers. We were armed with +partisans, and each man two pistols at our belt. It was a piece of +service that seemed perfectly desperate, the advantage of the hill, +the precipice we were to mount, the height of the bastion, the +resolute courage and number of the garrison, who from a complete +covert made a terrible fire upon us, all joined to make the action +hopeless. But the fury of the Scots musketeers was not to be abated by +any difficulties; they mounted the hill, scaled the works like madmen, +running upon the enemies' pikes, and after two hours' desperate fight +in the midst of fire and smoke, took it by storm, and put all the +garrison to the sword. The volunteers did their part, and had their +share of the loss too, for thirteen or fourteen were killed out of +thirty-seven, besides the wounded, among whom I received a hurt more +troublesome than dangerous by a thrust of a halberd into my arm, which +proved a very painful wound, and I was a great while before it was +thoroughly recovered. + +The king received us as we drew off at the foot of the hill, calling +the soldiers his brave Scots, and commending the officers by name. +The next morning the castle was also taken by storm, and the greatest +booty that ever was found in any one conquest in the whole war; the +soldiers got here so much money that they knew not what to do with it, +and the plunder they got here and at the battle of Leipsic made them +so unruly, that had not the king been the best master of discipline in +the world, they had never been kept in any reasonable bounds. + +The king had taken notice of our small party of volunteers, and though +I thought he had not seen me, yet he sent the next morning for Sir +John Hepburn, and asked him if I were not come to the army? "Yes," +says Sir John, "he has been here two or three days." And as he was +forming an excuse for not having brought me to wait on his Majesty, +says the king, interrupting him, "I wonder you would let him thrust +himself into a hot piece of service as storming the Port Graft. +Pray let him know I saw him, and have a very good account of his +behaviour." Sir John returned with this account to me, and pressed +me to pay my duty to his Majesty the next morning; and accordingly, +though I had but an ill night with the pain of my wound, I was with +him at the levee in the castle. + +I cannot but give some short account of the glory of the morning; the +castle had been cleared of the dead bodies of the enemies, and what +was not pillaged by the soldiers was placed under a guard. There was +first a magazine of very good arms for about 18,000 or 20,000 foot, +and 4000 horse, a very good train of artillery of about eighteen +pieces of battery, thirty-two brass field-pieces, and four mortars. +The bishop's treasure, and other public monies not plundered by the +soldiers, was telling out by the officers, and amounted to 400,000 +florins in money; and the burghers of the town in solemn procession, +bareheaded, brought the king three tons of gold as a composition to +exempt the city from plunder. Here was also a stable of gallant horses +which the king had the curiosity to go and see. + +When the ceremony of the burghers was over, the king came down into +the castle court, walked on the parade (where the great train of +artillery was placed on their carriages) and round the walls, and gave +order for repairing the bastion that was stormed by the Scots; and +as at the entrance of the parade Sir John Hepburn and I made our +reverence to the king, "Ho, cavalier!" said the king to me, "I am glad +to see you," and so passed forward. I made my bow very low, but his +Majesty said no more at that time. + +When the view was over the king went up into the lodgings, and Sir +John and I walked in an antechamber for about a quarter of an hour, +when one of the gentlemen of the bedchamber came out to Sir John, and +told him the king asked for him; he stayed but a little with the king, +and come out to me and told me the king had ordered him to bring me to +him. + +His Majesty, with a countenance full of honour and goodness, +interrupted my compliment, and asked me how I did; at which answering +only with a bow, says the king, "I am sorry to see you are hurt; I +would have laid my commands on you not to have shown yourself in so +sharp a piece of service, if I had known you had been in the camp." +"Your Majesty does me too much honour," said I, "in your care of a +life that has yet done nothing to deserve your favour." His Majesty +was pleased to say something very kind to me relating to my behaviour +in the battle of Leipsic, which I have not vanity enough to write; +at the conclusion whereof, when I replied very humbly that I was not +sensible that any service I had done, or could do, could possibly +merit so much goodness, he told me he had ordered me a small testimony +of his esteem, and withal gave me his hand to kiss. I was now +conquered, and with a sort of surprise told his Majesty I found myself +so much engaged by his goodness, as well as my own inclination, that +if his Majesty would please to accept of my devoir, I was resolved to +serve in his army, or wherever he pleased to command me. "Serve +me," says the king, "why, so you do, but I must not have you be a +musketeer; a poor soldier at a dollar a week will do that." "Pray, +Sir John," says the king, "give him what commission he desires." "No +commission, sir," says I, "would please me better than leave to fight +near your Majesty's person, and to serve you at my own charge till I +am qualified by more experience to receive your commands." "Why, then, +it shall be so," said the king, "and I charge you, Hepburn," says he, +"when anything offers that is either fit for him, or he desires, that +you tell me of it;" and giving me his hand again to kiss, I withdrew. + +I was followed before I had passed the castle gate by one of the +king's pages, who brought me a warrant, directed to Sir John Hepburn, +to go to the master of the horse for an immediate delivery of things +ordered by the king himself for my account, where being come, the +equerry produced me a very good coach with four horses, harness, and +equipage, and two very fine saddle-horses, out of the stable of the +bishop's horses afore-mentioned; with these there was a list for three +servants, and a warrant to the steward of the king's baggage to defray +me, my horses, and servants at the king's charge till farther order. +I was very much at a loss how to manage myself in this so strange +freedom of so great a prince, and consulting with Sir John Hepburn, I +was proposing to him whether it was not proper to go immediately back +to pay my duty to his Majesty, and acknowledge his bounty in the best +terms I could; but while we were resolving to do so, the guards stood +to their arms, and we saw the king go out at the gate in his coach +to pass into the city, so we were diverted from it for that time. I +acknowledge the bounty of the king was very surprising, but I must say +it was not so very strange to me when I afterwards saw the course of +his management. Bounty in him was his natural talent, but he never +distributed his favours but where he thought himself both loved and +faithfully served, and when he was so, even the single actions of +his private soldiers he would take particular notice of himself, and +publicly own, acknowledge, and reward them, of which I am obliged to +give some instances. + +A private musketeer at the storming the castle of Wurtzburg, when +all the detachment was beaten off, stood in the face of the enemy and +fired his piece, and though he had a thousand shot made at him, stood +unconcerned, and charged his piece again, and let fly at the enemy, +continuing to do so three times, at the same time beckoning with his +hand to his fellows to come on again, which they did, animated by his +example, and carried the place for the king. + +When the town was taken the king ordered the regiment to be drawn out, +and calling for that soldier, thanked him before them all for +taking the town for him, gave him a thousand dollars in money, and a +commission with his own hand for a foot company, or leave to go home, +which he would. The soldier took the commission on his knees, kissed +it, and put it into his bosom, and told the king, he would never leave +his service as long as he lived. + +This bounty of the king's, timed and suited by his judgment, was +the reason that he was very well served, entirely beloved, and most +punctually obeyed by his soldiers, who were sure to be cherished and +encouraged if they did well, having the king generally an eye-witness +of their behaviour. + +My indiscretion rather than valour had engaged me so far at the battle +of Leipsic, that being in the van of Sir John Hepburn's brigade, +almost three whole companies of us were separated from our line, and +surrounded by the enemies' pikes. I cannot but say also that we were +disengaged rather by a desperate charge Sir John made with the whole +regiment to fetch us off, than by our own valour, though we were not +wanting to ourselves neither, but this part of the action being talked +of very much to the advantage of the young English volunteer, and +possibly more than I deserved, was the occasion of all the distinction +the king used me with ever after. + +I had by this time letters from my father, in which, though with some +reluctance, he left me at liberty to enter into arms if I thought fit, +always obliging me to be directed, and, as he said, commanded by +Sir John Hepburn. At the same time he wrote to Sir John Hepburn, +commending his son's fortunes, as he called it, to his care, which +letters Sir John showed the king unknown to me. + +I took care always to acquaint my father of every circumstance, and +forgot not to mention his Majesty's extraordinary favour, which so +affected my father, that he obtained a very honourable mention of it +in a letter from King Charles to the King of Sweden, written by his +own hand. + +I had waited on his Majesty, with Sir John Hepburn, to give him thanks +for his magnificent present, and was received with his usual goodness, +and after that I was every day among the gentlemen of his ordinary +attendance. And if his Majesty went out on a party, as he would +often do, or to view the country, I always attended him among the +volunteers, of whom a great many always followed him; and he would +often call me out, talk with me, send me upon messages to towns, to +princes, free cities, and the like, upon extraordinary occasions. + +The first piece of service he put me upon had like to have embroiled +me with one of his favourite colonels. The king was marching through +the Bergstraet, a low country on the edge of the Rhine, and, as all +men thought, was going to besiege Heidelberg, but on a sudden orders +a party of his guards, with five companies of Scots, to be drawn out; +while they were drawing out this detachment the king calls me to him, +"Ho, cavalier," says he, that was his usual word, "you shall command +this party;" and thereupon gives me orders to march back all night, +and in the morning, by break of day, to take post under the walls of +the fort of Oppenheim, and immediately to entrench myself as well as I +could. Grave Neels, the colonel of his guards, thought himself injured +by this command, but the king took the matter upon himself, and Grave +Neels told me very familiarly afterwards, "We have such a master," +says he, "that no man can be affronted by. I thought myself wronged," +says he, "when you commanded my men over my head; and for my life," +says he, "I knew not which way to be angry." + +I executed my commission so punctually that by break of day I was set +down within musket-shot of the fort, under covert of a little mount, +on which stood a windmill, and had indifferently fortified myself, and +at the same time had posted some of my men on two other passes, but +at farther distance from the fort, so that the fort was effectually +blocked up on the land side. In the afternoon the enemy sallied on my +first entrenchment, but being covered from their cannon, and defended +by a ditch which I had drawn across the road, they were so well +received by my musketeers that they retired with the loss of six or +seven men. + +The next day Sir John Hepburn was sent with two brigades of foot to +carry on the work, and so my commission ended. The king expressed +himself very well pleased with what I had done, and when he was so +was never sparing of telling of it, for he used to say that public +commendations were a great encouragement to valour. + +While Sir John Hepburn lay before the fort and was preparing to storm +it, the king's design was to get over the Rhine, but the Spaniards +which were in Oppenheim had sunk all the boats they could find. At +last the king, being informed where some lay that were sunk, caused +them to be weighed with all the expedition possible, and in the night +of the 7th of December, in three boats, passed over his regiment of +guards, about three miles above the town, and, as the king thought, +secure from danger; but they were no sooner landed, and not drawn into +order, but they were charged by a body of Spanish horse, and had not +the darkness given them opportunity to draw up in the enclosures +in several little parties, they had been in great danger of being +disordered; but by this means they lined the hedges and lanes so with +musketeers, that the remainder had time to draw up in battalia, and +saluted the horse with their muskets, so that they drew farther off. + +The king was very impatient, hearing his men engaged, having no boats +nor possible means to get over to help them. At last, about eleven +o'clock at night, the boats came back, and the king thrust another +regiment into them, and though his officers dissuaded him, would go +over himself with them on foot, and did so. This was three months that +very day when the battle of Leipsic was fought, and winter time too, +that the progress of his arms had spread from the Elbe, where it parts +Saxony and Brandenburg, to the Lower Palatine and the Rhine. + +I went over in the boat with the king. I never saw him in so much +concern in my life, for he was in pain for his men; but before we got +on shore the Spaniards retired. However, the king landed, ordered his +men, and prepared to entrench, but he had not time, for by that time +the boats were put off again, the Spaniards, not knowing more troops +were landed, and being reinforced from Oppenheim, came on again, and +charged with great fury; but all things were now in order, and they +were readily received and beaten back again. They came on again the +third time, and with repeated charges attacked us; but at last +finding us too strong for them they gave it over. By this time another +regiment of foot was come over, and as soon as day appeared the king +with the three regiments marched to the town, which surrendered at the +first summons, and the next day the fort yielded to Sir John Hepburn. + +The castle at Oppenheim held out still with a garrison of 800 +Spaniards, and the king, leaving 200 Scots of Sir James Ramsey's men +in the town, drew out to attack the castle. Sir James Ramsey being +left wounded at Wurtzburg, the king gave me the command of those 200 +men, which were a regiment, that is to say, all that were left of a +gallant regiment of 2000 Scots, which the king brought out of Sweden +with him, under that brave colonel. There was about thirty officers, +who, having no soldiers, were yet in pay, and served as reformadoes +with the regiment, and were over and above the 200 men. + +The king designed to storm the castle on the lower side by the way +that leads to Mentz, and Sir John Hepburn landed from the other side +and marched up to storm on the Rhine port. + +My reformado Scots, having observed that the town port of the castle +was not so well guarded as the rest, all the eyes of the garrison +being bent towards the king and Sir John Hepburn, came running to me, +and told me they believed they could enter the castle, sword in hand, +if I would give them leave. I told them I durst not give them orders, +my commission being only to keep and defend the town; but they being +very importunate, I told them they were volunteers, and might do what +they pleased, that I would lend them fifty men, and draw up the rest +to second them, or bring them off, as I saw occasion, so as I might +not hazard the town. This was as much as they desired; they sallied +immediately, and in a trice the volunteers scaled the port, cut in +pieces the guard, and burst open the gate, at which the fifty entered. +Finding the gate won, I advanced immediately with 100 musketeers more, +having locked up all the gates of the town but the castle port, and +leaving fifty still for a reserve just at that gate; the townsmen, +too, seeing the castle, as it were, taken, ran to arms, and followed +me with above 200 men. The Spaniards were knocked down by the Scots +before they knew what the matter was, and the king and Sir John +Hepburn, advancing to storm, were surprised when, instead of +resistance, they saw the Spaniards throwing themselves over the walls +to avoid the fury of the Scots. Few of the garrison got away, but were +either killed or taken, and having cleared the castle, I set open the +port on the king's side, and sent his Majesty word the castle was his +own. The king came on, and entered on foot. I received him at the head +of the Scots reformadoes; who all saluted him with their pikes. The +king gave them his hat, and turning about, "Brave Scots, brave Scots," +says he smiling, "you were too quick for me;" then beckoning to me, +made me tell him how and in what manner we had managed the storm, +which he was exceeding well pleased with, but especially at the +caution I had used to bring them off if they had miscarried, and +secured the town. + +From hence the army marched to Mentz, which in four days' time +capitulated, with the fort and citadel, and the city paid his Majesty +300,000 dollars to be exempted from the fury of the soldiers. Here the +king himself drew the plan of those invincible fortifications which to +this day makes it one of the strongest cities in Germany. + +Friburg, Koningstien, Neustadt, Kaiserslautern, and almost all the +Lower Palatinate, surrendered at the very terror of the King of +Sweden's approach, and never suffered the danger of a siege. + +The king held a most magnificent court at Mentz, attended by the +Landgrave of Hesse, with an incredible number of princes and lords +of the empire, with ambassadors and residents of foreign princes; +and here his Majesty stayed till March, when the queen, with a great +retinue of Swedish nobility, came from Erfurt to see him. The king, +attended by a gallant train of German nobility, went to Frankfort, and +from thence on to Hoest, to meet the queen, where her Majesty arrived +February 8. + +During the king's stay in these parts, his armies were not idle, his +troops, on one side under the Rhinegrave, a brave and ever-fortunate +commander, and under the Landgrave of Hesse, on the other, ranged the +country from Lorraine to Luxemburg, and past the Moselle on the west, +and the Weser on the north. Nothing could stand before them: the +Spanish army which came to the relief of the Catholic Electors was +everywhere defeated and beaten quite out of the country, and the +Lorraine army quite ruined. 'Twas a most pleasant court sure as ever +was seen, where every day expresses arrived of armies defeated, towns +surrendered, contributions agreed upon, parties routed, prisoners +taken, and princes sending ambassadors to sue for truces and +neutralities, to make submissions and compositions, and to pay arrears +and contributions. + +Here arrived, February 10, the King of Bohemia from England, and with +him my Lord Craven, with a body of Dutch horse, and a very fine train +of English volunteers, who immediately, without any stay, marched on +to Hoest to wait upon his Majesty of Sweden, who received him with a +great deal of civility, and was treated at a noble collation by the +king and queen at Frankfort. Never had the unfortunate king so fair a +prospect of being restored to his inheritance of the Palatinate as +at that time, and had King James, his father-in-law, had a soul +answerable to the occasion, it had been effected before, but it was a +strange thing to see him equipped from the English court with one lord +and about forty or fifty English gentlemen in his attendance, whereas +had the King of England now, as 'tis well known he might have done, +furnished him with 10,000 or 12,000 English foot, nothing could have +hindered him taking a full possession of his country; and yet even +without that help did the King of Sweden clear almost his whole +country of Imperialists, and after his death reinstal his son in the +Electorate; but no thanks to us. + +The Lord Craven did me the honour to inquire for me by name, and his +Majesty of Sweden did me yet more by presenting me to the King of +Bohemia, and my Lord Craven gave me a letter from my father. And +speaking something of my father having served under the Prince of +Orange in the famous battle of Nieuport, the king, smiling, returned, +"And pray tell him from me his son has served as well in the warm +battle of Leipsic." + +My father being very much pleased with the honour I had received from +so great a king, had ordered me to acquaint his Majesty that, if he +pleased to accept of their service, he would raise him a regiment of +English horse at his own charge to be under my command, and to be +sent over into Holland; and my Lord Craven had orders from the King of +England to signify his consent to the said levy. I acquainted my old +friend Sir John Hepburn with the contents of the letter in order to +have his advice, who being pleased with the proposal, would have me +go to the king immediately with the letter, but present service put it +off for some days. + +The taking of Creutznach was the next service of any moment. The king +drew out in person to the siege of this town. The town soon came to +parley, but the castle seemed a work of difficulty, for its situation +was so strong and so surrounded with works behind and above one and +another, that most people thought the king would receive a check +from it; but it was not easy to resist the resolution of the King of +Sweden. + +He never battered it but with two small pieces, but having viewed the +works himself, ordered a mine under the first ravelin, which being +sprung with success, he commands a storm. I think there was not +more commanded men than volunteers, both English, Scots, French, and +Germans. My old comrade was by this time recovered of his wound at +Leipsic, and made one. The first body of volunteers, of about forty, +were led on by my Lord Craven, and I led the second, among whom were +most of the reformado Scots officers who took the castle of Oppenheim. +The first party was not able to make anything of it; the garrison +fought with so much fury that many of the volunteer gentlemen being +wounded, and some killed, the rest were beaten off with loss. The king +was in some passion at his men, and rated them for running away, as he +called it, though they really retreated in good order, and commanded +the assault to be renewed. 'Twas our turn to fall on next. Our Scots +officers, not being used to be beaten, advanced immediately, and my +Lord Craven with his volunteers pierced in with us, fighting gallantly +in the breach with a pike in his hand; and, to give him the honour due +to his bravery, he was with the first on the top of the rampart, and +gave his hand to my comrade, and lifted him up after him. We helped +one another up, till at last almost all the volunteers had gained +the height of the ravelin, and maintained it with a great deal of +resolution, expecting when the commanded men had gained the same +height to advance upon the enemy; when one of the enemy's captains +called to my Lord Craven, and told him if they might have honourable +terms they would capitulate, which my lord telling him he would engage +for, the garrison fired no more, and the captain, leaping down from +the next rampart, came with my Lord Craven into the camp, where the +conditions were agreed on, and the castle surrendered. + +After the taking of this town, the king, hearing of Tilly's approach, +and how he had beaten Gustavus Horn, the king's field-marshal, out of +Bamberg, began to draw his forces together, and leaving the care of +his conquests in these parts to his chancellor Oxenstiern, prepares to +advance towards Bavaria. + +I had taken an opportunity to wait upon his Majesty with Sir John +Hepburn and being about to introduce the discourse of my father's +letter, the king told me he had received a compliment on my account +in a letter from King Charles. I told him his Majesty had by his +exceeding generosity bound me and all my friends to pay their +acknowledgments to him, and that I supposed my father had obtained +such a mention of it from the King of England, as gratitude moved him +to that his Majesty's favour had been shown in me to a family both +willing and ready to serve him, that I had received some commands from +my father, which, if his Majesty pleased to do me the honour to accept +of, might put me in a condition to acknowledge his Majesty's goodness +in a manner more proportioned to the sense I had of his favour; and +with that I produced my father's letter, and read that clause in it +which related to the regiment of horse, which was as follows:-- + +"I read with a great deal of satisfaction the account you give of the +great and extraordinary conquests of the King of Sweden, and with more +his Majesty's singular favour to you; I hope you will be careful to +value and deserve so much honour. I am glad you rather chose to serve +as a volunteer at your own charge, than to take any command, which, +for want of experience, you might misbehave in. + +"I have obtained of the king that he will particularly thank his +Majesty of Sweden for the honour he has done you, and if his Majesty +gives you so much freedom, I could be glad you should in the humblest +manner thank his Majesty in the name of an old broken soldier. + +"If you think yourself officer enough to command them, and his Majesty +pleased to accept them, I would have you offer to raise his Majesty +a regiment of horse, which, I think, I may near complete in our +neighbourhood with some of your old acquaintance, who are very willing +to see the world. If his Majesty gives you the word, they shall +receive his commands in the Maes, the king having promised me to give +them arms, and transport them for that service into Holland; and I +hope they may do his Majesty such service as may be for your honour +and the advantage of his Majesty's interest and glory." + +"YOUR LOVING FATHER." + +"'Tis an offer like a gentleman and like a soldier," says the king," +and I'll accept of it on two conditions: first," says the king, "that +I will pay your father the advance money for the raising the regiment; +and next, that they shall be landed in the Weser or the Elbe; for +which, if the King of England will not, I will pay the passage; for +if they land in Holland, it may prove very difficult to get them to us +when the army shall be marched out of this part of the country." + +I returned this answer to my father, and sent my man George into +England to order that regiment, and made him quartermaster. I sent +blank commissions for the officers, signed by the king, to be filled +up as my father should think fit; and when I had the king's order for +the commissions, the secretary told me I must go back to the king with +them. Accordingly I went back to the king, who, opening the packet, +laid all the commissions but one upon a table before him, and bade +me take them, and keeping that one still in his hand, "Now," says he, +"you are one of my soldiers," and therewith gave me his commission, as +colonel of horse in present pay. I took the commission kneeling, +and humbly thanked his Majesty. "But," says the king, "there is one +article-of-war I expect of you more than of others." "Your Majesty can +expect nothing of me which I shall not willingly comply with," said I, +"as soon as I have the honour to understand what it is." "Why, it is," +says the king, "that you shall never fight but when you have orders, +for I shall not be willing to lose my colonel before I have the +regiment." "I shall be ready at all times, sir," returned I, "to obey +your Majesty's orders." + +I sent my man express with the king's answer and the commission to my +father, who had the regiment completed in less than two months' time, +and six of the officers, with a list of the rest, came away to me, +whom I presented to his Majesty when he lay before Nuremberg, where +they kissed his hand. + +One of the captains offered to bring the whole regiment travelling as +private men into the army in six weeks' time, and either to transport +their equipage, or buy it in Germany, but 'twas thought impracticable. +However, I had so many come in that manner that I had a complete troop +always about me, and obtained the king's order to muster them as a +troop. + +On the 8th of March the king decamped, and, marching up the river +Maine, bent his course directly for Bavaria, taking several small +places by the way, and expecting to engage with Tilly, who he thought +would dispute his entrance into Bavaria, kept his army together; but +Tilly, finding himself too weak to encounter him, turned away, and +leaving Bavaria open to the king, marched into the Upper Palatinate. +The king finding the country clear of the Imperialists comes to +Nuremberg, made his entrance into that city the 21st of March, and +being nobly treated by the citizens, he continued his march into +Bavaria, and on the 26th sat down before Donauwerth. The town was +taken the next day by storm, so swift were the conquests of this +invincible captain. Sir John Hepburn, with the Scots and the English +volunteers at the head of them, entered the town first, and cut all +the garrison to pieces, except such as escaped over the bridge. + +I had no share in the business of Donauwerth, being now among the +horse, but I was posted on the roads with five troops of horse, where +we picked up a great many stragglers of the garrison, whom we made +prisoners of war. + +'Tis observable that this town of Donauwerth is a very strong place +and well fortified, and yet such expedition did the king make, and +such resolution did he use in his first attacks, that he carried the +town without putting himself to the trouble of formal approaches. +'Twas generally his way when he came before any town with a design to +besiege it; he never would encamp at a distance and begin his trenches +a great way off, but bring his men immediately within half musket-shot +of the place; there getting under the best cover he could, he would +immediately begin his batteries and trenches before their faces; +and if there was any place possibly to be attacked, he would fall to +storming immediately. By this resolute way of coming on he carried +many a town in the first heat of his men, which would have held out +many days against a more regular siege. + +This march of the king broke all Tilly's measures, for now he was +obliged to face about, and leaving the Upper Palatinate, to come +to the assistance of the Duke of Bavaria; for the king being 20,000 +strong, besides 10,000 foot and 4000 horse and dragoons which joined +him from the Duringer Wald, was resolved to ruin the duke, who lay +now open to him, and was the most powerful and inveterate enemy of the +Protestants in the empire. + +Tilly was now joined with the Duke of Bavaria, and might together make +about 22,000 men, and in order to keep the Swedes out of the country +of Bavaria, had planted themselves along the banks of the river Lech, +which runs on the edge of the duke's territories; and having fortified +the other side of the river, and planted his cannon for several miles +at all the convenient places on the river, resolved to dispute the +king's passage. + +I shall be the longer in relating this account of the Lech, being +esteemed in those days as great an action as any battle or siege of +that age, and particularly famous for the disaster of the gallant old +General Tilly; and for that I can be more particular in it than other +accounts, having been an eye-witness to every part of it. + +The king being truly informed of the disposition of the Bavarian army, +was once of the mind to have left the banks of the Lech, have repassed +the Danube, and so setting down before Ingolstadt, the duke's capital +city, by the taking that strong town to have made his entrance into +Bavaria, and the conquest of such a fortress, one entire action; +but the strength of the place and the difficulty of maintaining his +leaguer in an enemy's country while Tilly was so strong in the field, +diverted him from that design; he therefore concluded that Tilly +was first to be beaten out of the country, and then the siege of +Ingolstadt would be the easier. + +Whereupon the king resolved to go and view the situation of the enemy. +His Majesty went out the 2nd of April with a strong party of horse, +which I had the honour to command. We marched as near as we could +to the banks of the river, not to be too much exposed to the enemy's +cannon, and having gained a little height, where the whole course of +the river might be seen, the king halted, and commanded to draw up. +The king alighted, and calling me to him, examined every reach and +turning of the river by his glass, but finding the river run a long +and almost a straight course he could find no place which he liked; +but at last turning himself north, and looking down the stream, he +found the river, stretching a long reach, doubles short upon itself, +making a round and very narrow point. "There's a point will do our +business," says the king, "and if the ground be good I'll pass there, +let Tilly do his worst." + +He immediately ordered a small party of horse to view the ground, and +to bring him word particularly how high the bank was on each side and +at the point. "And he shall have fifty dollars," says the king, "that +will bring me word how deep the water is." I asked his Majesty leave +to let me go, which he would by no means allow of; but as the party +was drawing out, a sergeant of dragoons told the king, if he pleased +to let him go disguised as a boor, he would bring him an account of +everything he desired. The king liked the notion well enough, and +the fellow being very well acquainted with the country, puts on a +ploughman's habit, and went away immediately with a long pole upon +his shoulder. The horse lay all this while in the woods, and the +king stood undiscerned by the enemy on the little hill aforesaid. The +dragoon with his long pole comes down boldly to the bank of the river, +and calling to the sentinels which Tilly had placed on the other +bank, talked with them, asked them if they could not help him over the +river, and pretended he wanted to come to them. At last being come to +the point where, as I said, the river makes a short turn, he stands +parleying with them a great while, and sometimes, pretending to wade +over, he puts his long pole into the water, then finding it pretty +shallow he pulls off his hose and goes in, still thrusting his pole in +before him, till being gotten up to his middle, he could reach beyond +him, where it was too deep, and so shaking his head, comes back again. +The soldiers on the other side, laughing at him, asked him if he could +swim? He said, "No," "Why, you fool you," says one of the sentinels, +"the channel of the river is twenty feet deep." "How do you know +that?" says the dragoon. "Why, our engineer," says he, "measured it +yesterday." This was what he wanted, but not yet fully satisfied, +"Ay, but," says he, "maybe it may not be very broad, and if one of you +would wade in to meet me till I could reach you with my pole, I'd give +him half a ducat to pull me over." The innocent way of his discourse +so deluded the soldiers, that one of them immediately strips and goes +in up to the shoulders, and our dragoon goes in on this side to meet +him; but the stream took t' other soldier away, and he being a good +swimmer, came swimming over to this side. The dragoon was then in a +great deal of pain for fear of being discovered, and was once going +to kill the fellow, and make off; but at last resolved to carry on the +humour, and having entertained the fellow with a tale of a tub, about +the Swedes stealing his oats, the fellow being a-cold wanted to be +gone, and he as willing to be rid of him, pretended to be very sorry +he could not get over the river, and so makes off. + +By this, however, he learned both the depth and breadth of the +channel, the bottom and nature of both shores, and everything the king +wanted to know. We could see him from the hill by our glasses very +plain, and could see the soldier naked with him. Says the king, "He +will certainly be discovered and knocked on the head from the other +side: he is a fool," says the king, "he does not kill the fellow and +run off." But when the dragoon told his tale, the king was extremely +well satisfied with him, gave him a hundred dollars, and made him a +quartermaster to a troop of cuirassiers. + +The king having farther examined the dragoon, he gave him a very +distinct account of the shore and the ground on this side, which he +found to be higher than the enemy's by ten or twelve foot, and a hard +gravel. + +Hereupon the king resolves to pass there, and in order to it gives, +himself, particular directions for such a bridge as I believe never +army passed a river on before nor since. + +His bridge was only loose planks laid upon large tressels in the same +homely manner as I have seen bricklayers raise a low scaffold to build +a brick wall; the tressels were made higher than one another to answer +to the river as it became deeper or shallower, and was all framed and +fitted before any appearance was made of attempting to pass. + +When all was ready the king brings his army down to the bank of the +river, and plants his cannon as the enemy had done, some here and some +there, to amuse them. + +At night, April 4th, the king commanded about 2000 men to march to +the point, and to throw up a trench on either side, and quite round +it with a battery of six pieces of cannon at each end, besides three +small mounts, one at the point and one of each side, which had each of +them two pieces upon them. This work was begun so briskly and so well +carried on, the king firing all the night from the other parts of +the river, that by daylight all the batteries at the new work were +mounted, the trench lined with 2000 musketeers, and all the utensils +of the bridge lay ready to be put together. + +Now the Imperialists discovered the design, but it was too late +to hinder it; the musketeers in the great trench, and the five new +batteries, made such continual fire that the other bank, which, as +before, lay twelve feet below them, was too hot for the Imperialists; +whereupon Tilly, to be provided for the king at his coming over, falls +to work in a wood right against the point, and raises a great battery +for twenty pieces of cannon, with a breastwork or line, as near the +river as he could, to cover his men, thinking that when the king had +built his bridge he might easily beat it down with his cannon. + +But the king had doubly prevented him, first by laying his bridge so +low that none of Tilly's shot could hurt it; for the bridge lay not +above half a foot above the water's edge, by which means the king, who +in that showed himself an excellent engineer, had secured it from +any batteries to be made within the land, and the angle of the bank +secured it from the remoter batteries on the other side, and the +continual fire of the cannon and small shot beat the Imperialists from +their station just against it, they having no works to cover them. + +And in the second place, to secure his passage he sent over about +200 men, and after that 200 more, who had orders to cast up a large +ravelin on the other bank, just where he designed to land his bridge. +This was done with such expedition too, that it was finished before +night, and in condition to receive all the shot of Tilly's great +battery, and effectually covered his bridge. While this was doing the +king on his side lays over his bridge. Both sides wrought hard all +day and night, as if the spade, not the sword, had been to decide +the controversy, and that he had got the victory whose trenches and +batteries were first ready. In the meanwhile the cannon and musket +bullets flew like hail, and made the service so hot that both sides +had enough to do to make their men stand to their work. The king, in +the hottest of it, animated his men by his presence, and Tilly, to +give him his due, did the same; for the execution was so great, and +so many officers killed, General Altringer wounded, and two +sergeant-majors killed, that at last Tilly himself was obliged +to expose himself, and to come up to the very face of our line to +encourage his men, and give his necessary orders. + +And here about one o'clock, much about the time that the king's +brigade and works were finished, and just as they said he had ordered +to fall on upon our ravelin with 3000 foot, was the brave old +Tilly slain with a musket ball in the thigh. He was carried off to +Ingolstadt, and lived some days after, but died of that wound the +same day as the king had his horse shot under him at the siege of that +town. + +We made no question of passing the river here, having brought +everything so forward, and with such extraordinary success; but we +should have found it a very hot piece of work if Tilly had lived one +day more, and, if I may give my opinion of it, having seen Tilly's +battery and breastwork, in the face of which we must have passed the +river, I must say that, whenever we had marched, if Tilly had fallen +in with his horse and foot, placed in that trench, the whole army +would have passed as much danger as in the face of a strong town in +the storming a counterscarp. The king himself, when he saw with what +judgment Tilly had prepared his works, and what danger he must have +run, would often say that day's success was every way equal to the +victory of Leipsic. + +Tilly being hurt and carried off, as if the soul of the army had been +lost, they began to draw off. The Duke of Bavaria took horse and rid +away as if he had fled out of battle for his life. + +The other generals, with a little more caution, as well as courage, +drew off by degrees, sending their cannon and baggage away first, and +leaving some to continue firing on the bank of the river, to conceal +their retreat. The river preventing any intelligence, we knew nothing +of the disaster befallen them; and the king, who looked for blows, +having finished his bridge and ravelin, ordered to run a line with +palisadoes to take in more ground on the bank of the river, to cover +the first troops he should send over. This being finished the same +night, the king sends over a party of his guards to relieve the men +who were in the ravelin, and commanded 600 musketeers to man the new +line out of the Scots brigade. + +Early in the morning a small party of Scots, commanded by one Captain +Forbes, of my Lord Reay's regiment, were sent out to learn something +of the enemy, the king observing they had not fired all night; and +while this party were abroad, the army stood in battalia; and my old +friend Sir John Hepburn, whom of all men the king most depended upon +for any desperate service, was ordered to pass the bridge with his +brigade, and to draw up without the line, with command to advance as +he found the horse, who were to second him, come over. + +Sir John being passed without the trench, meets Captain Forbes with +some prisoners, and the good news of the enemy's retreat. He sends him +directly to the king, who was by this time at the head of his army, +in full battalia, ready to follow his vanguard, expecting a hot day's +work of it. Sir John sends messenger after messenger to the king, +entreating him to give him orders to advance; but the king would not +suffer him, for he was ever upon his guard, and would not venture a +surprise; so the army continued on this side the Lech all day and the +next night. In the morning the king sent for me, and ordered me to +draw out 300 horse, and a colonel with 600 horse, and a colonel with +800 dragoons, and ordered us to enter the wood by three ways, but +so as to be able to relieve one another; and then ordered Sir John +Hepburn with his brigade to advance to the edge of the wood to secure +our retreat, and at the same time commanded another brigade of foot to +pass the bridge, if need were, to second Sir John Hepburn, so warily +did this prudent general proceed. + +We advanced with our horse into the Bavarian camp, which we found +forsaken. The plunder of it was inconsiderable, for the exceeding +caution the king had used gave them time to carry off all their +baggage. We followed them three or four miles, and returned to our +camp. + +I confess I was most diverted that day with viewing the works which +Tilly had cast up, and must own again that had he not been taken off +we had met with as desperate a piece of work as ever was attempted. +The next day the rest of the cavalry came up to us, commanded by +Gustavus Horn, and the king and the whole army followed. We advanced +through the heart of Bavaria, took Rain at the first summons, and +several other small towns, and sat down before Augsburg. + +Augsburg, though a Protestant city, had a Popish Bavarian garrison +in it of above 5000 men, commanded by a Fugger, a great family in +Bavaria. The governor had posted several little parties as out-scouts +at the distance of two miles and a half or three miles from the town. +The king, at his coming up to this town, sends me with my little troop +and three companies of dragoons to beat in these out-scouts. The first +party I lighted on was not above sixteen men, who had made a small +barricado across the road, and stood resolutely upon their guard. I +commanded the dragoons to alight and open the barricado, which, while +they resolutely performed, the sixteen men gave them two volleys of +their muskets, and through the enclosures made their retreat to a +turnpike about a quarter of a mile farther. We passed their first +traverse, and coming up to the turnpike, I found it defended by 200 +musketeers. I prepared to attack them, sending word to the king how +strong the enemy was, and desired some foot to be sent me. My dragoons +fell on, and though the enemy made a very hot fire, had beat them from +this post before 200 foot, which the king had sent me, had come +up. Being joined with the foot, I followed the enemy, who retreated +fighting, till they came under the cannon of a strong redoubt, where +they drew up, and I could see another body of foot of about 300 join +them out of the works; upon which I halted, and considering I was in +view of the town, and a great way from the army, I faced about and +began to march off. As we marched I found the enemy followed, but +kept at a distance, as if they only designed to observe me. I had not +marched far, but I heard a volley of small shot, answered by two or +three more, which I presently apprehended to be at the turnpike, +where I had left a small guard of twenty-six men with a lieutenant. +Immediately I detached 100 dragoons to relieve my men and secure +my retreat, following myself as fast as the foot could march. The +lieutenant sent me back word the post was taken by the enemy, and my +men cut off. Upon this I doubled my pace, and when I came up I found +it as the lieutenant said; for the post was taken and manned with 300 +musketeers and three troops of horse. By this time, also, I found the +party in my rear made up towards me, so that I was like to be charged +in a narrow place both in front and rear. + +I saw there was no remedy but with all my force to fall upon that +party before me, and so to break through before those from the town +could come up with me; wherefore, commanding my dragoons to alight, I +ordered them to fall on upon the foot. Their horse were drawn up in +an enclosed field on one side of the road, a great ditch securing the +other side, so that they thought if I charged the foot in front they +would fall upon my flank, while those behind would charge my rear; +and, indeed, had the other come in time, they had cut me off. My +dragoons made three fair charges on their foot, but were received with +so much resolution and so brisk a fire, that they were beaten off, and +sixteen men killed. Seeing them so rudely handled, and the horse ready +to fall in, I relieved them with 100 musketeers, and they renewed +the attack; at the same time, with my troop of horse, flanked on both +wings with fifty musketeers, I faced their horse, but did not offer +to charge them. The case grew now desperate, and the enemy behind +were just at my heels with near 600 men. The captain who commanded the +musketeers who flanked my horse came up to me; says he, "If we do not +force this pass all will be lost; if you will draw out your troop and +twenty of my foot, and fall in, I'll engage to keep off the horse with +the rest." "With all my heart," says I. + +Immediately I wheeled off my troop, and a small party of the +musketeers followed me, and fell in with the dragoons and foot, who, +seeing the danger too as well as I, fought like madmen. The foot at +the turnpike were not able to hinder our breaking through, so we +made our way out, killing about 150 of them, and put the rest into +confusion. + +But now was I in as great a difficulty as before how to fetch off my +brave captain of foot, for they charged home upon him. He defended +himself with extraordinary gallantry, having the benefit of a piece of +a hedge to cover him, but he lost half his men, and was just upon +the point of being defeated when the king, informed by a soldier that +escaped from the turnpike, one of twenty-six, had sent a party of 600 +dragoons to bring me off; these came upon the spur, and joined with +me just as I had broke through the turnpike. The enemy's foot rallied +behind their horse, and by this time their other party was come in; +but seeing our relief they drew off together. + +I lost above 100 men in these skirmishes, and killed them about 180. +We secured the turnpike, and placed a company of foot there with 100 +dragoons, and came back well beaten to the army. The king, to prevent +such uncertain skirmishes, advanced the next day in view of the town, +and, according to his custom, sits down with his whole army within +cannon-shot of their walls. + +The King won this great city by force of words, for by two or three +messages and letters to and from the citizens, the town was gained, +the garrison not daring to defend them against their wills. His +Majesty made his public entrance into the city on the 14th of April, +and receiving the compliments of the citizens, advanced immediately to +Ingolstadt, which is accounted, and really is, the strongest town in +all these parts. + +The town had a very strong garrison in it, and the Duke of Bavaria lay +entrenched with his army under the walls of it, on the other side of +the river. The king, who never loved long sieges, having viewed the +town, and brought his army within musket-shot of it, called a council +of war, where it was the king's opinion, in short, that the town would +lose him more than 'twas worth, and therefore he resolved to raise his +siege. + +Here the king going to view the town had his horse shot with a +cannon-bullet from the works, which tumbled the king and his horse +over one another, that everybody thought he had been killed; but he +received no hurt at all. That very minute, as near as could be learnt, +General Tilly died in the town of the shot he received on the bank of +the Lech, as aforesaid. + +I was not in the camp when the king was hurt, for the king had sent +almost all the horse and dragoons, under Gustavus Horn, to face the +Duke of Bavaria's camp, and after that to plunder the country; which +truly was a work the soldiers were very glad of, for it was very +seldom they had that liberty given them, and they made very good use +of it when it was, for the country of Bavaria was rich and plentiful, +having seen no enemy before during the whole war. + +The army having left the siege of Ingolstadt, proceeds to take in the +rest of Bavaria. Sir John Hepburn, with three brigades of foot, and +Gustavus Horn, with 3000 horse and dragoons, went to the Landshut, and +took it the same day. The garrison was all horse, and gave us several +camisadoes at our approach, in one of which I lost two of my +troops, but when we had beat them into close quarters they presently +capitulated. The general got a great sum of money of the town, besides +a great many presents to the officers. And from thence the king +went on to Munich, the Duke of Bavaria's court. Some of the general +officers would fain have had the plundering of the duke's palace, but +the king was too generous. The city paid him 400,000 dollars; and the +duke's magazine was there seized, in which was 140 pieces of cannon, +and small arms for above 20,000 men. The great chamber of the duke's +rarities was preserved, by the king's special order, with a great deal +of care. I expected to have stayed here some time, and to have taken +a very exact account of this curious laboratory; but being commanded +away, I had no time, and the fate of the war never gave me opportunity +to see it again. + +The Imperialists, under the command of Commissary Osta, had +besieged Biberach, an Imperial city not very well fortified; and the +inhabitants being under the Swedes' protection, defended themselves +as well as they could, but were in great danger, and sent several +expresses to the king for help. + +The king immediately detaches a strong body of horse and foot to +relieve Biberach, and would be the commander himself. I marched among +the horse, but the Imperialists saved us the labour; for the news +of the king's coming frighted away Osta, that he left Biberach, +and hardly looked behind him till he got up to the Bodensee, on the +confines of Switzerland. + +At our return from this expedition the king had the first news of +Wallenstein's approach, who, on the death of Count Tilly, being +declared generalissimo of the emperor's forces, had played the tyrant +in Bohemia, and was now advancing with 60,000 men, as they reported, +to relieve the Duke of Bavaria. + +The king, therefore, in order to be in a posture to receive this great +general, resolves to quit Bavaria, and to expect him on the frontiers +of Franconia. And because he knew the Nurembergers for their kindness +to him would be the first sacrifice, he resolved to defend that city +against him whatever it cost. + +Nevertheless he did not leave Bavaria without a defence; but, on the +one hand, he left Sir John Baner with 10,000 men about Augsburg, and +the Duke of Saxe-Weimar with another like army about Ulm and Meningen, +with orders so to direct their march as that they might join him upon +any occasion in a few days. + +We encamped about Nuremberg the middle of June. The army, after so +many detachments, was not above 19,000 men. The Imperial army, joined +with the Bavarian, were not so numerous as was reported, but were +really 60,000 men. The king, not strong enough to fight, yet, as he +used to say, was strong enough not to be forced to fight, formed his +camp so under the cannon of Nuremberg that there was no besieging the +town but they must besiege him too; and he fortified his camp in so +formidable a manner that Wallenstein never durst attack him. On the +30th of June Wallenstein's troops appeared, and on the 5th of July +encamped close by the king, and posted themselves not on the Bavarian +side, but between the king and his own friends of Schwaben and +Frankenland, in order to intercept his provisions, and, as they +thought, to starve him out of his camp. + +Here they lay to see, as it were, who could subsist longest. The king +was strong in horse, for we had full 8000 horse and dragoons in the +army, and this gave us great advantage in the several skirmishes we +had with the enemy. The enemy had possession of the whole country, and +had taken effectual care to furnish their army with provisions; they +placed their guards in such excellent order, to secure their convoys, +that their waggons went from stage to stage as quiet as in a time of +peace, and were relieved every five miles by parties constantly +posted on the road. And thus the Imperial general sat down by us, not +doubting but he should force the king either to fight his way through +on very disadvantageous terms, or to rise for want of provisions, and +leave the city of Nuremberg a prey to his army; for he had vowed the +destruction of the city, and to make it a second Magdeburg. + +But the king, who was not to be easily deceived, had countermined all +Wallenstein's designs. He had passed his honour to the Nurembergers +that he would not leave them, and they had undertaken to victual his +army, and secure him from want, which they did so effectually, that +he had no occasion to expose his troops to any hazard or fatigues for +convoys or forage on any account whatever. + +The city of Nuremberg is a very rich and populous city, and the king +being very sensible of their danger, had given his word for their +defence. And when they, being terrified at the threats of the +Imperialists, sent their deputies to beseech the king to take care of +them, he sent them word he would, and be besieged with them. They, on +the other hand, laid in such stores of all sorts of provision, both +for men and horse, that had Wallenstein lain before it six months +longer, there would have been no scarcity. Every private house was +a magazine, the camp was plentifully supplied with all manner of +provisions, and the market always full, and as cheap as in times of +peace. The magistrates were so careful, and preserved so excellent an +order in the disposal of all sorts of provision, that no engrossing of +corn could be practised, for the prices were every day directed at the +town-house; and if any man offered to demand more money for corn than +the stated price, he could not sell, because at the town store-house +you might buy cheaper. Here are two instances of good and bad conduct: +the city of Magdeburg had been entreated by the king to settle funds, +and raise money for their provision and security, and to have a +sufficient garrison to defend them, but they made difficulties, either +to raise men for themselves, or to admit the king's troops to assist +them, for fear of the charge of maintaining them; and this was the +cause of the city's ruin. + +The city of Nuremberg opened their arms to receive the assistance +proffered by the Swedes, and their purses to defend their town +and common cause; and this was the saving them absolutely from +destruction. The rich burghers and magistrates kept open houses, where +the officers of the army were always welcome; and the council of the +city took such care of the poor that there was no complaining nor +disorders in the whole city. There is no doubt but it cost the city +a great deal of money; but I never saw a public charge borne with so +much cheerfulness, nor managed with so much prudence and conduct in my +life. The city fed above 50,000 mouths every day, including their own +poor, besides themselves; and yet when the king had lain thus three +months, and finding his armies longer in coming up than he expected, +asked the burgrave how their magazines held out, he answered, they +desired his Majesty not to hasten things for them, for they could +maintain themselves and him twelve months longer if there was +occasion. This plenty kept both the army and city in good health, as +well as in good heart; whereas nothing was to be had of us but blows, +for we fetched nothing from without our works, nor had no business +without the line but to interrupt the enemy. + +The manner of the king's encampment deserves a particular chapter. +He was a complete surveyor and a master in fortification, not to be +outdone by anybody. He had posted his army in the suburbs of the town, +and drawn lines round the whole circumference, so that he begirt +the whole city with his army. His works were large, the ditch deep, +flanked with innumerable bastions, ravelins, horn-works, forts, +redoubts, batteries, and palisadoes, the incessant work of 8000 men +for about fourteen days; besides that, the king was adding something +or other to it every day, and the very posture of his camp was +enough to tell a bigger army than Wallenstein's that he was not to be +assaulted in his trenches. + +The king's design appeared chiefly to be the preservation of the +city; but that was not all. He had three armies acting abroad in +three several places. Gustavus Horn was on the Moselle, the chancellor +Oxenstiern about Mentz, Cologne, and the Rhine, Duke William and +Duke Bernhard, together with General Baner, in Bavaria. And though he +designed they should all join him, and had wrote to them all to that +purpose, yet he did not hasten them, knowing that while he kept the +main army at bay about Nuremberg, they would, without opposition, +reduce those several countries they were acting in to his power. This +occasioned his lying longer in the camp at Nuremberg than he would +have done, and this occasioned his giving the Imperialists so many +alarms by his strong parties of horse, of which he was well provided, +that they might not be able to make any considerable detachments for +the relief of their friends. And here he showed his mastership in the +war, for by this means his conquests went on as effectually as if he +had been abroad himself. + +In the meantime it was not to be expected two such armies should lie +long so near without some action. The Imperial army, being masters +of the field, laid the country for twenty miles round Nuremberg in a +manner desolate. What the inhabitants could carry away had been before +secured in such strong towns as had garrisons to protect them, +and what was left the hungry Crabats devoured or set on fire; but +sometimes they were met with by our men, who often paid them home for +it. There had passed several small rencounters between our parties +and theirs; and as it falls out in such cases, sometimes one side, +sometimes the other, got the better. But I have observed there never +was any party sent out by the king's special appointment but always +came home with victory. + +The first considerable attempt, as I remember, was made on a convoy of +ammunition. The party sent out was commanded by a Saxon colonel, and +consisted of 1000 horse and 500 dragoons, who burnt above 600 waggons +loaded with ammunition and stores for the army, besides taking about +2000 muskets, which they brought back to the army. + +The latter end of July the king received advice that the Imperialists +had formed a magazine for provision at a town called Freynstat, twenty +miles from Nuremberg. Hither all the booty and contributions raised in +the Upper Palatinate, and parts adjacent, was brought and laid up as +in a place of security, a garrison of 600 men being placed to defend +it; and when a quantity of provisions was got together, convoys were +appointed to fetch it off. + +The king was resolved, if possible, to take or destroy this magazine; +and sending for Colonel Dubalt, a Swede, and a man of extraordinary +conduct, he tells him his design, and withal that he must be the man +to put it in execution, and ordered him to take what forces he thought +convenient. The colonel, who knew the town very well, and the country +about it, told his Majesty he would attempt it with all his heart; but +he was afraid 'twould require some foot to make the attack. "But we +can't stay for that," says the king; "you must then take some dragoons +with you;" and immediately the king called for me. I was just coming +up the stairs as the king's page was come out to inquire for me, so +I went immediately in to the king. "Here is a piece of hot work +for you," says the king, "Dubalt will tell it you; go together and +contrive it." + +We immediately withdrew, and the colonel told me the design, and what +the king and he had discoursed; that, in his opinion, foot would be +wanted: but the king had declared there was no time for the foot to +march, and had proposed dragoons. I told him, I thought dragoons might +do as well; so we agreed to take 1600 horse and 400 dragoons. The +king, impatient in his design, came into the room to us to know what +we had resolved on, approved our measures, gave us orders immediately; +and, turning to me, "You shall command the dragoons," says the king, +"but Dubalt must be general in this case, for he knows the country." +"Your Majesty," said I, "shall be always served by me in any figure +you please." The king wished us good speed, and hurried us away the +same afternoon, in order to come to the place in time. We marched +slowly on because of the carriages we had with us, and came to +Freynstat about one o'clock in the night perfectly undiscovered. The +guards were so negligent, that we came to the very port before they +had notice of us, and a sergeant with twelve dragoons thrust in upon +the out-sentinels, and killed them without noise. + +Immediately ladders were placed to the half-moon which defended +the gate, which the dragoons mounted and carried in a trice, about +twenty-eight men being cut in pieces within. As soon as the ravelin +was taken, they burst open the gate, at which I entered at the head of +200 dragoons, and seized the drawbridge. By this time the town was +in alarm, and the drums beat to arms, but it was too late, for by the +help of a petard we broke open the gate, and entered the town. The +garrison made an obstinate fight for about half-an-hour, but our +men being all in, and three troops of horse dismounted coming to our +assistance with their carabines, the town was entirely mastered by +three of the clock, and guards set to prevent anybody running to give +notice to the enemy. There were about 200 of the garrison killed, and +the rest taken prisoners. The town being thus secured, the gates were +opened, and Colonel Dubalt came in with the horse. + +The guards being set, we entered the magazine, where we found an +incredible quantity of all sorts of provision. There was 150 tons of +bread, 8000 sacks of meal, 4000 sacks of oats, and of other provisions +in proportion. We caused as much of it as could be loaded to be +brought away in such waggons and carriages as we found, and set the +rest on fire, town and all. We stayed by it till we saw it past a +possibility of being saved, and then drew off with 800 waggons, which +we found in the place, most of which we loaded with bread, meal, and +oats. While we were doing this we sent a party of dragoons into the +fields, who met us again as we came out, with above 1000 head of black +cattle, besides sheep. + +Our next care was to bring this booty home without meeting with the +enemy, to secure which, the colonel immediately despatched an +express to the king, to let him know of our success, and to desire a +detachment might be made to secure our retreat, being charged with so +much plunder. + +And it was no more than need; for though we had used all the diligence +possible to prevent any notice, yet somebody, more forward than +ordinary, had escaped away, and carried news of it to the Imperial +army. The general, upon this bad news, detaches Major-General Sparr +with a body of 6000 men to cut off our retreat. The king, who had +notice of this detachment, marches out in person with 3000 men to wait +upon General Sparr. All this was the account of one day. The king met +General Sparr at the moment when his troops were divided, fell upon +them, routed one part of them, and the rest in a few hours after, +killed them 1000 men, and took the general prisoner. + +In the interval of this action we came safe to the camp with our +booty, which was very considerable, and would have supplied our whole +army for a month. Thus we feasted at the enemy's cost, and beat them +into the bargain. + +The king gave all the live cattle to the Nurembergers, who, though +they had really no want of provisions, yet fresh meat was not so +plentiful as such provisions which were stored up in vessels and laid +by. + +After this skirmish we had the country more at command than before, +and daily fetched in fresh provisions and forage in the fields. + +The two armies had now lain a long time in sight of one another, +and daily skirmishes had considerably weakened them; and the king, +beginning to be impatient, hastened the advancement of his friends +to join him, in which also they were not backward; but having +drawn together their forces from several parts, and all joined the +chancellor Oxenstiern, news came, the 15th of August, that they were +in full march to join us; and being come to a small town called Brock, +the king went out of the camp with about 1000 horse to view them. I +went along with the horse, and the 21st of August saw the review +of all the armies together, which were 30,000 men, in extraordinary +equipage, old soldiers, and commanded by officers of the greatest +conduct and experience in the world. There was the rich chancellor of +Sweden, who commanded as general; Gustavus Horn and John Baner, both +Swedes and old generals; Duke William and Duke Bernhard of Weimar; the +Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, the Palatine of Birkenfelt, and abundance +of princes and lords of the empire. + +The armies being joined, the king, who was now a match for +Wallenstein, quits his camp and draws up in battalia before the +Imperial trenches: but the scene was changed. Wallenstein was no more +able to fight now than the king was before; but, keeping within his +trenches, stood upon his guard. The king coming up close to his +works, plants batteries, and cannonaded him in his very camp. The +Imperialists, finding the king press upon them, retreat into a woody +country about three leagues, and, taking possession of an old ruined +castle, posted their army behind it. + +This old castle they fortified, and placed a very strong guard there. +The king, having viewed the place, though it was a very strong post, +resolved to attack it with the whole right wing. The attack was made +with a great deal of order and resolution, the king leading the first +party on with sword in hand, and the fight was maintained on both +sides with the utmost gallantry and obstinacy all the day and the next +night too, for the cannon and musket never gave over till the morning; +but the Imperialists having the advantage of the hill, of their works +and batteries, and being continually relieved, and the Swedes naked, +without cannon or works, the post was maintained, and the king, +finding it would cost him too much blood, drew off in the morning. + +This was the famous fight at Altemberg, where the Imperialists boasted +to have shown the world the King of Sweden was not invincible. They +call it the victory at Altemberg; 'tis true the king failed in his +attempt of carrying their works, but there was so little of a victory +in it, that the Imperial general thought fit not to venture a second +brush, but to draw off their army as soon as they could to a safer +quarter. + +I had no share in this attack, very few of the horse being in the +action, but my comrade, who was always among the Scots volunteers, was +wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy. They used him very civilly, +and the king and Wallenstein straining courtesies with one another, +the king released Major-General Sparr without ransom, and the Imperial +general sent home Colonel Tortenson, a Swede, and sixteen volunteer +gentlemen, who were taken in the heat of the action, among whom my +captain was one. + +The king lay fourteen days facing the Imperial army, and using all +the stratagems possible to bring them to a battle, but to no purpose, +during which time we had parties continually out, and very often +skirmishes with the enemy. + +I had a command of one of these parties in an adventure, wherein I got +no booty, nor much honour. The King had received advice of a convoy +of provisions which was to come to the enemy's camp from the Upper +Palatinate, and having a great mind to surprise them, he commanded +us to waylay them with 1200 horse, and 800 dragoons. I had exact +directions given me of the way they were to come, and posting my horse +in a village a little out of the road, I lay with my dragoons in a +wood, by which they were to pass by break of day. The enemy appeared +with their convoy, and being very wary, their out-scouts discovered us +in the wood, and fired upon the sentinel I had posted in a tree at +the entrance of the wood. Finding myself discovered, I would have +retreated to the village where my horse were posted, but in a moment +the wood was skirted with the enemy's horse, and 1000 commanded +musketeers advanced to beat me out. In this pickle I sent away three +messengers one after another for the horse, who were within two miles +of me, to advance to my relief; but all my messengers fell into the +enemy's hands. Four hundred of my dragoons on foot, whom I had placed +at a little distance before me, stood to their work, and beat off two +charges of the enemy's foot with some loss on both sides. Meantime 200 +of my men faced about, and rushing out of the wood, broke through +a party of the enemy's horse, who stood to watch our coming out. I +confess I was exceedingly surprised at it, thinking those fellows had +done it to make their escape, or else were gone over to the enemy; and +my men were so discouraged at it, that they began to look about +which way to run to save themselves, and were just upon the point of +disbanding to shift for themselves, when one of the captains called +to me aloud to beat a parley and treat. I made no answer, but, as if +I had not heard him, immediately gave the word for all the captains to +come together. The consultation was but short, for the musketeers were +advancing to a third charge, with numbers which we were not likely to +deal with. In short, we resolved to beat a parley, and demand quarter, +for that was all we could expect, when on a sudden the body of horse +I had posted in the village, being directed by the noise, had advanced +to relieve me, if they saw occasion, and had met the 200 dragoons, +who guided them directly to the spot where they had broke through, and +altogether fell upon the horse of the enemy, who were posted on that +side, and, mastering them before they could be relieved, cut them all +to pieces and brought me off. Under the shelter of this party, we made +good our retreat to the village, but we lost above 300 men, and were +glad to make off from the village too, for the enemy were very much +too strong for us. + +Returning thence towards the camp, we fell foul with 200 Crabats, who +had been upon the plundering account. We made ourselves some amends +upon them for our former loss, for we showed them no mercy; but our +misfortunes were not ended, for we had but just despatched those +Crabats when we fell in with 3000 Imperial horse, who, on the +expectation of the aforesaid convoy, were sent out to secure them. +All I could do could not persuade my men to stand their ground against +this party; so that finding they would run away in confusion, I agreed +to make off, and facing to the right, we went over a large common +a full trot, till at last fear, which always increases in a flight, +brought us to a plain flight, the enemy at our heels. I must confess +I was never so mortified in my life; 'twas to no purpose to turn head, +no man would stand by us; we run for life, and a great many we left by +the way who were either wounded by the enemy's shot, or else could not +keep race with us. + +At last, having got over the common, which was near two miles, we came +to a lane; one of our captains, a Saxon by country, and a gentleman of +a good fortune, alighted at the entrance of the lane, and with a bold +heart faced about, shot his own horse, and called his men to stand by +him and defend the lane. Some of his men halted, and we rallied about +600 men, which we posted as well as we could, to defend the pass; +but the enemy charged us with great fury. The Saxon gentleman, after +defending himself with exceeding gallantry, and refusing quarter, was +killed upon the spot. A German dragoon, as I thought him, gave me a +rude blow with the stock of his piece on the side of my head, and was +just going to repeat it, when one of my men shot him dead. I was so +stunned with the blow, that I knew nothing; but recovering, I found +myself in the hands of two of the enemy's officers, who offered me +quarter, which I accepted; and indeed, to give them their due, they +used me very civilly. Thus this whole party was defeated, and not +above 500 men got safe to the army; nor had half the number escaped, +had not the Saxon captain made so bold a stand at the head of the +lane. + +Several other parties of the king's army revenged our quarrel, and +paid them home for it; but I had a particular loss in this defeat, +that I never saw the king after; for though his Majesty sent a trumpet +to reclaim us as prisoners the very next day, yet I was not delivered, +some scruple happening about exchanging, till after the battle of +Lützen, where that gallant prince lost his life. + +The Imperial army rose from their camp about eight or ten days after +the king had removed, and I was carried prisoner in the army till they +sat down to the siege of Coburg Castle, and then was left with other +prisoners of war, in the custody of Colonel Spezuter, in a small +castle near the camp called Neustadt. Here we continued indifferent +well treated, but could learn nothing of what action the armies were +upon, till the Duke of Friedland, having been beaten off from the +castle of Coburg, marched into Saxony, and the prisoners were sent for +into the camp, as was said, in order to be exchanged. + +I came into the Imperial leaguer at the siege of Leipsic, and within +three days after my coming, the city was surrendered, and I got +liberty to lodge at my old quarters in the town upon my parole. + +The King of Sweden was at the heels of the Imperialists, for finding +Wallenstein resolved to ruin the Elector of Saxony, the king had +re-collected as much of his divided army as he could, and came upon +him just as he was going to besiege Torgau. + +As it is not my design to write a history of any more of these wars +than I was actually concerned in, so I shall only note that, upon +the king's approach, Wallenstein halted, and likewise called all his +troops together, for he apprehended the king would fall on him, and +we that were prisoners fancied the Imperial soldiers went unwillingly +out, for the very name of the King of Sweden was become terrible to +them. In short, they drew all the soldiers of the garrison they could +spare out of Leipsic; sent for Pappenheim again, who was gone but +three days before with 6000 men on a private expedition. On the 16th +of November, the armies met on the plains of Lützen; a long and bloody +battle was fought, the Imperialists were entirely routed and beaten, +12,000 slain upon the spot, their cannon, baggage, and 2000 prisoners +taken, but the King of Sweden lost his life, being killed at the head +of his troops in the beginning of the fight. + +It is impossible to describe the consternation the death of this +conquering king struck into all the princes of Germany; the grief +for him exceeded all manner of human sorrow. All people looked upon +themselves as ruined and swallowed up; the inhabitants of two-thirds +of all Germany put themselves into mourning for him; when the +ministers mentioned him in their sermons or prayers, whole +congregations would burst out into tears. The Elector of Saxony was +utterly inconsolable, and would for several days walk about his palace +like a distracted man, crying the saviour of Germany was lost, the +refuge of abused princes was gone, the soul of the war was dead; and +from that hour was so hopeless of out-living the war, that he sought +to make peace with the emperor. + +Three days after this mournful victory, the Saxons recovered the town +of Leipsic by stratagem. The Duke of Saxony's forces lay at Torgau, +and perceiving the confusion the Imperialists were in at the news of +the overthrow of their army, they resolved to attempt the recovery of +the town. They sent about twenty scattering troopers, who, pretending +themselves to be Imperialists fled from the battle, were let in one by +one, and still as they came in, they stayed at the court of guard in +the port, entertaining the soldiers with discourse about the fight, +and how they escaped, and the like, till the whole number being got +in, at a watchword they fell on the guard, and cut them all in pieces; +and immediately opening the gate to three troops of Saxon horse, the +town was taken in a moment. + +It was a welcome surprise to me, for I was at liberty of course; and +the war being now on another foot, as I thought, and the king dead, I +resolved to quit the service. + +I had sent my man, as I have already noted, into England, in order to +bring over the troops my father had raised for the King of Sweden. He +executed his commission so well, that he landed with five troops at +Embden in very good condition; and orders were sent them by the king, +to join the Duke of Lunenberg's army, which they did at the siege of +Boxtude, in the Lower Saxony. Here by long and very sharp service +they were most of them cut off, and though they were several times +recruited, yet I understood there were not three full troops left. + +The Duke of Saxe-Weimar, a gentleman of great courage, had the command +of the army after the king's death, and managed it with so much +prudence, that all things were in as much order as could be expected, +after so great a loss; for the Imperialists were everywhere beaten, +and Wallenstein never made any advantage of the king's death. + +I waited on him at Heilbronn, whither he was gone to meet the great +chancellor of Sweden, where I paid him my respects, and desired he +would bestow the remainder of my regiment on my comrade the captain, +which he did with all the civility and readiness imaginable. So I took +my leave of him, and prepared to come for England. + +I shall only note this, that at this Diet, the Protestant princes of +the empire renewed their league with one another, and with the crown +of Sweden, and came to several regulations and conclusions for the +carrying on the war, which they afterwards prosecuted, under the +direction of the said chancellor of Sweden. But it was not the work of +a small difficulty nor of a short time. And having been persuaded +to continue almost two years afterwards at Frankfort, Heilbronn, and +there-about, by the particular friendship of that noble wise man, and +extraordinary statesman, Axeli Oxenstiern, chancellor of Sweden, I had +opportunity to be concerned in, and present at, several treaties of +extraordinary consequence, sufficient for a history, if that were my +design. + +Particularly I had the happiness to be present at, and have some +concern in, the treaty for the restoring the posterity of the truly +noble Palsgrave, King of Bohemia. King James of England had indeed too +much neglected the whole family; and I may say with authority enough, +from my own knowledge of affairs, had nothing been done for them but +what was from England, that family had remained desolate and forsaken +to this day. + +But that glorious king, whom I can never mention without some remark +of his extraordinary merit, had left particular instructions with his +chancellor to rescue the Palatinate to its rightful lord, as a proof +of his design to restore the liberty of Germany, and reinstate the +oppressed princes who were subjected to the tyranny of the house of +Austria. + +Pursuant to this resolution, the chancellor proceeded very much like +a man of honour; and though the King of Bohemia was dead a little +before, yet he carefully managed the treaty, answered the objections +of several princes, who, in the general ruin of the family, had +reaped private advantages, settled the capitulations for the quota of +contributions very much for their advantage, and fully reinstalled +the Prince Charles in the possession of all his dominions in the Lower +Palatinate, which afterwards was confirmed to him and his posterity by +the peace of Westphalia, where all these bloody wars were finished +in a peace, which has since been the foundation of the Protestants' +liberty, and the best security of the whole empire. + +I spent two years rather in wandering up and down than travelling; +for though I had no mind to serve, yet I could not find in my heart to +leave Germany; and I had obtained some so very close intimacies with +the general officers that I was often in the army, and sometimes they +did me the honour to bring me into their councils of war. + +Particularly, at that eminent council before the battle of Nördlingen, +I was invited to the council of war, both by Duke Bernhard of Weimar +and by Gustavus Horn. They were generals of equal worth, and their +courage and experience had been so well, and so often tried, that more +than ordinary regard was always given to what they said. Duke Bernhard +was indeed the younger man, and Gustavus had served longer under our +great schoolmaster the king; but it was hard to judge which was the +better general, since both had experience enough, and shown undeniable +proofs both of their bravery and conduct. + +I am obliged, in the course of my relation, so often to mention the +great respect I often received from these great men, that it makes me +sometimes jealous, lest the reader may think I affect it as a vanity. +The truth is, that I am ready to confess, the honours I received, upon +all occasions, from persons of such worth, and who had such an eminent +share in the greatest action of that age, very much pleased me, and +particularly, as they gave me occasions to see everything that was +doing on the whole stage of the war. For being under no command, +but at liberty to rove about, I could come to no Swedish garrison or +party, but, sending my name to the commanding officer, I could have +the word sent me; and if I came into the army, I was often treated as +I was now at this famous battle of Nördlingen. + +But I cannot but say, that I always looked upon this particular +respect to be the effect of more than ordinary regard the great king +of Sweden always showed me, rather than any merit of my own; and the +veneration they all had for his memory, made them continue to show me +all the marks of a suitable esteem. + +But to return to the council of war, the great and, indeed, the only +question before us was, Shall we give battle to the Imperialists, or +not? Gustavus Horn was against it, and gave, as I thought, the most +invincible arguments against a battle that reason could imagine. + +First, they were weaker than the enemy by above 5000 men. + +Secondly, the Cardinal-Infant of Spain, who was in the Imperial army +with 8000 men, was but there _en passant_, being going from Italy to +Flanders, to take upon him the government of the Low Countries; and if +he saw no prospect of immediate action, would be gone in a few days. + +Thirdly, they had two reinforcements, one of 5000 men, under the +command of Colonel Cratz, and one of 7000 men, under the Rhinegrave, +who were just at hand--the last within three days' march of them: and, + +Lastly, they had already saved their honour; in that they had put 600 +foot into the town of Nördlingen, in the face of the enemy's army, and +consequently the town might hold out some days the longer. + +Fate, rather than reason, certainly blinded the rest of the generals +against such arguments as these. Duke Bernhard and almost all the +generals were for fighting, alleging the affront it would be to the +Swedish reputation to see their friends in the town lost before their +faces. + +Gustavus Horn stood stiff to his cautious advice, and was against it, +and I thought the Baron D'Offkirk treated him a little indecently; +for, being very warm in the matter, he told them, that if Gustavus +Adolphus had been governed by such cowardly counsel, he had never +been conqueror of half Germany in two years. "No," replied old General +Horn, very smartly, "but he had been now alive to have testified for +me, that I was never taken by him for a coward: and yet," says he, +"the king was never for a victory with a hazard, when he could have it +without." + +I was asked my opinion, which I would have declined, being in no +commission; but they pressed me to speak. I told them I was for +staying at least till the Rhinegrave came up, who, at least, might, if +expresses were sent to hasten him, be up with us in twenty-four hours. +But Offkirk could not hold his passion, and had not he been overruled +he would have almost quarrelled with Marshal Horn. Upon which the old +general, not to foment him, with a great deal of mildness stood up, +and spoke thus-- + +"Come, Offkirk," says he, "I'll submit my opinion to you, and the +majority of our fellow-soldiers. We will fight, but, upon my word, we +shall have our hands full." + +The resolution thus taken, they attacked the Imperial army. I must +confess the counsels of this day seemed as confused as the resolutions +of the night. + +Duke Bernhard was to lead the van of the left wing, and to post +himself upon a hill which was on the enemy's right without their +entrenchments, so that, having secured that post, they might level +their cannon upon the foot, who stood behind the lines, and relieved +the town at pleasure. He marched accordingly by break of day, and +falling with great fury upon eight regiments of foot, which were +posted at the foot of the hill, he presently routed them, and made +himself master of the post. Flushed with this success, he never +regards his own concerted measures of stopping there and possessing +what he had got, but pushes on and falls in with the main body of the +enemy's army. + +While this was doing, Gustavus Horn attacks another post on the hill, +where the Spaniards had posted and lodged themselves behind some +works they had cast up on the side of the hill. Here they defended +themselves with extreme obstinacy for five hours, and at last obliged +the Swedes to give it over with loss. This extraordinary gallantry of +the Spaniards was the saving of the Imperial army; for Duke +Bernhard having all this while resisted the frequent charges of the +Imperialists, and borne the weight of two-thirds of their army, was +not able to stand any longer, but sending one messenger on the neck of +another to Gustavus Horn for more foot, he, finding he could not carry +his point, had given it over, and was in full march to second the +duke. But now it was too late, for the King of Hungary seeing the +duke's men, as it were, wavering, and having notice of Horn's wheeling +about to second him, falls in with all his force upon his flank, +and with his Hungarian hussars, made such a furious charge, that the +Swedes could stand no longer. + +The rout of the left wing was so much the more unhappy, as it happened +just upon Gustavus Horn's coming up; for, being pushed on with the +enemies at their heels, they were driven upon their own friends, who, +having no ground to open and give them way, were trodden down by their +own runaway brethren. This brought all into the utmost confusion. +The Imperialists cried "Victoria!" and fell into the middle of the +infantry with a terrible slaughter. + +I have always observed, 'tis fatal to upbraid an old experienced +officer with want of courage. If Gustavus Horn had not been whetted +with the reproaches of the Baron D'Offkirk, and some of the other +general officers, I believe it had saved the lives of a thousand men; +for when all was thus lost, several officers advised him to make a +retreat with such regiments as he had yet unbroken; but nothing could +persuade him to stir a foot. But turning his flank into a front, he +saluted the enemy, as they passed by him in pursuit of the rest, +with such terrible volleys of small shot, as cost them the lives of +abundance of their men. + +The Imperialists, eager in the pursuit, left him unbroken, till the +Spanish brigade came up and charged him. These he bravely repulsed +with a great slaughter, and after them a body of dragoons; till being +laid at on every side, and most of his men killed, the brave old +general, with all the rest who were left, were made prisoners. + +The Swedes had a terrible loss here, for almost all their infantry +were killed or taken prisoners. Gustavus Horn refused quarter several +times; and still those that attacked him were cut down by his men, +who fought like furies, and by the example of their general, behaved +themselves like lions. But at last, these poor remains of a body of +the bravest men in the world were forced to submit. I have heard him +say, he had much rather have died than been taken, but that he yielded +in compassion to so many brave men as were about him; for none of them +would take quarter till he gave his consent. + +I had the worst share in this battle that ever I had in any action of +my life; and that was to be posted among as brave a body of horse as +any in Germany, and yet not be able to succour our own men; but +our foot were cut in pieces (as it were) before our faces, and the +situation of the ground was such as we could not fall in. All that we +were able to do, was to carry off about 2000 of the foot, who, running +away in the rout of the left wing, rallied among our squadrons, and +got away with us. Thus we stood till we saw all was lost, and then +made the best retreat we could to save ourselves, several regiments +having never charged, nor fired a shot; for the foot had so +embarrassed themselves among the lines and works of the enemy, and in +the vineyards and mountains, that the horse were rendered absolutely +unserviceable. + +The Rhinegrave had made such expedition to join us, that he reached +within three miles of the place of action that night, and he was a +great safeguard for us in rallying our dispersed men, who else had +fallen into the enemy's hands, and in checking the pursuit of the +enemy. + +And indeed, had but any considerable body of the foot made an orderly +retreat, it had been very probable they had given the enemy a brush +that would have turned the scale of victory; for our horse being +whole, and in a manner untouched, the enemy found such a check in the +pursuit, that 1600 of their forwardest men following too eagerly, fell +in with the Rhinegrave's advanced troops the next day, and were cut in +pieces without mercy. + +This gave us some satisfaction for the loss, but it was but small +compared to the ruin of that day. We lost near 8000 men upon the spot, +and above 3000 prisoners, all our cannon and baggage, and 120 colours. +I thought I never made so indifferent a figure in my life, and so we +thought all; to come away, lose our infantry, our general, and our +honour, and never fight for it. Duke Bernhard was utterly disconsolate +for old Gustavus Horn, for he concluded him killed; he tore the hair +from his head like a madman, and telling the Rhinegrave the story of +the council of war, would reproach himself with not taking his advice, +often repeating it in his passion. "Tis I," said he, "have been the +death of the bravest general in Germany;" would call himself fool +and boy, and such names, for not listening to the reasons of an old +experienced soldier. But when he heard he was alive in the enemy's +hands he was the easier, and applied himself to the recruiting his +troops, and the like business of the war; and it was not long before +he paid the Imperialists with interest. + +I returned to Frankfort-au-Main after this action, which happened the +17th of August 1634; but the progress of the Imperialists was so great +that there was no staying at Frankfort. The chancellor Oxenstiern +removed to Magdeburg, Duke Bernhard and the Landgrave marched into +Alsatia, and the Imperialists carried all before them for all the rest +of the campaign. They took Philipsburg by surprise; they took Augsburg +by famine, Spire and Treves by sieges, taking the Elector prisoner. +But this success did one piece of service to the Swedes, that it +brought the French into the war on their side, for the Elector of +Treves was their confederate. The French gave the conduct of the war +to Duke Bernhard. This, though the Duke of Saxony fell off, and fought +against them, turned the scale so much in their favour, that they +recovered their losses, and proved a terror to all Germany. The +farther accounts of the war I refer to the histories of those times, +which I have since read with a great deal of delight. + +I confess when I saw the progress of the Imperial army, after the +battle of Nördlingen, and the Duke of Saxony turning his arms against +them, I thought their affairs declining; and, giving them over for +lost, I left Frankfort, and came down the Rhine to Cologne, and from +thence into Holland. + +I came to the Hague the 8th of March 1635, having spent three years +and a half in Germany, and the greatest part of it in the Swedish +army. + +I spent some time in Holland viewing the wonderful power of art, +which I observed in the fortifications of their towns, where the very +bastions stand on bottomless morasses, and yet are as firm as any in +the world. There I had the opportunity of seeing the Dutch army, +and their famous general, Prince Maurice. 'Tis true, the men behaved +themselves well enough in action, when they were put to it, but the +prince's way of beating his enemies without fighting, was so unlike +the gallantry of my royal instructor, that it had no manner of relish +with me. Our way in Germany was always to seek out the enemy and fight +him; and, give the Imperialists their due, they were seldom hard to +be found, but were as free of their flesh as we were. Whereas Prince +Maurice would lie in a camp till he starved half his men, if by lying +there he could but starve two-thirds of his enemies; so that indeed +the war in Holland had more of fatigues and hardships in it, and ours +had more of fighting and blows. Hasty marches, long and unwholesome +encampments, winter parties, counter-marching, dodging and +entrenching, were the exercises of his men, and oftentimes killed +him more men with hunger, cold and diseases, than he could do with +fighting. Not that it required less courage, but rather more, for +a soldier had at any time rather die in the field _a la coup de +mousquet_, than be starved with hunger, or frozen to death in the +trenches. + +Nor do I think I lessen the reputation of that great general; for 'tis +most certain he ruined the Spaniard more by spinning the war thus out +in length, than he could possibly have done by a swift conquest. +For had he, Gustavus-like, with a torrent of victory dislodged the +Spaniard of all the twelve provinces in five years, whereas he was +forty years a-beating them out of seven, he had left them rich and +strong at home, and able to keep them in constant apprehensions of a +return of his power. Whereas, by the long continuance of the war, he +so broke the very heart of the Spanish monarchy, so absolutely and +irrecoverably impoverished them, that they have ever since languished +of the disease, till they are fallen from the most powerful, to be the +most despicable nation in the world. + +The prodigious charge the King of Spain was at in losing the seven +provinces, broke the very spirit of the nation; and that so much, +that all the wealth of their Peruvian mountains have not been able to +retrieve it; King Philip having often declared that war, besides his +Armada for invading England, had cost him 370,000,000 of ducats, and +4,000,000 of the best soldiers in Europe; whereof, by an unreasonable +Spanish obstinacy, above 60,000 lost their lives before Ostend, a town +not worth a sixth part either of the blood or money it cost in a siege +of three years; and which at last he had never taken, but that Prince +Maurice thought it not worth the charge of defending it any longer. + +However, I say, their way of fighting in Holland did not relish with +me at all. The prince lay a long time before a little fort called +Schenkenschanz, which the Spaniard took by surprise, and I thought he +might have taken it much sooner. Perhaps it might be my mistake, but +I fancied my hero, the King of Sweden, would have carried it sword in +hand, in half the time. + +However it was, I did not like it; so in the latter end of the year I +came to the Hague, and took shipping for England, where I arrived, to +the great satisfaction of my father and all my friends. + +My father was then in London, and carried me to kiss the king's hand. +His Majesty was pleased to receive me very well, and to say a great +many very obliging things to my father upon my account. + +I spent my time very retired from court, for I was almost wholly in +the country; and it being so much different from my genius, which +hankered after a warmer sport than hunting among our Welsh mountains, +I could not but be peeping in all the foreign accounts from Germany, +to see who and who was together. There I could never hear of a battle, +and the Germans being beaten, but I began to wish myself there. +But when an account came of the progress of John Baner, the Swedish +general in Saxony, and of the constant victories he had there over the +Saxons, I could no longer contain myself, but told my father this life +was very disagreeable to me; that I lost my time here, and might to +much more advantage go into Germany, where I was sure I might make my +fortune upon my own terms; that, as young as I was, I might have been +a general officer by this time, if I had not laid down my commission; +that General Baner, or the Marshal Horn, had either of them so much +respect for me, that I was sure I might have anything of them; and +that if he pleased to give me leave, I would go for Germany again. My +father was very unwilling to let me go, but seeing me uneasy, told +me that, if I was resolved, he would oblige me to stay no longer in +England than the next spring, and I should have his consent. + +The winter following began to look very unpleasant upon us in England, +and my father used often to sigh at it; and would tell me sometimes +he was afraid we should have no need to send Englishmen to fight in +Germany. + +The cloud that seemed to threaten most was from Scotland. My father, +who had made himself master of the arguments on both sides, used to be +often saying he feared there was some about the king who exasperated +him too much against the Scots, and drove things too high. For my +part, I confess I did not much trouble my head with the cause; but all +my fear was they would not fall out, and we should have no fighting. +I have often reflected since, that I ought to have known better, that +had seen how the most flourishing provinces of Germany were reduced to +the most miserable condition that ever any country in the world was, +by the ravagings of soldiers, and the calamities of war. + +How much soever I was to blame, yet so it was, I had a secret joy +at the news of the king's raising an army, and nothing could have +withheld me from appearing in it; but my eagerness was anticipated +by an express the king sent to my father, to know if his son was in +England; and my father having ordered me to carry the answer myself, I +waited upon his Majesty with the messenger. The king received me with +his usual kindness, and asked me if I was willing to serve him against +the Scots? + +I answered, I was ready to serve him against any that his Majesty +thought fit to account his enemies, and should count it an honour to +receive his commands. Hereupon his Majesty offered me a commission. I +told him, I supposed there would not be much time for raising of men; +that if his Majesty pleased I would be at the rendezvous with as many +gentlemen as I could get together, to serve his Majesty as volunteers. + +The truth is, I found all the regiments of horse the king designed to +raise were but two as regiments; the rest of the horse were such as +the nobility raised in their several countries, and commanded them +themselves; and, as I had commanded a regiment of horse abroad, it +looked a little odd to serve with a single troop at home; and the king +took the thing presently. "Indeed 'twill be a volunteer war," said the +king, "for the Northern gentry have sent me an account of above 4000 +horse they have already." I bowed, and told his Majesty I was glad to +hear his subjects were forward to serve him. So taking his Majesty's +orders to be at York by the end of March, I returned to my father. + +My father was very glad I had not taken a commission, for I know not +from what kind of emulation between the western and northern gentry. +The gentlemen of our side were not very forward in the service; their +loyalty to the king in the succeeding times made it appear it was not +for any disaffection to his Majesty's interest or person, or to the +cause; but this, however, made it difficult for me when I came home +to get any gentlemen of quality to serve with me, so that I presented +myself to his Majesty only as a volunteer, with eight gentlemen and +about thirty-six countrymen well mounted and armed. + +And as it proved, these were enough, for this expedition ended in an +accommodation with the Scots; and they not advancing so much as to +their own borders, we never came to any action. But the armies lay +in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, ate up the country, +and spent the king a vast sum of money; and so this war ended, a +pacification was made, and both sides returned. + +The truth is, I never saw such a despicable appearance of men in arms +to begin a war in my life; whether it was that I had seen so many +braver armies abroad that prejudiced me against them, or that it +really was so; for to me they seemed little better than a rabble met +together to devour, rather than fight for their king and country. +There was indeed a great appearance of gentlemen, and those of +extraordinary quality; but their garb, their equipages, and their +mien, did not look like war; their troops were filled with footmen +and servants, and wretchedly armed, God wot. I believe I might say, +without vanity, one regiment of Finland horse would have made sport +at beating them all. There were such crowds of parsons (for this was +a Church war in particular) that the camp and court was full of them; +and the king was so eternally besieged with clergymen of one sort or +another, that it gave offence to the chief of the nobility. + +As was the appearance, so was the service. The army marched to the +borders, and the headquarter was at Berwick-upon-Tweed; but the Scots +never appeared, no, not so much as their scouts; whereupon the king +called a council of war, and there it was resolved to send the Earl of +Holland with a party of horse into Scotland, to learn some news of the +enemy. And truly the first news he brought us was, that finding their +army encamped about Coldingham, fifteen miles from Berwick, as soon as +he appeared, the Scots drew out a party to charge him, upon which +most of his men halted--I don't say run away, but 'twas next door to +it--for they could not be persuaded to fire their pistols, and wheel +of like soldiers, but retreated in such a disorderly and shameful +manner, that had the enemy but had either the courage or conduct to +have followed them, it must have certainly ended in the ruin of the +whole party. + + +[Footnote 1: Upon the breach of the match between the King of England +and the Infanta of Spain; and particularly upon the old quarrel of the +King of Bohemia and the Palatinate.] + + + + +THE SECOND PART + + +I confess, when I went into arms at the beginning of this war, I never +troubled myself to examine sides: I was glad to hear the drums beat +for soldiers, as if I had been a mere Swiss, that had not cared which +side went up or down, so I had my pay. I went as eagerly and blindly +about my business, as the meanest wretch that 'listed in the army; nor +had I the least compassionate thought for the miseries of my native +country, till after the fight at Edgehill. I had known as much, and +perhaps more than most in the army, what it was to have an enemy +ranging in the bowels of a kingdom; I had seen the most flourishing +provinces of Germany reduced to perfect deserts, and the voracious +Crabats, with inhuman barbarity, quenching the fires of the plundered +villages with the blood of the inhabitants. Whether this had hardened +me against the natural tenderness which I afterwards found return upon +me, or not, I cannot tell; but I reflected upon myself afterwards with +a great deal of trouble, for the unconcernedness of my temper at the +approaching ruin of my native country. + +I was in the first army at York, as I have already noted, and, I must +confess, had the least diversion there that ever I found in an army in +my life. For when I was in Germany with the King of Sweden, we used +to see the king with the general officers every morning on horseback +viewing his men, his artillery, his horses, and always something going +forward. Here we saw nothing but courtiers and clergymen, bishops and +parsons, as busy as if the direction of the war had been in them. The +king was seldom seen among us, and never without some of them always +about him. + +Those few of us that had seen the wars, and would have made a short +end of this for him, began to be very uneasy; and particularly a +certain nobleman took the freedom to tell the king that the clergy +would certainly ruin the expedition. The case was this: he would +have had the king have immediately marched into Scotland, and put the +matter to the trial of a battle; and he urged it every day. And the +king finding his reasons very good, would often be of his opinion; but +next morning he would be of another mind. + +This gentleman was a man of conduct enough, and of unquestioned +courage, and afterwards lost his life for the king. He saw we had an +army of young stout fellows numerous enough; and though they had not +yet seen much service, he was for bringing them to action, that the +Scots might not have time to strengthen themselves, nor they have +time by idleness and sotting, the bane of soldiers, to make themselves +unfit for anything. + +I was one morning in company with this gentleman; and as he was a warm +man, and eager in his discourse, "A pox of these priests," says he, +"'tis for them the king has raised this army, and put his friends to a +vast charge; and now we are come, they won't let us fight." + +But I was afterwards convinced the clergy saw further into the matter +than we did. They saw the Scots had a better army than we had--bold +and ready, commanded by brave officers--and they foresaw that if we +fought we should be beaten, and if beaten, they were undone. And 'twas +very true, we had all been ruined if we had engaged. + +It is true when we came to the pacification which followed, I confess +I was of the same mind the gentleman had been of; for we had better +have fought and been beaten than have made so dishonourable a treaty +without striking a stroke. This pacification seems to me to have laid +the scheme of all the blood and confusion which followed in the Civil +War. For whatever the king and his friends might pretend to do by +talking big, the Scots saw he was to be bullied into anything, and +that when it came to the push the courtiers never cared to bring it to +blows. + +I have little or nothing to say as to action in this mock expedition. +The king was persuaded at last to march to Berwick; and, as I have +said already, a party of horse went out to learn news of the Scots, +and as soon as they saw them, ran away from them bravely. + +This made the Scots so insolent that, whereas before they lay encamped +behind a river, and never showed themselves, in a sort of modest +deference to their king, which was the pretence of not being +aggressors or invaders, only arming in their own defence, now, having +been invaded by the English troops entering Scotland, they had what +they wanted. And to show it was not fear that retained them before, +but policy, now they came up in parties to our very gates, braving and +facing us every day. + +I had, with more curiosity than discretion, put myself as a volunteer +at the head of one of our parties of horse, under my Lord Holland, +when they went out to discover the enemy; they went, they said, to see +what the Scots were a-doing. + +We had not marched far, but our scouts brought word they had +discovered some horse, but could not come up to them, because a river +parted them. At the heels of these came another party of our men upon +the spur to us, and said the enemy was behind, which might be true for +aught we knew; but it was so far behind that nobody could see them, +and yet the country was plain and open for above a mile before us. +Hereupon we made a halt, and, indeed, I was afraid it would have been +an odd sort of a halt, for our men began to look one upon another, +as they do in like cases, when they are going to break; and when the +scouts came galloping in the men were in such disorder, that had but +one man broke away, I am satisfied they had all run for it. + +I found my Lord Holland did not perceive it; but after the first +surprise was a little over I told my lord what I had observed, and +that unless some course was immediately taken they would all run at +the first sight of the enemy. I found he was much concerned at it, and +began to consult what course to take to prevent it. I confess 'tis a +hard question how to make men stand and face an enemy, when fear has +possessed their minds with an inclination to run away. But I'll give +that honour to the memory of that noble gentleman, who, though his +experience in matters of war was small, having never been in much +service, yet his courage made amends for it; for I daresay he would +not have turned his horse from an army of enemies, nor have saved his +life at the price of running away for it. + +My lord soon saw, as well as I, the fright the men were in, after I +had given him a hint of it; and to encourage them, rode through their +ranks and spoke cheerfully to them, and used what arguments he thought +proper to settle their minds. I remembered a saying which I heard old +Marshal Gustavus Horn speak in Germany, "If you find your men falter, +or in doubt, never suffer them to halt, but keep them advancing; for +while they are going forward, it keeps up their courage." + +As soon as I could get opportunity to speak to him, I gave him this +as my opinion. "That's very well," says my lord, "but I am studying," +says he, "to post them so as that they can't run if they would; and if +they stand but once to face the enemy, I don't fear them afterwards." + +While we were discoursing thus, word was brought that several parties +of the enemies were seen on the farther side of the river, upon which +my lord gave the word to march; and as we were marching on, my lord +calls out a lieutenant who had been an old soldier, with only five +troopers whom he had most confidence in, and having given him his +lesson, he sends him away. In a quarter of an hour one of the +five troopers comes back galloping and hallooing, and tells us his +lieutenant had, with his small party, beaten a party of twenty of the +enemy's horse over the river, and had secured the pass, and desired my +lord would march up to him immediately. + +Tis a strange thing that men's spirits should be subjected to such +sudden changes, and capable of so much alteration from shadows of +things. They were for running before they saw the enemy, now they are +in haste to be led on, and but that in raw men we are obliged to bear +with anything, the disorder in both was intolerable. + +The story was a premeditated sham, and not a word of truth in it, +invented to raise their spirits, and cheat them out of their cowardly +phlegmatic apprehensions, and my lord had his end in it; for they +were all on fire to fall on. And I am persuaded, had they been led +immediately into a battle begun to their hands, they would have laid +about them like furies; for there is nothing like victory to flush a +young soldier. Thus, while the humour was high, and the fermentation +lasted, away we marched, and, passing one of their great commons, +which they call moors, we came to the river, as he called it, where +our lieutenant was posted with his four men; 'twas a little brook +fordable with ease, and, leaving a guard at the pass, we advanced to +the top of a small ascent, from whence we had a fair view of the Scots +army, as they lay behind another river larger than the former. + +Our men were posted well enough, behind a small enclosure, with a +narrow lane in their front. And my lord had caused his dragoons to be +placed in the front to line the hedges; and in this posture he stood +viewing the enemy at a distance. The Scots, who had some intelligence +of our coming, drew out three small parties, and sent them by +different ways to observe our number; and, forming a fourth party, +which I guessed to be about 600 horse, advanced to the top of the +plain, and drew up to face us, but never offered to attack us. + +One of the small parties, making about 100 men, one third foot, +passes upon our flank in view, but out of reach; and, as they marched, +shouted at us, which our men, better pleased with that work than with +fighting, readily enough answered, and would fain have fired at them +for the pleasure of making a noise, for they were too far off to hit +them. + +I observed that these parties had always some foot with them; and yet +if the horse galloped, or pushed on ever so forward, the foot were as +forward as they, which was an extraordinary advantage. + +Gustavus Adolphus, that king of soldiers, was the first that I have +ever observed found the advantage of mixing small bodies of musketeers +among his horse; and, had he had such nimble strong fellows as these, +he would have prized them above all the rest of his men. These were +those they call Highlanders. They would run on foot with their arms +and all their accoutrements, and keep very good order too, and yet +keep pace with the horse, let them go at what rate they would. When I +saw the foot thus interlined among the horse, together with the way of +ordering their flying parties, it presently occurred to my mind that +here was some of our old Scots come home out of Germany that had the +ordering of matters, and if so, I knew we were not a match for them. + +Thus we stood facing the enemy till our scouts brought us word the +whole Scots army was in motion, and in full march to attack us; and, +though it was not true, and the fear of our men doubled every object, +yet 'twas thought convenient to make our retreat. The whole matter was +that the scouts having informed them what they could of our strength, +the 600 were ordered to march towards us, and three regiments of foot +were drawn out to support the horse. + +I know not whether they would have ventured to attack us, at least +before their foot had come up; but whether they would have put it to +the hazard or no, we were resolved not to hazard the trial, so we +drew down to the pass. And, as retreating looks something like running +away, especially when an enemy is at hand, our men had much ado to +make their retreat pass for a march, and not a flight; and, by their +often looking behind them, anybody might know what they would have +done if they had been pressed. + +I confess, I was heartily ashamed when the Scots, coming up to the +place where we had been posted, stood and shouted at us. I would have +persuaded my lord to have charged them, and he would have done it with +all his heart, but he saw it was not practicable; so we stood at gaze +with them above two hours, by which time their foot were come up to +them, and yet they did not offer to attack us. I never was so ashamed +of myself in my life; we were all dispirited. The Scots gentlemen +would come out single, within shot of our post, which in a time of war +is always accounted a challenge to any single gentleman, to come out +and exchange a pistol with them, and nobody would stir; at last our +old lieutenant rides out to meet a Scotchman that came pickeering on +his quarter. This lieutenant was a brave and a strong fellow, had been +a soldier in the Low Countries; and though he was not of any quality, +only a mere soldier, had his preferment for his conduct. He gallops +bravely up to his adversary, and exchanging their pistols, the +lieutenant's horse happened to be killed. The Scotchman very +generously dismounts, and engages him with his sword, and fairly +masters him, and carries him away prisoner; and I think this horse was +all the blood was shed in that war. + +The lieutenant's name thus conquered was English, and as he was a very +stout old soldier, the disgrace of it broke his heart. The Scotchman, +indeed, used him very generously; for he treated him in the camp very +courteously, gave him another horse, and set him at liberty, gratis. +But the man laid it so to heart, that he never would appear in the +army, but went home to his own country and died. + +I had enough of party-making, and was quite sick with indignation at +the cowardice of the men; and my lord was in as great a fret as I, but +there was no remedy. We durst not go about to retreat, for we should +have been in such confusion that the enemy must have discovered it; so +my lord resolved to keep the post, if possible, and send to the king +for some foot. Then were our men ready to fight with one another who +should be the messenger; and at last when a lieutenant with twenty +dragoons was despatched, he told us afterwards he found himself an +hundred strong before he was gotten a mile from the place. + +In short, as soon as ever the day declined, and the dusk of the +evening began to shelter the designs of the men, they dropped away +from us one by one; and at last in such numbers, that if we had stayed +till the morning, we had not had fifty men left; out of 1200 horse and +dragoons. + +When I saw how it was, consulting with some of the officers, we all +went to my Lord Holland, and pressed him to retreat, before the enemy +should discern the flight of our men; so he drew us off, and we came +to the camp the next morning, in the shamefullest condition that ever +poor men could do. And this was the end of the worst expedition ever I +made in my life. + +To fight and be beaten is a casualty common to a soldier, and I have +since had enough of it; but to run away at the sight of an enemy, +and neither strike or be stricken, this is the very shame of the +profession, and no man that has done it ought to show his face +again in the field, unless disadvantages of place or number make it +tolerable, neither of which was our case. + +My Lord Holland made another march a few days after, in hopes to +retrieve this miscarriage; but I had enough of it, so I kept in my +quarters. And though his men did not desert him as before, yet upon +the appearance of the enemy they did not think fit to fight, and came +off with but little more honour than they did before. + +There was no need to go out to seek the enemy after this, for they +came, as I have noted, and pitched in sight of us, and their parties +came up every day to the very out-works of Berwick, but nobody +cared to meddle with them. And in this posture things stood when the +pacification was agreed on by both parties, which, like a short truce, +only gave both sides breath to prepare for a new war more ridiculously +managed than the former. When the treaty was so near a conclusion +as that conversation was admitted on both sides, I went over to the +Scotch camp to satisfy my curiosity, as many of our English officers +did also. + +I confess the soldiers made a very uncouth figure, especially the +Highlanders. The oddness and barbarity of their garb and arms seemed +to have something in it remarkable. + +They were generally tall swinging fellows; their swords were +extravagantly, and, I think, insignificantly broad, and they carried +great wooden targets, large enough to cover the upper part of their +bodies. Their dress was as antique as the rest; a cap on their heads, +called by them a bonnet, long hanging sleeves behind, and their +doublet, breeches, and stockings of a stuff they called plaid, striped +across red and yellow, with short cloaks of the same. These fellows +looked, when drawn out, like a regiment of merry-andrews, ready for +Bartholomew Fair. They are in companies all of a name, and therefore +call one another only by their Christian names, as Jemmy, Jocky, that +is, John, and Sawny, that is, Alexander, and the like. And they scorn +to be commanded but by one of their own clan or family. They are all +gentlemen, and proud enough to be kings. The meanest fellow among them +is as tenacious of his honour as the best nobleman in the country, +and they will fight and cut one another's throats for every trifling +affront. + +But to their own clans or lairds, they are the willingest and most +obedient fellows in nature. Give them their due, were their skill in +exercises and discipline proportioned to their courage, they would +make the bravest soldiers in the world. They are large bodies, and +prodigiously strong; and two qualities they have above other nations, +viz., hardy to endure hunger, cold, and hardships, and wonderfully +swift of foot. The latter is such an advantage in the field that I +know none like it; for if they conquer, no enemy can escape them, and +if they run, even the horse can hardly overtake them. These were some +of them, who, as I observed before, went out in parties with their +horse. + +There were three or four thousand of these in the Scots army, armed +only with swords and targets; and in their belts some of them had a +pistol, but no muskets at that time among them. + +But there were also a great many regiments of disciplined men, who, +by their carrying their arms, looked as if they understood their +business, and by their faces, that they durst see an enemy. + +I had not been half-an-hour in their camp after the ceremony of giving +our names, and passing their out-guards and main-guard was over, but +I was saluted by several of my acquaintance; and in particular, by one +who led the Scotch volunteers at the taking the castle of Oppenheim, +of which I have given an account. They used me with all the respect +they thought due to me, on account of old affairs, gave me the word, +and a sergeant waited upon me whenever I pleased to go abroad. + +I continued twelve or fourteen days among them, till the pacification +was concluded; and they were ordered to march home. They spoke very +respectfully of the king, but I found were exasperated to the last +degree at Archbishop Laud and the English bishops, for endeavouring to +impose the Common Prayer Book upon them; and they always talked with +the utmost contempt of our soldiers and army. I always waived the +discourse about the clergy, and the occasion of the war, but I could +not but be too sensible what they said of our men was true; and by +this I perceived they had an universal intelligence from among us, +both of what we were doing, and what sort of people we were that were +doing it; and they were mighty desirous of coming to blows with us. I +had an invitation from their general, but I declined it, lest I should +give offence. I found they accepted the pacification as a thing not +likely to hold, or that they did not design should hold; and that +they were resolved to keep their forces on foot, notwithstanding the +agreement. Their whole army was full of brave officers, men of as +much experience and conduct as any in the world; and all men who know +anything of the war, know good officers presently make a good army. + +Things being thus huddled up, the English came back to York, where +the army separated, and the Scots went home to increase theirs; for I +easily foresaw that peace was the farthest thing from their thoughts. + +The next year the flame broke out again. The king draws his forces +down into the north, as before, and expresses were sent to all the +gentlemen that had commands to be at the place by the 15th of July. As +I had accepted of no command in the army, so I had no inclination at +all to go, for I foresaw there would be nothing but disgrace attend +it. My father, observing such an alteration in my usual forwardness, +asked me one day what was the matter, that I who used to be so forward +to go into the army, and so eager to run abroad to fight, now showed +no inclination to appear when the service of the king and country +called me to it? I told him I had as much zeal as ever for the king's +service, and for the country too: but he knew a soldier could not +abide to be beaten; and being from thence a little more inquisitive, I +told him the observations I had made in the Scots army, and the people +I had conversed with there. "And, sir," says I, "assure yourself, if +the king offers to fight them, he will be beaten; and I don't love to +engage when my judgment tells me beforehand I shall be worsted." +And as I had foreseen, it came to pass; for the Scots resolving to +proceed, never stood upon the ceremony of aggression, as before, but +on the 20th of August they entered England with their army. + +However, as my father desired, I went to the king's army, which was +then at York, but not gotten all together. The king himself was at +London, but upon this news takes post for the army, and advancing a +part of his forces, he posted the Lord Conway and Sir Jacob Astley, +with a brigade of foot and some horse, at Newburn, upon the river +Tyne, to keep the Scots from passing that river. + +The Scots could have passed the Tyne without fighting; but to let us +see that they were able to force their passage, they fall upon his +body of men and notwithstanding all the advantages of the place, they +beat them from the post, took their baggage and two pieces of cannon, +with some prisoners. Sir Jacob Astley made what resistance he could, +but the Scots charged with so much fury, and being also overpowered, +he was soon put into confusion. Immediately the Scots made themselves +masters of Newcastle, and the next day of Durham, and laid those two +counties under intolerable contributions. + +Now was the king absolutely ruined; for among his own people the +discontents before were so plain, that had the clergy had any +forecast, they would never have embroiled him with the Scots, till he +had fully brought matters to an understanding at home. But the +case was thus: the king, by the good husbandry of Bishop Juxon, his +treasurer, had a million of ready money in his treasury, and upon that +account, having no need of a Parliament, had not called one in twelve +years; and perhaps had never called another, if he had not by this +unhappy circumstance been reduced to a necessity of it; for now +this ready money was spent in two foolish expeditions, and his army +appeared in a condition not fit to engage the Scots. The detachment +under Sir Jacob Astley, which were of the flower of his men, had +been routed at Newburn, and the enemy had possession of two entire +counties. + +All men blamed Laud for prompting the king to provoke the Scots, a +headstrong nation, and zealous for their own way of worship; and Laud +himself found too late the consequences of it, both to the whole cause +and to himself; for the Scots, whose native temper is not easily to +forgive an injury, pursued him by their party in England, and never +gave it over till they laid his head on the block. + +The ruined country now clamoured in his Majesty's ears with daily +petitions, and the gentry of other neighbouring counties cry out for +peace and Parliament. The king, embarrassed with these difficulties, +and quite empty of money, calls a great council of the nobility at +York, and demands their advice, which any one could have told him +before would be to call a Parliament. + +I cannot, without regret, look back upon the misfortune of the king, +who, as he was one of the best princes in his personal conduct that +ever reigned in England, had yet some of the greatest unhappinesses in +his conduct as a king, that ever prince had, and the whole course of +his life demonstrated it. + +1. An impolitic honesty. His enemies called it obstinacy; but as I was +perfectly acquainted with his temper, I cannot but think it was his +judgment, when he thought he was in the right, to adhere to it as a +duty though against his interest. + +2. Too much compliance when he was complying. No man but himself would +have denied what at some times he denied, and have granted what at +other times he granted; and this uncertainty of counsel proceeded from +two things. + +1. The heat of the clergy, to whom he was exceedingly devoted, and for +whom, indeed, he ruined himself. + +2. The wisdom of his nobility. + +Thus when the counsel of his priests prevailed, all was fire and +fury; the Scots were rebels, and must be subdued, and the Parliament's +demands were to be rejected as exorbitant. But whenever the king's +judgment was led by the grave and steady advice of his nobility and +counsellors, he was always inclined by them to temperate his measures +between the two extremes. And had he gone on in such a temper, he had +never met with the misfortunes which afterward attended him, or had +so many thousands of his friends lost their lives and fortunes in his +service. + +I am sure we that knew what it was to fight for him, and that loved +him better than any of the clergy could pretend to, have had many +a consultation how to bring over our master from so espousing their +interest, as to ruin himself for it; but 'twas in vain. + +I took this interval when I sat still and only looked on, to make +these remarks, because I remember the best friends the king had were +at this time of that opinion, that 'twas an unaccountable piece +of indiscretion, to commence a quarrel with the Scots, a poor and +obstinate people, for a ceremony and book of Church discipline, at a +time when the king stood but upon indifferent terms with his people at +home. + +The consequence was, it put arms into the hands of his subjects to +rebel against him; it embroiled him with his Parliament in England, to +whom he was fain to stoop in a fatal and unusual manner to get money, +all his own being spent, and so to buy off the Scots whom he could not +beat off. + +I cannot but give one instance of the unaccountable politics of his +ministers. If they overruled this unhappy king to it, with design to +exhaust and impoverish him, they were the worst of traitors; if not, +the grossest of fools. They prompted the king to equip a fleet against +the Scots, and to put on board it 5000 land men. Had this been all, +the design had been good, that while the king had faced the army upon +the borders, these 5000, landing in the Firth of Edinburgh, might +have put that whole nation into disorder. But in order to this, they +advised the king to lay out his money in fitting out the biggest ships +he had, and the "Royal Sovereign," the biggest ship the world had ever +seen, which cost him no less than £100,000, was now built, and fitted +out for this voyage. + +This was the most incongruous and ridiculous advice that could be +given, and made us all believe we were betrayed, though we knew not by +whom. + +To fit out ships of 100 guns to invade Scotland, which had not one +man-of-war in the world, nor any open confederacy with any prince or +state that had any fleet, 'twas a most ridiculous thing. An hundred +sail of Newcastle colliers, to carry the men with their stores and +provisions, and ten frigates of 40 guns each, had been as good a fleet +as reason and the nature of the thing could have made tolerable. + +Thus things were carried on, till the king, beggared by the +mismanagement of his counsels, and beaten by the Scots, was driven to +the necessity of calling a Parliament in England. + +It is not my design to enter into the feuds and brangles of this +Parliament. I have noted, by observations of their mistakes, who +brought the king to this happy necessity of calling them. + +His Majesty had tried Parliaments upon several occasions before, but +never found himself so much embroiled with them but he could send them +home, and there was an end of it; but as he could not avoid calling +these, so they took care to put him out of a condition to dismiss +them. + +The Scots army was now quartered upon the English. The counties, +the gentry, and the assembly of lords at York, petitioned for a +Parliament. + +The Scots presented their demands to the king, in which it was +observed that matters were concerted between them and a party in +England; and I confess when I saw that, I began to think the king in +an ill case; for as the Scots pretended grievances, we thought, +the king redressing those grievances, they could ask no more; and +therefore all men advised the king to grant their full demands. And +whereas the king had not money to supply the Scots in their march +home, I know there were several meetings of gentlemen with a design to +advance considerable sums of money to the king to set him free, and +in order to reinstate his Majesty, as before. Not that we ever advised +the king to rule without a Parliament, but we were very desirous of +putting him out of the necessity of calling them, at least just then. + +But the eighth article of the Scots' demands expressly required, that +an English Parliament might be called to remove all obstructions of +commerce, and to settle peace, religion, and liberty; and in another +article they tell the king, the 24th of September being the time his +Majesty appointed for the meeting of the peers, will make it too long +ere the Parliament meet. And in another, that a Parliament was the +only way of settling peace, and bring them to his Majesty's obedience. + +When we saw this in the army, 'twas time to look about. Everybody +perceived that the Scots army would call an English Parliament; and +whatever aversion the king had to it, we all saw he would be obliged +to comply with it; and now they all began to see their error, who +advised the king to this Scotch war. + +While these things were transacting, the assembly of the peers meet at +York, and by their advice a treaty was begun with the Scots. I had the +honour to be sent with the first message which was in writing. + +I brought it, attended by a trumpet and a guard of 500 horse, to +the Scots quarters. I was stopped at Darlington, and my errand being +known, General Leslie sent a Scots major and fifty horses to receive +me, but would let neither my trumpet or guard set foot within +their quarters. In this manner I was conducted to audience in the +chapter-house at Durham, where a committee of Scots lords who attended +the army received me very courteously, and gave me their answer in +writing also. + +'Twas in this answer that they showed, at least to me, their design +of embroiling the king with his English subjects; they discoursed very +freely with me, and did not order me to withdraw when they debated +their private opinions. They drew up several answers but did not like +them; at last they gave me one which I did not receive, I thought it +was too insolent to be borne with. As near as I can remember it was +thus: The commissioners of Scotland attending the service in the army, +do refuse any treaty in the city of York. + +One of the commissioners who treated me with more distinction than the +rest, and discoursed freely with me, gave me an opportunity to speak +more freely of this than I expected. + +I told them if they would return to his Majesty an answer fit for me +to carry, or if they would say they would not treat at all, I would +deliver such a message. But I entreated them to consider the answer +was to their sovereign, and to whom they made a great profession of +duty and respect, and at least they ought to give their reasons why +they declined a treaty at York, and to name some other place, or +humbly to desire his Majesty to name some other place; but to send +word they would not treat at York, I could deliver no such message, +for when put into English it would signify they would not treat at +all. + +I used a great many reasons and arguments with them on this head, +and at last with some difficulty obtained of them to give the reason, +which was the Earl of Strafford's having the chief command at York, +whom they declared their mortal enemy, he having declared them rebels +in Ireland. + +With this answer I returned. I could make no observations in the short +time I was with them, for as I stayed but one night, so I was guarded +as a close prisoner all the while. I saw several of their officers +whom I knew, but they durst not speak to me, and if they would have +ventured, my guard would not have permitted them. + +In this manner I was conducted out of their quarters to my own party +again, and having delivered my message to the king and told his +Majesty the circumstances, I saw the king receive the account of the +haughty behaviour of the Scots with some regret; however, it was his +Majesty's time now to bear, and therefore the Scots were complied +with, and the treaty appointed at Ripon; where, after much debate, +several preliminary articles were agreed on, as a cessation of arms, +quarters, and bounds to the armies, subsistence to the Scots army, and +the residue of the demands was referred to a treaty at London, &c. + +We were all amazed at the treaty, and I cannot but remember we used to +wish much rather we had been suffered to fight; for though we had been +worsted at first, the power and strength of the king's interest, which +was not yet tried, must, in fine, have been too strong for the Scots, +whereas now we saw the king was for complying with anything, and all +his friends would be ruined. + +I confess I had nothing to fear, and so was not much concerned, but +our predictions soon came to pass, for no sooner was this Parliament +called but abundance of those who had embroiled their king with his +people of both kingdoms, like the disciples when their Master was +betrayed to the Jews, forsook him and fled; and now Parliament tyranny +began to succeed Church tyranny, and we soldiers were glad to see it +at first. The bishops trembled, the judges went to gaol, the officers +of the customs were laid hold on; and the Parliament began to lay +their fingers on the great ones, particularly Archbishop Laud and the +Earl of Strafford. We had no great concern for the first, but the +last was a man of so much conduct and gallantry, and so beloved by the +soldiers and principal gentry of England, that everybody was touched +with his misfortune. + +The Parliament now grew mad in their turn, and as the prosperity of +any party is the time to show their discretion, the Parliament showed +they knew as little where to stop as other people. The king was not in +a condition to deny anything, and nothing could be demanded but they +pushed it. They attainted the Earl of Strafford, and thereby made +the king cut off his right hand to save his left, and yet not save +it neither. They obtained another bill to empower them to sit during +their own pleasure, and after them, triennial Parliaments to meet, +whether the king call them or no; and granting this completed his +Majesty's ruin. + +Had the House only regulated the abuses of the court, punished evil +counsellors, and restored Parliaments to their original and just +powers, all had been well, and the king, though he had been more than +mortified, had yet reaped the benefit of future peace; for now +the Scots were sent home, after having eaten up two counties, and +received a prodigious sum of money to boot. And the king, though too +late, goes in person to Edinburgh, and grants them all they could +desire, and more than they asked; but in England, the desires of ours +were unbounded, and drove at all extremes. + +They drew out the bishops from sitting in the House, made a +protestation equivalent to the Scotch Covenant, and this done, print +their remonstrance. This so provoked the king, that he resolves upon +seizing some of the members, and in an ill hour enters the House in +person to take them. Thus one imprudent thing on one hand produced +another of the other hand, till the king was obliged to leave them to +themselves, for fear of being mobbed into something or other unworthy +of himself. + +These proceedings began to alarm the gentry and nobility of England; +for, however willing we were to have evil counsellors removed, and +the government return to a settled and legal course, according to the +happy constitution of this nation, and might have been forward enough +to have owned the king had been misled, and imposed upon to do things +which he had rather had not been done, yet it did not follow, that +all the powers and prerogatives of the crown should devolve upon the +Parliament, and the king in a manner be deposed, or else sacrificed to +the fury of the rabble. + +The heats of the House running them thus to all extremes, and at last +to take from the king the power of the militia, which indeed was +all that was left to make him anything of a king, put the king upon +opposing force with force; and thus the flame of civil war began. + +However backward I was in engaging in the second year's expedition +against the Scots, I was as forward now, for I waited on the king +at York, where a gallant company of gentlemen as ever were seen in +England, engaged themselves to enter into his service; and here some +of us formed ourselves into troops for the guard of his person. + +The king having been waited upon by the gentry of Yorkshire, and +having told them his resolution of erecting his royal standard, and +received from them hearty assurances of support, dismisses them, and +marches to Hull, where lay the train of artillery, and all the +arms and ammunition belonging to the northern army which had been +disbanded. But here the Parliament had been beforehand with his +Majesty, so that when he came to Hull, he found the gates shut, and +Sir John Hotham, the governor, upon the walls, though with a great +deal of seeming humility and protestations of loyalty to his person, +yet with a positive denial to admit any of the king's attendants into +the town. If his Majesty pleased to enter the town in person with any +reasonable number of his household, he would submit, but would not +be prevailed on to receive the king as he would be received, with his +forces, though those forces were then but very few. + +The king was exceedingly provoked at this repulse, and indeed it was +a great surprise to us all, for certainly never prince began a war +against the whole strength of his kingdom under the circumstances that +he was in. He had not a garrison, or a company of soldiers in his +pay, not a stand of arms, or a barrel of powder, a musket, cannon +or mortar, not a ship of all the fleet, or money in his treasury to +procure them; whereas the Parliament had all his navy, and ordnance, +stores, magazines, arms, ammunition, and revenue in their keeping. +And this I take to be another defect of the king's counsel, and a sad +instance of the distraction of his affairs, that when he saw how all +things were going to wreck, as it was impossible but he should see it, +and 'tis plain he did see it, that he should not long enough before it +came to extremities secure the navy, magazines, and stores of war, in +the hands of his trusty servants, that would have been sure to have +preserved them for his use, at a time when he wanted them. + +It cannot be supposed but the gentry of England, who generally +preserved their loyalty for their royal master, and at last heartily +showed it, were exceedingly discouraged at first when they saw the +Parliament had all the means of making war in their own hands, and the +king was naked and destitute either of arms or ammunition, or money +to procure them. Not but that the king, by extraordinary application, +recovered the disorder the want of these things had thrown him into, +and supplied himself with all things needful. + +But my observation was this, had his Majesty had the magazines, navy, +and forts in his own hand, the gentry, who wanted but the prospect of +something to encourage them, had come in at first, and the Parliament, +being unprovided, would have been presently reduced to reason. But +this was it that balked the gentry of Yorkshire, who went home again, +giving the king good promises, but never appeared for him, till +by raising a good army in Shropshire and Wales, he marched towards +London, and they saw there was a prospect of their being supported. + +In this condition the king erected his standard at Nottingham, 22nd +August 1642, and I confess, I had very melancholy apprehensions of +the king's affairs, for the appearance to the royal standard was +but small. The affront the king had met with at Hull, had balked and +dispirited the northern gentry, and the king's affairs looked with +a very dismal aspect. We had expresses from London of the prodigious +success of the Parliament levies, how their men came in faster than +they could entertain them, and that arms were delivered out to whole +companies listed together, and the like. And all this while the +king had not got together a thousand foot, and had no arms for them +neither. When the king saw this, he immediately despatches five +several messengers, whereof one went to the Marquis of Worcester into +Wales; one went to the queen, then at Windsor; one to the Duke +of Newcastle, then Marquis of Newcastle, into the north; one into +Scotland; and one into France, where the queen soon after arrived to +raise money, and buy arms, and to get what assistance she could among +her own friends. Nor was her Majesty idle, for she sent over several +ships laden with arms and ammunition, with a fine train of artillery, +and a great many very good officers; and though one of the first fell +into the hands of the Parliament, with three hundred barrels of powder +and some arms, and one hundred and fifty gentlemen, yet most of the +gentlemen found means, one way or other, to get to us, and most of +the ships the queen freighted arrived; and at last her Majesty came +herself, and brought an extraordinary supply both of men, money, +arms, &c., with which she joined the king's forces under the Earl of +Newcastle in the north. + +Finding his Majesty thus bestirring himself to muster his friends +together, I asked him if he thought it might not be for his Majesty's +service to let me go among my friends, and his loyal subjects about +Shrewsbury? "Yes," says the king, smiling, "I intend you shall, and +I design to go with you myself." I did not understand what the king +meant then, and did not think it good manners to inquire, but the next +day I found all things disposed for a march, and the king on horseback +by eight of the clock; when calling me to him, he told me I should +go before, and let my father and all my friends know he would be at +Shrewsbury the Saturday following. I left my equipages, and taking +post with only one servant, was at my father's the next morning by +break of day. My father was not surprised at the news of the king's +coming at all, for, it seems, he, together with the royal gentry of +those parts, had sent particularly to give the king an invitation to +move that way, which I was not made privy to, with an account what +encouragement they had there in the endeavours made for his interest. +In short, the whole country was entirely for the king, and such was +the universal joy the people showed when the news of his Majesty's +coming down was positively known, that all manner of business was laid +aside, and the whole body of the people seemed to be resolved upon the +war. + +As this gave a new face to the king's affairs, so I must own it filled +me with joy; for I was astonished before, when I considered what +the king and his friends were like to be exposed to. The news of the +proceedings of the Parliament, and their powerful preparations, were +now no more terrible; the king came at the time appointed, and +having lain at my father's house one night, entered Shrewsbury in the +morning. The acclamations of the people, the concourse of the nobility +and gentry about his person, and the crowds which now came every day +into the standard, were incredible. + +The loyalty of the English gentry was not only worth notice, but the +power of the gentry is extraordinary visible in this matter. The +king, in about six weeks' time, which was the most of his stay at +Shrewsbury, was supplied with money, arms, ammunition, and a train of +artillery, and listed a body of an army upwards of 20,000 men. + +His Majesty seeing the general alacrity of his people, immediately +issued out commissions, and formed regiments of horse and foot; +and having some experienced officers about him, together with about +sixteen who came from France, with a ship loaded with arms and some +field-pieces which came very seasonably into the Severn, the men were +exercised, regularly disciplined, and quartered, and now we began to +look like soldiers. My father had raised a regiment of horse at his +own charge, and completed them, and the king gave out arms to them +from the supplies which I mentioned came from abroad. Another party +of horse, all brave stout fellows, and well mounted, came in from +Lancashire, and the Earl of Derby at the head of them. The Welshmen +came in by droves; and so great was the concourse of people, that the +king began to think of marching, and gave the command, as well as the +trust of regulating the army, to the brave Earl of Lindsey, as general +of the foot. The Parliament general being the Earl of Essex, two +braver men, or two better officers, were not in the kingdom; they had +both been old soldiers, and had served together as volunteers in the +Low Country wars, under Prince Maurice. They had been comrades and +companions abroad, and now came to face one another as enemies in the +field. + +Such was the expedition used by the king and his friends, in the +levies of this first army, that notwithstanding the wonderful +expedition the Parliament made, the king was in the field before them; +and now the gentry in other parts of the nation bestirred themselves, +and seized upon, and garrisoned several considerable places, for the +king. In the north, the Earl of Newcastle not only garrisoned the most +considerable places, but even the general possession of the north was +for the king, excepting Hull, and some few places, which the old Lord +Fairfax had taken up for the Parliament. On the other hand, entire +Cornwall and most of the western counties were the king's. The +Parliament had their chief interest in the south and eastern part +of England, as Kent, Surrey, and, Sussex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, +Cambridge, Bedford, Huntingdon, Hertford, Buckinghamshire, and the +other midland counties. These were called, or some of them at least, +the associated counties, and felt little of the war, other than +the charges; but the main support of the Parliament was the city of +London. + +The king made the seat of his court at Oxford, which he caused to be +regularly fortified. The Lord Say had been here, and had possession of +the city for the enemy, and was debating about fortifying it, but +came to no resolution, which was a very great over-sight in them; the +situation of the place, and the importance of it, on many accounts, +to the city of London, considered; and they would have retrieved this +error afterwards, but then 'twas too late; for the king made it the +headquarter, and received great supplies and assistance from the +wealth of the colleges, and the plenty of the neighbouring country. +Abingdon, Wallingford, Basing, and Reading, were all garrisoned and +fortified as outworks to defend this as the centre. And thus all +England became the theatre of blood, and war was spread into every +corner of the country, though as yet there was no stroke struck. I had +no command in this army. My father led his own regiment, and, old as +he was, would not leave his royal master, and my elder brother stayed +at home to support the family. As for me, I rode a volunteer in the +royal troop of guards, which may very well deserve the title of a +royal troop, for it was composed of young gentlemen, sons of the +nobility, and some of the prime gentry of the nation, and I think not +a person of so mean a birth or fortune as myself. We reckoned in this +troop two and thirty lords, or who came afterwards to be such, +and eight and thirty of younger sons of the nobility, five French +noblemen, and all the rest gentlemen of very good families and +estates. + +And that I may give the due to their personal valour, many of this +troop lived afterwards to have regiments and troops under their +command in the service of the king, many of them lost their lives for +him, and most of them their estates. Nor did they behave unworthy of +themselves in their first showing their faces to the enemy, as shall +be mentioned in its place. + +While the king remained at Shrewsbury, his loyal friends bestirred +themselves in several parts of the kingdom. Goring had secured +Portsmouth, but being young in matters of war, and not in time +relieved, though the Marquis of Hertford was marching to relieve him, +yet he was obliged to quit the place, and shipped himself for Holland, +from whence he returned with relief for the king, and afterwards +did very good service upon all occasions, and so effectually cleared +himself of the scandal the hasty surrender of Portsmouth had brought +upon his courage. + +The chief power of the king's forces lay in three places, in Cornwall, +in Yorkshire, and at Shrewsbury. In Cornwall, Sir Ralph Hopton, +afterwards Lord Hopton, Sir Bevil Grenvile, and Sir Nicholas Slanning +secured all the country, and afterwards spread themselves over +Devonshire and Somersetshire, took Exeter from the Parliament, +fortified Bridgewater and Barnstaple, and beat Sir William Waller at +the battle of Roundway Down, as I shall touch at more particularly +when I come to recite the part of my own travels that way. + +In the north, The Marquis of Newcastle secured all the country, +garrisoned York, Scarborough, Carlisle, Newcastle, Pomfret, Leeds, and +all the considerable places, and took the field with a very good army, +though afterwards he proved more unsuccessful than the rest, having +the whole power of a kingdom at his back, the Scots coming in with +an army to the assistance of the Parliament, which, indeed, was the +general turn of the scale of the war; for had it not been for this +Scots army, the king had most certainly reduced the Parliament, at +least to good terms of peace, in two years' time. + +The king was the third article. His force at Shrewsbury I have noted +already. The alacrity of the gentry filled him with hopes, and all his +army with vigour, and the 8th of October 1642, his Majesty gave orders +to march. The Earl of Essex had spent above a month after his leaving +London (for he went thence the 9th of September) in modelling and +drawing together his forces; his rendezvous was at St Albans, from +whence he marched to Northampton, Coventry, and Warwick, and leaving +garrisons in them, he comes on to Worcester. Being thus advanced, he +possesses Oxford, as I noted before, Banbury, Bristol, Gloucester, and +Worcester, out of all which places, except Gloucester, we drove him +back to London in a very little while. + +Sir John Byron had raised a very good party of 500 horse, most +gentlemen, for the king, and had possessed Oxford; but on the approach +of the Lord Say quitted it, being now but an open town, and retreated +to Worcester, from whence, on the approach of Essex's army, he +retreated to the king. And now all things grew ripe for action, both +parties having secured their posts, and settled their schemes of the +war, taken their posts and places as their measures and opportunities +directed. The field was next in their eye, and the soldiers began to +inquire when they should fight, for as yet there had been little or no +blood drawn; and 'twas not long before they had enough of it; for, I +believe, I may challenge all the historians in Europe to tell me of +any war in the world where, in the space of four years, there were so +many pitched battles, sieges, fights, and skirmishes, as in this war. +We never encamped or entrenched, never fortified the avenues to our +posts, or lay fenced with rivers and defiles; here was no leaguers in +the field, as at the story of Nuremberg, neither had our soldiers any +tents, or what they call heavy baggage. 'Twas the general maxim of +this war, "Where is the enemy? let us go and fight them," or, on the +other hand, if the enemy was coming, "What was to be done?" "Why, what +should be done? Draw out into the fields and fight them." I cannot say +'twas the prudence of the parties, and had the king fought less he had +gained more. And I shall remark several times when the eagerness of +fighting was the worst counsel, and proved our loss. This benefit, +however, happened in general to the country, that it made a quick, +though a bloody, end of the war, which otherwise had lasted till it +might have ruined the whole nation. + +On the 10th of October the king's army was in full march, his Majesty, +generalissimo, the Earl of Lindsey, general of the foot, Prince +Rupert, general of the horse; and the first action in the field was by +Prince Rupert and Sir John Byron. Sir John had brought his body of +500 horse, as I noted already, from Oxford to Worcester; the Lord +Say, with a strong party, being in the neighbourhood of Oxford, and +expected in the town, Colonel Sandys, a hot man, and who had more +courage than judgment, advances with about 1500 horse and dragoons, +with design to beat Sir John Byron out of Worcester, and take post +there for the Parliament. + +The king had notice that the Earl of Essex designed for Worcester, and +Prince Rupert was ordered to advance with a body of horse and dragoons +to face the enemy, and bring off Sir John Byron. This his Majesty did +to amuse the Earl of Essex, that he might expect him that way; whereas +the king's design was to get between the Earl of Essex's army and the +city of London; and his Majesty's end was doubly answered, for he +not only drew Essex on to Worcester, where he spent more time than he +needed, but he beat the party into the bargain. + +I went volunteer in this party, and rode in my father's regiment; for +though we really expected not to see the enemy, yet I was tired with +lying still. We came to Worcester just as notice was brought to +Sir John Byron, that a party of the enemy was on their march for +Worcester, upon which the prince immediately consulting what was to be +done, resolves to march the next morning and fight them. + +The enemy, who lay at Pershore, about eight miles from Worcester, and, +as I believe, had no notice of our march, came on very confidently +in the morning, and found us fairly drawn up to receive them. I must +confess this was the bluntest, downright way of making war that ever +was seen. The enemy, who, in all the little knowledge I had of war, +ought to have discovered our numbers, and guessed by our posture what +our design was, might easily have informed themselves that we intended +to attack them, and so might have secured the advantage of a bridge in +their front; but without any regard to these methods of policy, they +came on at all hazards. Upon this notice, my father proposed to the +prince to halt for them, and suffer ourselves to be attacked, since +we found them willing to give us the advantage. The prince approved of +the advice, so we halted within view of a bridge, leaving space enough +on our front for about half the number of their forces to pass and +draw up; and at the bridge was posted about fifty dragoons, with +orders to retire as soon as the enemy advanced, as if they had been +afraid. On the right of the road was a ditch, and a very high bank +behind, where we had placed 300 dragoons, with orders to lie flat on +their faces till the enemy had passed the bridge, and to let fly among +them as soon as our trumpets sounded a charge. Nobody but Colonel +Sandys would have been caught in such a snare, for he might easily +have seen that when he was over the bridge there was not room enough +for him to fight in. But the Lord of hosts was so much in their +mouths, for that was the word for that day, that they took little heed +how to conduct the host of the Lord to their own advantage. + +As we expected, they appeared, beat our dragoons from the bridge, and +passed it. We stood firm in one line with a reserve, and expected a +charge, but Colonel Sandys, showing a great deal more judgment than +we thought he was master of, extends himself to the left, finding +the ground too strait, and began to form his men with a great deal of +readiness and skill, for by this time he saw our number was greater +than he expected. The prince perceiving it, and foreseeing that the +stratagem of the dragoons would be frustrated by this, immediately +charges with the horse, and the dragoons at the same time standing +upon their feet, poured in their shot upon those that were passing +the bridge. This surprise put them into such disorder, that we had but +little work with them. For though Colonel Sandys with the troops next +him sustained the shock very well, and behaved themselves gallantly +enough, yet the confusion beginning in their rear, those that had not +yet passed the bridge were kept back by the fire of the dragoons, +and the rest were easily cut in pieces. Colonel Sandys was mortally +wounded and taken prisoner, and the crowd was so great to get back, +that many pushed into the water, and were rather smothered than +drowned. Some of them who never came into the fight, were so frighted, +that they never looked behind them till they came to Pershore, and, +as we were afterwards informed, the lifeguards of the general who had +quartered in the town, left it in disorder enough, expecting us at the +heels of their men. + +If our business had been to keep the Parliament army from coming to +Worcester, we had a very good opportunity to have secured the bridge +at Pershore; but our design lay another way, as I have said, and the +king was for drawing Essex on to the Severn, in hopes to get behind +him, which fell out accordingly. + +Essex, spurred by this affront in the infancy of their affairs, +advances the next day, and came to Pershore time enough to be at the +funeral of some of his men; and from thence he advances to Worcester. + +We marched back to Worcester extremely pleased with the good success +of our first attack, and our men were so flushed with this little +victory that it put vigour into the whole army. The enemy lost about +3000 men, and we carried away near 150 prisoners, with 500 horses, +some standards and arms, and among the prisoners their colonel; but he +died a little after of his wounds. + +Upon the approach of the enemy, Worcester was quitted, and the forces +marched back to join the king's army, which lay then at Bridgnorth, +Ludlow, and thereabout. As the king expected, it fell out; Essex found +so much work at Worcester to settle Parliament quarters, and secure +Bristol, Gloucester, and Hereford, that it gave the king a full day's +march of him. So the king, having the start of him, moves towards +London; and Essex, nettled to be both beaten in fight and outdone in +conduct, decamps, and follows the king. + +The Parliament, and the Londoners too, were in a strange consternation +at this mistake of their general; and had the king, whose great +misfortune was always to follow precipitant advices,--had the king, +I say, pushed on his first design, which he had formed with very good +reason, and for which he had been dodging with Essex eight or ten +days, viz., of marching directly to London, where he had a very +great interest, and where his friends were not yet oppressed and +impoverished, as they were afterwards, he had turned the scale of his +affairs. And every man expected it; for the members began to shift +for themselves, expresses were sent on the heels of one another to the +Earl of Essex to hasten after the king, and, if possible, to bring him +to a battle. Some of these letters fell into our hands, and we might +easily discover that the Parliament were in the last confusion at +the thoughts of our coming to London. Besides this, the city was in a +worse fright than the House, and the great moving men began to go +out of town. In short, they expected us, and we expected to come, but +Providence for our ruin had otherwise determined it. + +Essex, upon news of the king's march, and upon receipt of the +Parliament's letters, makes long marches after us, and on the 23rd of +October reaches the village of Kineton, in Warwickshire. The king was +almost as far as Banbury, and there calls a council of war. Some of +the old officers that foresaw the advantage the king had, the concern +the city was in, and the vast addition, both to the reputation of his +forces and the increase of his interest, it would be if the king could +gain that point, urged the king to march on to London. Prince +Rupert and the fresh colonels pressed for fighting, told the king it +dispirited their men to march with the enemy at their heels; that the +Parliament army was inferior to him by 6000 men, and fatigued with +hasty marching; that as their orders were to fight, he had nothing +to do but to post himself to advantage, and receive them to their +destruction; that the action near Worcester had let them know how easy +it was to deal with a rash enemy; and that 'twas a dishonour for him, +whose forces were so much superior, to be pursued by his subjects in +rebellion. These and the like arguments prevailed with the king to +alter his wiser measures and resolve to fight. Nor was this all; when +a resolution of fighting was taken, that part of the advice which they +who were for fighting gave, as a reason for their opinion, was forgot, +and instead of halting and posting ourselves to advantage till the +enemy came up, we were ordered to march back and meet them. + +Nay, so eager was the prince for fighting, that when, from the top of +Edgehill, the enemy's army was descried in the bottom between them +and the village of Kineton, and that the enemy had bid us defiance, +by discharging three cannons, we accepted the challenge, and answering +with two shots from our army, we must needs forsake the advantages +of the hills, which they must have mounted under the command of our +cannon, and march down to them into the plain. I confess, I thought +here was a great deal more gallantry than discretion; for it was +plainly taking an advantage out of our own hands, and putting it into +the hands of the enemy. An enemy that must fight, may always be fought +with to advantage. My old hero, the glorious Gustavus Adolphus, was as +forward to fight as any man of true valour mixed with any policy need +to be, or ought to be; but he used to say, "An enemy reduced to a +necessity of fighting is half beaten." + +Tis true, we were all but young in the war; the soldiers hot and +forward, and eagerly desired to come to hands with the enemy. But +I take the more notice of it here, because the king in this acted +against his own measures; for it was the king himself had laid the +design of getting the start of Essex, and marching to London. His +friends had invited him thither, and expected him, and suffered deeply +for the omission; and yet he gave way to these hasty counsels, and +suffered his judgment to be overruled by majority of voices; an error, +I say, the King of Sweden was never guilty of. For if all the officers +at a council of war were of a different opinion, yet unless their +reasons mastered his judgment, their votes never altered his measures. +But this was the error of our good, but unfortunate master, three +times in this war, and particularly in two of the greatest battles of +the time, viz., this of Edgehill, and that of Naseby. + +The resolution for fighting being published in the army, gave an +universal joy to the soldiers, who expressed an extraordinary ardour +for fighting. I remember my father talking with me about it, asked +me what I thought of the approaching battle. I told him I thought the +king had done very well; for at that time I did not consult the extent +of the design, and had a mighty mind, like other rash people, to see +it brought to a day, which made me answer my father as I did. "But," +said I, "sir, I doubt there will be but indifferent doings on both +sides, between two armies both made up of fresh men, that have never +seen any service." My father minded little what I spoke of that; but +when I seemed pleased that the king had resolved to fight, he looked +angrily at me, and told me he was sorry I could see no farther into +things. "I tell you," says he hastily, "if the king should kill and +take prisoners this whole army, general and all, the Parliament will +have the victory; for we have lost more by slipping this opportunity +of getting into London, than we shall ever get by ten battles." I +saw enough of this afterwards to convince me of the weight of what +my father said, and so did the king too; but it was then too late. +Advantages slipped in war are never recovered. + +We were now in a full march to fight the Earl of Essex. It was on +Sunday morning the 24th of October 1642, fair weather overhead, but +the ground very heavy and dirty. As soon as we came to the top of +Edgehill, we discovered their whole army. They were not drawn up, +having had two miles to march that morning, but they were very busy +forming their lines, and posting the regiments as they came up. Some +of their horse were exceedingly fatigued, having marched forty-eight +hours together; and had they been suffered to follow us three or four +days' march farther, several of their regiments of horse would +have been quite ruined, and their foot would have been rendered +unserviceable for the present. But we had no patience. + +As soon as our whole army was come to the top of the hill, we +were drawn up in order of battle. The king's army made a very fine +appearance; and indeed they were a body of gallant men as ever +appeared in the field, and as well furnished at all points; the +horse exceedingly well accoutred, being most of them gentlemen and +volunteers, some whole regiments serving without pay; their horses +very good and fit for service as could be desired. The whole army were +not above 18,000 men, and the enemy not 1000 over or under, though we +had been told they were not above 12,000; but they had been reinforced +with 4000 men from Northampton. The king was with the general, the +Earl of Lindsey, in the main battle; Prince Rupert commanded the right +wing, and the Marquis of Hertford, the Lord Willoughby, and several +other very good officers the left. + +The signal of battle being given with two cannon shots, we marched +in order of battalia down the hill, being drawn up in two lines with +bodies of reserve; the enemy advanced to meet us much in the same +form, with this difference only, that they had placed their cannon on +their right, and the king had placed ours in the centre, before, or +rather between two great brigades of foot. Their cannon began with us +first, and did some mischief among the dragoons of our left wing; but +our officers, perceiving the shot took the men and missed the horses, +ordered all to alight, and every man leading his horse, to advance in +the same order; and this saved our men, for most of the enemy's shot +flew over their heads. Our cannon made a terrible execution upon their +foot for a quarter of an hour, and put them into great confusion, +till the general obliged them to halt, and changed the posture of his +front, marching round a small rising ground by which he avoided the +fury of our artillery. + +By this time the wings were engaged, the king having given the signal +of battle, and ordered the right wing to fall on. Prince Rupert, who, +as is said, commanded that wing, fell on with such fury, and pushed +the left wing of the Parliament army so effectually, that in a moment +he filled all with terror and confusion. Commissary-General Ramsey, a +Scotsman, a Low Country Soldier, and an experienced officer, commanded +their left wing, and though he did all that an expert soldier, and +a brave commander could do, yet 'twas to no purpose; his lines were +immediately broken, and all overwhelmed in a trice. Two regiments of +foot, whether as part of the left wing, or on the left of the main +body, I know not, were disordered by their own horse, and rather +trampled to death by the horses, than beaten by our men; but they were +so entirely broken and disordered, that I do not remember that ever +they made one volley upon our men; for their own horse running away, +and falling foul on these foot, were so vigorously followed by our +men, that the foot never had a moment to rally or look behind them. +The point of the left wing of horse were not so soon broken as the +rest, and three regiments of them stood firm for some time. The +dexterous officers of the other regiments taking the opportunity, +rallied a great many of their scattered men behind them, and pieced +in some troops with those regiments; but after two or three charges, +which a brigade of our second line, following the prince, made upon +them, they also were broken with the rest. + +I remember that at the great battle of Leipsic, the right wing of the +Imperialists having fallen in upon the Saxons with like fury to this, +bore down all before them, and beat the Saxons quite out of the field; +upon which the soldiers cried, "Victoria, let us follow." "No, no," +said the old General Tilly, "let them go, but let us beat the Swedes +too, and then all's our own." Had Prince Rupert taken this method, and +instead of following the fugitives, who were dispersed so effectually +that two regiments would have secured them from rallying--I say, had +he fallen in upon the foot, or wheeled to the left, and fallen in +upon the rear of the enemy's right wing of horse, or returned to +the assistance of the left wing of our horse, we had gained the most +absolute and complete victory that could be; nor had 1000 men of +the enemy's army got off. But this prince, who was full of fire, and +pleased to see the rout of an enemy, pursued them quite to the town of +Kineton, where indeed he killed abundance of their men, and some time +also was lost in plundering the baggage. + +But in the meantime, the glory and advantage of the day was lost to +the king, for the right wing of the Parliament horse could not be so +broken. Sir William Balfour made a desperate charge upon the point of +the king's left, and had it not been for two regiments of dragoons who +were planted in the reserve, had routed the whole wing, for he broke +through the first line, and staggered the second, who advanced to +their assistance, but was so warmly received by those dragoons, who +came seasonably in, and gave their first fire on horseback, that his +fury was checked, and having lost a great many men, was forced to +wheel about to his own men; and had the king had but three regiments +of horse at hand to have charged him, he had been routed. The rest of +this wing kept their ground, and received the first fury of the enemy +with great firmness; after which, advancing in their turn, they +were at once masters of the Earl of Essex's cannon. And here we lost +another advantage; for if any foot had been at hand to support these +horse, they had carried off the cannon, or turned it upon the main +battle of the enemy's foot, but the foot were otherwise engaged. The +horse on this side fought with great obstinacy and variety of success +a great while. Sir Philip Stapleton, who commanded the guards of the +Earl of Essex, being engaged with a party of our Shrewsbury cavaliers, +as we called them, was once in a fair way to have been cut off by +a brigade of our foot, who, being advanced to fall on upon the +Parliament's main body, flanked Sir Philip's horse in their way, and +facing to the left, so furiously charged him with their pikes, that he +was obliged to retire in great disorder, and with the loss of a great +many men and horses. + +All this while the foot on both sides were desperately engaged, and +coming close up to the teeth of one another with the clubbed musket +and push of pike, fought with great resolution, and a terrible +slaughter on both sides, giving no quarter for a great while; and they +continued to do thus, till, as if they were tired, and out of wind, +either party seemed willing enough to leave off, and take breath. +Those which suffered most were that brigade which had charged Sir +William Stapleton's horse, who being bravely engaged in the front +with the enemy's foot, were, on the sudden, charged again in front +and flank by Sir William Balfour's horse and disordered, after a +very desperate defence. Here the king's standard was taken, the +standard-bearer, Sir Edward Verney, being killed; but it was rescued +again by Captain Smith, and brought to the king the same night, for +which the king knighted the captain. + +This brigade of foot had fought all the day, and had not been broken +at last, if any horse had been at hand to support them. The field +began to be now clear; both armies stood, as it were, gazing at one +another, only the king, having rallied his foot, seemed inclined to +renew the charge, and began to cannonade them, which they could not +return, most of their cannon being nailed while they were in our +possession, and all the cannoniers killed or fled; and our gunners did +execution upon Sir William Balfour's troops for a good while. + +My father's regiment being in the right with the prince, I saw little +of the fight but the rout of the enemy's left, and we had as full a +victory there as we could desire, but spent too much time in it. We +killed about 2000 men in that part of the action, and having totally +dispersed them, and plundered their baggage, began to think of our +fellows when 'twas too late to help them. We returned, however, +victorious to the king, just as the battle was over. The king asked +the prince what news? He told him he could give his Majesty a good +account of the enemy's horse. "Ay, by G--d," says a gentleman that +stood by me, "and of their carts too." That word was spoken with such +a sense of the misfortune, and made such an impression on the whole +army, that it occasioned some ill blood afterwards among us; and but +that the king took up the business, it had been of ill consequence, +for some person who had heard the gentleman speak it, informed the +prince who it was, and the prince resenting it, spoke something +about it in the hearing of the party when the king was present. The +gentleman, not at all surprised, told his Highness openly he had said +the words; and though he owned he had no disrespect for his Highness, +yet he could not but say, if it had not been so, the enemy's army had +been better beaten. The prince replied something very disobliging; +upon which the gentleman came up to the king, and kneeling, humbly +besought his Majesty to accept of his commission, and to give him +leave to tell the prince, that whenever his Highness pleased, he was +ready to give him satisfaction. The prince was exceedingly provoked, +and as he was very passionate, began to talk very oddly, and without +all government of himself. The gentleman, as bold as he, but much +calmer preserved his temper, but maintained his quarrel; and the king +was so concerned, that he was very much out of humour with the prince +about it. However, his Majesty, upon consideration, soon ended the +dispute, by laying his commands on them both to speak no more of it +for that day; and refusing the commission from the colonel, for he +was no less, sent for them both next morning in private, and made them +friends again. + +But to return to our story. We came back to the king timely enough to +put the Earl of Essex's men out of all humour of renewing the fight, +and as I observed before, both parties stood gazing at one another, +and our cannon playing upon them obliged Sir William Balfour's horse +to wheel off in some disorder, but they returned us none again, which, +as we afterwards understood, was, as I said before, for want of both +powder and gunners, for the cannoniers and firemen were killed, or +had quitted their train in the fight, when our horse had possession of +their artillery; and as they had spiked up some of the cannon, so they +had carried away fifteen carriages of powder. + +Night coming on, ended all discourse of more fighting, and the king +drew off and marched towards the hills. I know no other token of +victory which the enemy had than their lying in the field of battle +all night, which they did for no other reason than that, having lost +their baggage and provisions, they had nowhere to go, and which we did +not, because we had good quarters at hand. + +The number of prisoners and of the slain were not very unequal; the +enemy lost more men, we most of quality. Six thousand men on both +sides were killed on the spot, whereof, when our rolls were examined, +we missed 2500. We lost our brave general the old Earl of Lindsey, +who was wounded and taken prisoner, and died of his wounds; Sir Edward +Stradling, Colonel Lundsford, prisoners; and Sir Edward Verney and a +great many gentlemen of quality slain. On the other hand, we carried +off Colonel Essex, Colonel Ramsey, and the Lord St John, who also died +of his wounds; we took five ammunition waggons full of powder, and +brought off about 500 horse in the defeat of the left wing, with +eighteen standards and colours, and lost seventeen. + +The slaughter of the left wing was so great, and the flight so +effectual, that several of the officers rid clear away, coasting +round, and got to London, where they reported that the Parliament army +was entirely defeated--all lost, killed, or taken, as if none but them +were left alive to carry the news. This filled them with consternation +for a while, but when other messengers followed, all was restored +to quiet again, and the Parliament cried up their victory and +sufficiently mocked God and their general with their public thanks for +it. Truly, as the fight was a deliverance to them, they were in the +right to give thanks for it; but as to its being a victory, neither +side had much to boast of, and they less a great deal than we had. + +I got no hurt in this fight, and indeed we of the right wing had but +little fighting; I think I had discharged my pistols but once, and my +carabine twice, for we had more fatigue than fight; the enemy +fled, and we had little to do but to follow and kill those we could +overtake. I spoiled a good horse, and got a better from the enemy in +his room, and came home weary enough. My father lost his horse, and +in the fall was bruised in his thigh by another horse treading on him, +which disabled him for some time, and at his request, by his Majesty's +consent, I commanded the regiment in his absence. + +The enemy received a recruit of 4000 men the next morning; if they had +not, I believe they had gone back towards Worcester; but, encouraged +by that reinforcement, they called a council of war, and had a long +debate whether they could attack us again; but notwithstanding their +great victory, they durst not attempt it, though this addition of +strength made them superior to us by 3000 men. + +The king indeed expected, that when these troops joined them they +would advance, and we were preparing to receive them at a village +called Aynho, where the headquarters continued three or four days; +and had they really esteemed the first day's work a victory, as they +called it, they would have done it, but they thought not good to +venture, but march away to Warwick, and from thence to Coventry. The +king, to urge them to venture upon him, and come to a second battle, +sits down before Banbury, and takes both town and castle; and two +entire regiments of foot, and one troop of horse, quit the Parliament +service, and take up their arms for the king. This was done almost +before their faces, which was a better proof of a victory on our side, +than any they could pretend to. From Banbury we marched to Oxford; and +now all men saw the Parliament had made a great mistake, for they were +not always in the right any more than we, to leave Oxford without a +garrison. The king caused new regular works to be drawn round it, +and seven royal bastions with ravelins and out-works, a double ditch, +counterscarp, and covered way; all which, added to the advantage +of its situation, made it a formidable place, and from this time it +became our place of arms, and the centre of affairs on the king's +side. + +If the Parliament had the honour of the field, the king reaped the +fruits of the victory; for all this part of the country submitted to +him. Essex's army made the best of their way to London, and were but +in an ill condition when they came there, especially their horse. + +The Parliament, sensible of this, and receiving daily accounts of the +progress we made, began to cool a little in their temper, abated of +their first rage, and voted an address for peace; and sent to the king +to let him know they were desirous to prevent the effusion of more +blood, and to bring things to an accommodation, or, as they called it, +a right understanding. + +I was now, by the king's particular favour, summoned to the councils +of war, my father continuing absent and ill; and now I began to think +of the real grounds, and which was more, of the fatal issue of this +war. I say, I now began it; for I cannot say that I ever rightly +stated matters in my own mind before, though I had been enough used +to blood, and to see the destruction of people, sacking of towns, and +plundering the country; yet 'twas in Germany, and among strangers; but +I found a strange, secret and unaccountable sadness upon my spirits, +to see this acting in my own native country. It grieved me to the +heart, even in the rout of our enemies, to see the slaughter of them; +and even in the fight, to hear a man cry for quarter in English, moved +me to a compassion which I had never been used to; nay, sometimes +it looked to me as if some of my own men had been beaten; and when +I heard a soldier cry, "O God, I am shot," I looked behind me to see +which of my own troop was fallen. Here I saw myself at the cutting of +the throats of my friends; and indeed some of my near relations. My +old comrades and fellow-soldiers in Germany were some with us, some +against us, as their opinions happened to differ in religion. For my +part, I confess I had not much religion in me, at that time; but I +thought religion rightly practised on both sides would have made us +all better friends; and therefore sometimes I began to think, that +both the bishops of our side, and the preachers on theirs, made +religion rather the pretence than the cause of the war. And from those +thoughts I vigorously argued it at the council of war against marching +to Brentford, while the address for a treaty of peace from the +Parliament was in hand: for I was for taking the Parliament by the +handle which they had given us, and entering into a negotiation, with +the advantage of its being at their own request. + +I thought the king had now in his hands an opportunity to make an +honourable peace; for this battle of Edgehill, as much as they boasted +of the victory to hearten up their friends, had sorely weakened their +army, and discouraged their party too, which in effect was worse as to +their army. The horse were particularly in an ill case, and the foot +greatly diminished, and the remainder very sickly; but besides this, +the Parliament were greatly alarmed at the progress we made afterward; +and still fearing the king's surprising them, had sent for the Earl of +Essex to London, to defend them; by which the country was, as it were, +defeated and abandoned, and left to be plundered; our parties overrun +all places at pleasure. All this while I considered, that whatever the +soldiers of fortune meant by the war, our desires were to suppress +the exorbitant power of a party, to establish our king in his just +and legal rights; but not with a design to destroy the constitution of +government, and the being of Parliament. And therefore I thought now +was the time for peace, and there were a great many worthy gentlemen +in the army of my mind; and, had our master had ears to hear us, the +war might have had an end here. + +This address for peace was received by the king at Maidenhead, whither +this army was now advanced, and his Majesty returned answer by Sir +Peter Killegrew, that he desired nothing more, and would not be +wanting on his part. Upon this the Parliament name commissioners, and +his Majesty excepting against Sir John Evelyn, they left him out, +and sent others; and desired the king to appoint his residence near +London, where the commissioners might wait upon him. Accordingly the +king appointed Windsor for the place of treaty, and desired the +treaty might be hastened. And thus all things looked with a favourable +aspect, when one unlucky action knocked it all on the head, and filled +both parties with more implacable animosities than they had before, +and all hopes of peace vanished. + +During this progress of the king's armies, we were always abroad with +the horse ravaging the country, and plundering the Roundheads. Prince +Rupert, a most active vigilant party man, and I must own, fitter for +such than for a general, was never lying still, and I seldom stayed +behind; for our regiment being very well mounted, he would always send +for us, if he had any extraordinary design in hand. + +One time in particular he had a design upon Aylesbury, the capital of +Buckinghamshire; indeed our view at first was rather to beat the +enemy out of town and demolish their works, and perhaps raise some +contributions on the rich country round it, than to garrison the +place, and keep it; for we wanted no more garrisons, being masters of +the field. + +The prince had 2500 horse with him in this expedition, but no foot; +the town had some foot raised in the country by Mr Hampden, and two +regiments of country militia, whom we made light of, but we found they +stood to their tackle better than well enough. We came very early to +the town, and thought they had no notice of us; but some false brother +had given them the alarm, and we found them all in arms, the hedges +without the town lined with musketeers, on that side in particular +where they expected us, and two regiments of foot drawn up in view to +support them, with some horse in the rear of all. + +The prince, willing, however, to do something, caused some of his +horse to alight, and serve as dragoons; and having broken a way into +the enclosures, the horse beat the foot from behind the hedges, while +the rest who were alighted charged them in the lane which leads to +the town. Here they had cast up some works, and fired from their +lines very regularly, considering them as militia only, the governor +encouraging them by his example; so that finding without some foot +there would be no good to be done, we gave it over, and drew off; and +so Aylesbury escaped a scouring for that time. + +I cannot deny but these flying parties of horse committed great spoil +among the country people; and sometimes the prince gave a liberty to +some cruelties which were not at all for the king's interest; because +it being still upon our own country, and the king's own subjects, whom +in all his declarations he protested to be careful of, it seemed to +contradict all those protestations and declarations, and served to +aggravate and exasperate the common people; and the king's enemies +made all the advantages of it that was possible, by crying out of +twice as many extravagancies as were committed. + +Tis true, the king, who naturally abhorred such things, could not +restrain his men, no, nor his generals, so absolutely as he would +have done. The war, on his side, was very much _à la_ volunteer; +many gentlemen served him at their own charge, and some paid whole +regiments themselves: sometimes also the king's affairs were straiter +than ordinary, and his men were not very well paid, and this obliged +him to wink at their excursions upon the country, though he did not +approve of them. And yet I must own, that in those parts of England +where the war was hottest, there never was seen that ruin and +depopulation, murders, and barbarities, which I have seen even among +Protestant armies abroad, in Germany and other foreign parts of the +world. And if the Parliament people had seen those things abroad, as I +had, they would not have complained. + +The most I have seen was plundering the towns for provisions, drinking +up their beer, and turning our horses into their fields, or stacks +of corn; and sometimes the soldiers would be a little rude with the +wenches; but alas! what was this to Count Tilly's ravages in Saxony? +Or what was our taking of Leicester by storm, where they cried out of +our barbarities, to the sacking of New Brandenburg, or the taking of +Magdeburg? In Leicester, of 7000 or 8000 people in the town, 300 were +killed; in Magdeburg, of 25,000 scarce 2700 were left, and the whole +town burnt to ashes. I myself have seen seventeen or eighteen villages +on fire in a day, and the people driven away from their dwellings, +like herds of cattle. I do not instance these greater barbarities to +justify lesser actions, which are nevertheless irregular; but I do +say, that circumstances considered, this war was managed with as +much humanity on both sides as could be expected, especially also +considering the animosity of parties. + +But to return to the prince: he had not always the same success in +these enterprises, for sometimes we came short home. And I cannot omit +one pleasant adventure which happened to a party of ours, in one of +these excursions into Buckinghamshire. The major of our regiment was +soundly beaten by a party, which, as I may say, was led by a woman; +and, if I had not rescued him, I know not but he had been taken +prisoner by a woman. It seems our men had besieged some fortified +house about Oxfordshire, towards Thame, and the house being defended +by the lady in her husband's absence, she had yielded the house upon a +capitulation; one of the articles of which was, to march out with +all her servants, soldiers, and goods, and to be conveyed to Thame. +Whether she thought to have gone no farther, or that she reckoned +herself safe there, I know not; but my major, with two troops of +horse, meets with this lady and her party, about five miles from +Thame, as we were coming back from our defeated attack of Aylesbury. +We reckoned ourselves in an enemy's country, and had lived a little at +large, or at discretion, as 'tis called abroad; and these two troops, +with the major, were returning to our detachment from a little +village, where, at the farmer's house, they had met with some liquor, +and truly some of his men were so drunk they could but just sit upon +their horses. The major himself was not much better, and the whole +body were but in a sorry condition to fight. Upon the road they meet +this party; the lady having no design of fighting, and being, as she +thought, under the protection of the articles, sounds a parley, and +desired to speak with the officer. The major, as drunk as he was, +could tell her, that by the articles she was to be assured no farther +than Thame, and being now five miles beyond it, she was a fair enemy, +and therefore demanded to render themselves prisoners. The lady +seemed surprised, but being sensible she was in the wrong, offered +to compound for her goods, and would have given him £300, and I think +seven or eight horses. The major would certainly have taken it, if he +had not been drunk; but he refused it, and gave threatening words to +her, blustering in language which he thought proper to fright a woman, +viz., that he would cut them all to pieces, and give no quarter, and +the like. + +The lady, who had been more used to the smell of powder than he +imagined, called some of her servants to her, and, consulting with +them what to do, they all unanimously encouraged her to let them +fight; told her it was plain that the commander was drunk, and all +that were with him were rather worse than he, and hardly able to sit +their horses; and that therefore one bold charge would put them all +into confusion. In a word, she consented, and, as she was a woman, +they desired her to secure herself among the waggons; but she refused, +and told them bravely she would take her fate with them. In short, she +boldly bade my major defiance, and that he might do his worst, since +she had offered him fair, and he had refused it; her mind was altered +now, and she would give him nothing, and bade his officer that +parleyed longer with her be gone; so the parley ended. After this she +gave him fair leave to go back to his men; but before he could tell +his tale to them she was at his heels with all her men, and gave him +such a home charge as put his men into disorder, and, being too drunk +to rally, they were knocked down before they knew what to do with +themselves, and in a few minutes more they took to a plain flight. +But what was still worse, the men, being some of them very drunk, when +they came to run for their lives fell over one another, and tumbled +over their horses, and made such work that a troop of women might have +beaten them all. In this pickle, with the enemy at his heels, I +came in with him, hearing the noise. When I appeared the pursuers +retreated, and, seeing what a condition my people were in, and not +knowing the strength of the enemy, I contented myself with bringing +them off without pursuing the other; nor could I ever hear positively +who this female captain was. We lost seventeen or eighteen of our men, +and about thirty horses; but when the particulars of the story was +told us, our major was so laughed at by the whole army, and laughed +at everywhere, that he was ashamed to show himself for a week or a +fortnight after. + +But to return to the king: his Majesty, as I observed, was at +Maidenhead addressed by the Parliament for peace, and Windsor +being appointed for the place of treaty, the van of his army lay at +Colebrook. In the meantime, whether it were true or only a pretence, +but it was reported the Parliament general had sent a body of his +troops, with a train of artillery, to Hammersmith, in order to fall +upon some part of our army, or to take some advanced post, which was +to the prejudice of our men; whereupon the king ordered the army to +march, and, by the favour of a thick mist, came within half a mile of +Brentford before he was discovered. There were two regiments of foot, +and about 600 horse into the town, of the enemy's best troops; these +taking the alarm, posted themselves on the bridge at the west end of +the town. The king attacked them with a select detachment of his best +infantry, and they defended themselves with incredible obstinacy. I +must own I never saw raw men, for they could not have been in arms +above four months, act like them in my life. In short, there was no +forcing these men, for, though two whole brigades of our foot, backed +by our horse, made five several attacks upon them they could not break +them, and we lost a great many brave men in that action. At last, +seeing the obstinacy of these men, a party of horse was ordered to go +round from Osterley; and, entering the town on the north side, where, +though the horse made some resistance, it was not considerable, the +town was presently taken. I led my regiment through an enclosure, and +came into the town nearer to the bridge than the rest, by which means +I got first into the town; but I had this loss by my expedition, that +the foot charged me before the body was come up, and poured in their +shot very furiously. My men were but in an ill case, and would not +have stood much longer, if the rest of the horse coming up the lane +had not found them other employment. When the horse were thus entered, +they immediately dispersed the enemy's horse, who fled away towards +London, and falling in sword in hand upon the rear of the foot, who +were engaged at the bridge, they were all cut in pieces, except about +200, who, scorning to ask quarter, desperately threw themselves into +the river of Thames, where they were most of them drowned. + +The Parliament and their party made a great outcry at this +attempt--that it was base and treacherous while in a treaty of peace; +and that the king, having amused them with hearkening to a treaty, +designed to have seized upon their train of artillery first, and, +after that, to have surprised both the city of London and the +Parliament. And I have observed since, that our historians note this +action as contrary to the laws of honour and treaties, though as there +was no cessation of arms agreed on, nothing is more contrary to the +laws of war than to suggest it. + +That it was a very unhappy thing to the king and whole nation, as it +broke off the hopes of peace, and was the occasion of bringing the +Scots army in upon us, I readily acknowledge, but that there +was anything dishonourable in it, I cannot allow. For though the +Parliament had addressed to the king for peace, and such steps were +taken in it as before, yet, as I have said, there was no proposals +made on either side for a cessation of arms, and all the world must +allow, that in such cases the war goes on in the field, while the +peace goes on in the cabinet. And if the war goes on, admit the king +had designed to surprise the city or Parliament, or all of them, it +had been no more than the custom of war allows, and what they would +have done by him if they could. The treaty of Westphalia, or peace of +Munster, which ended the bloody wars of Germany, was a precedent for +this. That treaty was actually negotiating seven years, and yet the +war went on with all the vigour and rancour imaginable, even to the +last. Nay, the very time after the conclusion of it, but before the +news could be brought to the army, did he that was afterwards King +of Sweden, Carolus Gustavus, take the city of Prague by surprise, and +therein an inestimable booty. Besides, all the wars of Europe are full +of examples of this kind, and therefore I cannot see any reason to +blame the king for this action as to the fairness of it. Indeed, as +to the policy of it, I can say little; but the case was this. The king +had a gallant army, flushed with success, and things hitherto had gone +on very prosperously, both with his own army and elsewhere; he had +above 35,000 men in his own army, including his garrison left at +Banbury, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Oxford, Wallingford, Abingdon, +Reading, and places adjacent. On the other hand, the Parliament army +came back to London in but a very sorry condition;[1] for what with +their loss in their victory, as they called it, at Edgehill, their +sickness, and a hasty march to London, they were very much diminished, +though at London they soon recruited them again. And this prosperity +of the king's affairs might encourage him to strike this blow, +thinking to bring the Parliament to the better terms by the +apprehensions of the superior strength of the king's forces. + +But, however it was, the success did not equally answer the king's +expectation. The vigorous defence the troops posted at Brentford +made as above, gave the Earl of Essex opportunity, with extraordinary +application, to draw his forces out to Turnham Green. And the +exceeding alacrity of the enemy was such, that their whole army +appeared with them, making together an army of 24,000 men, drawn up +in view of our forces by eight o'clock the next morning. The city +regiments were placed between the regular troops, and all together +offered us battle, but we were not in a condition to accept it. The +king indeed was sometimes of the mind to charge them, and once or +twice ordered parties to advance to begin to skirmish, but upon better +advice altered his mind, and indeed it was the wisest counsel to defer +the fighting at that time. The Parliament generals were as unfixed in +their resolutions, on the other side, as the king; sometimes they sent +out parties, and then called them back again. One strong party of near +3000 men marched off towards Acton, with orders to amuse us on that +side, but were countermanded. Indeed, I was of the opinion we might +have ventured the battle, for though the Parliament's army were more +numerous, yet the city trained bands, which made up 4000 of their +foot, were not much esteemed, and the king was a great deal stronger +in horse than they. But the main reason that hindered the engagement, +was want of ammunition, which the king having duly weighed, he caused +the carriages and cannon to draw off first, and then the foot, the +horse continuing to force the enemy till all was clear gone; and then +we drew off too and marched to Kingston, and the next day to Reading. + +Now the king saw his mistake in not continuing his march for London, +instead of facing about to fight the enemy at Edgehill. And all the +honour we had gained in so many successful enterprises lay buried in +this shameful retreat from an army of citizens' wives; for truly that +appearance at Turnham Green was gay, but not great. There was as many +lookers-on as actors. The crowds of ladies, apprentices, and mob was +so great, that when the parties of our army advanced, and as they +thought, to charge, the coaches, horsemen, and crowd, that cluttered +away to be out of harm's way, looked little better than a rout. And I +was persuaded a good home charge from our horse would have sent their +whole army after them. But so it was, that this crowd of an army was +to triumph over us, and they did it, for all the kingdom was carefully +informed how their dreadful looks had frightened us away. + +Upon our retreat, the Parliament resent this attack, which they call +treacherous, and vote no accommodation; but they considered of it +afterwards, and sent six commissioners to the king with propositions. +But the change of the scene of action changed the terms of peace, and +now they made terms like conquerors, petition him to desert his army, +and return to the Parliament, and the like. Had his Majesty, at the +head of his army, with the full reputation they had before, and in the +ebb of their affairs, rested at Windsor, and commenced a treaty, they +had certainly made more reasonable proposals; but now the scabbard +seemed to be thrown away on both sides. + +The rest of the winter was spent in strengthening parties and places, +also in fruitless treaties of peace, messages, remonstrances, and +paper war on both sides, and no action remarkable happened anywhere +that I remember. Yet the king gained ground everywhere, and his forces +in the north increased under the Earl of Newcastle; also my Lord +Goring, then only called Colonel Goring, arrived from Holland, +bringing three ships laden with arms and ammunition, and notice that +the queen was following with more. Goring brought 4000 barrels of +gunpowder, and 20,000 small arms; all which came very seasonably, for +the king was in great want of them, especially the powder. Upon this +recruit the Earl of Newcastle draws down to York, and being above +16,000 strong, made Sir Thomas Fairfax give ground, and retreat to +Hull. + +Whoever lay still, Prince Rupert was always abroad, and I chose to go +out with his Highness as often as I had opportunity, for hitherto he +was always successful. About this time the prince being at Oxford, I +gave him intelligence of a party of the enemy who lived a little at +large, too much for good soldiers, about Cirencester. The prince, glad +of the news, resolved to attack them, and though it was a wet season, +and the ways exceeding bad, being in February, yet we marched all +night in the dark, which occasioned the loss of some horses and +men too, in sloughs and holes, which the darkness of the night had +suffered them to fall into. We were a very strong party, being about +3000 horse and dragoons, and coming to Cirencester very early in the +morning, to our great satisfaction the enemy were perfectly surprised, +not having the least notice of our march, which answered our end more +ways than one. However, the Earl of Stamford's regiment made some +resistance; but the town having no works to defend it, saving a slight +breastwork at the entrance of the road, with a turnpike, our dragoons +alighted, and forcing their way over the bellies of Stamford's foot, +they beat them from their defence, and followed them at their heels +into the town. Stamford's regiment was entirely cut in pieces, and +several others, to the number of about 800 men, and the town entered +without any other resistance. We took 1200 prisoners, 3000 arms, and +the county magazine, which at that time was considerable; for there +was about 120 barrels of powder, and all things in proportion. + +I received the first hurt I got in this war at this action, for having +followed the dragoons and brought my regiment within the barricado +which they had gained, a musket bullet struck my horse just in the +head, and that so effectually that he fell down as dead as a stone all +at once. The fall plunged me into a puddle of water and daubed me; and +my man having brought me another horse and cleaned me a little, I was +just getting up, when another bullet struck me on my left hand, which +I had just clapped on the horse's main to lift myself into the saddle. +The blow broke one of my fingers, and bruised my hand very much; and +it proved a very painful hurt to me. For the present I did not +much concern myself about it, but made my man tie it up close in my +handkerchief, and led up my men to the market-place, where we had +a very smart brush with some musketeers who were posted in the +churchyard; but our dragoons soon beat them out there, and the whole +town was then our own. We made no stay here, but marched back with +all our booty to Oxford, for we knew the enemy were very strong at +Gloucester, and that way. + +Much about the same time, the Earl of Northampton, with a strong +party, set upon Lichfield, and took the town, but could not take the +Close; but they beat a body of 4000 men coming to the relief of the +town, under Sir John Gell, of Derbyshire, and Sir William Brereton, of +Cheshire, and killing 600 of them, dispersed the rest. + +Our second campaign now began to open; the king marched from Oxford +to relieve Reading, which was besieged by the Parliament forces; +but General Fielding, Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Arthur Ashton being +wounded, surrendered to Essex before the king could come up; for +which he was tried by martial law, and condemned to die, but the king +forbore to execute the sentence. This was the first town we had lost +in the war, for still the success of the king's affairs was very +encouraging. This bad news, however, was overbalanced by an account +brought the king at the same time, by an express from York, that the +queen had landed in the north, and had brought over a great magazine +of arms and ammunition, besides some men. Some time after this her +Majesty, marching southward to meet the king, joined the army near +Edgehill, where the first battle was fought. She brought the king 3000 +foot, 1500 horse and dragoons, six pieces of cannon, 1500 barrels of +powder, 12,000 small arms. + +During this prosperity of the king's affairs his armies increased +mightily in the western counties also. Sir William Waller, indeed, +commanded for the Parliament in those parts too, and particularly in +Dorsetshire, Hampshire, and Berkshire, where he carried on their +cause but too fast; but farther west, Sir Nicholas Slanning, Sir Ralph +Hopton, and Sir Bevil Grenvile had extended the king's quarters from +Cornwall through Devonshire, and into Somersetshire, where they +took Exeter, Barnstaple, and Bideford; and the first of these they +fortified very well, making it a place of arms for the west, and +afterwards it was the residence of the queen. + +At last, the famous Sir William Waller and the king's forces met, and +came to a pitched battle, where Sir William lost all his honour again. +This was at Roundway Down in Wiltshire. Waller had engaged our Cornish +army at Lansdown, and in a very obstinate fight had the better of +them, and made them retreat to the Devizes. Sir William Hopton, +however, having a good body of foot untouched, sent expresses and +messengers one in the neck of another to the king for some horse, and +the king being in great concern for that army, who were composed of +the flower of the Cornish men, commanded me to march with all possible +secrecy, as well as expedition, with 1200 horse and dragoons from +Oxford, to join them. We set out in the depth of the night, to avoid, +if possible, any intelligence being given of our route, and soon +joined with the Cornish army, when it was as soon resolved to give +battle to Waller; and, give him his due, he was as forward to fight as +we. As it is easy to meet when both sides are willing to be found, Sir +William Waller met us upon Roundway Down, where we had a fair field on +both sides, and room enough to draw up our horse. In a word, there +was little ceremony to the work; the armies joined, and we charged his +horse with so much resolution, that they quickly fled, and quitted +the field; for we over-matched him in horse, and this was the entire +destruction of their army. For the infantry, which outnumbered ours +by 1500, were now at our mercy; some faint resistance they made, just +enough to give us occasion to break into their ranks with our horse, +where we gave time to our foot to defeat others that stood to their +work, upon which they began to disband, and run every way they could; +but our horse having surrounded them, we made a fearful havoc of them. + +We lost not about 200 men in this action; Waller lost about 4000 +killed and taken, and as many dispersed that never returned to their +colours. Those of foot that escaped got into Bristol, and Waller, with +the poor remains of his routed regiments, got to London; so that it +is plain some ran east, and some ran west, that is to say, they fled +every way they could. + +My going with this detachment prevented my being at the siege of +Bristol, which Prince Rupert attacked much about the same time, and it +surrendered in three days. The Parliament questioned Colonel +Nathaniel Fiennes, the governor, and had him tried as a coward by a +court-martial, and condemned to die, but suspended the execution also, +as the king did the governor of Reading. I have often heard Prince +Rupert say, they did Colonel Fiennes wrong in that affair; and that if +the colonel would have summoned him, he would have demanded a passport +of the Parliament, and have come up and convinced the court that +Colonel Fiennes had not misbehaved himself, and that he had not a +sufficient garrison to defend a city of that extent; having not above +1200 men in the town, excepting some of Waller's runaways, most of +whom were unfit for service, and without arms; and that the citizens +in general being disaffected to him, and ready on the first occasion +to open the gates to the king's forces, it was impossible for him to +have kept the city. "And when I had farther informed them," said the +prince, "of the measures I had taken for a general assault the next +day, I am confident I should have convinced them that I had taken the +city by storm, if he had not surrendered." + +The king's affairs were now in a very good posture, and three armies +in the north, west, and in the centre, counted in the musters about +70,000 men besides small garrisons and parties abroad. Several of the +lords, and more of the commons, began to fall off from the Parliament, +and make their peace with the king; and the affairs of the Parliament +began to look very ill. The city of London was their inexhaustible +support and magazine, both for men, money, and all things necessary; +and whenever their army was out of order, the clergy of their party +in but one Sunday or two, would preach the young citizens out of their +shops, the labourers from their masters, into the army, and recruit +them on a sudden. And all this was still owing to the omission I first +observed, of not marching to London, when it might have been so easily +effected. + +We had now another, or a fairer opportunity, than before, but as ill +use was made of it. The king, as I have observed, was in a very good +posture; he had three large armies roving at large over the kingdom. +The Cornish army, victorious and numerous, had beaten Waller, secured +and fortified Exeter, which the queen had made her residence, and +was there delivered of a daughter, the Princess Henrietta Maria, +afterwards Duchess of Orleans, and mother of the Duchess Dowager of +Savoy, commonly known in the French style by the title of Madam Royal. +They had secured Salisbury, Sherborne Castle, Weymouth, Winchester, +and Basing-house, and commanded the whole country, except Bridgewater +and Taunton, Plymouth and Lynn; all which places they held blocked +up. The king was also entirely master of all Wales, Monmouthshire, +Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, +Berkshire, and all the towns from Windsor up the Thames to +Cirencester, except Reading and Henley; and of the whole Severn, +except Gloucester. + +The Earl of Newcastle had garrisons in every strong place in the +north, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Boston in Lincolnshire, and +Newark-upon-Trent, Hull only excepted, whither the Lord Fairfax and +his son Sir Thomas were retreated, their troops being routed and +broken, Sir Thomas Fairfax his baggage, with his lady and servants +taken prisoners, and himself hardly scaping. + +And now a great council of war was held in the king's quarters, what +enterprise to go upon; and it happened to be the very same day when +the Parliament were in a serious debate what should become of them, +and whose help they should seek. And indeed they had cause for it; and +had our counsels been as ready and well-grounded as theirs, we had put +an end to the war in a month's time. + +In this council the king proposed the marching to London, to put an +end to the Parliament and encourage his friends and loyal subjects in +Kent, who were ready to rise for him; and showed us letters from +the Earl of Newcastle, wherein he offered to join his Majesty with a +detachment of 4000 horse, and 8000 foot, if his Majesty thought fit +to march southward, and yet leave forces sufficient to guard the +north from any invasion. I confess, when I saw the scheme the king had +himself drawn for this attempt, I felt an unusual satisfaction in my +mind, from the hopes that he might bring this war to some tolerable +end; for I professed myself on all occasions heartily weary with +fighting with friends, brothers, neighbours, and acquaintance, and I +made no question but this motion of the king's would effectually bring +the Parliament to reason. + +All men seemed to like the enterprise but the Earl of Worcester, who, +on particular views for securing the country behind, as he called it, +proposed the taking in the town of Gloucester and Hereford first. He +made a long speech of the danger of leaving Massey, an active bold +fellow, with a strong party in the heart of all the king's quarters, +ready on all occasions to sally out and surprise the neighbouring +garrisons, as he had done Sudley Castle and others; and of the ease +and freedom to all those western parts to have them fully cleared +of the enemy. Interest presently backs this advice, and all those +gentlemen whose estates lay that way, or whose friends lived about +Worcester, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, or the borders, and who, as they +said, had heard the frequent wishes of the country to have the city of +Gloucester reduced, fell in with this advice, alleging the consequence +it was for the commerce of the country to have the navigation of the +Severn free, which was only interrupted by this one town from the sea +up to Shrewsbury, &c. + +I opposed this, and so did several others. Prince Rupert was +vehemently against it; and we both offered, with the troops of the +country, to keep Gloucester blocked up during the king's march for +London, so that Massey should not be able to stir. + +This proposal made the Earl of Worcester's party more eager for the +siege than before, for they had no mind to a blockade which would +leave the country to maintain the troops all the summer; and of all +men the prince did not please them, for, he having no extraordinary +character for discipline, his company was not much desired even by +our friends. Thus, in an ill hour, 'twas resolved to sit down before +Gloucester. The king had a gallant army of 28,000 men whereof 11,000 +horse, the finest body of gentlemen that ever I saw together in my +life; their horses without comparison, and their equipages the finest +and the best in the world, and their persons Englishmen, which, I +think, is enough to say of them. + +According to the resolution taken in the council of war, the army +marched westward, and sat down before Gloucester the beginning of +August. There we spent a month to the least purpose that ever army +did. Our men received frequent affronts from the desperate sallies +of an inconsiderable enemy. I cannot forbear reflecting on the +misfortunes of this siege. Our men were strangely dispirited in all +the assaults they gave upon the place; there was something looked like +disaster and mismanagement, and our men went on with an ill will and +no resolution. The king despised the place, and thinking to carry it +sword in hand, made no regular approaches, and the garrison, being +desperate, made therefore the greater slaughter. In this work our +horse, who were so numerous and so fine, had no employment. Two +thousand horse had been enough for this business, and the enemy had no +garrison or party within forty miles of us, so that we had nothing to +do but look on with infinite regret upon the losses of our foot. + +The enemy made frequent and desperate sallies, in one of which I had +my share. I was posted upon a parade, or place of arms, with part of +my regiment, and part of Colonel Goring's regiment of horse, in order +to support a body of foot, who were ordered to storm the point of a +breastwork which the enemy had raised to defend one of the avenues to +the town. The foot were beat off with loss, as they always were; and +Massey, the governor, not content to have beaten them from his works, +sallies out with near 400 men, and falling in upon the foot as they +were rallying under the cover of our horse, we put ourselves in the +best posture we could to receive them. As Massey did not expect, I +suppose, to engage with any horse, he had no pikes with him, which +encouraged us to treat him the more rudely; but as to desperate men +danger is no danger, when he found he must clear his hands of us, +before he could despatch the foot, he faces up to us, fires but one +volley of his small shot, and fell to battering us with the stocks of +their muskets in such a manner that one would have thought they had +been madmen. + +We at first despised this way of clubbing us, and charging through +them, laid a great many of them upon the ground, and in repeating our +charge, trampled more of them under our horses' feet; and wheeling +thus continually, beat them off from our foot, who were just upon the +point of disbanding. Upon this they charged us again with their fire, +and at one volley killed thirty-three or thirty-four men and horses; +and had they had pikes with them, I know not what we should have done +with them. But at last charging through them again, we divided them; +one part of them being hemmed in between us and our own foot, were +cut in pieces to a man; the rest as I understood afterwards, retreated +into the town, having lost 300 of their men. + +In this last charge I received a rude blow from a stout fellow on +foot with the butt end of his musket which perfectly stunned me, and +fetched me off from my horse; and had not some near me took care of +me, I had been trod to death by our own men. But the fellow being +immediately killed, and my friends finding me alive, had taken me up, +and carried me off some distance, where I came to myself again after +some time, but knew little of what I did or said that night. This was +the reason why I say I afterwards understood the enemy retreated; for +I saw no more what they did then, nor indeed was I well of this blow +for all the rest of the summer, but had frequent pains in my head, +dizzinesses and swimming, that gave me some fears the blow had +injured the skull; but it wore off again, nor did it at all hinder my +attending my charge. + +This action, I think, was the only one that looked like a defeat given +the enemy at this siege. We killed them near 300 men, as I have said, +and lost about sixty of our troopers. + +All this time, while the king was harassing and weakening the best +army he ever saw together during the whole war, the Parliament +generals, or rather preachers, were recruiting theirs; for the +preachers were better than drummers to raise volunteers, zealously +exhorting the London dames to part with their husbands, and the city +to send some of their trained bands to join the army for the relief of +Gloucester; and now they began to advance towards us. + +The king hearing of the advance of Essex's army, who by this time was +come to Aylesbury, had summoned what forces he had within call, to +join him; and accordingly he received 3000 foot from Somersetshire; +and having battered the town for thirty-six hours, and made a fair +breach, resolves upon an assault, if possible, to carry the town +before the enemy came up. The assault was begun about seven in the +evening, and the men boldly mounted the breach; but after a very +obstinate and bloody dispute, were beaten out again by the besieged +with great loss. + +Being thus often repulsed, and the Earl of Essex's army approaching, +the king calls a council of war, and proposed to fight Essex's army. +The officers of the horse were for fighting; and without doubt we were +superior to him both in number and goodness of our horse, but the foot +were not in an equal condition; and the colonels of foot representing +to the king the weakness of their regiments, and how their men had +been balked and disheartened at this cursed siege, the graver counsel +prevailed, and it was resolved to raise the siege, and retreat towards +Bristol, till the army was recruited. Pursuant to this resolution, the +5th of September, the king, having before sent away his heavy cannon +and baggage, raised the siege, and marched to Berkeley Castle. The +Earl of Essex came the next day to Birdlip Hills; and understanding +by messengers from Colonel Massey, that the siege was raised, sends +a recruit of 2500 men into the city, and followed us himself with a +great body of horse. + +This body of horse showed themselves to us once in a large field fit +to have entertained them in; and our scouts having assured us they +were not above 4000, and had no foot with them, the king ordered +a detachment of about the same number to face them. I desired his +Majesty to let us have two regiments of dragoons with us, which was +then 800 men in a regiment, lest there might be some dragoons among +the enemy; which the king granted, and accordingly we marched, and +drew up in view of them. They stood their ground, having, as they +supposed, some advantage of the manner they were posted in, and +expected we would charge them. The king, who did us the honour to +command this party, finding they would not stir, calls me to him, and +ordered me with the dragoons, and my own regiment, to take a circuit +round by a village to a certain lane, where in their retreat they must +have passed, and which opened to a small common on the flank; with +orders, if they engaged, to advance and charge them in the flank. I +marched immediately; but though the country about there was almost all +enclosures, yet their scouts were so vigilant, that they discovered +me, and gave notice to the body; upon which their whole party moved to +the left, as if they intended to charge me, before the king with +his body of horse could come. But the king was too vigilant to be +circumvented so; and therefore his Majesty perceiving this, sends away +three regiments of horse to second me, and a messenger before them, to +order me to halt, and expect the enemy, for that he would follow with +the whole body. + +But before this order reached me, I had halted for some time; for +finding myself discovered, and not judging it safe to be entirely +cut off from the main body, I stopped at the village, and causing my +dragoons to alight, and line a thick hedge on my left, I drew up my +horse just at the entrance into the village opening to a common. +The enemy came up on the trot to charge me, but were saluted with a +terrible fire from the dragoons out of the hedge, which killed them +near 100 men. This being a perfect surprise to them, they halted, +and just at that moment they received orders from their main body +to retreat; the king at the same time appearing upon some heights in +their rear, which obliged them to think of retreating, or coming to a +general battle, which was none of their design. + +I had no occasion to follow them, not being in a condition to attack +the whole body; but the dragoons coming out into the common, gave them +another volley at a distance, which reached them effectually, for it +killed about twenty of them, and wounded more; but they drew off, and +never fired a shot at us, fearing to be enclosed between two parties, +and so marched away to their general's quarters, leaving ten or twelve +more of their fellows killed, and about 180 horses. Our men, after the +country fashion, gave them a shout at parting, to let them see we knew +they were afraid of us. + +However, this relieving of Gloucester raised the spirits as well as +the reputation of the Parliament forces, and was a great defeat to us; +and from this time things began to look with a melancholy aspect, for +the prosperous condition of the king's affairs began to decline. The +opportunities he had let slip were never to be recovered, and the +Parliament, in their former extremity, having voted an invitation +to the Scots to march to their assistance, we had now new enemies to +encounter; and, indeed, there began the ruin of his Majesty's affairs, +for the Earl of Newcastle, not able to defend himself against the +Scots on his rear, the Earl of Manchester in his front, and Sir Thomas +Fairfax on his flank, was everywhere routed and defeated, and his +forces obliged to quit the field to the enemy. + +About this time it was that we first began to hear of one Oliver +Cromwell, who, like a little cloud, rose out of the east, and spread +first into the north, till it shed down a flood that overwhelmed the +three kingdoms. + +He first was a private captain of horse, but now commanded a regiment +whom he armed _cap-à-pie à la cuirassier_; and, joining with the Earl +of Manchester, the first action we heard of him that made him anything +famous was about Grantham, where, with only his own regiment, he +defeated twenty-four troops of horse and dragoons of the king's +forces; then, at Gainsborough, with two regiments, his own of horse +and one of dragoons, where he defeated near 3000 of the Earl of +Newcastle's men, killed Lieutenant-General Cavendish, brother to the +Earl of Devonshire, who commanded them, and relieved Gainsborough; and +though the whole army came in to the rescue, he made good his retreat +to Lincoln with little loss; and the next week he defeated Sir John +Henderson at Winceby, near Horncastle, with sixteen regiments of horse +and dragoons, himself having not half that number; killed the Lord +Widdrington, Sir Ingram Hopton, and several gentlemen of quality. Thus +this firebrand of war began to blaze, and he soon grew a terror to +the north; for victory attended him like a page of honour, and he was +scarce ever known to be beaten during the whole war. + +Now we began to reflect again on the misfortune of our master's +counsels. Had we marched to London, instead of besieging Gloucester, +we had finished the war with a stroke. The Parliament's army was in +a most despicable condition, and had never been recruited, had we not +given them a month's time, which we lingered away at this fatal town +of Gloucester. But 'twas too late to reflect; we were a disheartened +army, but we were not beaten yet, nor broken. We had a large country +to recruit in, and we lost no time but raised men apace. In the +meantime his Majesty, after a short stay at Bristol, makes back again +towards Oxford with a part of the foot and all the horse. + +At Cirencester we had a brush again with Essex; that town owed us +a shrewd turn for having handled them coarsely enough before, when +Prince Rupert seized the county magazine. I happened to be in the town +that night with Sir Nicholas Crisp, whose regiment of horse quartered +there with Colonel Spencer and some foot; my own regiment was gone +before to Oxford. About ten at night, a party of Essex's men beat up +our quarters by surprise, just as we had served them before. They fell +in with us, just as people were going to bed, and having beaten the +out-guards, were gotten into the middle of the town before our men +could get on horseback. Sir Nicholas Crisp, hearing the alarm, gets +up, and with some of his clothes on, and some off, comes into my +chamber. "We are all undone," says he, "the Roundheads are upon us." +We had but little time to consult, but being in one of the principal +inns in the town, we presently ordered the gates of the inn to be +shut, and sent to all the inns where our men were quartered to do the +like, with orders, if they had any back-doors, or ways to get out, to +come to us. By this means, however, we got so much time as to get on +horseback, and so many of our men came to us by back ways, that we had +near 300 horse in the yards and places behind the house. And now we +began to think of breaking out by a lane which led from the back side +of the inn, but a new accident determined us another, though a worse +way. + +The enemy being entered, and our men cooped up in the yards of the +inns, Colonel Spencer, the other colonel, whose regiment of horse lay +also in the town, had got on horseback before us, and engaged with +the enemy, but being overpowered, retreated fighting, and sends to Sir +Nicholas Crisp for help. Sir Nicholas, moved to see the distress of +his friend, turning to me, says he, "What can we do for him?" I told +him I thought 'twas time to help him, if possible; upon which, opening +the inn gates, we sallied out in very good order, about 300 horse. +And several of the troops from other parts of the town joining us, we +recovered Colonel Spencer, and charging home, beat back the enemy to +their main body. But finding their foot drawn up in the churchyard, +and several detachments moving to charge us, we retreated in as good +order as we could. They did not think fit to pursue us, but they took +all the carriages which were under the convoy of this party, and laden +with provisions and ammunition, and above 500 of our horse, the foot +shifted away as well as they could. Thus we made off in a shattered +condition towards Farringdon, and so to Oxford, and I was very glad my +regiment was not there. + +We had small rest at Oxford, or indeed anywhere else; for the king was +marched from thence, and we followed him. I was something uneasy at my +absence from my regiment, and did not know how the king might resent +it, which caused me to ride after them with all expedition. But the +armies were engaged that very day at Newbury, and I came in too late. +I had not behaved myself so as to be suspected of a wilful shunning +the action; but a colonel of a regiment ought to avoid absence +from his regiment in time of fight, be the excuse never so just, as +carefully as he would a surprise in his quarters. The truth is, 'twas +an error of my own, and owing to two day's stay I made at the Bath, +where I met with some ladies who were my relations. And this is far +from being an excuse; for if the king had been a Gustavus Adolphus, I +had certainly received a check for it. + +This fight was very obstinate, and could our horse have come to action +as freely as the foot, the Parliament army had suffered much more; for +we had here a much better body of horse than they, and we never failed +beating them where the weight of the work lay upon the horse. + +Here the city train-bands, of which there was two regiments, and whom +we used to despise, fought very well. They lost one of their colonels, +and several officers in the action; and I heard our men say, they +behaved themselves as well as any forces the Parliament had. + +The Parliament cried victory here too, as they always did; and indeed +where the foot were concerned they had some advantage; but our horse +defeated them evidently. The king drew up his army in battalia, in +person, and faced them all the next day, inviting them to renew the +fight; but they had no stomach to come on again. + +It was a kind of a hedge fight, for neither army was drawn out in the +field; if it had, 'twould never have held from six in the morning to +ten at night. But they fought for advantages; sometimes one side had +the better, sometimes another. They fought twice through the town, in +at one end, and out at the other; and in the hedges and lanes, with +exceeding fury. The king lost the most men, his foot having suffered +for want of the succour of their horse, who on two several occasions +could not come at them. But the Parliament foot suffered also, and two +regiments were entirely cut in pieces, and the king kept the field. + +Essex, the Parliament general, had the pillage of the dead, and left +us to bury them; for while we stood all day to our arms, having given +them a fair field to fight us in, their camp rabble stripped the dead +bodies, and they not daring to venture a second engagement with us, +marched away towards London. + +The king lost in this action the Earls of Carnarvon and Sunderland, +the Lord Falkland, a French marquis and some very gallant officers, +and about 1200 men. The Earl of Carnarvon was brought into an inn in +Newbury, where the king came to see him. He had just life enough +to speak to his Majesty, and died in his presence. The king was +exceedingly concerned for him, and was observed to shed tears at the +sight of it. We were indeed all of us troubled for the loss of so +brave a gentleman, but the concern our royal master discovered, moved +us more than ordinary. Everybody endeavoured to have the king out +of the room, but he would not stir from the bedside, till he saw all +hopes of life was gone. + +The indefatigable industry of the king, his servants and friends, +continually to supply and recruit his forces, and to harass and +fatigue the enemy, was such, that we should still have given a good +account of the war had the Scots stood neuter. But bad news came every +day out of the north; as for other places, parties were always in +action. Sir William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton beat one another by +turns; and Sir Ralph had extended the king's quarters from Launceston +in Cornwall, to Farnham in Surrey, where he gave Sir William Waller a +rub, and drove him into the castle. But in the north, the storm grew +thick, the Scots advanced to the borders, and entered England in +confederacy with the Parliament, against their king; for which the +Parliament requited them afterwards as they deserved. + +Had it not been for this Scotch army, the Parliament had easily +been reduced to terms of peace; but after this they never made any +proposals fit for the king to receive. Want of success before had made +them differ among themselves. Essex and Waller could never agree; the +Earl of Manchester and the Lord Willoughby differed to the highest +degree; and the king's affairs went never the worse for it. But +this storm in the north ruined us all; for the Scots prevailed in +Yorkshire, and being joined with Fairfax, Manchester, and Cromwell, +carried all before them; so that the king was obliged to send Prince +Rupert, with a body of 4000 horse, to the assistance of the Earl of +Newcastle, where that prince finished the destruction of the king's +interest, by the rashest and unaccountablest action in the world, of +which I shall speak in its place. + +Another action of the king's, though in itself no greater a cause of +offence than the calling the Scots into the nation, gave great offence +in general, and even the king's own friends disliked it; and was +carefully improved by his enemies to the disadvantage of the king, and +of his cause. + +The rebels in Ireland had, ever since the bloody massacre of the +Protestants, maintained a war against the English, and the Earl of +Ormond was general and governor for the king. The king, finding his +affairs pinch him at home, sends orders to the Earl of Ormond to +consent to a cessation of arms with the rebels, and to ship over +certain of his regiments hither to his Majesty's assistance. 'Tis +true, the Irish had deserved to be very ill treated by the English; +but while the Parliament pressed the king with a cruel and unnatural +war at home, and called in an army out of Scotland to support their +quarrel with their king, I could never be convinced, that it was such +a dishonourable action for the king to suspend the correction of +his Irish rebels till he was in a capacity to do it with safety to +himself; or to delay any farther assistance to preserve himself at +home; and the troops he recalled being his own, it was no breach of +his honour to make use of them, since he now wanted them for his own +security against those who fought against him at home. + +But the king was persuaded to make one step farther, and that, I +confess, was unpleasing to us all; and some of his best and most +faithful servants took the freedom to speak plainly to him of it; and +that was bringing some regiments of the Irish themselves over. This +cast, as we thought, an odium upon our whole nation, being some of +those very wretches who had dipped their hands in the innocent blood +of the Protestants, and, with unheard-of butcheries, had massacred so +many thousands of English in cool blood. + +Abundance of gentlemen forsook the king upon this score; and seeing +they could not brook the fighting in conjunction with this wicked +generation, came into the declaration of the Parliament, and making +composition for their estates, lived retired lives all the rest of +war, or went abroad. + +But as exigences and necessities oblige us to do things which at other +times we would not do, and is, as to man, some excuse for such things; +so I cannot but think the guilt and dishonour of such an action must +lie, very much of it, at least, at their doors, who drove the king +to these necessities and distresses, by calling in an army of his +own subjects whom he had not injured, but had complied with them in +everything, to make war upon him without any provocation. + +As to the quarrel between the king and his Parliament, there may +something be said on both sides; and the king saw cause himself to +disown and dislike some things he had done, which the Parliament +objected against, such as levying money without consent of Parliament, +infractions on their privileges, and the like. Here, I say, was some +room for an argument at least, and concessions on both sides were +needful to come to a peace. But for the Scots, all their demands had +been answered, all their grievances had been redressed, they had made +articles with their sovereign, and he had performed those articles; +their capital enemy Episcopacy was abolished; they had not one thing +to demand of the king which he had not granted. And therefore they had +no more cause to take up arms against their sovereign than they had +against the Grand Seignior. But it must for ever lie against them as +a brand of infamy, and as a reproach on their whole nation that, +purchased by the Parliament's money, they sold their honesty, and +rebelled against their king for hire; and it was not many years +before, as I have said already, they were fully paid the wages of +their unrighteousness, and chastised for their treachery by the very +same people whom they thus basely assisted. Then they would have +retrieved it, if it had not been too late. + +But I could not but accuse this age of injustice and partiality, who +while they reproached the king for his cessation of arms with the +Irish rebels, and not prosecuting them with the utmost severity, +though he was constrained by the necessities of the war to do it, +could yet, at the same time, justify the Scots taking up arms in a +quarrel they had no concern in, and against their own king, with whom +they had articled and capitulated, and who had so punctually complied +with all their demands, that they had no claim upon him, no grievances +to be redressed, no oppression to cry out of, nor could ask anything +of him which he had not granted. + +But as no action in the world is so vile, but the actors can cover +with some specious pretence, so the Scots now passing into England +publish a declaration to justify their assisting the Parliament. To +which I shall only say, in my opinion, it was no justification at all; +for admit the Parliament's quarrel had been never so just, it could +not be just in them to aid them, because 'twas against their own king +too, to whom they had sworn allegiance, or at least had crowned him, +and thereby had recognised his authority. For if maladministration be, +according to Prynne's doctrine, or according to their own Buchanan, a +sufficient reason for subjects to take up arms against their prince, +the breach of his coronation oath being supposed to dissolve the oath +of allegiance, which however I cannot believe; yet this can never be +extended to make it lawful, that because a king of England may, +by maladministration, discharge the subjects of England from their +allegiance, that therefore the subjects of Scotland may take up arms +against the King of Scotland, he having not infringed the compact +of government as to them, and they having nothing to complain of for +themselves. Thus I thought their own arguments were against them, and +Heaven seemed to concur with it; for although they did carry the cause +for the English rebels, yet the most of them left their bones here in +the quarrel. + +But what signifies reason to the drum and the trumpet! The Parliament +had the supreme argument with those men, viz., the money; and having +accordingly advanced a good round sum, upon payment of this (for the +Scots would not stir a foot without it) they entered England on +the 15th of January 1643[-4], with an army of 12,000 men, under the +command of old Leslie, now Earl of Leven, an old soldier of great +experience, having been bred to arms from a youth in the service of +the Prince of Orange. + +The Scots were no sooner entered England but they were joined by all +the friends to the Parliament party in the north; and first, Colonel +Grey, brother to the Lord Grey, joined them with a regiment of horse, +and several out of Westmoreland and Cumberland, and so they advanced +to Newcastle, which they summon to surrender. The Earl of Newcastle, +who rather saw than was able to prevent this storm, was in Newcastle, +and did his best to defend it; but the Scots, increased by this time +to above 20,000, lay close siege to the place, which was but meanly +fortified, and having repulsed the garrison upon several sallies, +and pressing the place very close, after a siege of twelve days, or +thereabouts, they enter the town sword in hand. The Earl of Newcastle +got away, and afterwards gathered what forces together he could, but +[was] not strong enough to hinder the Scots from advancing to Durham, +which he quitted to them, nor to hinder the conjunction of the Scots +with the forces of Fairfax, Manchester, and Cromwell. Whereupon the +earl, seeing all things thus going to wreck, he sends his horse +away, and retreats with his foot into York, making all necessary +preparations for a vigorous defence there, in case he should be +attacked, which he was pretty sure of, as indeed afterwards happened. +York was in a very good posture of defence, the fortifications very +regular, and exceeding strong; well furnished with provisions, and +had now a garrison of 12,000 men in it. The governor under the Earl +of Newcastle was Sir Thomas Glemham, a good soldier, and a gentleman +brave enough. + +The Scots, as I have said, having taken Durham, Tynemouth Castle, +and Sunderland, and being joined by Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had taken +Selby, resolve, with their united strength, to besiege York; but +when they came to view the city, and saw a plan of the works, and had +intelligence of the strength of the garrison, they sent expresses to +Manchester and Cromwell for help, who came on, and joined them with +9000, making together about 30,000 men, rather more than less. + +Now had the Earl of Newcastle's repeated messengers convinced the +king that it was absolutely necessary to send some forces to his +assistance, or else all would be lost in the north. Whereupon Prince +Rupert was detached, with orders first to go into Lancashire and +relieve Lathom House, defended by the brave Countess of Derby, and +then, taking all the forces he could collect in Cheshire, Lancashire, +and Yorkshire, to march to relieve York. + +The prince marched from Oxford with but three regiments of horse and +one of dragoons, making in all about 2800 men. The colonels of horse +were Colonel Charles Goring, the Lord Byron, and myself; the dragoons +were of Colonel Smith. In our march we were joined by a regiment of +horse from Banbury, one of dragoons from Bristol, and three regiments +of horse from Chester, so that when we came into Lancashire we were +about 5000 horse and dragoons. These horse we received from Chester +were those who, having been at the siege of Nantwich, were obliged to +raise the siege by Sir Thomas Fairfax; and the foot having yielded, +the horse made good their retreat to Chester, being about 2000, of +whom three regiments now joined us. We received also 2000 foot from +West Chester, and 2000 more out of Wales, and with this strength we +entered Lancashire. We had not much time to spend, and a great deal of +work to do. + +Bolton and Liverpool felt the first fury of our prince; at Bolton, +indeed, he had some provocation, for here we were like to be beaten +off. When first the prince came to the town, he sent a summons to +demand the town for the king, but received no answer but from their +guns, commanding the messenger to keep off at his peril. They had +raised some works about the town, and having by their intelligence +learnt that we had no artillery, and were only a flying party (so they +called us), they contemned the summons, and showed themselves upon +their ramparts, ready for us. The prince was resolved to humble them, +if possible, and takes up his quarters close to the town. In the +evening he orders me to advance with one regiment of dragoons and my +horse, to bring them off, if occasion was, and to post myself as near +as possible I could to the lines, yet so as not to be discovered; +and at the same time, having concluded what part of the works to fall +upon, he draws up his men on two other sides, as if he would storm +them there; and, on a signal, I was to begin the real assault on my +side with my dragoons. + +I had got so near the town with my dragoons, making them creep upon +their bellies a great way, that we could hear the soldiers talk on the +walls, when the prince, believing one regiment would be too few, sends +me word that he had ordered a regiment of foot to help, and that I +should not discover myself till they were come up to me. This broke +our measures, for the march of this regiment was discovered by the +enemy, and they took the alarm. Upon this I sent to the prince, to +desire he would put off the storm for that night, and I would answer +for it the next day; but the prince was impatient, and sent orders we +should fall on as soon as the foot came up to us. The foot marched out +of the way, missed us, and fell in with a road that leads to another +part of the town; and being not able to find us, make an attack +upon the town themselves; but the defendants, being ready for them, +received them very warmly, and beat them off with great loss. + +I was at a loss now what to do; for hearing the guns, and by the noise +knowing it was an assault upon the town, I was very uneasy to have my +share in it; but as I had learnt under the King of Sweden punctually +to adhere to the execution of orders, and my orders being to lie still +till the foot came up with me, I would not stir if I had been sure to +have done never so much service; but, however, to satisfy myself, I +sent to the prince to let him know that I continued in the same place +expecting the foot, and none being yet come, I desired farther orders. +The prince was a little amazed at this, and finding there must be some +mistake, came galloping away in the dark to the place and drew off the +men, which was no hard matter, for they were willing enough to give it +over. + +As for me, the prince ordered me to come off so privately as not to +be discovered, if possible, which I effectually did; and so we were +balked for that night. The next day the prince fell on upon another +quarter with three regiments of foot, but was beaten off with loss, +and the like a third time. At last the prince resolved to carry it, +doubled his numbers, and, renewing the attack with fresh men, the foot +entered the town over their works, killing in the first heat of the +action all that came in their way; some of the foot at the same time +letting in the horse, and so the town was entirely won. There was +about 600 of the enemy killed, and we lost above 400 in all, which was +owing to the foolish mistakes we made. Our men got some plunder here, +which the Parliament made a great noise about; but it was their due, +and they bought it dear enough. + +Liverpool did not cost us so much, nor did we get so much by it, the +people having sent their women and children and best goods on board +the ships in the road; and as we had no boats to board them with, we +could not get at them. Here, as at Bolton, the town and fort was taken +by storm, and the garrison were many of them cut in pieces, which, by +the way, was their own faults. + +Our next step was Lathom House, which the Countess of Derby had +gallantly defended above eighteen weeks against the Parliament forces; +and this lady not only encouraged her men by her cheerful and noble +maintenance of them, but by examples of her own undaunted spirit, +exposing herself upon the walls in the midst of the enemy's shot, +would be with her men in the greatest dangers; and she well deserved +our care of her person, for the enemy were prepared to use her very +rudely if she fell into their hands. + +Upon our approach the enemy drew off, and the prince not only +effectually relieved this vigorous lady, but left her a good quantity +of all sorts of ammunition, three great guns, 500 arms, and 200 men, +commanded by a major, as her extraordinary guard. + +Here the way being now opened, and our success answering our +expectation, several bodies of foot came in to us from Westmoreland +and from Cumberland; and here it was that the prince found means to +surprise the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which was recovered for +the king by the management of the mayor of the town, and some loyal +gentlemen of the county, and a garrison placed there again for the +king. + +But our main design being the relief of York, the prince advanced that +way apace, his army still increasing; and being joined by the Lord +Goring from Richmondshire with 4000 horse, which were the same the +Earl of Newcastle had sent away when he threw himself into York with +the infantry, we were now 18,000 effective men, whereof 10,000 horse +and dragoons; so the prince, full of hopes, and his men in good heart, +boldly marched directly for York. + +The Scots, as much surprised at the taking of Newcastle as at the +coming of their enemy, began to inquire which way they should get +home, if they should be beaten; and calling a council of war, they all +agreed to raise the siege. The prince, who drew with him a great train +of carriages charged with provision and ammunition for the relief of +the city, like a wary general, kept at a distance from the enemy, and +fetching a great compass about, brings all safe into the city, and +enters into York himself with all his army. + +No action of this whole war had gained the prince so much honour, or +the king's affairs so much advantage, as this, had the prince but had +the power to have restrained his courage after this, and checked his +fatal eagerness for fighting. Here was a siege raised, the reputation +of the enemy justly stirred, a city relieved, and furnished with all +things necessary in the face of an army superior in a number by near +10,000 men, and commanded by a triumvirate of Generals Leven, Fairfax, +and Manchester. Had the prince but remembered the proceeding of the +great Duke of Parma at the relief of Paris, he would have seen the +relieving the city was his business; 'twas the enemy's business to +fight if possible, 'twas his to avoid it; for, having delivered the +city, and put the disgrace of raising the siege upon the enemy, he had +nothing further to do but to have waited till he had seen what course +the enemy would take, and taken his further measures from their +motion. + +But the prince, a continual friend to precipitant counsels, would hear +no advice. I entreated him not to put it to the hazard; I told him +that he ought to consider if he lost the day he lost the kingdom, and +took the crown off from the king's head. I put him in mind that it +was impossible those three generals should continue long together; and +that if they did, they would not agree long in their counsels, which +would be as well for us as their separating. 'Twas plain Manchester +and Cromwell must return to the associated counties, who would not +suffer them to stay, for fear the king should attempt them. That he +could subsist well enough, having York city and river at his back; +but the Scots would eat up the country, make themselves odious, and +dwindle away to nothing, if he would but hold them at bay a little. +Other general officers were of the same mind; but all I could say, or +they either, to a man deaf to anything but his own courage, signified +nothing. He would draw out and fight; there was no persuading him to +the contrary, unless a man would run the risk of being upbraided with +being a coward, and afraid of the work. The enemy's army lay on a +large common, called Marston Moor, doubtful what to do. Some were for +fighting the prince, the Scots were against it, being uneasy at having +the garrison of Newcastle at their backs; but the prince brought their +councils of war to a result, for he let them know they must fight him, +whether they would or no; for the prince being, as before, 18,000 men, +and the Earl of Newcastle having joined him with 8000 foot out of the +city, were marched in quest of the enemy, had entered the moor in view +of their army, and began to draw up in order of battle; but the night +coming on, the armies only viewed each other at a distance for that +time. We lay all night upon our arms, and with the first of the day +were in order of battle; the enemy was getting ready, but part of +Manchester's men were not in the field, but lay about three miles off, +and made a hasty march to come up. + +The prince's army was exceedingly well managed; he himself commanded +the left wing, the Earl of Newcastle the right wing; and the Lord +Goring, as general of the foot, assisted by Major-General Porter +and Sir Charles Lucas, led the main battle. I had prevailed with the +prince, according to the method of the King of Sweden, to place some +small bodies of musketeers in the intervals of his horse, in the left +wing, but could not prevail upon the Earl of Newcastle to do it in the +right, which he afterwards repented. In this posture we stood facing +the enemy, expecting they would advance to us, which at last they +did; and the prince began the day by saluting them with his artillery, +which, being placed very well, galled them terribly for a quarter +of an hour. They could not shift their front, so they advanced the +hastier to get within our great guns, and consequently out of their +danger, which brought the fight the sooner on. + +The enemy's army was thus ordered; Sir Thomas Fairfax had the right +wing, in which was the Scots horse, and the horse of his own and his +father's army; Cromwell led the left wing, with his own and the Earl +of Manchester's horse, and the three generals, Leslie, old Fairfax, +and Manchester, led the main battle. + +The prince, with our left wing, fell on first, and, with his usual +fury, broke like a clap of thunder into the right wing of the Scots +horse, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and, as nothing could stand in his +way, he broke through and through them, and entirely routed them, +pursuing them quite out of the field. Sir Thomas Fairfax, with a +regiment of lances, and about 500 of his own horse, made good the +ground for some time; but our musketeers, which, as I said, were such +an unlooked-for sort of an article in a fight among the horse, that +those lances, which otherwise were brave fellows, were mowed down with +their shot, and all was put into confusion. Sir Thomas Fairfax was +wounded in the face, his brother killed, and a great slaughter was +made of the Scots, to whom I confess we showed no favour at all. + +While this was doing on our left, the Lord Goring with the main battle +charged the enemy's foot; and particularly one brigade commanded by +Major-General Porter, being mostly pikemen, not regarding the fire of +the enemy, charged with that fury in a close body of pikes, that they +overturned all that came in their way, and breaking into the middle of +the enemy's foot, filled all with terror and confusion, insomuch that +the three generals, thinking all had been lost, fled, and quitted the +field. + +But matters went not so well with that always unfortunate gentleman +the Earl of Newcastle and our right wing of horse; for Cromwell +charged the Earl of Newcastle with a powerful body of horse. And +though the earl, and those about him, did what men could do, and +behaved themselves with all possible gallantry, yet there was no +withstanding Cromwell's horse, but, like Prince Rupert, they bore down +all before them. And now the victory was wrung out of our hands by our +own gross miscarriage; for the prince, as 'twas his custom, too eager +in the chase of the enemy, was gone and could not be heard of. The +foot in the centre, the right wing of the horse being routed by +Cromwell, was left, and without the guard of his horse; Cromwell +having routed the Earl of Newcastle, and beaten him quite out of the +field, and Sir Thomas Fairfax rallying his dispersed troops, they fall +all together upon the foot. General Lord Goring, like himself, fought +like a lion, but, forsaken of his horse, was hemmed in on all sides, +and overthrown; and an hour after this, the prince returning, too late +to recover his friends, was obliged with the rest to quit the field to +conquerors. + +This was a fatal day to the king's affairs, and the risk too much +for any man in his wits to run; we lost 4000 men on the spot, 3000 +prisoners, among whom was Sir Charles Lucas, Major-General Porter, +Major-General Tilyard, and about 170 gentlemen of quality. We lost all +our baggage, twenty-five pieces of cannon, 3000 carriages, 150 barrels +of powder, 10,000 arms. The prince got into York with the Earl of +Newcastle, and a great many gentlemen; and 7000 or 8000 of the men, as +well horse as foot. + +I had but very coarse treatment in this fight; for returning with the +prince from the pursuit of the right wing, and finding all lost, I +halted with some other officers, to consider what to do. At first we +were for making our retreat in a body, and might have done so well +enough, if we had known what had happened, before we saw ourselves in +the middle of the enemy; for Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had got together +his scattered troops, and joined by some of the left wing, knowing +who we were, charged us with great fury. 'Twas not a time to think of +anything but getting away, or dying upon the spot; the prince kept +on in the front, and Sir Thomas Fairfax by this charge cut off about +three regiments of us from our body; but bending his main strength +at the prince, left us, as it were, behind him, in the middle of the +field of battle. We took this for the only opportunity we could have +to get off, and joining together, we made across the place of battle +in as good order as we could, with our carabines presented. In this +posture we passed by several bodies of the enemy's foot, who stood +with their pikes charged to keep us off; but they had no occasion, for +we had no design to meddle with them, but to get from them. + +Thus we made a swift march, and thought ourselves pretty secure; but +our work was not done yet, for on a sudden we saw ourselves under a +necessity of fighting our way through a great body of Manchester's +horse, who came galloping upon us over the moor. They had, as we +suppose, been pursuing some of our broken troops which were fled +before, and seeing us, they gave us a home charge. We received them as +well as we could, but pushed to get through them, which at last we did +with a considerable loss to them. However, we lost so many men, either +killed or separated from us (for all could not follow the same way), +that of our three regiments we could not be above 400 horse together +when we got quite clear, and these were mixed men, some of one troop +and regiment, some of another. Not that I believe many of us were +killed in the last attack, for we had plainly the better of the enemy, +but our design being to get off, some shifted for themselves one way +and some another, in the best manner they could, and as their several +fortunes guided them. Four hundred more of this body, as I afterwards +understood, having broke through the enemy's body another way, kept +together, and got into Pontefract Castle, and 300 more made northward +and to Skipton, where the prince afterwards fetched them off. + +These few of us that were left together, with whom I was, being now +pretty clear of pursuit, halted, and began to inquire who and who +we were, and what we should do; and on a short debate, I proposed we +should make to the first garrison of the king's that we could recover, +and that we should keep together, lest the country people should +insult us upon the roads. With this resolution we pushed on westward +for Lancashire, but our misfortunes were not yet at an end. We +travelled very hard, and got to a village upon the river Wharfe, near +Wetherby. At Wetherby there was a bridge, but we understood that a +party from Leeds had secured the town and the post, in order to stop +the flying Cavaliers, and that 'twould be very hard to get through +there, though, as we understood afterwards, there were no soldiers +there but a guard of the townsmen. In this pickle we consulted what +course to take. To stay where we were till morning, we all concluded, +would not be safe. Some advised to take the stream with our horses, +but the river, which is deep, and the current strong, seemed to bid +us have a care what we did of that kind, especially in the night. We +resolved therefore to refresh ourselves and our horses, which indeed +is more than we did, and go on till we might come to a ford or bridge, +where we might get over. Some guides we had, but they either were +foolish or false, for after we had rode eight or nine miles, they +plunged us into a river at a place they called a ford, but 'twas a +very ill one, for most of our horses swam, and seven or eight were +lost, but we saved the men. However, we got all over. + +We made bold with our first convenience to trespass upon the country +for a few horses, where we could find them, to remount our men whose +horses were drowned, and continued our march. But being obliged to +refresh ourselves at a small village on the edge of Bramham Moor, we +found the country alarmed by our taking some horses, and we were no +sooner got on horseback in the morning, and entering on the moor, but +we understood we were pursued by some troops of horse. There was +no remedy but we must pass this moor; and though our horses were +exceedingly tired, yet we pressed on upon a round trot, and recovered +an enclosed country on the other side, where we halted. And here, +necessity putting us upon it, we were obliged to look out for more +horses, for several of our men were dismounted, and others' horses +disabled by carrying double, those who lost their horses getting up +behind them. But we were supplied by our enemies against their will. + +The enemy followed us over the moor, and we having a woody enclosed +country about us, where we were, I observed by their moving, they had +lost sight of us; upon which I proposed concealing ourselves till we +might judge of their numbers. We did so, and lying close in a wood, +they passed hastily by us, without skirting or searching the wood, +which was what on another occasion they would not have done. I found +they were not above 150 horse, and considering, that to let them +go before us, would be to alarm the country, and stop our design, I +thought, since we might be able to deal with them, we should not meet +with a better place for it, and told the rest of our officers my mind, +which all our party presently (for we had not time for a long debate) +agreed to. + +Immediately upon this I caused two men to fire their pistols in the +wood, at two different places, as far asunder as I could. This I did +to give them an alarm, and amuse them; for being in the lane, they +would otherwise have got through before we had been ready, and I +resolved to engage them there, as soon as 'twas possible. After this +alarm, we rushed out of the wood, with about a hundred horse, and +charged them on the flank in a broad lane, the wood being on their +right. Our passage into the lane being narrow, gave us some difficulty +in our getting out; but the surprise of the charge did our work; for +the enemy, thinking we had been a mile or two before, had not the +least thoughts of this onset, till they heard us in the wood, and then +they who were before could not come back. We broke into the lane just +in the middle of them, and by that means divided them; and facing to +the left, charged the rear. First our dismounted men, which were near +fifty, lined the edge of the wood, and fired with their carabines upon +those which were before, so warmly, that they put them into a great +disorder. Meanwhile fifty more of our horse from the farther part of +the wood showed themselves in the lane upon their front. This put them +of the foremost party into a great perplexity, and they began to face +about, to fall upon us who were engaged in the rear. But their +facing about in a lane where there was no room to wheel, as one who +understands the manner of wheeling a troop of horse must imagine, put +them into a great disorder. Our party in the head of the lane taking +the advantage of this mistake of the enemy, charged in upon them, and +routed them entirely. + +Some found means to break into the enclosures on the other side of the +lane, and get away. About thirty were killed, and about twenty-five +made prisoners, and forty very good horses were taken; all this while +not a man of ours was lost, and not above seven or eight wounded. +Those in the rear behaved themselves better, for they stood our charge +with a great deal of resolution, and all we could do could not break +them; but at last our men who had fired on foot through the hedges at +the other party, coming to do the like here, there was no standing +it any longer. The rear of them faced about and retreated out of +the lane, and drew up in the open field to receive and rally their +fellows. We killed about seventeen of them, and followed them to the +end of the lane, but had no mind to have any more fighting than needs +must, our condition at that time not making it proper, the towns round +us being all in the enemy's hands, and the country but indifferently +pleased with us; however, we stood facing them till they thought fit +to march away. Thus we were supplied with horses enough to remount our +men, and pursued our first design of getting into Lancashire. As for +our prisoners, we let them off on foot. + +But the country being by this time alarmed, and the rout of our army +everywhere known, we foresaw abundance of difficulties before us; we +were not strong enough to venture into any great towns, and we were +too many to be concealed in small ones. Upon this we resolved to halt +in a great wood about three miles beyond the place where we had the +last skirmish, and sent our scouts to discover the country, and learn +what they could, either of the enemy or of our friends. + +Anybody may suppose we had but indifferent quarters here, either for +ourselves or for our horses; but, however, we made shift to lie here +two days and one night. In the interim I took upon me, with two more, +to go to Leeds to learn some news; we were disguised like country +ploughmen; the clothes we got at a farmer's house, which for that +particular occasion we plundered; and I cannot say no blood was shed +in a manner too rash, and which I could not have done at another time; +but our case was desperate, and the people too surly, and shot at us +out of the window, wounded one man and shot a horse, which we counted +as great a loss to us as a man, for our safety depended upon our +horses. Here we got clothes of all sorts, enough for both sexes, and +thus dressing myself up _au paysan,_ with a white cap on my head, and +a fork on my shoulder, and one of my comrades in the farmer's wife's +russet gown and petticoat, like a woman, the other with an old crutch +like a lame man, and all mounted on such horses as we had taken the +day before from the country, away we go to Leeds by three several +ways, and agreed to meet upon the bridge. My pretended country woman +acted her part to the life, though the party was a gentleman of good +quality, of the Earl of Worcester's family; and the cripple did as +well as he; but I thought myself very awkward in my dress, which made +me very shy, especially among the soldiers. We passed their sentinels +and guards at Leeds unobserved, and put up our horses at several +houses in the town, from whence we went up and down to make our +remarks. My cripple was the fittest to go among the soldiers, because +there was less danger of being pressed. There he informed himself of +the matters of war, particularly that the enemy sat down again to the +siege of York; that flying parties were in pursuit of the Cavaliers; +and there he heard that 500 horse of the Lord Manchester's men had +followed a party of Cavaliers over Bramham Moor, and that entering a +lane, the Cavaliers, who were 1000 strong, fell upon them, and killed +them all but about fifty. This, though it was a lie, was very pleasant +to us to hear, knowing it was our party, because of the other part of +the story, which was thus: That the Cavaliers had taken possession of +such a wood, where they rallied all the troops of their flying army; +that they had plundered the country as they came, taking all the +horses they could get; that they had plundered Goodman Thomson's +house, which was the farmer I mentioned, and killed man, woman, and +child; and that they were about 2000 strong. + +My other friend in woman's clothes got among the good wives at an +inn, where she set up her horse, and there she heard the same sad +and dreadful tidings; and that this party was so strong, none of +the neighbouring garrisons durst stir out; but that they had sent +expresses to York, for a party of horse to come to their assistance. + +I walked up and down the town, but fancied myself so ill disguised, +and so easy to be known, that I cared not to talk with anybody. We +met at the bridge exactly at our time, and compared our intelligence, +found it answered our end of coming, and that we had nothing to do but +to get back to our men; but my cripple told me, he would not stir till +he bought some victuals: so away he hops with his crutch, and buys +four or five great pieces of bacon, as many of hung beef, and two +or three loaves; and borrowing a sack at the inn (which I suppose +he never restored), he loads his horse, and getting a large leather +bottle, he filled that of aqua-vitae instead of small beer; my woman +comrade did the like. I was uneasy in my mind, and took no care but to +get out of the town; however, we all came off well enough; but +'twas well for me that I had no provisions with me, as you will hear +presently. + +We came, as I said, into the town by several ways, and so we went out; +but about three miles from the town we met again exactly where we had +agreed. I being about a quarter of a mile from the rest, I meets three +country fellows on horseback; one had a long pole on his shoulder, +another a fork, the third no weapon at all, that I saw. I gave them +the road very orderly, being habited like one of their brethren; but +one of them stopping short at me, and looking earnestly calls out, +"Hark thee, friend," says he, in a broad north-country tone, "whar +hast thou thilk horse?" I must confess I was in the utmost confusion +at the question, neither being able to answer the question, nor to +speak in his tone; so I made as if I did not hear him, and went on. +"Na, but ye's not gang soa," says the boor, and comes up to me, and +takes hold of the horse's bridle to stop me; at which, vexed at heart +that I could not tell how to talk to him, I reached him a great knock +on the pate with my fork, and fetched him off of his horse, and then +began to mend my pace. The other clowns, though it seems they knew not +what the fellow wanted, pursued me, and finding they had better heels +than I, I saw there was no remedy but to make use of my hands, and +faced about. + +The first that came up with me was he that had no weapons, so I +thought I might parley with him, and speaking as country-like as I +could, I asked him what he wanted? "Thou'st knaw that soon," says +Yorkshire, "and ise but come at thee." "Then keep awa', man," said +I, "or ise brain thee." By this time the third man came up, and the +parley ended; for he gave me no words, but laid at me with his long +pole, and that with such fury, that I began to be doubtful of him. +I was loth to shoot the fellow, though I had pistols under my grey +frock, as well for that the noise of a pistol might bring more people +in, the village being on our rear, and also because I could not +imagine what the fellow meant, or would have. But at last, finding +he would be too many for me with that long weapon, and a hardy strong +fellow, I threw myself off my horse, and running in with him, stabbed +my fork into his horse. The horse being wounded, staggered awhile, and +then fell down, and the booby had not the sense to get down in time, +but fell with him. Upon which, giving him a knock or two with my fork, +I secured him. The other, by this time, had furnished himself with a +great stick out of a hedge, and before I was disengaged from the last +fellow, gave me two such blows, that if the last had not missed my +head and hit me on the shoulder, I had ended the fight and my life +together. 'Twas time to look about me now, for this was a madman. I +defended myself with my fork, but 'twould not do. At last, in short, I +was forced to pistol him and get on horseback again, and with all the +speed I could make, get away to the wood to our men. + +If my two fellow-spies had not been behind, I had never known what was +the meaning of this quarrel of the three countrymen, but my cripple +had all the particulars. For he being behind us, as I have already +observed, when he came up to the first fellow who began the fray, he +found him beginning to come to himself. So he gets off, and pretends +to help him, and sets him up upon his breech, and being a very merry +fellow, talked to him: "Well, and what's the matter now?" says he to +him. "Ah, wae's me," says the fellow, "I is killed." "Not quite, mon," +says the cripple. "Oh, that's a fau thief," says he, and thus they +parleyed. My cripple got him on's feet, and gave him a dram of his +aqua-vitae bottle, and made much of him, in order to know what was the +occasion of the quarrel. Our disguised woman pitied the fellow too, +and together they set him up again upon his horse, and then he told +him that that fellow was got upon one of his brother's horses who +lived at Wetherby. They said the Cavaliers stole him, but 'twas like +such rogues. No mischief could be done in the country, but 'twas the +poor Cavaliers must bear the blame, and the like, and thus they jogged +on till they came to the place where the other two lay. The first +fellow they assisted as they had done t'other, and gave him a dram +out of the leather bottle, but the last fellow was past their care, +so they came away. For when they understood that 'twas my horse they +claimed, they began to be afraid that their own horses might be known +too, and then they had been betrayed in a worse pickle than I, and +must have been forced to have done some mischief or other to have got +away. + +I had sent out two troopers to fetch them off, if there was any +occasion; but their stay was not long and the two troopers saw them at +a distance coming towards us, so they returned. + +I had enough of going for a spy, and my companions had enough of +staying in the wood for other intelligences agreed with ours, and all +concurred in this, that it was time to be going; however, this use we +made of it, that while the country thought us so strong we were in the +less danger of being attacked, though in the more of being observed; +but all this while we heard nothing of our friends till the next day. +We heard Prince Rupert, with about 1000 horse, was at Skipton, and +from thence marched away to Westmoreland. + +We concluded now we had two or three days' time good; for, since +messengers were sent to York for a party to suppress us, we must have +at least two days' march of them, and therefore all concluded we +were to make the best of our way. Early in the morning, therefore, we +decamped from those dull quarters; and as we marched through a village +we found the people very civil to us, and the women cried out, "God +bless them, 'tis pity the Roundheads should make such work with +such brave men," and the like. Finding we were among our friends, +we resolved to halt a little and refresh ourselves; and, indeed, the +people were very kind to us, gave us victuals and drink, and took care +of our horses. It happened to be my lot to stop at a house where +the good woman took a great deal of pains to provide for us; but I +observed the good man walked about with a cap upon his head, and very +much out of order. I took no great notice of it, being very sleepy, +and having asked my landlady to let me have a bed, I lay down and +slept heartily. When I waked I found my landlord on another bed +groaning very heavily. + +When I came downstairs, I found my cripple talking with my landlady; +he was now out of his disguise, but we called him cripple still; and +the other, who put on the woman's clothes, we called Goody Thompson. +As soon as he saw me, he called me out, "Do you know," says he, "the +man of the house you are quartered in?" "No, not I," says I. "No; so I +believe, nor they you," says he; "if they did, the good wife would not +have made you a posset, and fetched a white loaf for you." "What do +you mean?" says I. "Have you seen the man?" says he. "Seen him," says +I; "yes, and heard him too; the man's sick, and groans so heavily," +says I, "that I could not lie upon the bed any longer for him." "Why, +this is the poor man," says he, "that you knocked down with your fork +yesterday, and I have had all the story out yonder at the next door." +I confess it grieved me to have been forced to treat one so roughly +who was one of our friends, but to make some amends, we contrived +to give the poor man his brother's horse; and my cripple told him +a formal story, that he believed the horse was taken away from the +fellow by some of our men, and if he knew him again, if 'twas his +friend's horse, he should have him. The man came down upon the news, +and I caused six or seven horses, which were taken at the same time, +to be shown him; he immediately chose the right; so I gave him the +horse, and we pretended a great deal of sorrow for the man's hurt, and +that we had not knocked the fellow on the head as well as took away +the horse. The man was so overjoyed at the revenge he thought was +taken on the fellow, that we heard him groan no more. + +We ventured to stay all day at this town and the next night, and got +guides to lead us to Blackstone Edge, a ridge of mountains which +part this side of Yorkshire from Lancashire. Early in the morning we +marched, and kept our scouts very carefully out every way, who brought +us no news for this day. We kept on all night, and made our horses do +penance for that little rest they had, and the next morning we passed +the hills and got into Lancashire, to a town called Littlebrough, +and from thence to Rochdale, a little market town. And now we thought +ourselves safe as to the pursuit of enemies from the side of York. Our +design was to get to Bolton, but all the county was full of the enemy +in flying parties, and how to get to Bolton we knew not. At last we +resolved to send a messenger to Bolton; but he came back and told +us he had with lurking and hiding tried all the ways that he thought +possible, but to no purpose, for he could not get into the town. We +sent another, and he never returned, and some time after we understood +he was taken by the enemy. At last one got into the town, but brought +us word they were tired out with constant alarms, had been strictly +blocked up, and every day expected a siege, and therefore advised us +either to go northward where Prince Rupert and the Lord Goring ranged +at liberty, or to get over Warrington Bridge, and so secure our +retreat to Chester. + +This double direction divided our opinions. I was for getting into +Chester, both to recruit myself with horses and with money, both which +I wanted, and to get refreshment, which we all wanted; but the major +part of our men were for the north. First they said there was their +general, and 'twas their duty to the cause, and the king's interest +obliged us to go where we could do best service; and there was their +friends, and every man might hear some news of his own regiment, for +we belonged to several regiments. Besides, all the towns to the +left of us were possessed by Sir William Brereton, Warrington, and +Northwich, garrisoned by the enemy, and a strong party at Manchester, +so that 'twas very likely we should be beaten and dispersed before +we could get to Chester. These reasons, and especially the last, +determined us for the north, and we had resolved to march the +next morning, when other intelligence brought us to more speedy +resolutions. We kept our scouts continually abroad to bring us +intelligence of the enemy, whom we expected on our backs, and also to +keep an eye upon the country; for, as we lived upon them something +at large, they were ready enough to do us any ill turn, as it lay in +their power. + +The first messenger that came to us was from our friends at Bolton, to +inform us that they were preparing at Manchester to attack us. One of +our parties had been as far as Stockport, on the edge of Cheshire, and +was pursued by a party of the enemy, but got off by the help of the +night. Thus, all things looked black to the south, we had resolved to +march northward in the morning, when one of our scouts from the side +of Manchester, assured us Sir Thomas Middleton, with some of the +Parliament forces and the country troops, making above 1200 men, were +on the march to attack us, and would certainly beat up our quarters +that night. Upon this advice we resolved to be gone; and, getting all +things in readiness, we began to march about two hours before night. +And having gotten a trusty fellow for a guide, a fellow that we found +was a friend to our side, he put a project into my head which saved +us all for that time; and that was, to give out in the village that +we were marched to Yorkshire, resolving to get into Pontefract Castle; +and accordingly he leads us out of the town the same way we came in, +and, taking a boy with him, he sends the boy back just at night, and +bade him say he saw us go up the hills at Blackstone Edge; and it +happened very well, for this party were so sure of us, that they had +placed 400 men on the road to the northward to intercept our retreat +that way, and had left no way for us, as they thought, to get away but +back again. + +About ten o'clock at night, they assaulted our quarters, but found we +were gone; and being informed which way, they followed upon the spur, +and travelling all night, being moonlight, they found themselves the +next day about fifteen miles east, just out of their way. For we had, +by the help of our guide, turned short at the foot of the hills, and +through blind, untrodden paths, and with difficulty enough, by noon +the next day had reached almost twenty-five miles north, near a town +called Clitheroe. Here we halted in the open field, and sent out +our people to see how things were in the country. This part of +the country, almost unpassable, and walled round with hills, was +indifferent quiet, and we got some refreshment for ourselves, but very +little horse-meat, and so went on. But we had not marched far before +we found ourselves discovered, and the 400 horse sent to lie in wait +for us as before, having understood which way we went, followed us +hard; and by letters to some of their friends at Preston, we found we +were beset again. + +Our guide began now to be out of his knowledge, and our scouts brought +us word, the enemy's horse was posted before us, and we knew they were +in our rear. In this exigence, we resolved to divide our small +body, and so amusing them, at least one might get off, if the other +miscarried. I took about eighty horse with me, among which were all +that I had of our own regiment, amounting to above thirty-two, and +took the hills towards Yorkshire. Here we met with such unpassable +hills, vast moors, rocks, and stonyways, as lamed all our horses and +tired our men; and some times I was ready to think we should never be +able to get over them, till our horses failing, and jackboots being +but indifferent things to travel in, we might be starved before we +should find any road, or towns; for guide we had none, but a boy who +knew but little, and would cry when we asked him any questions. I +believe neither men nor horses ever passed in some places where we +went, and for twenty hours we saw not a town nor a house, excepting +sometimes from the top of the mountains, at a vast distance. I am +persuaded we might have encamped here, if we had had provisions, till +the war had been over, and have met with no disturbance; and I have +often wondered since, how we got into such horrible places, as much +as how we got out. That which was worse to us than all the rest, was, +that we knew not where we were going, nor what part of the country we +should come into, when we came out of those desolate crags. At +last, after a terrible fatigue, we began to see the western parts of +Yorkshire, some few villages, and the country at a distance looked a +little like England, for I thought before it looked like old Brennus +Hill, which the Grisons call "the grandfather of the Alps." We got +some relief in the villages, which indeed some of us had so much need +of, that they were hardly able to sit their horses, and others were +forced to help them off, they were so faint. I never felt so much of +the power of hunger in my life, for having not eaten in thirty hours, +I was as ravenous as a hound; and if I had had a piece of horse-flesh, +I believe I should not have had patience to have staid dressing +it, but have fallen upon it raw, and have eaten it as greedily as a +Tartar. However I ate very cautiously, having often seen the danger of +men's eating heartily after long fasting. + +Our next care was to inquire our way. Halifax, they told us, was on +our right. There we durst not think of going. Skipton was before us, +and there we knew not how it was, for a body of 3000 horse, sent out +by the enemy in pursuit of Prince Rupert, had been there but two days +before, and the country people could not tell us whether they were +gone, or no. And Manchester's horse, which were sent out after our +party, were then at Halifax, in quest of us, and afterwards marched +into Cheshire. In this distress we would have hired a guide, but none +of the country people would go with us, for the Roundheads would hang +them, they said, when they came there. Upon this I called a fellow to +me, "Hark ye, friend," says I, "dost thee know the way so as to bring +us into Westmoreland, and not keep the great road from York?" "Ay, +merry," says he, "I ken the ways weel enou!" "And you would go and +guide us," said I, "but that you are afraid the Roundheads will hang +you?" "Indeed would I," says the fellow. "Why then," says I, "thou +hadst as good be hanged by a Cavalier as a Roundhead, for if thou wilt +not go, I'll hang thee just now." "Na, and ye serve me soa," says the +fellow, "Ise ene gang with ye, for I care not for hanging; and ye'll +get me a good horse, Ise gang and be one of ye, for I'll nere come +heame more." This pleased us still better, and we mounted the fellow, +for three of our men died that night with the extreme fatigue of the +last service. + +Next morning, when our new trooper was mounted and clothed we hardly +knew him; and this fellow led us by such ways, such wildernesses, and +yet with such prudence, keeping the hills to the left, that we might +have the villages to refresh ourselves, that without him, we had +certainly either perished in those mountains, or fallen into the +enemy's hands. We passed the great road from York so critically as to +time, that from one of the hills he showed us a party of the enemy's +horse who were then marching into Westmoreland. We lay still that day, +finding we were not discovered by them; and our guide proved the best +scout that we could have had; for he would go out ten miles at a time, +and bring us in all the news of the country. Here he brought us word, +that York was surrendered upon articles, and that Newcastle, which had +been surprised by the king's party, was besieged by another army of +Scots advanced to help their brethren. + +Along the edges of those vast mountains we passed with the help of our +guide, till we came into the forest of Swale; and finding ourselves +perfectly concealed here, for no soldier had ever been here all the +war, nor perhaps would not, if it had lasted seven years, we thought +we wanted a few days' rest, at least for our horses. So we resolved to +halt; and while we did so, we made some disguises, and sent out some +spies into the country; but as here were no great towns, nor no post +road, we got very little intelligence. We rested four days, and then +marched again; and indeed having no great stock of money about us, +and not very free of that we had, four days was enough for those poor +places to be able to maintain us. + +We thought ourselves pretty secure now; but our chief care was how to +get over those terrible mountains; for having passed the great road +that leads from York to Lancaster, the crags, the farther northward we +looked, looked still the worse, and our business was all on the other +side. Our guide told us, he would bring us out, if we would have +patience, which we were obliged to, and kept on this slow march, till +he brought us to Stanhope, in the country of Durham; where some of +Goring's horse, and two regiments of foot, had their quarters. This +was nineteen days from the battle of Marston Moor. The prince, who +was then at Kendal in Westmoreland, and who had given me over as lost, +when he had news of our arrival, sent an express to me, to meet him +at Appleby. I went thither accordingly, and gave him an account of our +journey, and there I heard the short history of the other part of our +men, whom we parted from in Lancashire. They made the best of their +way north; they had two resolute gentlemen who commanded; and being +so closely pursued by the enemy, that they found themselves under a +necessity of fighting, they halted, and faced about, expecting the +charge. The boldness of the action made the officer who led the +enemy's horse (which it seems were the county horse only) afraid +of them; which they perceiving, taking the advantage of his fears, +bravely advance, and charge them; and though they were above 200 +horse, they routed them, killed about thirty or forty, got some +horses, and some money, and pushed on their march night and day; but +coming near Lancaster, they were so waylaid and pursued, that they +agreed to separate, and shift every man for himself. Many of them fell +into the enemy's hands; some were killed attempting to pass through +the river Lune; some went back, six or seven got to Bolton, and about +eighteen got safe to Prince Rupert. + +The prince was in a better condition hereabouts than I expected; he +and my Lord Goring, with the help of Sir Marmaduke Langdale, and the +gentlemen of Cumberland, had gotten a body of 4000 horse, and about +6000 foot; they had retaken Newcastle, Tynemouth, Durham, Stockton, +and several towns of consequence from the Scots, and might have cut +them out work enough still, if that base people, resolved to engage +their whole interest to ruin their sovereign, had not sent a second +army of 10,000 men, under the Earl of Callander, to help their first. +These came and laid siege to Newcastle, but found more vigorous +resistance now than they had done before. + +There were in the town Sir John Morley, the Lord Crawford, Lord +Reay, and Maxwell, Scots; and old soldiers, who were resolved their +countrymen should buy the town very dear, if they had it; and had it +not been for our disaster at Marston Moor, they had never had it; for +Callander, finding he was not able to carry the town, sends to General +Leven to come from the siege of York to help him. + +Meantime the prince forms a very good army, and the Lord Goring, with +10,000 men, shows himself on the borders of Scotland, to try if that +might not cause the Scots to recall their forces; and, I am persuaded, +had he entered Scotland, the Parliament of Scotland had recalled the +Earl of Callander, for they had but 5000 men left in arms to send +against him; but they were loth to venture. However, this effect it +had, that it called the Scots northward again, and found them work +there for the rest of the summer to reduce the several towns in the +bishopric of Durham. + +I found with the prince the poor remains of my regiment, which, when +joined with those that had been with me, could not all make up three +troops, and but two captains, three lieutenants, and one cornet; the +rest were dispersed, killed, or taken prisoners. However, with those, +which we still called a regiment, I joined the prince, and after +having done all we could on that side, the Scots being returned from +York, the prince returned through Lancashire to Chester. + +The enemy often appeared and alarmed us, and once fell on one of our +parties, and killed us about a hundred men; but we were too many for +them to pretend to fight us, so we came to Bolton, beat the troops +of the enemy near Warrington, where I got a cut with a halberd in my +face, and arrived at Chester the beginning of August. + +The Parliament, upon their great success in the north, thinking the +king's forces quite unbroken, had sent their General Essex into the +west, where the king's army was commanded by Prince Maurice, Prince +Rupert's elder brother, but not very strong; and the king being, as +they supposed, by the absence of Prince Rupert, weakened so much as +that he might be checked by Sir William Waller, who, with 4500 foot, +and 1500 horse, was at that time about Winchester, having lately +beaten Sir Ralph Hopton;--upon all these considerations, the Earl of +Essex marches westward. + +The forces in the west being too weak to oppose him, everything gave +way to him, and all people expected he would besiege Exeter, where +the queen was newly lying-in, and sent a trumpet to desire he would +forbear the city, while she could be removed, which he did, and passed +on westward, took Tiverton, Bideford, Barnstaple, Launceston, relieved +Plymouth, drove Sir Richard Grenvile up into Cornwall, and followed +him thither, but left Prince Maurice behind him with 4000 men about +Barnstaple and Exeter. The king, in the meantime, marches from Oxford +into Worcester, with Waller at his heels. At Edgehill his Majesty +turns upon Waller, and gave him a brush, to put him in mind of the +place. The king goes on to Worcester, sends 300 horse to relieve +Durley Castle, besieged by the Earl of Denby, and sending part of his +forces to Bristol, returns to Oxford. + +His Majesty had now firmly resolved to march into the west, not having +yet any account of our misfortunes in the north. Waller and Middleton +waylay the king at Cropredy Bridge. The king assaults Middleton at the +bridge. + +Waller's men were posted with some cannon to guard a pass. Middleton's +men put a regiment of the king's foot to the rout, and pursued them. +Waller's men, willing to come in for the plunder, a thing their +general had often used them to, quit their post at the pass, and their +great guns, to have part in the victory. The king coming in seasonably +to the relief of his men, routs Middleton, and at the same time sends +a party round, who clapped in between Sir William Waller's men and +their great guns, and secured the pass and the cannon too. The +king took three colonels, besides other officers, and about 300 men +prisoners, with eight great guns, nineteen carriages of ammunition, +and killed about 200 men. + +Waller lost his reputation in this fight, and was exceedingly slighted +ever after, even by his own party; but especially by such as were +of General Essex's party, between whom and Waller there had been +jealousies and misunderstandings for some time. + +The king, about 8000 strong, marched on to Bristol, where Sir William +Hopton joined him, and from thence he follows Essex into Cornwall. +Essex still following Grenvile, the king comes to Exeter, and joining +with Prince Maurice, resolves to pursue Essex; and now the Earl of +Essex began to see his mistake, being cooped up between two seas, +the king's army in his rear, the country his enemy, and Sir Richard +Grenvile in his van. + +The king, who always took the best measures when he was left to his +own counsel, wisely refuses to engage, though superior in number, and +much stronger in horse. Essex often drew out to fight, but the king +fortifies, takes the passes and bridges, plants cannon, and secures +the country to keep off provisions, and continually straitens their +quarters, but would not fight. + +Now Essex sends away to the Parliament for help, and they write to +Waller, and Middleton, and Manchester to follow, and come up with +the king in his rear; but some were too far off, and could not, as +Manchester and Fairfax; others made no haste, as having no mind to it, +as Waller and Middleton, and if they had, it had been too late. + +At last the Earl of Essex, finding nothing to be done, and unwilling +to fall into the king's hands, takes shipping, and leaves his army to +shift for themselves. The horse, under Sir William Balfour, the +best horse officer, and, without comparison, the bravest in all the +Parliament army, advanced in small parties, as if to skirmish, but +following in with the whole body, being 3500 horse, broke through, and +got off. Though this was a loss to the king's victory, yet the foot +were now in a condition so much the worse. Brave old Skippon proposed +to fight through with the foot and die, as he called it, like +Englishmen, with sword in hand; but the rest of the officers shook +their heads at it, for, being well paid, they had at present no +occasion for dying. + +Seeing it thus, they agreed to treat, and the king grants them +conditions, upon laying down their arms, to march off free. This was +too much. Had his Majesty but obliged them upon oath not to serve +again for a certain time, he had done his business; but this was not +thought of; so they passed free, only disarmed, the soldiers not being +allowed so much as their swords. + +The king gained by this treaty forty pieces of cannon, all of brass, +300 barrels of gunpowder, 9000 arms, 8000 swords, match and bullet in +proportion, 200 waggons, 150 colours and standards, all the bag and +baggage of the army, and about 1000 of the men listed in his army. +This was a complete victory without bloodshed; and had the king +but secured the men from serving but for six months, it had most +effectually answered the battle of Marston Moor. + +As it was, it infused new life into all his Majesty's forces and +friends, and retrieved his affairs very much; but especially it +encouraged us in the north, who were more sensible of the blow +received at Marston Moor, and of the destruction the Scots were +bringing upon us all. + +While I was at Chester, we had some small skirmishes with Sir William +Brereton. One morning in particular Sir William drew up, and faced us, +and one of our colonels of horse observing the enemy to be not, as he +thought, above 200, desires leave of Prince Rupert to attack them +with the like number, and accordingly he sallied out with 200 horse. I +stood drawn up without the city with 800 more, ready to bring him off, +if he should be put to the worst, which happened accordingly; for, not +having discovered neither the country nor the enemy as he ought, Sir +William Brereton drew him into an ambuscade; so that before he came up +with Sir William's forces, near enough to charge, he finds about 300 +horse in his rear. Though he was surprised at this, yet, being a man +of a ready courage, he boldly faces about with 150 of his men, +leaving the other fifty to face Sir William. With this small party, he +desperately charges the 300 horse in his rear, and putting them into +disorder, breaks through them, and, had there been no greater force, +he had cut them all in pieces. Flushed with this success, and loth +to desert the fifty men he had left behind, he faces about again, and +charges through them again, and with these two charges entirely routs +them. Sir William Brereton finding himself a little disappointed, +advances, and falls upon the fifty men just as the colonel came up to +them; they fought him with a great deal of bravery, but the colonel +being unfortunately killed in the first charge, the men gave way, and +came flying all in confusion, with the enemy at their heels. As soon +as I saw this, I advanced, according to my orders, and the enemy, +as soon as I appeared, gave over the pursuit. This gentleman, as I +remember, was Colonel Marrow; we fetched off his body, and retreated +into Chester. + +The next morning the prince drew out of the city with about 1200 horse +and 2000 foot, and attacked Sir William Brereton in his quarters. The +fight was very sharp for the time, and near 700 men, on both sides, +were killed; but Sir William would not put it to a general engagement, +so the prince drew off, contenting himself to have insulted him in his +quarters. + +We now had received orders from the king to join him; but I +representing to the prince the condition of my regiment, which was +now 100 men, and that, being within twenty-five miles of my father's +house, I might soon recruit it, my father having got some men together +already, I desired leave to lie at Shrewsbury for a month, to make up +my men. Accordingly, having obtained his leave, I marched to Wrexham, +where in two days' time I got twenty men, and so on to Shrewsbury. I +had not been here above ten days, but I received an express to come +away with what recruits I had got together, Prince Rupert having +positive orders to meet the king by a certain day. I had not mounted +100 men, though I had listed above 200, when these orders came; but +leaving my father to complete them for me, I marched with those I had +and came to Oxford. + +The king, after the rout of the Parliament forces in the west, was +marched back, took Barnstaple, Plympton, Launceston, Tiverton, and +several other places, and left Plymouth besieged by Sir Richard +Grenvile, met with Sir William Waller at Shaftesbury, and again at +Andover, and boxed him at both places, and marched for Newbury. Here +the king sent for Prince Rupert to meet him, who with 3000 horse made +long marches to join him; but the Parliament having joined their three +armies together, Manchester from the north, Waller and Essex (the +men being clothed and armed) from the west, had attacked the king and +obliged him to fight the day before the prince came up. + +The king had so posted himself, as that he could not be obliged to +fight but with advantage, the Parliament's forces being superior in +number, and therefore, when they attacked him, he galled them with +his cannon, and declining to come to a general battle, stood upon the +defensive, expecting Prince Rupert with the horse. + +The Parliament's forces had some advantage over our foot, and took the +Earl of Cleveland prisoner. But the king, whose foot were not above +one to two, drew his men under the cannon of Donnington Castle, and +having secured his artillery and baggage, made a retreat with his foot +in very good order, having not lost in all the fight above 300 men, +and the Parliament as many. We lost five pieces of cannon and took +two, having repulsed the Earl of Manchester's men on the north side of +the town, with considerable loss. + +The king having lodged his train of artillery and baggage in +Donnington Castle, marched the next day for Oxford. There we joined +him with 3000 horse and 2000 foot. Encouraged with this reinforcement, +the king appears upon the hills on the north-west of Newbury, and +faces the Parliament army. The Parliament having too many generals as +well as soldiers, they could not agree whether they should fight or +no. This was no great token of the victory they boasted of, for they +were now twice our number in the whole, and their foot three for one. +The king stood in battalia all day, and finding the Parliament forces +had no stomach to engage him, he drew away his cannon and baggage out +of Donnington Castle in view of their whole army, and marched away to +Oxford. + +This was such a false step of the Parliament's generals, that all the +people cried shame of them. The Parliament appointed a committee to +inquire into it. Cromwell accused Manchester, and he Waller, and so +they laid the fault upon one another. Waller would have been glad to +have charged it upon Essex, but as it happened he was not in the army, +having been taken ill some days before. But as it generally is when a +mistake is made, the actors fall out among themselves, so it was here. +No doubt it was as false a step as that of Cornwall, to let the king +fetch away his baggage and cannon in the face of three armies, and +never fire a shot at them. + +The king had not above 8000 foot in his army, and they above 25,000. +Tis true the king had 8000 horse, a fine body, and much superior to +theirs; but the foot might, with the greatest ease in the world, have +prevented the removing the cannon, and in three days' time have taken +the castle, with all that was in it. + +Those differences produced their self-denying ordinance, and the +putting by most of their old generals, as Essex, Waller, Manchester, +and the like; and Sir Thomas Fairfax, a terrible man in the field, +though the mildest of men out of it, was voted to have the command +of all their forces, and Lambert to take the command of Sir Thomas +Fairfax's troops in the north, old Skippon being Major-General. + +This winter was spent on the enemy's side in modelling, as they called +it, their army, and on our side in recruiting ours, and some petty +excursions. Amongst the many addresses I observed one from Sussex or +Surrey, complaining of the rudeness of their soldiers, from which I +only observed that there were disorders among them as well as among +us, only with this difference, that they, for reasons I mentioned +before, were under circumstances to prevent it better than the +king. But I must do the king's memory that justice, that he used all +possible methods, by punishment of soldiers, charging, and sometimes +entreating, the gentlemen not to suffer such disorders and such +violences in their men; but it was to no purpose for his Majesty to +attempt it, while his officers, generals, and great men winked at it; +for the licentiousness of the soldier is supposed to be approved by +the officer when it is not corrected. + +The rudeness of the Parliament soldiers began from the divisions among +their officers; for in many places the soldiers grew so out of all +discipline and so unsufferably rude, that they, in particular, refused +to march when Sir William Waller went to Weymouth. This had turned to +good account for us, had these cursed Scots been out of our way, but +they were the staff of the party; and now they were daily solicited to +march southward, which was a very great affliction to the king and all +his friends. + +One booty the king got at this time, which was a very seasonable +assistance to his affairs, viz., a great merchant ship, richly laden +at London, and bound to the East Indies, was, by the seamen, brought +into Bristol, and delivered up to the king. Some merchants in Bristol +offered the king £40,000 for her, which his Majesty ordered should be +accepted, reserving only thirty great guns for his own use. + +The treaty at Uxbridge now was begun, and we that had been well beaten +in the war heartily wished the king would come to a peace; but we all +foresaw the clergy would ruin it all. The Commons were for Presbytery, +and would never agree the bishops should be restored. The king was +willinger to comply with anything than this, and we foresaw it would +be so; from whence we used to say among ourselves, "That the clergy +was resolved if there should be no bishop there should be no king." + +This treaty at Uxbridge was a perfect war between the men of the gown, +ours was between those of the sword; and I cannot but take notice +how the lawyers, statesmen, and the clergy of every side bestirred +themselves, rather to hinder than promote the peace. + +There had been a treaty at Oxford some time before, where the +Parliament insisting that the king should pass a bill to abolish +Episcopacy, quit the militia, abandon several of his faithful servants +to be exempted from pardon, and making several other most extravagant +demands, nothing was done, but the treaty broke off, both parties +being rather farther exasperated, than inclined to hearken to +conditions. + +However, soon after the success in the west, his Majesty, to let them +see that victory had not puffed him up so as to make him reject the +peace, sends a message to the Parliament, to put them in mind of +messages of like nature which they had slighted; and to let them know, +that notwithstanding he had beaten their forces, he was yet willing to +hearken to a reasonable proposal for putting an end to the war. + +The Parliament pretended the king, in his message, did not treat with +them as a legal Parliament, and so made hesitations; but after long +debates and delays they agreed to draw up propositions for peace to be +sent to the king. As this message was sent to the Houses about August, +I think they made it the middle of November before they brought the +propositions for peace; and, when they brought them, they had no +power to enter either upon a treaty, or so much as preliminaries for a +treaty, only to deliver the letter, and receive an answer. + +However, such were the circumstances of affairs at this time, that the +king was uneasy to see himself thus treated, and take no notice of it: +the king returned an answer to the propositions, and proposed a treaty +by commissioners which the Parliament appointed. + +Three months more were spent in naming commissioners. There was much +time spent in this treaty, but little done; the commissioners debated +chiefly the article of religion, and of the militia; in the latter +they were very likely to agree, in the former both sides seemed +too positive. The king would by no means abandon Episcopacy nor the +Parliament Presbytery; for both in their opinion were _jure divino_. + +The commissioners finding this point hardest to adjust, went from +it to that of the militia; but the time spinning out, the king's +commissioners demanded longer time for the treaty; the other sent up +for instructions, but the House refused to lengthen out the time. + +This was thought an insolence upon the king, and gave all good people +a detestation of such haughty behaviour; and thus the hopes of peace +vanished, both sides prepared for war with as much eagerness as +before. + +The Parliament was employed at this time in what they called +a-modelling their army; that is to say, that now the Independent party +[was] beginning to prevail; and, as they outdid all the others in +their resolution of carrying on the war to all extremities, so they +were both the more vigorous and more politic party in carrying it on. + +Indeed, the war was after this carried on with greater animosity than +ever, and the generals pushed forward with a vigour that, as it +had something in it unusual, so it told us plainly from this time, +whatever they did before, they now pushed at the ruin even of the +monarchy itself. + +All this while also the war went on, and though the Parliament had no +settled army, yet their regiments and troops were always in action; +and the sword was at work in every part of the kingdom. + +Among an infinite number of party skirmishings and fights this winter, +one happened which nearly concerned me, which was the surprise of the +town and castle of Shrewsbury. Colonel Mitton, with about 1200 horse +and foot, having intelligence with some people in the town, on a +Sunday morning early broke into the town and took it, castle and all. +The loss for the quality, more than the number, was very great to +the king's affairs. They took there fifteen pieces of cannon, Prince +Maurice's magazine of arms and ammunition, Prince Rupert's baggage, +above fifty persons of quality and officers. There was not above +eight or ten men killed on both sides, for the town was surprised, not +stormed. I had a particular loss in this action; for all the men and +horses my father had got together for the recruiting my regiment were +here lost and dispersed, and, which was the worse, my father happening +to be then in the town, was taken prisoner, and carried to Beeston +Castle in Cheshire. + +I was quartered all this winter at Banbury, and went little abroad; +nor had we any action till the latter end of February, when I was +ordered to march to Leicester with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, in order, +as we thought, to raise a body of men in that county and Staffordshire +to join the king. + +We lay at Daventry one night, and continuing our march to pass the +river above Northampton, that town being possessed by the enemy, we +understood a party of Northampton forces were abroad, and intended to +attack us. Accordingly, in the afternoon our scouts brought us word +the enemy were quartered in some villages on the road to Coventry. Our +commander, thinking it much better to set upon them in their quarters, +than to wait for them in the field, resolves to attack them early in +the morning before they were aware of it. We refreshed ourselves in +the field for that day, and, getting into a great wood near the enemy, +we stayed there all night, till almost break of day, without being +discovered. + +In the morning very early we heard the enemy's trumpets sound to +horse. This roused us to look abroad, and, sending out a scout, he +brought us word a part of the enemy was at hand. We were vexed to +be so disappointed, but finding their party small enough to be dealt +with, Sir Marmaduke ordered me to charge them with 300 horse and 200 +dragoons, while he at the same time entered the town. Accordingly I +lay still till they came to the very skirt of the wood where I was +posted, when I saluted them with a volley from my dragoons out of the +wood, and immediately showed myself with my horse on their front ready +to charge them. They appeared not to be surprised, and received our +charge with great resolution; and, being above 400 men, they pushed me +vigorously in their turn, putting my men into some disorder. In this +extremity I sent to order my dragoons to charge them in the flank, +which they did with great bravery, and the other still maintained the +fight with desperate resolution. There was no want of courage in our +men on both sides, but our dragoons had the advantage, and at last +routed them, and drove them back to the village. Here Sir Marmaduke +Langdale had his hands full too, for my firing had alarmed the towns +adjacent, that when he came into the town he found them all in arms, +and, contrary to his expectation, two regiments of foot, with about +500 horse more. As Sir Marmaduke had no foot, only horse and dragoons, +this was a surprise to him; but he caused his dragoons to enter the +town and charge the foot, while his horse secured the avenues of the +town. + +The dragoons bravely attacked the foot, and Sir Marmaduke falling +in with his horse, the fight was obstinate and very bloody, when the +horse that I had routed came flying into the street of the village, +and my men at their heels. Immediately I left the pursuit, and fell +in with all my force to the assistance of my friends, and, after an +obstinate resistance, we routed the whole party; we killed about +700 men, took 350, 27 officers, 100 arms, all their baggage, and 200 +horses, and continued our march to Harborough, where we halted to +refresh ourselves. + +Between Harborough and Leicester we met with a party of 800 dragoons +of the Parliament forces. They, found themselves too few to attack +us, and therefore to avoid us they had gotten into a small wood; but +perceiving themselves discovered, they came boldly out, and placed +themselves at the entrance into a lane, lining both sides of the +hedges with their shot. We immediately attacked them, beat them from +their hedges, beat them into the wood, and out of the wood again, +and forced them at last to a downright run away, on foot, among the +enclosures, where we could not follow them, killed about 100 of them, +and took 250 prisoners, with all their horses, and came that night to +Leicester. When we came to Leicester, and had taken up our quarters, +Sir Marmaduke Langdale sent for me to sup with him, and told me +that he had a secret commission in his pocket, which his Majesty had +commanded him not to open till he came to Leicester; that now he had +sent for me to open it together, that we might know what it was we +were to do, and to consider how to do it; so pulling out his sealed +orders, we found we were to get what force we could together, and a +certain number of carriages with ammunition, which the governor of +Leicester was to deliver us, and a certain quantity of provision, +especially corn and salt, and to relieve Newark. This town had been +long besieged. The fortifications of the place, together with its +situation, had rendered it the strongest place in England; and, as it +was the greatest pass in England, so it was of vast consequence to the +king's affairs. There was in it a garrison of brave old rugged boys, +fellows that, like Count Tilly's Germans, had iron faces, and they had +defended themselves with extraordinary bravery a great while, but were +reduced to an exceeding strait for want of provisions. + +Accordingly we received the ammunition and provision, and away we went +for Newark; about Melton Mowbray, Colonel Rossiter set upon us, with +above 3000 men; we were about the same number, having 2500 horse, and +800 dragoons. We had some foot, but they were still at Harborough, and +were ordered to come after us. + +Rossiter, like a brave officer as he was, charged us with great fury, +and rather outdid us in number, while we defended ourselves with all +the eagerness we could, and withal gave him to understand we were +not so soon to be beaten as he expected. While the fight continued +doubtful, especially on our side, our people, who had charge of the +carriages and provisions, began to enclose our flanks with them, as +if we had been marching, which, though it was done without orders, had +two very good effects, and which did us extraordinary service. First, +it secured us from being charged in the flank, which Rossiter had +twice attempted; and secondly, it secured our carriages from being +plundered, which had spoiled our whole expedition. Being thus +enclosed, we fought with great security; and though Rossiter made +three desperate charges upon us; he could never break us. Our men +received him with so much courage, and kept their order so well, that +the enemy, finding it impossible to force us, gave it over, and left +us to pursue our orders. We did not offer to chase them, but contented +enough to have repulsed and beaten them off, and our business being to +relieve Newark, we proceeded. + +If we are to reckon by the enemy's usual method, we got the victory, +because we kept the field, and had the pillage of their dead; but +otherwise, neither side had any great cause to boast. We lost about +150 men, and near as many hurt; they left 170 on the spot, and carried +off some. How many they had wounded we could not tell; we got seventy +or eighty horses, which helped to remount some of our men that had +lost theirs in the fight. We had, however, this advantage, that we +were to march on immediately after this service, the enemy only to +retire to their quarters, which was but hard by. This was an injury to +our wounded men, who we were after obliged to leave at Belvoir Castle, +and from thence we advanced to Newark. + +Our business at Newark was to relieve the place, and this we resolved +to do whatever it cost, though, at the same time, we resolved not to +fight unless we were forced to it. The town was rather blocked up than +besieged; the garrison was strong, but ill-provided; we had sent them +word of our coming to them, and our orders to relieve them, and they +proposed some measures for our doing it. The chief strength of the +enemy lay on the other side of the river; but they having also some +notice of our design, had sent over forces to strengthen their leaguer +on this side. The garrison had often surprised them by sallies, and +indeed had chiefly subsisted for some time by what they brought in on +this manner. + +Sir Marmaduke Langdale, who was our general for the expedition, was +for a general attempt to raise the siege, but I had persuaded him off +of that; first, because, if we should be beaten, as might be probable, +we then lost the town. Sir Marmaduke briskly replied, "A soldier ought +never to suppose he shall be beaten." "But, sir," says I, "you'll get +more honour by relieving the town, than by beating them. One will be +a credit to your conduct, as the other will be to your courage; and if +you think you can beat them, you may do it afterward, and then if you +are mistaken, the town is nevertheless secured, and half your victory +gained." + +He was prevailed with to adhere to this advice, and accordingly we +appeared before the town about two hours before night. The horse drew +up before the enemy's works; the enemy drew up within their works, and +seeing no foot, expected when our dragoons would dismount and attack +them. They were in the right to let us attack them, because of the +advantage of their batteries and works, if that had been our design; +but, as we intended only to amuse them, this caution of theirs +effected our design; for, while we thus faced them with our horse, two +regiments of foot, which came up to us but the night before, and +was all the infantry we had, with the waggons of provisions, and 500 +dragoons, taking a compass clean round the town, posted themselves on +the lower side of the town by the river. Upon a signal the garrison +agreed on before, they sallied out at this very juncture with all the +men they could spare, and dividing themselves in two parties, while +one party moved to the left to meet our relief, the other party fell +on upon part of that body which faced us. We kept in motion, and upon +this signal advanced to their works, and our dragoons fired upon +them, and the horse, wheeling and counter-marching often, kept them +continually expecting to be attacked. By this means the enemy were +kept employed, and our foot, with the waggons, appearing on that +quarter where they were least expected, easily defeated the advanced +guards and forced that post, where, entering the leaguer, the other +part of the garrison, who had sallied that way, came up to them, +received the waggons, and the dragoons entered with them into the +town. That party which we faced on the other side of the works knew +nothing of what was done till all was over; the garrison retreated in +good order, and we drew off, having finished what we came for without +fighting. Thus we plentifully stored the town with all things wanting, +and with an addition of 500 dragoons to their garrison; after which we +marched away without fighting a stroke. + +Our next orders were to relieve Pontefract Castle, another garrison +of the king's, which had been besieged ever since a few days after the +fight at Marston Moor, by the Lord Fairfax, Sir Thomas Fairfax, and +other generals in their turn. By the way we were joined with 800 horse +out of Derbyshire, and some foot, so many as made us about 4500 men in +all. + +Colonel Forbes, a Scotchman, commanded at the siege, in the absence of +the Lord Fairfax. The colonel had sent to my lord for more troops, and +his lordship was gathering his forces to come up to him, but he was +pleased to come too late. We came up with the enemy's leaguer about +the break of day, and having been discovered by their scouts, they, +with more courage than discretion, drew out to meet us. We saw no +reason to avoid them, being stronger in horse than they; and though we +had but a few foot, we had 1000 dragoons, which helped us out. We had +placed our horse and foot throughout in one line, with two reserves +of horse, and between every division of horse a division of foot, only +that on the extremes of our wings there were two parties of horse +on each point by themselves, and the dragoons in the centre on foot. +Their foot charged us home, and stood with push of pike a great while; +but their horse charging our horse and musketeers, and being closed +on the flanks, with those two extended troops on our wings, they +were presently disordered, and fled out of the field. The foot, thus +deserted, were charged on every side and broken. They retreated still +fighting, and in good order for a while; but the garrison sallying +upon them at the same time, and being followed close by our horse, +they were scattered, entirely routed, and most of them killed. The +Lord Fairfax was come with his horse as far as Ferrybridge, but the +fight was over, and all he could do was to rally those that fled, and +save some of their carriages, which else had fallen into our hands. We +drew up our little army in order of battle the next day, expecting the +Lord Fairfax would have charged us; but his lordship was so far from +any such thoughts that he placed a party of dragoons, with orders to +fortify the pass at Ferrybridge, to prevent our falling upon him in +his retreat, which he needed not have done; for, having raised the +siege of Pontefract, our business was done, we had nothing to say to +him, unless we had been strong enough to stay. + +We lost not above thirty men in this action, and the enemy 300, with +about 150 prisoners, one piece of cannon, all their ammunition, 1000 +arms, and most of their baggage, and Colonel Lambert was once taken +prisoner, being wounded, but got off again. + +We brought no relief for the garrison, but the opportunity to furnish +themselves out of the country, which they did very plentifully. The +ammunition taken from the enemy was given to them, which they wanted, +and was their due, for they had seized it in the sally they made, +before the enemy was quite defeated. + +I cannot omit taking notice on all occasions how exceeding serviceable +this method was of posting musketeers in the intervals, among the +horse, in all this war. I persuaded our generals to it as much as +possible, and I never knew a body of horse beaten that did so: yet I +had great difficulty to prevail upon our people to believe it, though +it was taught me by the greatest general in the world, viz., the King +of Sweden. Prince Rupert did it at the battle of Marston Moor; and had +the Earl of Newcastle not been obstinate against it in his right wing, +as I observed before, the day had not been lost. In discoursing this +with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, I had related several examples of the +serviceableness of these small bodies of firemen, and with great +difficulty brought him to agree, telling him I would be answerable +for the success. But after the fight, he told me plainly he saw the +advantage of it, and would never fight otherwise again if he had any +foot to place. So having relieved these two places, we hastened by +long marches through Derbyshire, to join Prince Rupert on the edge of +Shropshire and Cheshire. We found Colonel Rossiter had followed us at +a distance ever since the business at Melton Mowbray, but never cared +to attack us, and we found he did the like still. Our general would +fain have been doing with him again, but we found him too shy. Once +we laid a trap for him at Dovebridge, between Derby and +Burton-upon-Trent, the body being marched two days before. Three +hundred dragoons were left to guard the bridge, as if we were afraid +he should fall upon us. Upon this we marched, as I said, on to Burton, +and the next day, fetching a compass round, came to a village near +Titbury Castle, whose name I forgot, where we lay still expecting our +dragoons would be attacked. + +Accordingly, the colonel, strengthened with some troops of horse from +Yorkshire, comes up to the bridge, and finding some dragoons posted, +advances to charge them. The dragoons immediately get a-horseback, and +run for it, as they were ordered. But the old lad was not to be caught +so, for he halts immediately at the bridge, and would not come over +till he had sent three or four flying parties abroad to discover the +country. One of these parties fell into our hands, and received but +coarse entertainment. Finding the plot would not take, we appeared and +drew up in view of the bridge, but he would not stir. So we continued +our march into Cheshire, where we joined Prince Rupert and Prince +Maurice, making together a fine body, being above 8000 horse and +dragoons. + +This was the best and most successful expedition I was in during this +war. 'Twas well concerted, and executed with as much expedition and +conduct as could be desired, and the success was answerable to it. And +indeed, considering the season of the year (for we set out from Oxford +the latter end of February), the ways bad, and the season wet, it +was a terrible march of above 200 miles, in continual action, and +continually dodged and observed by a vigilant enemy, and at a time +when the north was overrun by their armies, and the Scots wanting +employment for their forces. Yet in less than twenty-three days we +marched 200 miles, fought the enemy in open field four times, relieved +one garrison besieged, and raised the siege of another, and joined our +friends at last in safety. + +The enemy was in great pain for Sir William Brereton and his forces, +and expresses rode night and day to the Scots in the north, and to the +parties in Lancashire to come to his help. The prince, who used to be +rather too forward to fight than otherwise, could not be persuaded to +make use of this opportunity, but loitered, if I may be allowed to say +so, till the Scots, with a brigade of horse and 2000 foot, had joined +him; and then 'twas not thought proper to engage them. + +I took this opportunity to go to Shrewsbury to visit my father, who +was a prisoner of war there, getting a pass from the enemy's governor. +They allowed him the liberty of the town, and sometimes to go to his +own house upon his parole, so that his confinement was not very much +to his personal injury. But this, together with the charges he had +been at in raising the regiment, and above £20,000 in money and plate, +which at several times he had lent, or given rather to the king, had +reduced our family to very ill circumstances; and now they talked of +cutting down his woods. + +I had a great deal of discourse with my father on this affair; and, +finding him extremely concerned, I offered to go to the king and +desire his leave to go to London and treat about his composition, or +to render myself a prisoner in his stead, while he went up himself. +In this difficulty I treated with the governor of the town, who very +civilly offered me his pass to go for London, which I accepted, and, +waiting on Prince Rupert, who was then at Worcester, I acquainted him +with my design. The prince was unwilling I should go to London; +but told me he had some prisoners of the Parliament's friends in +Cumberland, and he would get an exchange for my father. I told him +if he would give me his word for it I knew I might depend upon it, +otherwise there was so many of the king's party in their hands, that +his Majesty was tired with solicitations for exchanges, for we never +had a prisoner but there was ten offers of exchanges for him. The +prince told me I should depend upon him; and he was as good as his +word quickly after. + +While the prince lay at Worcester he made an incursion into +Herefordshire, and having made some of the gentlemen prisoners, +brought them to Worcester; and though it was an action which had not +been usual, they being persons not in arms, yet the like being my +father's case, who was really not in commission, nor in any military +service, having resigned his regiment three years before to me, the +prince insisted on exchanging them for such as the Parliament had +in custody in like circumstances. The gentlemen seeing no remedy, +solicited their own case at the Parliament, and got it passed in +their behalf; and by this means my father got his liberty, and by the +assistance of the Earl of Denbigh got leave to come to London to make +a composition as a delinquent for his estate. This they charged at +£7000, but by the assistance of the same noble person he got off for +£4000. Some members of the committee moved very kindly that my father +should oblige me to quit the king's service, but that, as a thing +which might be out of his power, was not insisted on. + +The modelling the Parliament army took them up all this winter, and +we were in great hopes the divisions which appeared amongst them might +have weakened their party; but when they voted Sir Thomas Fairfax to +be general, I confess I was convinced the king's affairs were lost and +desperate. Sir Thomas, abating the zeal of his party, and the mistaken +opinion of his cause, was the fittest man amongst them to undertake +the charge. He was a complete general, strict in his discipline, wary +in conduct, fearless in action, unwearied in the fatigue of the +war, and withal, of a modest, noble, generous disposition. We all +apprehended danger from him, and heartily wished him of our own side; +and the king was so sensible, though he would not discover it, that +when an account was brought him of the choice they had made, he +replied, "he was sorry for it; he had rather it had been anybody than +he." + +The first attempts of this new general and new army were at Oxford, +which, by the neighbourhood of a numerous garrison in Abingdon, began +to be very much straitened for provisions; and the new forces under +Cromwell and Skippon, one lieutenant-general, the other major-general +to Fairfax, approaching with a design to block it up, the king left +the place, supposing his absence would draw them away, as it soon did. + +The king resolving to leave Oxford, marches from thence with all his +forces, the garrison excepted, with design to have gone to Bristol; +but the plague was in Bristol, which altered the measures, and changed +the course of the king's designs, so he marched for Worcester about +the beginning of June 1645. The foot, with a train of forty pieces of +cannon, marching into Worcester, the horse stayed behind some time in +Gloucestershire. + +The first action our army did, was to raise the siege of Chester; Sir +William Brereton had besieged it, or rather blocked it up, and when +his Majesty came to Worcester, he sent Prince Rupert with 4000 horse +and dragoons, with orders to join some foot out of Wales, to raise the +siege; but Sir William thought fit to withdraw, and not stay for them, +and the town was freed without fighting. The governor took care in +this interval to furnish himself with all things necessary for another +siege; and, as for ammunition and other necessaries, he was in no +want. + +I was sent with a party into Staffordshire, with design to intercept +a convoy of stores coming from London, for the use of Sir William +Brereton; but they having some notice of the design, stopped, and went +out of the road to Burton-upon-Trent, and so I missed them; but that +we might not come back quite empty, we attacked Hawkesley House, and +took it, where we got good booty, and brought eighty prisoners back to +Worcester. From Worcester the king advanced into Shropshire, and took +his headquarters at Bridgnorth. This was a very happy march of the +king's, and had his Majesty proceeded, he had certainly cleared the +north once more of his enemies, for the country was generally for him. +At his advancing so far as Bridgnorth, Sir William Brereton fled up +into Lancashire; the Scots brigades who were with him retreated into +the north, while yet the king was above forty miles from them, and all +things lay open for conquest. The new generals, Fairfax and Cromwell, +lay about Oxford, preparing as if they would besiege it, and gave +the king's army so much leisure, that his Majesty might have been at +Newcastle before they could have been half way to him. But Heaven, +when the ruin of a person or party is determined, always so infatuates +their counsels as to make them instrumental to it themselves. + +The king let slip this great opportunity, as some thought, intending +to break into the associated counties of Northampton, Cambridge, +Norfolk, where he had some interests forming. What the design was, +we knew not, but the king turns eastward, and marches into +Leicestershire, and having treated the country but very indifferently, +as having deserved no better of us, laid siege to Leicester. + +This was but a short siege; for the king, resolving not to lose time, +fell on with his great guns, and having beaten down their works, our +foot entered, after a vigorous resistance, and took the town by storm. +There was some blood shed here, the town being carried by assault; but +it was their own faults; for after the town was taken, the soldiers +and townsmen obstinately fought us in the market-place; insomuch that +the horse was called to enter the town to clear the streets. But this +was not all; I was commanded to advance with these horse, being three +regiments, and to enter the town; the foot, who were engaged in the +streets, crying out, "Horse, horse." Immediately I advanced to the +gate, for we were drawn up about musket-shot from the works, to have +supported our foot in case of a sally. Having seized the gate, I +placed a guard of horse there, with orders to let nobody pass in +or out, and dividing my troops, rode up by two ways towards the +market-place. The garrison defending themselves in the market-place, +and in the churchyard with great obstinacy, killed us a great many +men; but as soon as our horse appeared they demanded quarter, which +our foot refused them in the first heat, as is frequent in all +nations, in like cases, till at last they threw down their arms, and +yielded at discretion; and then I can testify to the world, that fair +quarter was given them. I am the more particular in this relation, +having been an eye-witness of the action, because the king was +reproached in all the public libels, with which those times abounded, +for having put a great many to death, and hanged the committee of +the Parliament, and some Scots, in cold blood, which was a notorious +forgery; and as I am sure there was no such thing done, so I must +acknowledge I never saw any inclination in his Majesty to cruelty, or +to act anything which was not practised by the general laws of war, +and by men of honour in all nations. + +But the matter of fact, in respect to the garrison, was as I have +related; and, if they had thrown down their arms sooner, they had had +mercy sooner; but it was not for a conquering army, entering a town by +storm, to offer conditions of quarter in the streets. + +Another circumstance was, that a great many of the inhabitants, both +men and women, were killed, which is most true; and the case was thus: +the inhabitants, to show their over-forward zeal to defend the town, +fought in the breach; nay, the very women, to the honour of the +Leicester ladies, if they like it, officiously did their parts; and +after the town was taken, and when, if they had had any brains in +their zeal, they would have kept their houses, and been quiet, they +fired upon our men out of their windows, and from the tops of their +houses, and threw tiles upon their heads; and I had several of my men +wounded so, and seven or eight killed. This exasperated us to the last +degree; and, finding one house better manned than ordinary, and many +shot fired at us out of the windows, I caused my men to attack it, +resolved to make them an example for the rest; which they did, and +breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there, without +distinction; and I appeal to the world if they were to blame. If the +Parliament committee, or the Scots deputies were here, they ought to +have been quiet, since the town was taken; but they began with us, +and, I think, brought it upon themselves. This is the whole case, so +far as came within my knowledge, for which his Majesty was so much +abused. + +We took here Colonel Gray and Captain Hacker, and about 300 prisoners, +and about 300 more were killed. This was the last day of May 1645. + +His Majesty having given over Oxford for lost, continued here some +days, viewed the town, ordered the fortifications to be augmented, +and prepares to make it the seat of war. But the Parliament, roused at +this appearance of the king's army, orders their general to raise the +siege of Oxford, where the garrison had, in a sally, ruined some of +their works, and killed them 150 men, taking several prisoners, and +carrying them with them into the city; and orders him to march towards +Leicester, to observe the king. + +The king had now a small, but gallant army, all brave tried soldiers, +and seemed eager to engage the new-modelled army; and his Majesty, +hearing that Sir Thomas Fairfax, having raised the siege of Oxford, +advanced towards him, fairly saves him the trouble of a long march, +and meets him half way. + +The army lay at Daventry, and Fairfax at Towcester, about eight miles +off. Here the king sends away 600 horse, with 3000 head of cattle, to +relieve his people in Oxford; the cattle he might have spared better +than the men. The king having thus victualled Oxford, changes his +resolution of fighting Fairfax, to whom Cromwell was now joined with +4000 men, or was within a day's march, and marches northward. This +was unhappy counsel, because late given. Had we marched northward +at first, we had done it; but thus it was. Now we marched with a +triumphing enemy at our heels, and at Naseby their advanced parties +attacked our rear. The king, upon this, alters his resolution again, +and resolves to fight, and at midnight calls us up at Harborough to +come to a council of war. Fate and the king's opinion determined the +council of war; and 'twas resolved to fight. Accordingly the van, in +which was Prince Rupert's brigade of horse, of which my regiment was a +part, counter-marched early in the morning. + +By five o'clock in the morning, the whole army, in order of battle, +began to descry the enemy from the rising grounds, about a mile from +Naseby, and moved towards them. They were drawn up on a little ascent +in a large common fallow field, in one line extended from one side of +the field to the other, the field something more than a mile over, our +army in the same order, in one line, with the reserve. + +The king led the main battle of foot, Prince Rupert the right wing of +the horse, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale the left. Of the enemy Fairfax +and Skippon led the body, Cromwell and Rossiter the right, and Ireton +the left, the numbers of both armies so equal, as not to differ 500 +men, save that the king had most horse by about 1000, and Fairfax most +foot by about 500. The number was in each army about 18,000 men. The +armies coming close up, the wings engaged first. The prince with +his right wing charged with his wonted fury, and drove all the +Parliament's wing of horse, one division excepted, clear out of the +field; Ireton, who commanded this wing, give him his due, rallied +often, and fought like a lion; but our wing bore down all before them, +and pursued them with a terrible execution. + +Ireton seeing one division of his horse left, repaired to them, and +keeping his ground, fell foul of a brigade of our foot, who coming up +to the head of the line, he like a madman charges them with his horse. +But they with their pikes tore him to pieces; so that this division +was entirely ruined. Ireton himself, thrust through the thigh with +a pike, wounded in the face with a halberd, was unhorsed and taken +prisoner. + +Cromwell, who commanded the Parliament's right wing, charged Sir +Marmaduke Langdale with extraordinary fury, but he, an old tried +soldier, stood firm, and received the charge with equal gallantry, +exchanging all their shot, carabines and pistols and then fell on +sword in hand. Rossiter and Whalley had the better on the point of +the wing, and routed two divisions of horse, pushed them behind the +reserves, where they rallied and charged again, but were at last +defeated; the rest of the horse, now charged in the flank, retreated +fighting, and were pushed behind the reserves of foot. + +While this was doing the foot engaged with equal fierceness, and for +two hours there was a terrible fire. The king's foot, backed with +gallant officers, and full of rage at the rout of their horse, +bore down the enemy's brigade led by Skippon. The old man, wounded, +bleeding, retreats to their reserves. All the foot, except the +general's brigade, were thus driven into the reserves, where their +officers rallied them, and bring them on to a fresh charge; and here +the horse, having driven our horse above a quarter of a mile from the +foot, face about, and fall in on the rear of the foot. + +Had our right wing done thus, the day had been secured; but Prince +Rupert, according to his custom, following the flying enemy, never +concerned himself with the safety of those behind; and yet he returned +sooner than he had done in like cases too. At our return we found +all in confusion, our foot broken, all but one brigade, which, though +charged in the front, flank, and rear, could not be broken till Sir +Thomas Fairfax himself came up to the charge with fresh men, and then +they were rather cut in pieces than beaten, for they stood with their +pikes charged every way to the last extremity. + +In this condition, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, we saw the +king rallying his horse, and preparing to renew the fight; and our +wing of horse coming up to him, gave him opportunity to draw up a +large body of horse, so large that all the enemy's horse facing us +stood still and looked on, but did not think fit to charge us till +their foot, who had entirely broken our main battle, were put in order +again, and brought up to us. + +The officers about the king advised his Majesty rather to draw off; +for, since our foot were lost, it would be too much odds to expose the +horse to the fury of their whole army, and would but be sacrificing +his best troops without any hopes of success. The king, though with +great regret at the loss of his foot, yet seeing there was no other +hope, took this advice, and retreated in good order to Harborough, and +from thence to Leicester. + +This was the occasion of the enemy having so great a number of +prisoners; for the horse being thus gone off, the foot had no means +to make their retreat, and were obliged to yield themselves. +Commissary-General Ireton being taken by a captain of foot, makes the +captain his prisoner, to save his life, and gives him his liberty for +his courtesy before. + +Cromwell and Rossiter, with all the enemy's horse, followed us as far +as Leicester, and killed all that they could lay hold on straggling +from the body, but durst not attempt to charge us in a body. The +king, expecting the enemy would come to Leicester, removes to +Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where we had some time to recollect ourselves. + +This was the most fatal action of the whole war, not so much for +the loss of our cannon, ammunition, and baggage, of which the enemy +boasted so much, but as it was impossible for the king ever to +retrieve it. The foot, the best that ever he was master of, could +never be supplied; his army in the west was exposed to certain ruin, +the north overrun with the Scots; in short, the case grew desperate, +and the king was once upon the point of bidding us all disband, and +shift for ourselves. + +We lost in this fight not above 2000 slain, and the Parliament near +as many, but the prisoners were a great number; the whole body of foot +being, as I have said, dispersed, there were 4500 prisoners, besides +400 officers, 2000 horses, 12 pieces of cannon, 40 barrels of powder, +all the king's baggage, coaches, most of his servants, and his +secretary, with his cabinet of letters, of which the Parliament +made great improvement, and basely enough caused his private +letters--between his Majesty and the queen, her Majesty's letters to +the king, and a great deal of such stuff--to be printed. + +After this fatal blow, being retreated, as I have said, to +Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, the king ordered us to divide; +his Majesty, with a body of horse, about 3000, went to Lichfield, and +through Cheshire into North Wales, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale, with +about 2500, went to Newark. + +The king remained in Wales for several months; and though the length +of the war had almost drained that country of men, yet the king +raised a great many men there, recruited his horse regiments, and got +together six or seven regiments of foot, which seemed to look like the +beginning of a new army. + +I had frequent discourses with his Majesty in this low ebb of his +affairs, and he would often wish he had not exposed his army at +Naseby. I took the freedom once to make a proposition to his Majesty, +which, if it had taken effect, I verily believe would have given a new +turn to his affairs; and that was, at once to slight all his garrisons +in the kingdom, and give private orders to all the soldiers in every +place, to join in bodies, and meet at two general rendezvous, which I +would have appointed to be, one at Bristol, and one at West Chester. +I demonstrated how easily all the forces might reach these two places; +and both being strong and wealthy places, and both seaports, he would +have a free communication by sea with Ireland, and with his friends +abroad; and having Wales entirely his own, he might yet have an +opportunity to make good terms for himself, or else have another fair +field with the enemy. + +Upon a fair calculation of his troops in several garrisons and small +bodies dispersed about, I convinced the king, by his own accounts, +that he might have two complete armies, each of 25,000 foot, 8000 +horse, and 2000 dragoons; that the Lord Goring and the Lord Hopton +might ship all their forces, and come by sea in two tides, and be +with him in a shorter time than the enemy could follow. With two such +bodies he might face the enemy, and make a day of it; but now his men +were only sacrificed, and eaten up by piecemeal in a party-war, +and spent their lives and estates to do him no service. That if the +Parliament garrisoned the towns and castles he should quit, they would +lessen their army, and not dare to see him in the field: and if they +did not, but left them open, then 'twould be no loss to him, but he +might possess them as often as he pleased. + +This advice I pressed with such arguments, that the king was once +going to despatch orders for the doing it; but to be irresolute in +counsel is always the companion of a declining fortune; the king was +doubtful, and could not resolve till it was too late. + +And yet, though the king's forces were very low, his Majesty was +resolved to make one adventure more, and it was a strange one; for, +with but a handful of men, he made a desperate march, almost 250 miles +in the middle of the whole kingdom, compassed about with armies and +parties innumerable, traversed the heart of his enemy's country, +entered their associated counties, where no army had ever yet come, +and in spite of all their victorious troops facing and following him, +alarmed even London itself and returned safe to Oxford. + +His Majesty continued in Wales from the battle at Naseby till the 5th +or 6th of August, and till he had an account from all parts of the +progress of his enemies, and the posture of his own affairs. + +Here we found, that the enemy being hard pressed in Somersetshire by +the Lord Goring, and Lord Hopton's forces, who had taken Bridgewater, +and distressed Taunton, which was now at the point of surrender, +they had ordered Fairfax and Cromwell, and the whole army, to march +westward to relieve the town; which they did, and Goring's troops were +worsted, and himself wounded at the fight at Langport. + +The Scots, who were always the dead weight upon the king's affairs, +having no more work to do in the north, were, at the Parliament's +desire, advanced southward, and then ordered away towards South Wales, +and were set down to the siege of Hereford. Here this famous Scotch +army spent several months in a fruitless siege, ill provided of +ammunition, and worse with money; and having sat near three months +before the town, and done little but eaten up the country round them, +upon the repeated accounts of the progress of the Marquis of Montrose +in that kingdom, and pressing instances of their countrymen, they +resolved to raise their siege, and go home to relieve their friends. + +The king, who was willing to be rid of the Scots, upon good terms, and +therefore to hasten them, and lest they should pretend to push on the +siege to take the town first, gives it out, that he was resolved with +all his forces to go into Scotland, and join Montrose; and so having +secured Scotland, to renew the war from thence. + +And accordingly his Majesty marches northwards, with a body of 4000 +horse; and, had the king really done this, and with that body of horse +marched away (for he had the start of all his enemies, by above a +fortnight's march), he had then had the fairest opportunity for a +general turn of all his affairs, that he ever had in all the latter +part of this war. For Montrose, a gallant daring soldier, who from +the least shadow of force in the farthest corner of this country, had, +rolling like a snowball, spread all over Scotland, was come into +the south parts, and had summoned Edinburgh, frighted away their +statesmen, beaten their soldiers at Dundee and other places; and +letters and messengers in the heels of one another, repeated their +cries to their brethren in England, to lay before them the sad +condition of the country, and to hasten the army to their relief. The +Scots lords of the enemy's party fled to Berwick, and the chancellor +of Scotland goes himself to General Leslie, to press him for help. + +In this extremity of affairs Scotland lay when we marched out of +Wales. The Scots, at the siege of Hereford, hearing the king was gone +northward with his horse, conclude he was gone directly for Scotland, +and immediately send Leslie with 4000 horse and foot to follow, but +did not yet raise the siege. But the king, still irresolute, turns +away to the eastward, and comes to Lichfield, where he showed his +resentments at Colonel Hastings for his easy surrender of Leicester. + +In this march the enemy took heart. We had troops of horse on every +side upon us like hounds started at a fresh stag. Leslie, with the +Scots, and a strong body followed in our rear, Major-General Poyntz, +Sir John Gell, Colonel Rossiter, and others in our way; they pretended +to be 10,000 horse, and yet never durst face us. The Scots made one +attempt upon a troop which stayed a little behind, and took some +prisoners; but when a regiment of our horse faced them they retired. +At a village near Lichfield another party of about 1000 horse attacked +my regiment. We were on the left of the army, and at a little too +far a distance. I happened to be with the king at that time, and +my lieutenant-colonel with me, so that the major had charge of the +regiment. He made a very handsome defence, but sent messengers for +speedy relief. We were on a march, and therefore all ready, and the +king orders me a regiment of dragoons and 300 horse, and the body +halted to bring us off, not knowing how strong the enemy might be. +When I came to the place I found my major hard laid to, but fighting +like a lion. The enemy had broke in upon him in two places, and had +routed one troop, cutting them off from the body, and had made them +all prisoners. Upon this I fell in with the 300 horse, and cleared +my major from a party who charged him in the flank; the dragoons +immediately lighting, one party of them comes up on my wing, and +saluting the enemy with their muskets, put them to a stand, the other +party of dragoons wheeling to the left endeavouring to get behind +them. The enemy, perceiving they should be overpowered, retreated in +as good order as they could, but left us most of our prisoners, and +about thirty of their own. We lost about fifteen of our men, and +the enemy about forty, chiefly by the fire of our dragoons in their +retreat. + +In this posture we continued our march; and though the king halted +at Lichfield--which was a dangerous article, having so many of the +enemy's troops upon his hands, and this time gave them opportunity to +get into a body--yet the Scots, with their General Leslie, resolving +for the north, the rest of the troops were not able to face us, till, +having ravaged the enemy's country through Staffordshire, Warwick, +Leicester, and Nottinghamshire, we came to the leaguer before Newark. + +The king was once more in the mind to have gone into Scotland, and +called a council of war to that purpose; but then it was resolved by +all hands that it would be too late to attempt it, for the Scots and +Major-General Poyntz were before us, and several strong bodies +of horse in our rear; and there was no venturing now, unless any +advantage presented to rout one of those parties which attended us. + +Upon these and like considerations we resolved for Newark; on our +approach the forces which blocked up that town drew off, being too +weak to oppose us, for the king was now above 5000 horse and dragoons, +besides 300 horse and dragoons he took with him from Newark. + +We halted at Newark to assist the garrison, or give them time rather +to furnish themselves from the country with what they wanted, which +they were very diligent in doing; for in two days' time they filled +a large island which lies under the town, between the two branches of +the Trent, with sheep, oxen, cows, and horses, an incredible number; +and our affairs being now something desperate, we were not very +nice in our usage of the country, for really if it was not with a +resolution both to punish the enemy and enrich ourselves, no man can +give any rational account why this desperate journey was undertaken. +'Tis certain the Newarkers, in the respite they gained by our coming, +got above £50,000 from the country round them in corn, cattle, money, +and other plunder. + +From hence we broke into Lincolnshire, and the king lay at Belvoir +Castle, and from Belvoir Castle to Stamford. The swiftness of our +march was a terrible surprise to the enemy; for our van being at a +village on the great road called Stilton, the country people fled +into the Isle of Ely, and every way, as if all was lost. Indeed our +dragoons treated the country very coarsely, and all our men in general +made themselves rich. Between Stilton and Huntingdon we had a small +bustle with some of the associated troops of horse, but they were soon +routed, and fled to Huntingdon, where they gave such an account of us +to their fellows that they did not think fit to stay for us, but left +their foot to defend themselves as well as they could. + +While this was doing in the van a party from Burleigh House, near +Stamford, the seat of the Earl of Exeter, pursued four troops of +our horse, who, straggling towards Peterborough, and committing some +disorders there, were surprised before they could get into a posture +of fighting; and encumbered, as I suppose, with their plunder, they +were entirely routed, lost most of their horses, and were forced to +come away on foot; but finding themselves in this condition, they got +in a body into the enclosures, and in that posture turning dragoons, +they lined the hedges, and fired upon the enemy with their carabines. +This way of fighting, though not very pleasant to troopers, put the +enemy's horse to some stand, and encouraged our men to venture into a +village, where the enemy had secured forty of their horse; and boldly +charging the guard, they beat them off, and recovering those horses, +the rest made their retreat good to Wansford Bridge; but we lost near +100 horses, and about twelve of our men taken prisoners. + +The next day the king took Huntingdon; the foot which were left in the +town, as I observed by their horse, had posted themselves at the foot +of the bridge, and fortified the pass, with such things as the haste +and shortness of the time would allow; and in this posture they seemed +resolute to defend themselves. I confess, had they in time planted a +good force here, they might have put a full stop to our little army; +for the river is large and deep, the country on the left marshy, full +of drains and ditches, and unfit for horse, and we must have either +turned back, or took the right hand into Bedfordshire; but here not +being above 400 foot, and they forsaken of their horse, the resistance +they made was to no other purpose than to give us occasion to knock +them on the head, and plunder the town. + +However, they defended the bridge, as I have said, and opposed our +passage. I was this day in the van, and our forlorn having entered +Huntingdon without any great resistance till they came to the bridge, +finding it barricaded, they sent me word; I caused the troops to halt, +and rode up to the forlorn, to view the countenance of the enemy, and +found by the posture they had put themselves in, that they resolved to +sell us the passage as dear as they could. + +I sent to the king for some dragoons, and gave him account of what I +observed of the enemy, and that I judged them to be 1000 men; for I +could not particularly see their numbers. Accordingly the king ordered +500 dragoons to attack the bridge, commanded by a major; the enemy had +200 musketeers placed on the bridge, their barricade served them for +a breastwork on the front, and the low walls on the bridge served +to secure their flanks. Two bodies of their foot were placed on the +opposite banks of the river, and a reserve stood in the highway on the +rear. The number of their men could not have been better ordered, and +they wanted not courage answerable to the conduct of the party. They +were commanded by one Bennet, a resolute officer, who stood in the +front of his men on the bridge with a pike in his hand. + +Before we began to fall on, the king ordered to view the river, to see +if it was nowhere passable, or any boat to be had; but the river being +not fordable, and the boats all secured on the other side, the attack +was resolved on, and the dragoons fell on with extraordinary bravery. +The foot defended themselves obstinately, and beat off our dragoons +twice, and though Bennet was killed upon the spot, and after him his +lieutenant, yet their officers relieving them with fresh men, they +would certainly have beat us all off, had not a venturous fellow, one +of our dragoons, thrown himself into the river, swam over, and, in the +midst of a shower of musket-bullets, cut the rope which tied a great +flat-bottom boat, and brought her over. With the help of this boat, I +got over 100 troopers first, and then their horses, and then 200 more +without their horses; and with this party fell in with one of the +small bodies of foot that were posted on that side, and having routed +them, and after them the reserve which stood on the road, I made up +to the other party. They stood their ground, and having rallied the +runaways of both the other parties, charged me with their pikes, and +brought me to a retreat; but by this time the king had sent over 300 +men more, and they coming up to me, the foot retreated. Those on the +bridge finding how 'twas, and having no supplies sent them, as before, +fainted, and fled; and the dragoons rushing forward, most of them were +killed; about 150 of the enemy were killed, of which all the officers +at the bridge, the rest run away. + +The town suffered for it, for our men left them little of anything +they could carry. Here we halted and raised contributions, took money +of the country and of the open towns, to exempt them from plunder. +Twice we faced the town of Cambridge, and several of our officers +advised his Majesty to storm it. But having no foot, and but 1200 +dragoons, wiser heads diverted him from it, and leaving Cambridge +on the left, we marched to Woburn, in Bedfordshire, and our parties +raised money all over the country quite into Hertfordshire, within +five miles of St Alban's. + +The swiftness of our march, and uncertainty which way we intended, +prevented all possible preparation to oppose us, and we met with no +party able to make head against us. From Woburn the king went through +Buckingham to Oxford; some of our men straggling in the villages for +plunder, were often picked up by the enemy. But in all this long march +we did not lose 200 men, got an incredible booty, and brought six +waggons laden with money, besides 2000 horses and 3000 head of cattle, +into Oxford. From Oxford his Majesty moves again into Gloucestershire, +having left about 1500 of his horse at Oxford to scour the country, +and raise contributions, which they did as far as Reading. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax was returned from taking Bridgewater, and was sat +down before Bristol, in which Prince Rupert commanded with a strong +garrison, 2500 foot and 1000 horse. We had not force enough to attempt +anything there. But the Scots, who lay still before Hereford, +were afraid of us, having before parted with all their horse under +Lieutenant-General Leslie, and but ill stored with provisions; and if +we came on their backs, were in a fair way to be starved, or made to +buy their provisions at the price of their blood. + +His Majesty was sensible of this, and had we had but ten regiments of +foot, would certainly have fought the Scots. But we had no foot, or so +few as was not worth while to march them. However, the king marched +to Worcester, and the Scots, apprehending they should be blocked +up, immediately raised the siege, pretending it was to go help their +brethren in Scotland, and away they marched northwards. + +We picked up some of their stragglers, but they were so poor, had been +so ill paid, and so harassed at the siege, that they had neither money +nor clothes; and the poor soldiers fed upon apples and roots, and ate +the very green corn as it grew in the fields, which reduced them to +a very sorry condition of health, for they died like people infected +with the plague. + +'Twas now debated whether we should yet march for Scotland, but two +things prevented--(1.) The plague was broke out there, and multitudes +died of it, which made the king backward, and the men more backward. +(2.) The Marquis of Montrose, having routed a whole brigade of +Leslie's best horse, and carried all before him, wrote to his Majesty +that he did not now want assistance, but was in hopes in a few days +to send a body of foot into England to his Majesty's assistance. This +over-confidence of his was his ruin; for, on the contrary, had he +earnestly pressed the king to have marched, and fallen in with his +horse, the king had done it, and been absolutely master of Scotland +in a fortnight's time; but Montrose was too confident, and defied them +all, till at last they got their forces together, and Leslie with his +horse out of England, and worsted him in two or three encounters, and +then never left him till they drove him out of Scotland. + +While his Majesty stayed at Worcester, several messengers came to him +from Cheshire for relief, being exceedingly straitened by the forces +of the Parliament; in order to which the king marched, but Shrewsbury +being in the enemy's hands, he was obliged to go round by Ludlow, +where he was joined by some foot out of Wales. I took this opportunity +to ask his Majesty's leave to go by Shrewsbury to my father's, +and, taking only two servants, I left the army two days before they +marched. + +This was the most unsoldier-like action that ever I was guilty of, to +go out of the army to pay a visit when a time of action was just at +hand; and, though I protest I had not the least intimation, no, not +from my own thoughts, that the army would engage, at least before they +came to Chester, before which I intended to meet them, yet it looked +so ill, so like an excuse or a sham of cowardice, or disaffection to +the cause and to my master's interest, or something I know not what, +that I could not bear to think of it, nor never had the heart to see +the king's face after it. + +From Ludlow the king marched to relieve Chester. Poyntz, who commanded +the Parliament's forces, follows the king, with design to join with +the forces before Chester, under Colonel Jones, before the king could +come up. To that end Poyntz passes through Shrewsbury the day that the +king marched from Ludlow; yet the king's forces got the start of him, +and forced him to engage. Had the king engaged him but three hours +sooner, and consequently farther off from Chester, he had ruined him, +for Poyntz's men, not able to stand the shock of the king's horse, +gave ground, and would in half-an-hour more have been beaten out of +the field; but Colonel Jones, with a strong party from the camp, which +was within two miles; comes up in the heat of the action, falls on in +the king's rear, and turned the scale of the day. The body was, after +an obstinate fight, defeated, and a great many gentlemen of quality +killed and taken prisoners. The Earl of Lichfield was of the number of +the former, and sixty-seven officers of the latter, with 1000 others. +The king, with about 500 horse, got into Chester, and from thence into +Wales, whither all that could get away made up to him as fast as they +could, but in a bad condition. + +This was the last stroke they struck; the rest of the war was nothing +but taking all his garrisons from him one by one, till they finished +the war with the captivating his person, and then, for want of other +business, fell to fighting with one another. + +I was quite disconsolate at the news of this last action, and the +more because I was not there. My regiment wholly dispersed, my +lieutenant-colonel, a gentleman of a good family, and a near relation +to my mother, was prisoner, my major and three captains killed, and +most of the rest prisoners. + +The king, hopeless of any considerable party in Wales, Bristol being +surrendered, sends for Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice, who came +to him. With them, and the Lord Digby, Sir Marmaduke Langdale, and a +great train of gentlemen, his Majesty marches to Newark again, leaves +1000 horse with Sir William Vaughan to attempt the relief of Chester, +in doing whereof he was routed the second time by Jones and his men, +and entirely dispersed. + +The chief strength the king had in these parts was at Newark, and the +Parliament were very earnest with the Scots to march southward and to +lay siege to Newark; and while the Parliament pressed them to it, and +they sat still and delayed it, several heats began, and some ill blood +between them, which afterwards broke out into open war. The English +reproached the Scots with pretending to help them, and really +hindering their affairs. The Scots returned that they came to fight +for them, and are left to be starved, and can neither get money nor +clothes. At last they came to this, the Scots will come to the siege +if the Parliament will send them money, but not before. However, as +people sooner agree in doing ill than in doing well, they came to +terms, and the Scots came with their whole army to the siege of +Newark. + +The king, foreseeing the siege, calls his friends about him, tells +them he sees his circumstances are such that they can help him but +little, nor he protect them, and advises them to separate. The Lord +Digby, with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, with a strong body of horse, +attempt to get into Scotland to join with Montrose, who was still in +the Highlands, though reduced to a low ebb, but these gentlemen are +fallen upon on every side and routed, and at last, being totally +broken and dispersed, they fly to the Earl of Derby's protection in +the Isle of Man. + +Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice, Colonel Gerard, and above 400 +gentlemen, all officers of horse, lay their commissions down, and +seizing upon Wootton House for a retreat, make proposals to the +Parliament to leave the kingdom, upon their parole not to return again +in arms against the Parliament, which was accepted, though afterwards +the prince declined it. I sent my man post to the prince to be +included in this treaty, and for leave for all that would accept of +like conditions, but they had given in the list of their names, and +could not alter it. + +This was a sad time. The poor remains of the king's fortunes went +everywhere to wreck. Every garrison of the enemy was full of the +Cavalier prisoners, and every garrison the king had was beset with +enemies, either blocked up or besieged. Goring and the Lord Hopton +were the only remainders of the king's forces which kept in a body, +and Fairfax was pushing them with all imaginable vigour with his whole +army about Exeter and other parts of Devonshire and Cornwall. + +In this condition the king left Newark in the night, and got to +Oxford. The king had in Oxford 8000 men, and the towns of Banbury, +Farringdon, Donnington Castle, and such places as might have been +brought together in twenty-four hours, 15,000 or 20,000 men, with +which, if he had then resolved to have quitted the place, +and collected the forces in Worcester, Hereford, Lichfield, +Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and all the small castles and garrisons he had +thereabouts, he might have had near 40,000 men, might have beaten +the Scots from Newark, Colonel Jones from Chester, and all, before +Fairfax, who was in the west, could be able to come to their relief. +And this his Majesty's friends in North Wales had concerted; and, in +order to it, Sir Jacob Ashby gathered what forces he could, in our +parts, and attempted to join the king at Oxford, and to have proposed +it to him; but Sir Jacob was entirely routed at Stow-on-the-Wold, and +taken prisoner, and of 3000 men not above 600 came to Oxford. + +All the king's garrisons dropped one by one; Hereford, which had stood +out against the whole army of the Scots, was surprised by six men and +a lieutenant dressed up for country labourers, and a constable pressed +to work, who cut the guards in pieces, and let in a party of the +enemy. Chester was reduced by famine, all the attempts the king made +to relieve it being frustrated. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax routed the Lord Hopton at Torrington, and drove him +to such extremities, that he was forced up into the farthest corner of +Cornwall. The Lord Hopton had a gallant body of horse with him of nine +brigades, but no foot; Fairfax, a great army. + +Heartless, and tired out with continual ill news, and ill success, +I had frequent meetings with some gentlemen who had escaped from +the rout of Sir William Vaughan, and we agreed upon a meeting at +Worcester, of all the friends we could get, to see if we could raise +a body fit to do any service; or, if not, to consider what was to be +done. At this meeting we had almost as many opinions as people; our +strength appeared too weak to make any attempt, the game was too far +gone in our parts to be retrieved; all we could make up did not amount +to above 800 horse. + +'Twas unanimously agreed not to go into the Parliament as long as our +royal master did not give up the cause; but in all places, and by all +possible methods, to do him all the service we could. Some proposed +one thing, some another; at last we proposed getting vessels to carry +us to the Isle of Man to the Earl of Derby, as Sir Marmaduke Langdale, +Lord Digby, and others had done. I did not foresee any service +it would be to the king's affairs, but I started a proposal that, +marching to Pembroke in a body, we should there seize upon all the +vessels we could, and embarking ourselves, horses, and what foot +we could get, cross the Severn Sea, and land in Cornwall to the +assistance of Prince Charles, who was in the army of the Lord Hopton, +and where only there seemed to be any possibility of a chance for the +remaining part of our cause. + +This proposal was not without its difficulties, as how to get to the +seaside, and, when there, what assurance of shipping. The enemy, under +Major-General Langhorn, had overrun Wales, and 'twould be next to +impossible to effect it. + +We could never carry our proposal with the whole assembly; but, +however, about 200 of us resolved to attempt it, and [the] meeting +being broken up without coming to any conclusion, we had a private +meeting among ourselves to effect it. + +We despatched private messengers to Swansea and Pembroke, and other +places; but they all discouraged us from the attempt that way, and +advised us to go higher towards North Wales, where the king's interest +had more friends, and the Parliament no forces. Upon this we met, and +resolved, and having sent several messengers that way, one of my men +provided us two small vessels in a little creek near Harlech Castle, +in Merionethshire. We marched away with what expedition we could, and +embarked in the two vessels accordingly. It was the worst voyage sure +that ever man went; for first we had no manner of accommodation for so +many people, hay for our horses we got none, or very little, but good +store of oats, which served us for our own bread as well as provender +for the horses. + +In this condition we put off to sea, and had a fair wind all the first +night, but early in the morning a sudden storm drove us within two or +three leagues of Ireland. In this pickle, sea-sick, our horses rolling +about upon one another, and ourselves stifled for want of room, no +cabins nor beds, very cold weather, and very indifferent diet, we +wished ourselves ashore again a thousand times; and yet we were not +willing to go ashore in Ireland if we could help it; for the rebels +having possession of every place, that was just having our throats cut +at once. Having rolled about at the mercy of the winds all day, the +storm ceasing in the evening, we had fair weather again, but wind +enough, which being large, in two days and a night we came upon the +coast of Cornwall, and, to our no small comfort, landed the next day +at St Ives, in the county of Cornwall. + +We rested ourselves here, and sent an express to the Lord Hopton, who +was then in Devonshire, of our arrival, and desired him to assign us +quarters, and send us his farther orders. His lordship expressed a +very great satisfaction at our arrival, and left it to our own conduct +to join him as we saw convenient. + +We were marching to join him, when news came that Fairfax had given +him an entire defeat at Torrington. This was but the old story over +again. We had been used to ill news a great while, and 'twas the less +surprise to us. + +Upon this news we halted at Bodmin, till we should hear farther; and +it was not long before we saw a confirmation of the news before our +eyes, for the Lord Hopton, with the remainder of his horse, which he +had brought off at Torrington in a very shattered condition, retreated +to Launceston, the first town in Cornwall, and hearing that Fairfax +pursued him, came on to Bodmin. Hither he summoned all the troops +which he had left, which, when he had got together, were a fine +body indeed of 5000 horse, but few foot but what were at Pendennis, +Barnstaple, and other garrisons. These were commanded by the Lord +Hopton. The Lord Goring had taken shipping for France to get relief a +few days before. + +Here a grand council of war was called, and several things were +proposed, but as it always is in distress, people are most irresolute, +so 'twas here. Some were for breaking through by force, our number +being superior to the enemy's horse. To fight them with their foot +would be desperation and ridiculous; and to retreat would but be +to coop up themselves in a narrow place, where at last they must be +forced to fight upon disadvantage, or yield at mercy. Others opposed +this as a desperate action, and without probability of success, and +all were of different opinions. I confess, when I saw how things +were, I saw 'twas a lost game, and I was for the opinion of breaking +through, and doing it now, while the country was open and large, and +not being forced to it when it must be with more disadvantage. But +nothing was resolved on, and so we retreated before the enemy. Some +small skirmishes there happened near Bodmin, but none that were very +considerable. + +'Twas the 1st of March when we quitted Bodmin, and quartered at large +at Columb, St Dennis, and Truro, and the enemy took his quarters at +Bodmin, posting his horse at the passes from Padstow on the north, to +Wadebridge, Lostwithiel, and Fowey, spreading so from sea to sea, +that now breaking through was impossible. There was no more room for +counsel; for unless we had ships to carry us off, we had nothing to do +but when we were fallen upon, to defend ourselves, and sell victory as +dear as we could to the enemies. + +The Prince of Wales seeing the distress we were in, and loth to +fall into the enemy's hands, ships himself on board some vessels at +Falmouth, with about 400 lords and gentlemen. And as I had no command +here to oblige my attendance, I was once going to make one, but my +comrades, whom I had been the principal occasion of bringing hither, +began to take it ill, that I would leave them, and so I resolved we +would take our fate together. + +While thus we had nothing before us but a soldier's death, a fair +field, and a strong enemy, and people began to look one upon another, +the soldiers asked how their officers looked, and the officers asked +how their soldiers looked, and every day we expected to be our last, +when unexpectedly the enemy's general sent a trumpet to Truro to my +Lord Hopton, with a very handsome gentlemanlike offer:-- + +That since the general could not be ignorant of his present condition, +and that the place he was in could not afford him subsistence or +defence; and especially considering that the state of our affairs were +such, that if we should escape from thence we could not remove to +our advantage, he had thought good to let us know, that if we would +deliver up our horses and arms, he would, for avoiding the effusion of +Christian blood, or the putting any unsoldierly extremities upon us, +allow such honourable and safe conditions, as were rather better than +our present circumstances could demand, and such as should discharge +him to all the world, as a gentleman, as a soldier, and as a +Christian. + +After this followed the conditions he would give us, which were as +follows, viz.:--That all the soldiery, as well English as foreigners, +should have liberty to go beyond the seas, or to their own dwellings, +as they pleased; and to such as shall choose to live at home, +protection for their liberty, and from all violence and plundering +of soldiers, and to give them bag and baggage, and all their goods, +except horses and arms. + +That for officers in commissions, and gentlemen of quality, he would +allow them horses for themselves and one servant, or more, suitable +to their quality, and such arms as are suitable to gentlemen of such +quality travelling in times of peace; and such officers as would go +beyond sea, should take with them their full arms and number of horses +as are allowed in the army to such officers. + +That all the troopers shall receive on the delivery of their +horses, 20s. a man to carry them home; and the general's pass and +recommendation to any gentleman who desires to go to the Parliament to +settle the composition for their estates. + +Lastly, a very honourable mention of the general, and offer of their +mediation to the Parliament, to treat him as a man of honour, and one +who has been tender of the country, and behaved himself with all the +moderation and candour that could be expected from an enemy. + +Upon the unexpected receipt of this message, a council of war was +called, and the letter read; no man offered to speak a word; the +general moved it, but every one was loth to begin. + +At last an old colonel starts up, and asked the general what he +thought might occasion the writing this letter? The general told him, +he could not tell; but he could tell, he was sure, of one thing, that +he knew what was not the occasion of it, viz., that is, not any want +of force in their army to oblige us to other terms. Then a doubt was +started, whether the king and Parliament were not in any treaty, which +this agreement might be prejudicial to. + +This occasioned a letter to my Lord Fairfax, wherein our general +returning the civilities, and neither accepting nor refusing his +proposal, put it upon his honour, whether there was not some agreement +or concession between his Majesty and the Parliament, in order to a +general peace, which this treaty might be prejudicial to, or thereby +be prejudicial to us. + +The Lord Fairfax ingenuously declared, he had heard the king had made +some concessions, and he heartily wished he would make such as would +settle the kingdom in peace, that Englishmen might not wound and +destroy one another; but that he declared he knew of no treaty +commenced, nor anything passed which could give us the least shadow +of hope for any advantage in not accepting his conditions; at last +telling us, that though he did not insult over our circumstances, yet +if we thought fit, upon any such supposition, to refuse his offers, he +was not to seek in his measures. + +And it appeared so, for he immediately advanced his forlorns, and +dispossessed us of two advanced quarters, and thereby straitened us +yet more. + +We had now nothing to say, but treat, and our general was so sensible +of our condition, that he returned the trumpet with a safe-conduct for +commissioners at twelve o'clock that night; upon which a cessation of +arms was agreed on, we quitting Truro to the Lord Fairfax, and he left +St Allen to us to keep our headquarters. + +The conditions were soon agreed on; we disbanded nine full brigades of +horse, and all the conditions were observed with the most honour and +care by the enemy that ever I saw in my life. + +Nor can I omit to make very honourable mention of this noble +gentleman, though I did not like his cause; but I never saw a man of +a more pleasant, calm, courteous, downright, honest behaviour in my +life; and for his courage and personal bravery in the field, that we +had felt enough of. No man in the world had more fire and fury in him +while in action, or more temper and softness out of it. In short, and +I cannot do him greater honour, he exceedingly came near the character +of my foreign hero, Gustavus Adolphus, and in my account is, of all +the soldiers in Europe, the fittest to be reckoned in the second place +of honour to him. + +I had particular occasion to see much of his temper in all this +action, being one of the hostages given by our general for the +performance of the conditions, in which circumstance the general did +me several times the honour to send to me to dine with him; and was +exceedingly pleased to discourse with me about the passages of the +wars in Germany, which I had served in, he having been at the same +time in the Low Countries in the service of Prince Maurice; but I +observed if at any time my civilities extended to commendations of his +own actions, and especially to comparing him to Gustavus Adolphus, he +would blush like a woman, and be uneasy, declining the discourse, and +in this he was still more like him. + +Let no man scruple my honourable mention of this noble enemy, since +no man can suspect me of favouring the cause he embarked in, which +I served as heartily against as any man in the army; but I cannot +conceal extraordinary merit for its being placed in an enemy. + +This was the end of our making war, for now we were all under parole +never to bear arms against the Parliament; and though some of us did +not keep our word, yet I think a soldier's parole ought to be the most +sacred in such case, that a soldier may be the easier trusted at all +times upon his word. For my part, I went home fully contented, since +I could do my royal master no better service, that I had come off no +worse. + +The enemy going now on in a full current of success, and the king +reduced to the last extremity, and Fairfax, by long marches, being +come back within five miles of Oxford, his Majesty, loth to be cooped +up in a town which could on no account hold long out, quits the town +in a disguise, leaving Sir Thomas Clemham governor, and being only +attended with Mr Ashburnham and one more, rides away to Newark, and +there fatally committed himself to the honour and fidelity of the +Scots under General Leven. + +There had been some little bickering between the Parliament and the +Scots commissioners concerning the propositions which the Scots were +for a treaty with the king upon, and the Parliament refused it. The +Parliament, upon all proposals of peace, had formerly invited the king +to come and throw himself upon the honour, fidelity, and affection of +his Parliament. And now the king from Oxford offering to come up +to London on the protection of the Parliament for the safety of his +person, they refused him, and the Scots differed from them in it, and +were for a personal treaty. + +This, in our opinion, was the reason which prompted the king to throw +himself upon the fidelity of the Scots, who really by their infidelity +had been the ruin of all his affairs, and now, by their perfidious +breach of honour and faith with him, will be virtually and mediately +the ruin of his person. + +The Scots were, as all the nation besides them was, surprised at the +king's coming among them; the Parliament began very high with them, +and send an order to General Leven to send the king to Warwick Castle; +but he was not so hasty to part with so rich a prize. As soon as the +king came to the general, he signs an order to Colonel Bellasis, the +governor of Newark, to surrender it, and immediately the Scots decamp +homewards, carrying the king in the camp with them, and marching on, a +house was ordered to be provided for the king at Newcastle. + +And now the Parliament saw their error, in refusing his Majesty a +personal treaty, which, if they had accepted (their army was not yet +taught the way of huffing their masters), the kingdom might have been +settled in peace. Upon this the Parliament send to General Leven to +have his Majesty not be sent, which was their first language, but be +suffered to come to London to treat with his Parliament; before it +was, "Let the king be sent to Warwick Castle"; now 'tis, "To let his +Majesty come to London to treat with his people." + +But neither one or the other would do with the Scots; but we who knew +the Scots best knew that there was one thing would do with them, if +the other would not, and that was money; and therefore our hearts +ached for the king. + +The Scots, as I said, had retreated to Newcastle with the king, and +there they quartered their whole army at large upon the country; +the Parliament voted they had no farther occasion for the Scots, and +desired them to go home about their business. I do not say it was +in these words, but in whatsoever good words their messages might +be expressed, this and nothing less was the English of it. The Scots +reply, by setting forth their losses, damages, and dues, the substance +of which was, "Pay us our money and we will be gone, or else we won't +stir." The Parliament call for an account of their demands, which the +Scots give in, amounting to a million; but, according to their custom, +and especially finding that the army under Fairfax inclined gradually +that way, fall down to £500,000, and at last to £400,000; but all the +while this is transacting a separate treaty is carried on at London +with the commissioners of Scotland, and afterwards at Edinburgh, by +which it is given them to understand that, whereas upon payment of the +money, the Scots army is to march out of England, and to give up all +the towns and garrisons which they hold in this kingdom, so they are +to take it for granted that 'tis the meaning of the treaty that they +shall leave the king in the hands of the English Parliament. + +To make this go down the better, the Scotch Parliament, upon his +Majesty's desire to go with their army into Scotland, send him for +answer, that it cannot be for the safety of his Majesty or of the +State to come into Scotland, not having taken the Covenant, and this +was carried in their Parliament but by two voices. + +The Scots having refused his coming into Scotland, as was concerted +between the two Houses, and their army being to march out of +England, the delivering up the king became a consequence of the +thing--unavoidable, and of necessity. + +His Majesty, thus deserted of those into whose hands he had thrown +himself, took his leave of the Scots general at Newcastle, telling him +only, in few words, this sad truth, that he was bought and sold. The +Parliament commissioners received him at Newcastle from the Scots, and +brought him to Holmby House, in Northamptonshire; from whence, upon +the quarrels and feuds of parties, he was fetched by a party of horse, +commanded by one Cornet Joyce, from the army, upon their mutinous +rendezvous at Triplow Heath; and, after this, suffering many violences +and varieties of circumstances among the army, was carried to Hampton +Court, from whence his Majesty very readily made his escape; but not +having notice enough to provide effectual means for his more effectual +deliverance, was obliged to deliver himself to Colonel Hammond in the +Isle of Wight. Here, after some very indifferent usage, the Parliament +pursued a farther treaty with him, and all points were agreed but +two: the entire abolishing Episcopacy, which the king declared to be +against his conscience and his coronation oath; and the sale of the +Church lands, which he declared, being most of them gifts to God and +the Church, by persons deceased, his Majesty thought could not be +alienated without the highest sacrilege, and if taken from the uses +to which they were appointed by the wills of the donors, ought to be +restored back to the heirs and families of the persons who bequeathed +them. + +And these two articles so stuck with his Majesty, that he ventured +his fortune, and royal family, and his own life for them. However, at +last, the king condescended so far in these, that the Parliament voted +his Majesty's concessions to be sufficient to settle and establish the +peace of the nation. + +This vote discovered the bottom of all the counsels which then +prevailed; for the army, who knew if peace were once settled, they +should be undone, took the alarm at this, and clubbing together in +committees and councils, at last brought themselves to a degree +of hardness above all that ever this nation saw; for calling into +question the proceedings of their masters who employed them, they +immediately fall to work upon the Parliament, remove Colonel Hammond, +who had the charge of the king, and used him honourably, place a +new guard upon him, dismiss the commissioners, and put a stop to the +treaty; and, following their blow, march to London, place regiments of +foot at the Parliament-house door, and, as the members came up, +seize upon all those whom they had down in a list as promoters of the +settlement and treaty, and would not suffer them to sit; but the rest +who, being of their own stamp, are permitted to go on, carry on the +designs of the army, revive their votes of non-addresses to the +king, and then, upon the army's petition to bring all delinquents to +justice, the mask was thrown off, the word all is declared to be +meant the king, as well as every man else they pleased. 'Tis too sad +a story, and too much a matter of grief to me, and to all good men, to +renew the blackness of those days, when law and justice was under the +feet of power; the army ruled the Parliament, the private officers +their generals, the common soldiers their officers, and confusion was +in every part of the government. In this hurry they sacrificed their +king, and shed the blood of the English nobility without mercy. + +The history of the times will supply the particulars which I omit, +being willing to confine myself to my own accounts and observations. +I was now no more an actor, but a melancholy observator of the +misfortunes of the times. I had given my parole not to take up arms +against the Parliament, and I saw nothing to invite me to engage on +their side. I saw a world of confusion in all their counsels, and I +always expected that in a chain of distractions, as it generally falls +out, the last link would be destruction; and though I pretended to no +prophecy, yet the progress of affairs have brought it to pass, and I +have seen Providence, who suffered, for the correction of this nation, +the sword to govern and devour us, has at last brought destruction by +the sword upon the head of most of the party who first drew it. + + * * * * * + +If together with the brief account of what concern I had in the +active part of the war, I leave behind me some of my own remarks +and observations, it may be pertinent enough to my design, and not +unuseful to posterity. + +1. I observed by the sequel of things that it may be some excuse to +the first Parliament, who began this war, to say that they manifested +their designs were not aimed at the monarchy, nor their quarrel at +the person of the king; because, when they had in their power, though +against his will, they would have restored both his person and dignity +as a king, only loading it with such clogs of the people's power as +they at first pretended to, viz., the militia, and power of naming +the great officers at court, and the like; which powers, it was never +denied, had been stretched too far in the beginning of this king's +reign, and several things done illegally, which his Majesty had been +sensible of, and was willing to rectify; but they having obtained the +power by victory, resolved so to secure themselves, as that, whenever +they laid down their arms, the king should not be able to do the like +again. And thus far they were not to be so much blamed, and we did +not on our own part blame them, when they had obtained the power, for +parting with it on good terms. + +But when I have thus far advocated for the enemies, I must be very +free to state the crimes of this bloody war by the events of it. 'Tis +manifest there were among them from the beginning a party who aimed +at the very root of the government, and at the very thing which they +brought to pass, viz., the deposing and murdering of their sovereign; +and, as the devil is always master where mischief is the work, this +party prevailed, turned the other out of doors, and overturned all +that little honesty that might be in the first beginning of this +unhappy strife. + +The consequence of this was, the Presbyterians saw their error when +it was too late, and then would gladly have joined the royal party to +have suppressed this new leaven which had infected the lump; and this +is very remarkable, that most of the first champions of this war who +bore the brunt of it, when the king was powerful and prosperous, and +when there was nothing to be got by it but blows, first or last, were +so ill used by this independent, powerful party, who tripped up +the heels of all their honesty, that they were either forced by ill +treatment to take up arms on our side, or suppressed and reduced by +them. In this the justice of Providence seemed very conspicuous, that +these having pushed all things by violence against the king, and by +arms and force brought him to their will, were at once both robbed +of the end, their Church government, and punished for drawing their +swords against their masters, by their own servants drawing the sword +against them; and God, in His due time, punished the others too. And +what was yet farther strange, the punishment of this crime of making +war against their king, singled out those very men, both in the +army and in the Parliament, who were the greatest champions of the +Presbyterian cause in the council and in the field. Some minutes, too, +of circumstances I cannot forbear observing, though they are not very +material, as to the fatality and revolutions of days and times. A +Roman Catholic gentleman of Lancashire, a very religious man in his +way, who had kept a calculate of times, and had observed mightily the +fatality of times, places, and actions, being at my father's house, +was discoursing once upon the just judgment of God in dating His +providences, so as to signify to us His displeasure at particular +circumstances; and, among an infinite number of collections he had +made, these were some which I took particular notice of, and from +whence I began to observe the like:-- + +1. That King Edward VI. died the very same day of the same month +in which he caused the altar to be taken down, and the image of the +Blessed Virgin in the Cathedral of St Paul's. + +2. That Cranmer was burnt at Oxford the same day and month that he +gave King Henry VIII. advice to divorce his Queen Catherine. + +3. That Queen Elizabeth died the same day and month that she resolved, +in her Privy Council, to behead the Queen of Scots. + +4. That King James died the same day that he published his book +against Bellarmine. + +5. That King Charles's long Parliament, which ruined him, began the +very same day and month which that Parliament began, that at the +request of his predecessor robbed the Roman Church of all her +revenues, and suppressed abbeys and monasteries. + +How just his calculations were, or how true the matter of fact, +I cannot tell, but it put me upon the same in several actions and +successes of this war. And I found a great many circumstances, as to +time or action, which befell both his Majesty and his parties first; + +Then others which befell the Parliament and Presbyterian faction, +which raised the war; + +Then the Independent tyranny which succeeded and supplanted the first +party; + +Then the Scots who acted on both sides; + +Lastly, the restoration and re-establishment of the loyalty and +religion of our ancestors. + +1. For King Charles I.; 'tis observable, that the charge against the +Earl of Strafford, a thing which his Majesty blamed himself for all +the days of his life, and at the moment of his last suffering, was +first read in the Lords' House on the 30th of January, the same day of +the month six years that the king himself was brought to the block. + +2. That the king was carried away prisoner from Newark, by the Scots, +May 10, the same day six years that, against his conscience and +promise, he passed the bill of attainder against the loyal, noble Earl +of Strafford. + +3. The same day seven years that the king entered the House of Commons +for the five members, which all his friends blamed him for, the same +day the Rump voted bringing his Majesty to trial, after they had set +by the Lords for not agreeing to it, which was the 3rd of January +1648. + +4. The 12th of May 1646, being the surrender of Newark, the Parliament +held a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing, for the reduction of the +king and his party, and finishing the war, which was the same day five +years that the Earl of Strafford was beheaded. + +5. The battle at Naseby, which ruined the king's affairs, and where +his secretary and his office was taken, was the 14th of June, the same +day and month the first commission was given out by his Majesty to +raise forces. + +6. The queen voted a traitor by the Parliament the 3rd of May, the +same day and month she carried the jewels into France. + +7. The same day the king defeated Essex in the west, his son, King +Charles II., was defeated at Worcester. + +8. Archbishop Laud's house at Lambeth assaulted by the mob, the same +day of the same month that he advised the king to make war upon the +Scots. + +9. Impeached the 15th of December 1640, the same day twelvemonth that +he ordered the Common Prayer-book of Scotland to be printed, in order +to be imposed upon the Scots, from which all our troubles began. + +But many more, and more strange, are the critical junctures of affairs +in the case of the enemy, or at least more observed by me:-- + +1. Sir John Hotham, who repulsed his Majesty and refused him +admittance into Hull before the war, was seized at Hull by the same +Parliament for whom he had done it, the same 10th day of August two +years that he drew the first blood in that war. + +2. Hampden of Buckinghamshire killed the same day one year that the +mob petition from Bucks was presented to the king about him, as one of +the five members. + +3. Young Captain Hotham executed the 1st of January, the same day that +he assisted Sir Thomas Fairfax in the first skirmish with the king's +forces at Bramham Moor. + +4. The same day and month, being the 6th of August 1641, that the +Parliament voted to raise an army against the king, the same day and +month, _anno_ 1648, the Parliament were assaulted and turned out of +doors by that very army, and none left to sit but who the soldiers +pleased, which were therefore called the Rump. + +5. The Earl of Holland deserted the king, who had made him general of +the horse, and went over to the Parliament, and the 9th of March +1641, carried the Commons' reproaching declaration to the king; and +afterwards taking up arms for the king against the Parliament, was +beheaded by them the 9th of March 1648, just seven years after. + +6. The Earl of Holland was sent by the king to come to his assistance +and refused, the 11th of July 1641, and that very day seven years +after was taken by the Parliament at St Neots. + +7. Colonel Massey defended Gloucester against the king, and beat +him off the 5th of September 1643; was taken after by Cromwell's men +fighting for the king, on the 5th of September 1651, two or three days +after the fight at Worcester. + +8. Richard Cromwell resigning, because he could not help it, the +Parliament voted a free Commonwealth, without a single person or House +of Lords. This was the 25th of May 1658; the 25th of May 1660, the +king landed at Dover, and restored the government of a single person +and House of Lords. + +9. Lambert was proclaimed a traitor by the Parliament April the 20th, +being the same day he proposed to Oliver Cromwell to take upon him the +title of king. + +10. Monk being taken prisoner at Nantwich by Sir Thomas Fairfax, +revolted to the Parliament the same day nineteen years he declared for +the king, and thereby restored the royal authority. + +11. The Parliament voted to approve of Sir John Hotham's repulsing +the king at Hull, the 28th of April 1642; the 28th of April 1660, the +Parliament first debated in the House the restoring the king to the +crown. + +12. The agitators of the army formed themselves into a cabal, and held +their first meeting to seize on the king's person, and take him into +their custody from Holmby, the 28th of April 1647; the same day, +1660, the Parliament voted the agitators to be taken into custody, and +committed as many of them as could be found. + +13. The Parliament voted the queen a traitor for assisting her +husband, the king, May the 3rd, 1643; her son, King Charles II., was +presented with the votes of Parliament to restore him, and the present +of £50,000, the 3rd of May 1660. + +14. The same day the Parliament passed the Act for recognition of +Oliver Cromwell, October 13th, 1654, Lambert broke up the Parliament +and set up the army, 1659, October the 13th. + +Some other observations I have made, which, as not so pertinent, I +forbear to publish, among which I have noted the fatality of some days +to parties, as-- + +The 2nd of September: The fight at Dunbar; the fight at Worcester; the +oath against a single person passed; Oliver's first Parliament called. +For the enemy. + +The 2nd of September: Essex defeated in Cornwall; Oliver died; city +works demolished. For the king. + +The 29th of May: Prince Charles born; Leicester taken by storm; King +Charles II. restored. Ditto. + +Fatality of circumstances in this unhappy war, as-- + +1. The English Parliament call in the Scots, to invade their king, and +are invaded themselves by the same Scots, in defence of the king whose +case, and the design of the Parliament, the Scots had mistaken. + +2. The Scots, who unjustly assisted the Parliament to conquer their +lawful sovereign, contrary to their oath of allegiance, and without +any pretence on the king's part, are afterwards absolutely conquered +and subdued by the same Parliament they assisted. + +3. The Parliament, who raised an army to depose their king, deposed by +the very army they had raised. + +4. The army broke three Parliaments, and are at last broke by a free +Parliament; and all they had done by the military power, undone at +once by the civil. + +5. Abundance of the chief men, who by their fiery spirits involved the +nation in a civil war, and took up arms against their prince, first or +last met with ruin or disgrace from their own party. + +(1.) Sir John Hotham and his son, who struck the first stroke, both +beheaded or hanged by the Parliament. + +(2.) Major-General Massey three times taken prisoner by them, and once +wounded at Worcester. + +(3.) Major-General Langhorn, (4.) Colonel Poyer, and (5.) Colonel +Powell, changed sides, and at last taken, could obtain no other favour +than to draw lots for their lives; Colonel Poyer drew the dead lot, +and was shot to death. + +(6.) Earl of Holland: who, when the House voted who should be +reprieved, Lord Goring, who had been their worst enemy, or the Earl of +Holland, who excepting one offence, had been their constant servant, +voted Goring to be spared, and the Earl to die. + +(7.) The Earl of Essex, their first general; + +(8.) Sir William Waller; + +(9.) Lieutenant-General Ludlow; + +(10.) The Earl of Manchester; + +--all disgusted and voted out of the army, though they had stood the +first shock of the war, to make way for the new model of the army, and +introduce a party. + + * * * * * + +In all these confusions I have observed two great errors, one of the +king, and one of his friends. + +Of the king, that when he was in their custody, and at their mercy, +he did not comply with their propositions of peace, before their army, +for want of employment, fell into heats and mutinies; that he did not +at first grant the Scots their own conditions, which, if he had done, +he had gone into Scotland; and then, if the English would have fought +the Scots for him, he had a reserve of his loyal friends, who would +have had room to have fallen in with the Scots to his assistance, +who were after dispersed and destroyed in small parties attempting to +serve him. + +While his Majesty remained at Newcastle, the queen wrote to him, +persuading him to make peace upon any terms; and in politics her +Majesty's advice was certainly the best. For, however low he was +brought by a peace, it must have been better than the condition he was +then in. + +The error I mention of the king's friends was this, that after they +saw all was lost, they could not be content to sit still, and reserve +themselves for better fortunes, and wait the happy time when the +divisions of the enemy would bring them to certain ruin; but must +hasten their own miseries by frequent fruitless risings, in the face +of a victorious enemy, in small parties; and I always found these +effects from it:-- + +1. The enemy, who were always together by the ears, when they were let +alone, were united and reconciled when we gave them any interruption; +as particularly, in the case of the first assault the army made upon +them, when Colonel Pride, with his regiment, garbled the House, as +they called it. At that time a fair opportunity offered; but it was +omitted till it was too late. That insult upon the House had been +attempted the year before, but was hindered by the little insurrection +of the royal party, and the sooner they had fallen out, the better. + +2. These risings being desperate, with vast disadvantages, and always +suppressed, ruined all our friends; the remnants of the Cavaliers were +lessened, the stoutest and most daring were cut off, and the king's +interest exceedingly weakened, there not being less than 30,000 of +his best friends cut off in the several attempts made at Maidstone, +Colchester, Lancashire, Pembroke, Pontefract, Kingston, Preston, +Warrington, Worcester, and other places. Had these men all reserved +their fortunes to a conjunction with the Scots, at either of the +invasions they made into this kingdom, and acted with the conduct and +courage they were known masters of, perhaps neither of those Scots +armies had been defeated. + +But the impatience of our friends ruined all; for my part, I had as +good a mind to put my hand to the ruin of the enemy as any of them, +but I never saw any tolerable appearance of a force able to match the +enemy, and I had no mind to be beaten and then hanged. Had we let them +alone, they would have fallen into so many parties and factions, and +so effectually have torn one another to pieces, that whichsoever party +had come to us, we should, with them, have been too hard for all the +rest. + +This was plain by the course of things afterwards; when the +Independent army had ruffled the Presbyterian Parliament, the soldiery +of that party made no scruple to join us, and would have restored the +king with all their hearts, and many of them did join us at last. + +And the consequence, though late, ended so; for they fell out so +many times, army and Parliament, Parliament and army, and alternately +pulled one another down so often till at last the Presbyterians who +began the war, ended it, and, to be rid of their enemies, rather than +for any love to the monarchy, restored King Charles the Second, and +brought him in on the very day that they themselves had formerly +resolved the ruin of his father's government, being the 29th of May, +the same day twenty years that the private cabal in London concluded +their secret league with the Scots, to embroil his father King Charles +the First. + + +[Footnote 1: General Ludlow, in his Memoirs, p. 52, says their men +returned from Warwick to London, not like men who had obtained a +victory, but like men that had been beaten.] + + + + +NOTES. + + +p. 1. The preface to the first edition, which appeared in 1720, was +written by Defoe as "Editor" of the manuscript. The second edition +appeared between 1740 and 1750, after the death of Defoe. (He was +probably born in 1671 and he died in 1731.) In the preface to that +edition it was argued that the Cavalier was certainly a real person. + +p. 2, l. 35. "Nicely" is here used in the stricter and more uncommon +sense of "minutely." This use of words in a slightly different sense +from their common modern significance will be noticed frequently; +cf. p. 8, l. 17 "passionately," p. 18, l. 40 "refined," p. 31, l. 18 +"particular." + +p. 3, l. 3. Charles XII the famous soldier king of Sweden died in 1718. + +p. 3, l. 31. Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was one of the staunchest +supporters of Charles I, and Chancellor under Charles II. His _History +of the Rebellion_ is naturally written from the Royalist standpoint. +This statement concerning "the editors" can only be intended by Defoe +to give colour of truth to his story of the manuscript. + +p. 10, l. 17. England had been nominally at war with Spain since the +beginning of the reign of Charles I. Peace was actually made in 1630. + +p. 12, l. 3. A pistole was a gold coin used chiefly in France and +Spain. Its value varied but it was generally worth about fifteen or +sixteen shillings. + +p. 14, l. 5. Cardinal Richelieu, one of the greatest statesmen of +the seventeenth century, was practically supreme in France during the +reign of Louis XIII. + +p. 14, l. 16. The cause of the war with Savoy is told at length on +page 23. Savoy being the frontier province between France and Italy it +was important that France should maintain her influence there. + +p. 14, l. 18. Pinerolo was a frontier fortress. + +p. 14, l. 36. The queen-mother was Mary de Medicis who had been regent +during the minority of Louis XIII. + +p. 15, l. 3. The Protestants or Huguenots of Southern France had been +tolerated since 1598 but Richelieu deprived them of many of their +privileges. + +p. 15, l. 21. In 1625 when England was in alliance with France English +ships had been joined with the French fleet to reduce la Rochelle, the +great stronghold of Protestantism in Southern France. + +p. 16, l. 7. The Louvre, now famous as a picture gallery and museum, +was formerly one of the palaces of the French Kings. + +p. 17, l. 16. The Bastille was the famous prison destroyed in 1789 at +the outbreak of the French Revolution. + +p. 18, l. 13. In the seventeenth century Italy was still divided into +several states each with its own prince. + +p. 18, l. 22. Susa was another Savoyard fortress. + +p. 19, l. 17. A halberd was a weapon consisting of a long wooden shaft +surmounted by an axe-like head. + +p. 21, l. 30. The Cantons were the political divisions of Switzerland. + +p. 23, l. 7. Casale, a strong town on the Po. + +p. 25, l. 14. A dragoon was a cavalry soldier armed with an infantry +firearm and trained to fight on foot as well as on horseback. + +p. 27, l. 25. Saluzzo a town S.E. of Pinerolo. + +p. 29, l. 12. This truce prepared for the definite "Peace of +Cherasco," April 1631, which confirmed the Duchy of Mantua to the Duke +of Nevers but left only Pinerolo in the hands of the French. + +p. 31, l. 12. This refers to the Treaty of Bärwalde, 1631, by which +Gustavus Adolphus promised to consider the interests of the French +(who were the natural enemies of the Empire). + +p. 31, l. 16. In 1628 the Duke of Pomerania had been obliged to put +his coast line under the care of the imperial troops. In attacking it +therefore in 1639 Gustavus Adolphus was aiming a blow at the Emperor +and obtaining a good basis for further conquests. + +p. 31, l. 25. _Gazette_ is the old name for _newspaper_. + +p. 33, l. 12. Bavaria was the chief Catholic State not under the +direct government of the Emperor. Maximilian, its elector, was +appointed head of the Catholic League which was formed in 1609 in +opposition to the Protestant Union which had been formed in 1608. + +p. 33, l. 20. By the end of the sixteenth century the Turks had +advanced far into Europe, had detached half of Hungary from the +Emperor's dominions and made him pay tribute for the other half. +During the seventeenth century, however, they were slowly driven back. + +p. 33, l. 37. In 1628 the two Dukes of Mecklenburg had been "put to +the ban" by the Emperor for having given help to Christian of Denmark +who had taken up the cause of the Protestants. + +p. 34, l. 10. Gustavus Adolphus had been at war with Poland from 1617 +to 1629. + +p. 34, l. 30. This was not a treaty of active alliance. Both John +George of Saxony and George William of Brandenburg were Protestant +princes but they were at first anxious to maintain neutrality between +Sweden and the Emperor. The impolitic action of Ferdinand drove them +to join Gustavus Adolphus in 1631. + +p. 34, l. 33. The German Diet was the meeting of the German princes +to consult on imperial matters. Ratisbon is one of the chief towns of +Bavaria. + +p. 35, l. 17. The story of Magdeburg is told on p. 42. + +p. 36, l. 1. Count Tilly was a Bavarian General of genius who had been +put at the head of the forces of the Catholic League in 1609. + +p. 36, l. 31. The Protestant Union formed in 1608 had been forced to +dissolve itself in 1621. + +p. 37, l. 5. Wallenstein is one of the greatest generals and the most +interesting figure in seventeenth century history. A Bohemian by birth +he fought for the Emperor with an army raised by himself. + +p. 37, l. 16. The Conclusions of Leipsic are described on p. 39. + +p. 38, l. 29. The King of Hungary was Ferdinand (afterwards Ferdinand +III) son of Ferdinand II. The "King of the Romans" was a title +bestowed on the person who was destined to become Emperor. (The Empire +was elective but tended to become hereditary.) + +p. 39, l. 39. The Peace of Augsburg, 1555, had been intended to settle +the differences between the Lutherans and Catholics but it had left +many problems unsolved. + +p. 42, l. 21. The Protestant bishopric of Magdeburg had been forcibly +restored to the Catholics in 1629. In 1631 the citizens of their own +accord, relying on Swedish help, declared against the Emperor. + +p. 47, l. 40. Torgau, a strongly fortified town in Saxony. + +p. 57, l. 37. The Prince of Orange at this time was William II who +married Mary, daughter of Charles I. + +p. 59, l. 3. Except for the date, which should be 17th of September, +and the numbers on both sides which he exaggerates, the Cavalier's +account of the battle of Leipsic is fairly accurate. + +p. 61, l. 39. Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry wearing helmet and +cuirass (two plates fastened together for the protection of the breast +and back). + +p. 65, l. 10. _Crabats_ is an old form of _Croats_ the name of the +inhabitants of Croatia. + +p. 66, l. 38. _Rix dollar_ is the English form of _Reichsthaler_ or +imperial dollar. + +p. 67, l. 6. "Husband" is here used in the sense of "thrifty person." + +p. 69, l. 18. A ducat was a gold coin generally worth about nine +shillings. + +p. 70, l. 29. This passage describes the conquest of the string of +ecclesiastical territories known as the "Priest's Lane." + +p. 71, l. 23. A partisan was a military weapon used by footmen in the +sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and not unlike the halberd in +form. + +p. 73, l. 10. "Bastion" is the name given to certain projecting +portions of a fortified building. + +p. 78, l. 23. The Palatinate (divided into Upper and Lower) was a +Protestant state whose elector, the son-in-law of James I, had been +driven out by the Emperor in 1620. + +p. 79, l. 11. _Reformado_: A military term borrowed from the Spanish, +signifying an officer who, for some disgrace is deprived of his +command but retains his rank. Defoe uses it to describe an officer not +having a regular command. + +p. 81, l. 15. Frederick, Elector Palatine, had been elected King by +the Protestants of Bohemia in opposition to the Emperor Ferdinand. It +was his acceptance of this position which led to the confiscation of +his Palatinate together with his new kingdom. + +p. 81, l. 24. James I had, after much hesitation, sent in 1625 an +expedition to the aid of the Elector, but it had miscarried. Charles I +was too much occupied at home to prosecute an active foreign policy. + +p. 81, l. 35. The Elector died in the same year as Gustavus Adolphus. +His son Charles Lewis was restored to the Lower Palatinate only, which +was confirmed to him at the end of the war in 1648. + +p. 82, l. 3. The battle of Nieuport, one of the great battles between +Holland and Spain, was fought in 1600 near the Flemish town of that +name. Prince Maurice won a brilliant victory under very difficult +conditions. + +p. 82, l. 30. A ravelin is an outwork of a fortified building. + +p. 86, l. 16. It was the attempt in 1607 to force Catholicism on the +Protestants of the free city of Donauwörth which led to the formation +of the Protestant Union in 1608. + +p. 87, l. 9. The Duringer Wald.--Thuringia Wald. + +p. 97, l. 29. Camisado (fr. Latin Camisia=a shirt) is generally used +to denote a night attack. + +p. 98, l. 4. Note the inconsistency between this statement of the +Cavaliers interest in the curiosities at Munich and his indifference +in Italy where he had "no gust to antiquities." + +p. 99, l. 7. Gustavus Adolphus had entered Nuremberg March 1631. +Wallenstein was now bent on re-taking it. + +p. 100, l. 29. The Cavalier's enthusiasm for Gustavus Adolphus leads +to misrepresentation. The Swedish king has sometimes been blamed for +failing to succour Magdeburg. + +p. 101, l. 23. Redoubts are the most strongly fortified points in the +temporary fortification of a large space. + +p. 107, l. 13. The Cavalier glosses over the fact that Gustavus +Adolphus really retreated from his camp at Nuremberg, being +practically starved out, as Wallenstein refused to come to an +engagement. + +p. 110, l. 38. Though the honours of war in the battle of Lützen went +to the Swedes it is probable that they lost more men than did the +Imperialists. + +p. 113, l. 37. The battle of Nördlingen was one of the decisive +battles of the war. It restored to the Catholics the bishoprics of the +South which Gustavus Adolphus had taken. + +p. 114, l. 39. The title "Infant" or "Infante" belongs to all princes +of the royal house in Spain. The Cardinal Infant really brought 15000 +men to the help of the Emperor. + +p. 116, l. 37. The King of Hungary had succeeded to the command of the +imperial army after the murder of Wallenstein in 1634. + +p. 119, l. 34. The treaty of Westphalia in 1648 ended the Thirty +Years' War by a compromise. The Emperor recognised that he could have +no real authority in matters of religion over the states governed +by Protestant princes, North Germany remained Protestant, the South, +Catholic. + +p. 120, l. 11. This statement is an anachronism. Prince Maurice of +Nassau the famous son of William the Silent died in 1625. + +p. 120, l. 39. The Netherlands belonged to Spain in the seventeenth +century but revolted. The Northern provinces which were Protestant won +their independence, the Southern provinces which were Catholic (modern +Belgium) submitted to Spain on conditions. + +p. 121, l. 19. The siege of Ostend, then in the hands of the Dutch, +was begun in July 1601 and came to an end in September 1604, when the +garrison surrendered with the honours of war. + +p. 122, l. 31. In 1637 Laud had tried to force a new liturgy on +Scotland but this had been forcibly resisted. In 1638 the National +Covenant against "papistry" was signed by all classes in Scotland. +In the same year episcopacy was abolished there and Charles thereupon +resolved to subdue the Scots by arms. This led to the first "Bishops' +War" of 1639 which the Cavalier proceeds to describe. + +p. 126, l. 4. Mercenaries (soldiers who fought in any army for the +mere pay) were chiefly drawn from Switzerland in the seventeenth +century. + +p. 127, l. 38. By the Treaty of Berwick signed in June 1638 Charles +consented to allow the Scotch to settle their own ecclesiastical +affairs. When they again resolved to abolish episcopacy he broke his +word and in 1640 the Second "Bishops' War" took place. It was the +expenses of these wars which forced Charles to call parliament again. + +p. 135, l. 34. It was the English Prayer Book with some slight changes +that Laud had attempted to impose on the Scotch. + +p. 137, l. 31. Charles had in fact called the "Short Parliament" to +meet between these two expeditions but had quarrelled with it and +dissolved it. + +p. 138, l. 7. The Scotch had no real part in the death of the King. +The Presbyterians indeed upheld monarchy though not as Charles +understood it. + +p. 140, l. 26. The Long Parliament of 1640 passed an act by which it +could not be dissolved without its own consent. + +p. 143, l. 4. The Treaty of Ripon (October 1640) left Northumberland +and Durham in the hands of the Scotch until the King should be able +to pay the £850 a day during their stay in England which he promised +them. + +p. 143, l. 9. The permanent treaty signed in 1641 gave consent to +all the demands of the Scotch, including their freedom to abolish +episcopacy. + +p. 143, l. 29. The Earl of Stafford had been the chief supporter of +Charles' method of government without parliament. He was executed in +1641 and Laud suffered the same fate in 1645. + +p. 144, l. 21. By the "Grand Remonstrance" the parliament tried to +seize on the royal power. + +p. 146, l. 13. The "gentry" of England were not, of course, all on the +Royalist side. Many of them, and some of the nobility, fought for the +parliament, though it is true that the majority were for the King. + +p. 151, l. 27. In 1643 by the Solemn League and Covenant the Scotch +consented to help parliament against the King on condition that +Presbyterianism should be adopted as the English state religion. + +p. 159, l. 33. The left wing was under the command of Lord Wilmot. + +p. 170, l. 36. Leicester was taken by the King in 1645. + +p. 180, l. 28. The Cavalier ascribes to himself the part taken by +Prince Maurice (the brother of Prince Rupert) and Lord Wilmot in +bringing aid to Hopton. + +p. 187, l. 29. It was the King rather than the parliamentarians who +was anxious to give battle. The Royalists barred the way to London. + +p. 189, l. 32. See note to p. 61, l. 39. + +p. 192, l. 29. The parliamentarians certainly won a victory at the +second battle of Newbury. + +p. 194, l. 2. The Scotch nobles, alarmed at the violence of the +parliamentarians, supported Charles in the second civil war (1648), +and after his death Scotland recognised Charles II as King. Cromwell +however conquered their country. + +p. 194, l. 27. In 1641 a great Irish rebellion had followed the recall +of Strafford who had been Lord Lieutenant of that country. + +p. 195, l. 12. It was not until 1645, when his cause was declining in +England, that Charles determined to seek direct help from the Irish. +This he did in the Glamorgan Treaty of that year by which he agreed +to the legal restoration of Catholicism in Ireland. But the Treaty was +discovered by the Parliament and Charles denied any knowledge of it. + +p. 196, l. 11. The "Grand Seignior" was the name generally given to the +Sultan of Turkey. + +p. 197, l. 5. William Prynne was the famous Puritan lawyer whose +imprisonment by the Star Chamber had made him one of the heroes of +Puritanism. George Buchanan was the famous Scotch scholar from whom +James I had derived much of his learning. + +p. 197, l. 28. The dates are given both according to our present +mode of reckoning and according to the old system by which the year +commenced on 25th March. + +p. 198, l. 6. The Scots besieged Newcastle for nine months, not merely +a few days as the Cavalier relates. + +p. 202, l. 39. The great Spanish general, the Duke of Parma, went to +the relief of Paris which was in the hands of the Catholics and was +being besieged by the then Protestant Henry of Navarre in 1590. + +p. 204, l. 9. As pointed out in the introduction the Cavalier's +account of the disposition of forces in this battle is inaccurate. + +p. 205, l. 27. It was really Rupert's hitherto unconquered cavalry +which was thus borne down by Cromwell's horse. + +p. 216, l. 4. A posset was a drink of milk curdled with an acid +liquid. + +p. 219, l. 40. The Grisons are the people of one of the Swiss Cantons. + +p. 222, l. 36. Newcastle was not retaken by Rupert. + +p. 230, l. 8. By the Self-Denying Ordinance of 1645 all members of +Parliament were compelled to resign their commands. This rid the +parliamentarians of some of their most incapable commanders. Exception +was made in favour of Cromwell who was soon appointed Lieutenant +General. + +p. 230, l. 17. On the "New Model" the armies of the parliamentary side +were reorganized as a whole, made permanent, and given a uniform and +regular pay. + +p. 231, l. 15. It was not only the ecclesiastical conditions laid down +by the parliamentarians at the Treaty of Uxbridge which determined the +King's refusal. He was asked besides taking the Covenant to surrender +the militia. + +p. 243, l. 26. The estates of many of the Cavalier gentlemen were +forfeited. Some were allowed to "compound," i.e. to keep part of their +estates on payment of a sum of money. + +p. 253, l. 32. Montrose had created a Royalist party in Scotland and +was fighting there for the King. + +p. 258, l. 1. The "forlorn" was a body of men sent in advance of an +expedition. + +p. 272, l. 21. After the defeat of the Royalists dissension arose +between the parliament and the army and naturally the army was able to +coerce the parliament. + +p. 274, l. 2. Cornet Joyce secured the person of the King by the order +of Cromwell, the idol of the army. + +p. 274, l. 26. The Cavalier exaggerates the likelihood of an +understanding between the King and the parliament. In reality Charles +was merely playing off one party against the other. + +p. 275, l. 7. In January 1648 parliament had passed a vote of "No +Addresses," renouncing any further negotiation with the King, but +after the second civil war of that year (in which the Presbyterians +joined the King) they resumed them again in the Treaty of Newport. +The army however became more violent, and the result was the forcible +exclusion of all moderate members of parliament in "Pride's Purge," +December 1648. The trial and execution of the King followed. + +p. 275, l. 35. The Cavalier refers to the acts of retaliation which +followed the Restoration of Charles II. + +p. 276, l. 27. There were many republicans among the "Independents" +or "Sectaries" in the army, but the policy actually carried out can +hardly have been planned before the war. + +p. 278, l. 5. Cardinal Bellarmine was one of the great +Controversialists of the Counter-Reformation. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of a Cavalier, by Daniel Defoe + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER *** + +***** This file should be named 12259-8.txt or 12259-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/2/5/12259/ + +Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Audrey Longhurst, Leah Moser and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Memoirs of a Cavalier + A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England. + From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648. + + +Author: Daniel Defoe + +Release Date: May 4, 2004 [EBook #12259] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER *** + + + + +Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Audrey Longhurst, Leah Moser and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + +MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER + +or + +A Military Journal of the Wars in Germany, and the Wars in England. +From the Year 1632 to the Year 1648. + +By Daniel Defoe + +Edited with Introduction and Notes by Elizabeth O'Neill + +1922 + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +Daniel Defoe is, perhaps, best known to us as the author of _Robinson +Crusoe_, a book which has been the delight of generations of boys and +girls ever since the beginning of the eighteenth century. For it was +then that Defoe lived and wrote, being one of the new school of prose +writers which grew up at that time and which gave England new forms +of literature almost unknown to an earlier age. Defoe was a vigorous +pamphleteer, writing first on the Whig side and later for the Tories +in the reigns of William III and Anne. He did much to foster the +growth of the newspaper, a form of literature which henceforth became +popular. He also did much towards the development of the modern novel, +though he did not write novels in our sense of the word. His books +were more simple than is the modern novel. What he really wrote were +long stories told, as is _Robinson Crusoe_, in the first person and +with so much detail that it is hard to believe that they are works of +imagination and not true stories. "The little art he is truly master +of, is of forging a story and imposing it upon the world as truth." So +wrote one of his contemporaries. Charles Lamb, in criticizing Defoe, +notices this minuteness of detail and remarks that he is, therefore, +an author suited only for "servants" (meaning that this method can +appeal only to comparatively uneducated minds). Really as every boy +and girl knows, a good story ought to have this quality of seeming +true, and the fact that Defoe can so deceive us makes his work the +more excellent reading. + +The _Memoirs of a Cavalier_ resembles _Robinson Crusoe_ in so far as +it is a tale told by a man of his own experiences and adventures. It +has just the same air of truth and for a long time after its first +publication in 1720 people were divided in opinion as to whether it +was a book of real memoirs or not. A critical examination has shown +that it is Defoe's own work and not, as he declares, the contents of +a manuscript which he found "by great accident, among other valuable +papers" belonging to one of King William's secretaries of state. +Although his gifts of imagination enabled him to throw himself into +the position of the Cavalier he lapses occasionally into his own +characteristic prose and the style is often that of the eighteenth +rather than the seventeenth century, more eloquent than quaint. Again, +he is not careful to hide inconsistencies between his preface and the +text. Thus, he says in his preface that he discovered the manuscript +in 1651; yet we find in the _Memoirs_ a reference to the Restoration, +which shows that it must have been written after 1660 at least. There +is abundant proof that the book is really a work of fiction and that +the Cavalier is an imaginary character; but, in one sense, it is a +true history, inasmuch as the author has studied the events and spirit +of the time in which his scene is laid and, though he makes many +mistakes of detail, he gives us a very true picture of one of the most +interesting periods in English and European history. The _Memoirs_ +thus represent the English historical novel in its beginnings, a much +simpler thing than it was to become in the hands of Scott and later +writers. + +The period in which the scene is laid is that of the English Civil +War, in which the Cavalier fought on the side of King Charles I +against the Puritans. But his adventures in this war belong to the +second part of the book. In the first part, he tells of his birth and +parentage, the foreign travel which was the fashionable completion +of the education of a gentleman in the seventeenth century, and his +adventures as a volunteer officer in the Swedish army, where he gained +the experience which was to serve him well in the Civil War at home. +Many a real Cavalier must have had just such a career as Defoe's hero +describes as his own. After a short time at Oxford, "long enough for +a gentleman," he embarked on a period of travel, going to Italy by +way of France. The Cavalier, however, devotes but little space to +description, vivid enough as far as it goes, of his adventures in +these two counties for a space of over two years. Italy, especially, +attracted the attention of gentlemen and scholars in those days, +but the Cavalier was more bent on soldiering than sightseeing and he +hurries on to tell of his adventures in Germany, where he first really +took part in warfare, becoming a volunteer officer in the army of +Gustavus Adolphus, the hero King of Sweden, and where he met with +those adventures the story of which forms the bulk of the first part +of the _Memoirs_. + +To appreciate the tale, it will be necessary to have a clear idea +of the state of affairs in Europe at the time. The war which was +convulsing Germany, and in which almost every other European power +interfered at some time, was the Thirty Years' War (1618--1648), a +struggle having a special character of its own as the last of the +religious wars which had torn Europe asunder for a century and the +first of a long series of wars in which the new and purely political +principle of the Balance of Power can be seen at work. The struggle +was, nominally, between Protestant and Catholic Germany for, during +the Reformation period, Germany, which consisted of numerous states +under the headship of the Emperor, had split into two great camps. The +Northern states had become Protestant under their Protestant princes. +The Southern states had remained, for the most part, Catholic or had +been won back to Catholicism in the religious reaction known as the +Counter-Reformation. As the Catholic movement spread, under a Catholic +Emperor like Ferdinand of Styria, who was elected in 1619, it was +inevitable that the privileges granted to Protestants should be +curtailed. They determined to resist and, as the Emperor had the +support of Spain, the Protestant Union found it necessary to call in +help from outside. Thus it was that the other European powers came to +interfere in German affairs. Some helped the Protestants from motives +of religion, more still from considerations of policy, and the long +struggle of thirty years may be divided into marked periods in which +one power after another, Denmark, Sweden, France, allied themselves +with the Protestants against the Emperor. The _Memoirs_ are +concerned with the first two years of the Swedish period of the war +(1630--1634), during which Gustavus Adolphus almost won victory +for the Protestants who were, however, to lose the advantage of his +brilliant generalship through his death at the battle of Luetzen in +1632. Through the death of "this conquering king," the Swedes lost the +fruits of their victory and the battle of Luetzen marks the end of what +may be termed the heroic period of the war. Gustavus Adolphus stands +out among the men of his day for the loftiness of his character as +well as for the genius of his generalship. It is, therefore, fitting +enough that Defoe should make his Cavalier withdraw from the Swedish +service after the death of the "glorious king" whom he "could never +mention without some remark of his extraordinary merit." For two years +longer, he wanders through Germany still watching the course of the +war and then returns to England, soon to take part in another war at +home, namely the Civil War, in which the English people were divided +into two great parties according as they supported King Charles I or +the members of the Long Parliament who opposed him. According to the +_Memoirs_, the Cavalier "went into arms" without troubling himself "to +examine sides." Defoe probably considered this attitude as typical +of many of the Cavalier party, and, of course, loyalty to the king's +person was one of their strongest motives. The Cavalier does not enter +largely into the causes of the war. What he gives us is a picture of +army life in that troubled period. It will be well, however, to bear +in mind the chief facts in the history of the times. + +From the beginning of his reign, Charles had had trouble with his +parliaments, which had already become very restless under James I. +Charles's parliaments disapproved of his foreign policy and their +unwillingness to grant subsidies led him to fall back on questionable +methods of raising money, especially during the eleven years +(1629--1640) in which he ruled without a parliament. Charles had no +great scheme of tyranny, but avoided parliaments because of their +criticism of his policy. At first the opposition had been purely +political, but the parliament of 1629 had attacked also Charles's +religious policy. He favoured the schemes of Laud (archbishop of +Canterbury 1633--1649) and the Arminian school among the clergy, who +wished to revive many of the old Catholic practices and some of the +beliefs which had been swept away by the Reformation. Many people +in England objected not only to these but even to the wearing of the +surplice, the simplest of the old vestments, on the use of which Laud +tried to insist. This party came to be known as Puritans and they +formed the chief strength of the opposition to the King in the Long +Parliament which met in 1640. For their attack on the Church led many +who had at first opposed the King's arbitrary methods to go over to +his side. Thus, the moderate men as well as the loyalists formed a +king's party and the opposition was almost confined to men who hated +the Church as much as the King. The Puritans who loved simplicity +of dress and severity of manners and despised the flowing locks and +worldly vanities which the Cavaliers loved were, by these, nicknamed +Roundheads on account of their short hair. Defoe, in the _Memoirs_, +gives us less of this side of the history of the times than might have +been expected. The war actually began in August, 1642, and what +Defoe gives us is military history, correct in essentials and full +of detail, which is, however, far from accurate. For instance, in his +account of the battle of Marston Moor, he makes prince Rupert command +the left wing, whereas he really commanded the right wing, the left +being led by Lord Goring who, according to Defoe's account, commanded +the main battle. He conveys to us, however, the true spirit of the +war, emphasizing the ability and the mistakes on both sides, showing +how the king's miscalculations or Rupert's rashness deprived the +Royalist party of the advantages of the superior generalship and +fighting power which were theirs in the first part of the war and how +gradually the Roundheads got the better of the Cavaliers. The detailed +narrative comes to an end with the delivery of the King to the +Parliament by the Scots, to whom he had given himself up in his +extremity. A few lines tell of his trial and execution and the +_Memoirs_ end with some pages of "remarks and observations" on the +war and a list of coincidences which had been noted in its course. +The latter, savouring somewhat of superstition, appear natural in +what purports to be a seventeenth century text, but the summing up of +conclusions about the war is rather such as might be made by a more or +less impartial observer at a later date than by one who had taken an +active part in the struggle. In reading the _Memoirs_ this mixture of +what belongs to the seventeenth century with the reflections of Defoe, +in many ways a typical eighteenth century figure, must be borne in +mind. The inaccuracies are pointed out in the notes, but these need +not prevent us from entering with zest into the spirit of the story. + +E. O'NEILL. + +4 _March_ 1908. + + + + +CONTENTS + + INTRODUCTION. + PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + TEXT: Part I. + Part II. + NOTES. + + + + +PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. + + +As an evidence that 'tis very probable these Memorials were written +many years ago, the persons now concerned in the publication assure +the reader that they have had them in their possession finished, as +they now appear, above twenty years; that they were so long ago found +by great accident, among other valuable papers, in the closet of an +eminent public minister, of no less figure than one of King William's +secretaries of state. + +As it is not proper to trace them any farther, so neither is there any +need to trace them at all, to give reputation to the story related, +seeing the actions here mentioned have a sufficient sanction from all +the histories of the times to which they relate, with this addition, +that the admirable manner of relating them and the wonderful variety +of incidents with which they are beautified in the course of a private +gentleman's story, add such delight in the reading, and give such a +lustre, as well to the accounts themselves as to the person who was +the actor, that no story, we believe, extant in the world ever came +abroad with such advantage. + +It must naturally give some concern in the reading that the name of a +person of so much gallantry and honour, and so many ways valuable +to the world, should be lost to the readers. We assure them no small +labour has been thrown away upon the inquiry, and all we have been +able to arrive to of discovery in this affair is, that a memorandum +was found with this manuscript, in these words, but not signed by any +name, only the two letters of a name, which gives us no light into the +matter, which memoir was as follows:-- + +_Memorandum_. + +"I found this manuscript among my father's writings, and I understand +that he got them as plunder, at, or after, the fight at Worcester, +where he served as major of ----'s regiment of horse on the side of +the Parliament. I.K." + +As this has been of no use but to terminate the inquiry after the +person, so, however, it seems most naturally to give an authority to +the original of the work, viz., that it was born of a soldier; and +indeed it is through every part related with so soldierly a style, and +in the very language of the field, that it seems impossible anything +but the very person who was present in every action here related, +could be the relater of them. + +The accounts of battles, the sieges, and the several actions of which +this work is so full, are all recorded in the histories of those +times; such as the great battle of Leipsic, the sacking of Magdeburg, +the siege of Nuremburg, the passing the river Lech in Bavaria; such +also as the battle of Kineton, or Edgehill, the battles of Newbury, +Marston Moor, and Naseby, and the like: they are all, we say, recorded +in other histories, and written by those who lived in those times, and +perhaps had good authority for what they wrote. But do those relations +give any of the beautiful ideas of things formed in this account? +Have they one half of the circumstances and incidents of the actions +themselves that this man's eyes were witness to, and which his memory +has thus preserved? He that has read the best accounts of those +battles will be surprised to see the particulars of the story so +preserved, so nicely and so agreeably described, and will confess +what we allege, that the story is inimitably told; and even the great +actions of the glorious King GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS receive a lustre +from this man's relations which the world was never made sensible of +before, and which the present age has much wanted of late, in order to +give their affections a turn in favour of his late glorious successor. + +In the story of our own country's unnatural wars, he carries on the +same spirit. How effectually does he record the virtues and glorious +actions of King Charles the First, at the same time that he frequently +enters upon the mistakes of his Majesty's conduct, and of his friends, +which gave his enemies all those fatal advantages against him, which +ended in the overthrow of his armies, the loss of his crown and life, +and the ruin of the constitution! + +In all his accounts he does justice to his enemies, and honours +the merit of those whose cause he fought against; and many accounts +recorded in his story, are not to be found even in the best histories +of those times. + +What applause does he give to gallantry of Sir Thomas Fairfax, to his +modesty, to his conduct, under which he himself was subdued, and to +the justice he did the king's troops when they laid down their arms! + +His description of the Scots troops in the beginning of the war, and +the behaviour of the party under the Earl of Holland, who went over +against them, are admirable; and his censure of their conduct, who +pushed the king upon the quarrel, and then would not let him fight, is +no more than what many of the king's friends (though less knowing as +soldiers) have often complained of. + +In a word, this work is a confutation of many errors in all the +writers upon the subject of our wars in England, and even in that +extraordinary history written by the Earl of Clarendon; but the +editors were so just that when, near twenty years ago, a person +who had written a whole volume in folio, by way of answer to and +confutation of Clarendon's "History of the Rebellion," would have +borrowed the clauses in this account, which clash with that history, +and confront it,--we say the editors were so just as to refuse them. + +There can be nothing objected against the general credit of this work, +seeing its truth is established upon universal history; and almost all +the facts, especially those of moment, are confirmed for their general +part by all the writers of those times. If they are here embellished +with particulars, which are nowhere else to be found, that is the +beauty we boast of; and that it is that much recommend this work to +all the men of sense and judgment that read it. + +The only objection we find possible to make against this work is, that +it is not carried on farther, or, as we may say finished, with the +finishing the war of the time; and this we complain of also. But then +we complain of it as a misfortune to the world, not as a fault in the +author; for how do we know but that this author might carry it on, and +have another part finished which might not fall into the same hands, +or may still remain with some of his family, and which they cannot +indeed publish, to make it seem anything perfect, for want of the +other parts which we have, and which we have now made public? Nor is +it very improbable but that if any such farther part is in being, the +publishing these two parts may occasion the proprietors of the third +to let the world see it, and that by such a discovery the name of the +person may also come to be known, which would, no doubt, be a great +satisfaction to the reader as well as us. + +This, however, must be said, that if the same author should have +written another part of this work, and carried it on to the end of +those times, yet as the residue of those melancholy days, to the +Restoration, were filled with the intrigues of government, the +political management of illegal power, and the dissensions and +factions of a people who were then even in themselves but a faction, +and that there was very little action in the field, it is more than +probable that our author, who was a man of arms, had little share in +those things, and might not care to trouble himself with looking at +them. + +But besides all this, it might happen that he might go abroad again +at that time, as most of the gentlemen of quality, and who had an +abhorrence for the power that then governed here, did. Nor are we +certain that he might live to the end of that time, so we can give +no account whether he had any share in the subsequent actions of that +time. + +'Tis enough that we have the authorities above to recommend this part +to us that is now published. The relation, we are persuaded, will +recommend itself, and nothing more can be needful, because nothing +more can invite than the story itself, which, when the reader enters +into, he will find it very hard to get out of till he has gone through +it. + + + + +MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER. + +PART I. + + +It may suffice the reader, without being very inquisitive after my +name, that I was born in the county of Salop, in the year 1608, under +the government of what star I was never astrologer enough to +examine; but the consequences of my life may allow me to suppose some +extraordinary influence affected my birth. + +My father was a gentleman of a very plentiful fortune, having an +estate of above L5000 per annum, of a family nearly allied to several +of the principal nobility, and lived about six miles from the town; +and my mother being at ---- on some particular occasion, was surprised +there at a friend's house, and brought me very safe into the world. + +I was my father's second son, and therefore was not altogether so much +slighted as younger sons of good families generally are. But my father +saw something in my genius also which particularly pleased him, and so +made him take extraordinary care of my education. + +I was taught, therefore, by the best masters that could be had, +everything that was needful to accomplish a young gentleman for the +world; and at seventeen years old my tutor told my father an academic +education was very proper for a person of quality, and he thought me +very fit for it: so my father entered me of ---- College in Oxford, +where I continued three years. + +A collegiate life did not suit me at all, though I loved books well +enough. It was never designed that I should be either a lawyer, +physician, or divine; and I wrote to my father that I thought I had +stayed there long enough for a gentleman, and with his leave I desired +to give him a visit. + +During my stay at Oxford, though I passed through the proper exercises +of the house, yet my chief reading was upon history and geography, +as that which pleased my mind best, and supplied me with ideas most +suitable to my genius; by one I understood what great actions had been +done in the world, and by the other I understood where they had been +done. + +My father readily complied with my desire of coming home; for besides +that he thought, as I did, that three years' time at the university +was enough, he also most passionately loved me, and began to think of +my settling near him. + +At my arrival I found myself extraordinarily caressed by my father, +and he seemed to take a particular delight in my conversation. My +mother, who lived in perfect union with him both in desires and +affection, received me very passionately. Apartments were provided for +me by myself, and horses and servants allowed me in particular. + +My father never went a-hunting, an exercise he was exceeding fond of, +but he would have me with him; and it pleased him when he found me +like the sport. I lived thus, in all the pleasures 'twas possible for +me to enjoy, for about a year more, when going out one morning with my +father to hunt a stag, and having had a very hard chase, and gotten +a great way off from home, we had leisure enough to ride gently back; +and as we returned my father took occasion to enter into a serious +discourse with me concerning the manner of my settling in the world. + +He told me, with a great deal of passion, that he loved me above all +the rest of his children, and that therefore he intended to do very +well for me; and that my eldest brother being already married +and settled, he had designed the same for me, and proposed a very +advantageous match for me, with a young lady of very extraordinary +fortune and merit, and offered to make a settlement of L2000 per annum +on me, which he said he would purchase for me without diminishing his +paternal estate. + +There was too much tenderness in this discourse not to affect me +exceedingly. I told him I would perfectly resign myself unto his +disposal. But as my father had, together with his love for me, a very +nice judgment in his discourse, he fixed his eyes very attentively on +me, and though my answer was without the least reserve, yet he +thought he saw some uneasiness in me at the proposal, and from thence +concluded that my compliance was rather an act of discretion than +inclination; and that, however I seemed so absolutely given up to what +he had proposed, yet my answer was really an effect of my obedience +rather than my choice. + +So he returned very quick upon me: "Look you, son, though I give you +my own thoughts in the matter, yet I would have you be very plain with +me; for if your own choice does not agree with mine, I will be your +adviser, but will never impose upon you, and therefore let me know +your mind freely." "I don't reckon myself capable, sir," said I, with +a great deal of respect, "to make so good a choice for myself as you +can for me; and though my opinion differed from yours, its being your +opinion would reform mine, and my judgment would as readily comply as +my duty." "I gather at least from thence," said my father, "that your +designs lay another way before, however they may comply with mine; and +therefore I would know what it was you would have asked of me if I had +not offered this to you; and you must not deny me your obedience in +this, if you expect I should believe your readiness in the other." + +"Sir," said I, "'twas impossible I should lay out for myself just +what you have proposed; but if my inclinations were never so contrary, +though at your command you shall know them, yet I declare them to be +wholly subjected to your order. I confess my thoughts did not tend +towards marriage or a settlement; for, though I had no reason to +question your care of me, yet I thought a gentleman ought always to +see something of the world before he confined himself to any part of +it. And if I had been to ask your consent to anything, it should have +been to give me leave to travel for a short time, in order to qualify +myself to appear at home like a son to so good a father." + +"In what capacity would you travel?" replied my father. "You must go +abroad either as a private gentleman, as a scholar, or as a soldier." +"If it were in the latter capacity, sir," said I, returning pretty +quick, "I hope I should not misbehave myself; but I am not so +determined as not to be ruled by your judgment." "Truly," replied my +father, "I see no war abroad at this time worth while for a man to +appear in, whether we talk of the cause or the encouragement; and +indeed, son, I am afraid you need not go far for adventures of that +nature, for times seem to look as if this part of Europe would find us +work enough." My father spake then relating to the quarrel likely +to happen between the King of England and the Spaniard,' [1] for I +believe he had no notions of a civil war in his head. + +In short, my father, perceiving my inclinations very forward to go +abroad, gave me leave to travel, upon condition I would promise to +return in two years at farthest, or sooner, if he sent for me. + +While I was at Oxford I happened into the society of a young +gentleman, of a good family, but of a low fortune, being a younger +brother, and who had indeed instilled into me the first desires of +going abroad, and who, I knew, passionately longed to travel, but had +not sufficient allowance to defray his expenses as a gentleman. We +had contracted a very close friendship, and our humours being very +agreeable to one another, we daily enjoyed the conversation of +letters. He was of a generous free temper, without the least +affectation or deceit, a handsome proper person, a strong body, very +good mien, and brave to the last degree. His name was Fielding and we +called him Captain, though it be a very unusual title in a college; +but fate had some hand in the title, for he had certainly the lines of +a soldier drawn in his countenance. I imparted to him the resolutions +I had taken, and how I had my father's consent to go abroad, and would +know his mind whether he would go with me. He sent me word he would go +with all his heart. + +My father, when he saw him, for I sent for him immediately to come +to me, mightily approved my choice; so we got our equipage ready, and +came away for London. + +'Twas on the 22nd of April 1630, when we embarked at Dover, landed in +a few hours at Calais, and immediately took post for Paris. I shall +not trouble the reader with a journal of my travels, nor with the +description of places, which every geographer can do better than I; +but these Memoirs being only a relation of what happened either to +ourselves, or in our own knowledge, I shall confine myself to that +part of it. + +We had indeed some diverting passages in our journey to Paris, as +first, the horse my comrade was upon fell so very lame with a slip +that he could not go, and hardly stand, and the fellow that rid with +us express, pretended to ride away to a town five miles off to get a +fresh horse, and so left us on the road with one horse between two of +us. We followed as well as we could, but being strangers, missed the +way, and wandered a great way out the road. Whether the man performed +in reasonable time or not we could not be sure, but if it had not been +for an old priest, we had never found him. We met this man, by a very +good accident, near a little village whereof he was curate. We spoke +Latin enough just to make him understand us, and he did not speak it +much better himself; but he carried us into the village to his house, +gave us wine and bread, and entertained us with wonderful courtesy. +After this he sent into the village, hired a peasant, and a horse for +my captain, and sent him to guide us into the road. At parting he +made a great many compliments to us in French, which we could just +understand; but the sum was, to excuse him for a question he had +a mind to ask us. After leave to ask what he pleased, it was if we +wanted any money for our journey, and pulled out two pistoles, which +he offered either to give or lend us. + +I mention this exceeding courtesy of the curate because, though +civility is very much in use in France, and especially to strangers, +yet 'tis a very unusual thing to have them part with their money. + +We let the priest know, first, that we did not want money, and next +that we were very sensible of the obligation he had put upon us; and +I told him in particular, if I lived to see him again, I would +acknowledge it. + +This accident of our horse was, as we afterwards found, of some use +to us. We had left our two servants behind us at Calais to bring our +baggage after us, by reason of some dispute between the captain of the +packet and the custom-house officer, which could not be adjusted, and +we were willing to be at Paris. The fellows followed as fast as they +could, and, as near as we could learn, in the time we lost our way, +were robbed, and our portmanteaus opened. They took what they pleased; +but as there was no money there, but linen and necessaries, the loss +was not great. + +Our guide carried us to Amiens, where we found the express and our two +servants, who the express meeting on the road with a spare horse, had +brought back with him thither. + +We took this for a good omen of our successful journey, having escaped +a danger which might have been greater to us than it was to our +servants; for the highwaymen in France do not always give a traveller +the civility of bidding him stand and deliver his money, but +frequently fire on him first, and then take his money. + +We stayed one day at Amiens, to adjust this little disorder, and +walked about the town, and into the great church, but saw nothing +very remarkable there; but going across a broad street near the great +church, we saw a crowd of people gazing at a mountebank doctor, who +made a long harangue to them with a thousand antic postures, and gave +out bills this way, and boxes of physic that way, and had a great +trade, when on a sudden the people raised a cry, "_Larron, Larron_!" +(in English, "Thief, thief"), on the other side the street, and all +the auditors ran away, from Mr Doctor to see what the matter was. +Among the rest we went to see, and the case was plain and short +enough. Two English gentlemen and a Scotchman, travellers as we were, +were standing gazing at this prating doctor, and one of them catched +a fellow picking his pocket. The fellow had got some of his money, for +he dropped two or three pieces just by him, and had got hold of +his watch, but being surprised let it slip again. But the reason of +telling this story is for the management of it. This thief had his +seconds so ready, that as soon as the Englishman had seized him they +fell in, pretended to be mighty zealous for the stranger, takes the +fellow by the throat, and makes a great bustle; the gentleman not +doubting but the man was secured let go his own hold of him, and left +him to them. The hubbub was great, and 'twas these fellows cried, +"_Larron, larron_!" but with a dexterity peculiar to themselves had +let the right fellow go, and pretended to be all upon one of their own +gang. At last they bring the man to the gentleman to ask him what the +fellow had done, who, when he saw the person they seized on, presently +told them that was not the man. Then they seemed to be in more +consternation than before, and spread themselves all over the street, +crying, "_Larron, larron_!" pretending to search for the fellow; and +so one one way, one another, they were all gone, the noise went over, +the gentlemen stood looking one at another, and the bawling doctor +began to have the crowd about him again. This was the first French +trick I had the opportunity of seeing, but I was told they have a +great many more as dexterous as this. + +We soon got acquaintance with these gentlemen, who were going to +Paris, as well as we; so the next day we made up our company with +them, and were a pretty troop of five gentlemen and four servants. + +As we had really no design to stay long at Paris, so indeed, excepting +the city itself, there was not much to be seen there. Cardinal +Richelieu, who was not only a supreme minister in the Church, but +Prime Minister in the State, was now made also General of the King's +Forces, with a title never known in France before nor since, viz., +Lieutenant-General "au place du Roi," in the king's stead, or, as some +have since translated it, representing the person of the king. + +Under this character he pretended to execute all the royal powers in +the army without appeal to the king, or without waiting for orders; +and having parted from Paris the winter before had now actually begun +the war against the Duke of Savoy, in the process of which he restored +the Duke of Mantua, and having taken Pignerol from the duke, put it +into such a state of defence as the duke could never force it out of +his hands, and reduced the duke, rather by manage and conduct than +by force, to make peace without it; so as annexing it to the crown of +France it has ever since been a thorn in his foot that has always +made the peace of Savoy lame and precarious, and France has since made +Pignerol one of the strongest fortresses in the world. + +As the cardinal, with all the military part of the court, was in the +field, so the king, to be near him, was gone with the queen and all +the court, just before I reached Paris, to reside at Lyons. All these +considered, there was nothing to do at Paris; the court looked like a +citizen's house when the family was all gone into the country, and +I thought the whole city looked very melancholy, compared to all the +fine things I had heard of it. + +The queen-mother and her party were chagrined at the cardinal, who, +though he owed his grandeur to her immediate favour, was now grown too +great any longer to be at the command of her Majesty, or indeed in her +interest; and therefore the queen was under dissatisfaction and her +party looked very much down. + +The Protestants were everywhere disconsolate, for the losses they had +received at Rochelle, Nimes, and Montpelier had reduced them to an +absolute dependence on the king's will, without all possible hopes of +ever recovering themselves, or being so much as in a condition to +take arms for their religion, and therefore the wisest of them plainly +foresaw their own entire reduction, as it since came to pass. And I +remember very well that a Protestant gentleman told me once, as we +were passing from Orleans to Lyons, that the English had ruined them; +and therefore, says he, "I think the next occasion the king takes to +use us ill, as I know 'twill not be long before he does, we must all +fly over to England, where you are bound to maintain us for having +helped to turn us out of our own country." I asked him what he meant +by saying the English had done it? He returned short upon me: "I do +not mean," says he, "by not relieving Rochelle, but by helping to ruin +Rochelle, when you and the Dutch lent ships to beat our fleet, which +all the ships in France could not have done without you." + +I was too young in the world to be very sensible of this before, and +therefore was something startled at the charge; but when I came to +discourse with this gentleman, I soon saw the truth of what he said +was undeniable, and have since reflected on it with regret, that the +naval power of the Protestants, which was then superior to the royal, +would certainly have been the recovery of all their fortunes, had it +not been unhappily broke by their brethren of England and Holland, +the former lending seven men-of-war, and the latter twenty, for the +destruction of the Rochellers' fleet; and by these very ships the +Rochellers' fleet were actually beaten and destroyed, and they never +afterwards recovered their force at sea, and by consequence sunk under +the siege, which the English afterwards in vain attempted to prevent. + +These things made the Protestants look very dull, and expected the +ruin of all their party, which had certainly happened had the cardinal +lived a few years longer. + +We stayed in Paris, about three weeks, as well to see the court and +what rarities the place afforded, as by an occasion which had like to +have put a short period to our ramble. + +Walking one morning before the gate of the Louvre, with a design to +see the Swiss drawn up, which they always did, and exercised just +before they relieved the guards, a page came up to me, and speaking +English to me, "Sir," says he, "the captain must needs have your +immediate assistance." I, that had not the knowledge of any person +in Paris but my own companion, whom I called captain, had no room to +question, but it was he that sent for me; and crying out hastily to +him, "Where?" followed the fellow as fast as 'twas possible. He led +me through several passages which I knew not, and at last through a +tennis-court and into a large room, where three men, like gentlemen, +were engaged very briskly two against one. The room was very dark, so +that I could not easily know them asunder, but being fully possessed +with an opinion before of my captain's danger, I ran into the room +with my sword in my hand. I had not particularly engaged any of them, +nor so much as made a pass at any, when I received a very dangerous +thrust in my thigh, rather occasioned by my too hasty running in, +than a real design of the person; but enraged at the hurt, without +examining who it was hurt me, I threw myself upon him, and run my +sword quite through his body. + +The novelty of the adventure, and the unexpected fall of the man by +a stranger come in nobody knew how, had becalmed the other two, that +they really stood gazing at me. By this time I had discovered that my +captain was not there, and that 'twas some strange accident brought +me thither. I could speak but little French, and supposed they could +speak no English, so I stepped to the door to see for the page that +brought me thither, but seeing nobody there and the passage clear, +I made off as fast as I could, without speaking a word; nor did the +other two gentlemen offer to stop me. + +But I was in a strange confusion when, coming into those entries and +passages which the page led me through, I could by no means find my +way out. At last seeing a door open that looked through a house into +the street, I went in, and out at the other door; but then I was at +as great a loss to know where I was, and which was the way to my +lodgings. The wound in my thigh bled apace, and I could feel the blood +in my breeches. In this interval came by a chair; I called, and went +into it, and bid them, as well as I could, go to the Louvre; for +though I knew not the name of the street where I lodged, I knew I +could find the way to it when I was at the Bastille. The chairmen went +on their own way, and being stopped by a company of the guards as they +went, set me down till the soldiers were marched by; when looking out +I found I was just at my own lodging, and the captain was standing at +the door looking for me. I beckoned him to me, and, whispering, told +him I was very much hurt, but bid him pay the chairmen, and ask no +questions but come to me. + +I made the best of my way upstairs, but had lost so much blood, that I +had hardly spirits enough to keep me from swooning till he came in. +He was equally concerned with me to see me in such a bloody condition, +and presently called up our landlord, and he as quickly called in his +neighbours, that I had a room full of people about me in a quarter +of an hour. But this had like to have been of worse consequence to me +than the other, for by this time there was great inquiring after the +person who killed a man at the tennis-court. My landlord was then +sensible of his mistake, and came to me and told me the danger I was +in, and very honestly offered to convey me to a friend's of his, where +I should be very secure; I thanked him, and suffered myself to be +carried at midnight whither he pleased. He visited me very often, till +I was well enough to walk about, which was not in less than ten days, +and then we thought fit to be gone, so we took post for Orleans. But +when I came upon the road I found myself in a new error, for my wound +opened again with riding, and I was in a worse condition than before, +being forced to take up at a little village on the road, called ----, +about ---- miles from Orleans, where there was no surgeon to be had, +but a sorry country barber, who nevertheless dressed me as well as he +could, and in about a week more I was able to walk to Orleans at three +times. Here I stayed till I was quite well, and took coach for Lyons +and so through Savoy into Italy. + +I spent nearly two years' time after this bad beginning in travelling +through Italy, and to the several courts of Rome, Naples, Venice, and +Vienna. + +When I came to Lyons the king was gone from thence to Grenoble to meet +the cardinal, but the queens were both at Lyons. + +The French affairs seemed at this time to have but an indifferent +aspect. There was no life in anything but where the cardinal was: he +pushed on everything with extraordinary conduct, and generally with +success; he had taken Susa and Pignerol from the Duke of Savoy, and +was preparing to push the duke even out of all his dominions. + +But in the meantime everywhere else things looked ill; the troops +were ill-paid, the magazines empty, the people mutinous, and a general +disorder seized the minds of the court; and the cardinal, who was the +soul of everything, desired this interview at Grenoble, in order to +put things into some better method. + +This politic minister always ordered matters so, that if there was +success in anything the glory was his, but if things miscarried it was +all laid upon the king. This conduct was so much the more nice, as it +is the direct contrary to the custom in like cases, where kings assume +the glory of all the success in an action, and when a thing miscarries +make themselves easy by sacrificing their ministers and favourites +to the complaints and resentments of the people; but this accurate +refined statesman got over this point. + +While we were at Lyons, and as I remember, the third day after our +coming thither, we had like to have been involved in a state broil, +without knowing where we were. It was of a Sunday in the evening, the +people of Lyons, who had been sorely oppressed in taxes, and the war +in Italy pinching their trade, began to be very tumultuous. We found +the day before the mob got together in great crowds, and talked oddly; +the king was everywhere reviled, and spoken disrespectfully of, and +the magistrates of the city either winked at, or durst not attempt to +meddle, lest they should provoke the people. + +But on Sunday night, about midnight, we were waked by a prodigious +noise in the street. I jumped out of bed, and running to the window, +I saw the street as full of mob as it could hold, some armed with +muskets and halberds, marched in very good order; others in disorderly +crowds, all shouting and crying out, "Du paix le roi," and the like. +One that led a great party of this rabble carried a loaf of bread upon +the top of a pike, and other lesser loaves, signifying the smallness +of their bread, occasioned by dearness. + +By morning this crowd was gathered to a great height; they ran roving +over the whole city, shut up all the shops, and forced all the +people to join with them from thence. They went up to the castle, and +renewing the clamour, a strange consternation seized all the princes. + +They broke open the doors of the officers, collectors of the new +taxes, and plundered their houses, and had not the persons themselves +fled in time they had been very ill-treated. + +The queen-mother, as she was very much displeased to see such +consequences of the government, in whose management she had no share, +so I suppose she had the less concern upon her. However, she came into +the court of the castle and showed herself to the people, gave money +amongst them, and spoke gently to them; and by a way peculiar to +herself, and which obliged all she talked with, she pacified the mob +gradually, sent them home with promises of redress and the like; and +so appeased this tumult in two days by her prudence, which the guards +in the castle had small mind to meddle with, and if they had, would in +all probability have made the better side the worse. + +There had been several seditions of the like nature in sundry other +parts of France, and the very army began to murmur, though not to +mutiny, for want of provisions. + +This sedition at Lyons was not quite over when we left the place, +for, finding the city all in a broil, we considered we had no business +there, and what the consequence of a popular tumult might be we did +not see, so we prepared to be gone. We had not rid above three miles +out of the city but we were brought as prisoners of war, by a party of +mutineers, who had been abroad upon the scout, and were charged +with being messengers sent to the cardinal for forces to reduce the +citizens. With these pretences they brought us back in triumph, and +the queen-mother, being by this time grown something familiar to them, +they carried us before her. + +When they inquired of us who we were, we called ourselves Scots; for +as the English were very much out of favour in France at this time, +the peace having been made not many months, and not supposed to +be very durable, because particularly displeasing to the people of +England, so the Scots were on the other extreme with the French. +Nothing was so much caressed as the Scots, and a man had no more to +do in France, if he would be well received there, than to say he was a +Scotchman. + +When we came before the queen-mother she seemed to receive us with +some stiffness at first, and caused her guards to take us into +custody; but as she was a lady of most exquisite politics, she did +this to amuse the mob, and we were immediately after dismissed; and +the queen herself made a handsome excuse to us for the rudeness we had +suffered, alleging the troubles of the times; and the next morning we +had three dragoons of the guards to convoy us out of the jurisdiction +of Lyons. + +I confess this little adventure gave me an aversion to popular tumults +all my life after, and if nothing else had been in the cause, would +have biassed me to espouse the king's party in England when our +popular heats carried all before it at home. + +But I must say, that when I called to mind since, the address, the +management, the compliance in show, and in general the whole conduct +of the queen-mother with the mutinous people of Lyons, and compared it +with the conduct of my unhappy master the King of England, I could not +but see that the queen understood much better than King Charles the +management of politics and the clamours of the people. + +Had this princess been at the helm in England, she would have +prevented all the calamities of the Civil War here, and yet not have +parted with what that good prince yielded in order to peace neither. +She would have yielded gradually, and then gained upon them gradually; +she would have managed them to the point she had designed them, as she +did all parties in France; and none could effectually subject her but +the very man she had raised to be her principal support--I mean the +cardinal. + +We went from hence to Grenoble, and arrived there the same day that +the king and the cardinal with the whole court went out to view a body +of 6000 Swiss foot, which the cardinal had wheedled the cantons to +grant to the king to help to ruin their neighbour the Duke of Savoy. + +The troops were exceeding fine, well-accoutred, brave, clean-limbed, +stout fellows indeed. Here I saw the cardinal; there was an air of +church gravity in his habit, but all the vigour of a general, and +the sprightliness of a vast genius in his face. He affected a little +stiffness in his behaviour, but managed all his affairs with such +clearness, such steadiness, and such application, that it was no +wonder he had such success in every undertaking. + +Here I saw the king, whose figure was mean, his countenance hollow, +and always seemed dejected, and every way discovering that weakness in +his countenance that appeared in his actions. + +If he was ever sprightly and vigorous it was when the cardinal was +with him, for he depended so much on everything he did, he that was at +the utmost dilemma when he was absent, always timorous, jealous, and +irresolute. + +After the review the cardinal was absent some days, having been to +wait on the queen-mother at Lyons, where, as it was discoursed, they +were at least seemingly reconciled. + +I observed while the cardinal was gone there was no court, the king +was seldom to be seen, very small attendance given, and no bustle at +the castle; but as soon as the cardinal returned, the great councils +were assembled, the coaches of the ambassadors went every day to the +castle, and a face of business appeared upon the whole court. + +Here the measures of the Duke of Savoy's ruin were concerted, and in +order to it the king and the cardinal put themselves at the head +of the army, with which they immediately reduced all Savoy, took +Chamberri and the whole duchy except Montmelian. + +The army that did this was not above 22,000 men, including the Swiss, +and but indifferent troops neither, especially the French foot, who, +compared to the infantry I have since seen in the German and Swedish +armies, were not fit to be called soldiers. On the other hand, +considering the Savoyards and Italian troops, they were good troops; +but the cardinal's conduct made amends for all these deficiencies. + +From hence I went to Pignerol, which was then little more than a +single fortification on the hill near the town called St Bride's, but +the situation of that was very strong. I mention this because of the +prodigious works since added to it, by which it has since obtained the +name of "the right hand of France." They had begun a new line below +the hill, and some works were marked out on the side of the town next +the fort; but the cardinal afterwards drew the plan of the works with +his own hand, by which it was made one of the strongest fortresses in +Europe. + +While I was at Pignerol, the governor of Milan, for the Spaniards, +came with an army and sat down before Casale. The grand quarrel, +and for which the war in this part of Italy was begun, was this: The +Spaniards and Germans pretended to the duchy of Mantua; the Duke +of Nevers, a Frenchman, had not only a title to it, but had got +possession of it; but being ill-supported by the French, was beaten +out by the Imperialists, and after a long siege the Germans took +Mantua itself, and drove the poor duke quite out of the country. + +The taking of Mantua elevated the spirits of the Duke of Savoy, and +the Germans and Spaniards being now at more leisure, with a complete +army came to his assistance, and formed the siege of Montferrat. + +For as the Spaniards pushed the Duke of Mantua, so the French by +way of diversion lay hard upon the Duke of Savoy. They had seized +Montferrat, and held it for the Duke of Mantua, and had a strong +French garrison under Thoiras, a brave and experienced commander; and +thus affairs stood when we came into the French army. + +I had no business there as a soldier, but having passed as a Scotch +gentleman with the mob at Lyons, and after with her Majesty the +queen-mother, when we obtained the guard of her dragoons, we had also +her Majesty's pass, with which we came and went where we pleased. And +the cardinal, who was then not on very good terms with the queen, but +willing to keep smooth water there, when two or three times our passes +came to be examined, showed a more than ordinary respect to us on that +very account, our passes being from the queen. + +Casale being besieged, as I have observed, began to be in danger, for +the cardinal, who 'twas thought had formed a design to ruin Savoy, was +more intent upon that than upon the succour of the Duke of Mantua; but +necessity calling upon him to deliver so great a captain as Thoiras, +and not to let such a place as Casale fall into the hands of the +enemy, the king, or cardinal rather, ordered the Duke of Montmorency, +and the Marechal D'Effiat, with 10,000 foot and 2000 horse, to march +and join the Marechals De La Force and Schomberg, who lay already with +an army on the frontiers of Genoa, but too weak to attempt the raising +the siege of Casale. + +As all men thought there would be a battle between the French and the +Spaniards, I could not prevail with myself to lose the opportunity, +and therefore by the help of the passes above mentioned, I came to +the French army under the Duke of Montmorency. We marched through the +enemy's country with great boldness and no small hazard, for the Duke +of Savoy appeared frequently with great bodies of horse on the rear of +the army, and frequently skirmished with our troops, in one of which +I had the folly--I can call it no better, for I had no business +there--to go out and see the sport, as the French gentlemen called it. +I was but a raw soldier, and did not like the sport at all, for this +party was surrounded by the Duke of Savoy, and almost all killed, for +as to quarter they neither asked nor gave. I ran away very fairly, +one of the first, and my companion with me, and by the goodness of our +horses got out of the fray, and being not much known in the army, we +came into the camp an hour or two after, as if we had been only riding +abroad for the air. + +This little rout made the general very cautious, for the Savoyards +were stronger in horse by three or four thousand, and the army always +marched in a body, and kept their parties in or very near hand. + +I escaped another rub in this French army about five days after, which +had like to have made me pay dear for my curiosity. + +The Duke de Montmorency and the Marechal Schomberg joined their army +about four or five days after, and immediately, according to the +cardinal's instructions, put themselves on the march for the relief of +Casale. + +The army had marched over a great plain, with some marshy grounds +on the right and the Po on the left, and as the country was so well +discovered that 'twas thought impossible any mischief should happen, +the generals observed the less caution. At the end of this plain was a +long wood and a lane or narrow defile through the middle of it. + +Through this pass the army was to march, and the van began to file +through it about four o'clock. By three hours' time all the army was +got through, or into the pass, and the artillery was just entered +when the Duke of Savoy with 4000 horse and 1500 dragoons with every +horseman a footman behind him, whether he had swam the Po or passed it +above at a bridge, and made a long march after, was not examined, but +he came boldly up the plain and charged our rear with a great deal of +fury. + +Our artillery was in the lane, and as it was impossible to turn them +about and make way for the army, so the rear was obliged to support +themselves and maintain the fight for above an hour and a half. + +In this time we lost abundance of men, and if it had not been for two +accidents all that line had been cut off. One was, that the wood was +so near that those regiments which were disordered presently sheltered +themselves in the wood; the other was, that by this time the Marechal +Schomberg, with the horse of the van, began to get back through the +lane, and to make good the ground from whence the other had been +beaten, till at last by this means it came to almost a pitched battle. + +There were two regiments of French dragoons who did excellent service +in this action, and maintained their ground till they were almost all +killed. + +Had the Duke of Savoy contented himself with the defeat of five +regiments on the right, which he quite broke and drove into the wood, +and with the slaughter and havoc which he had made among the rest, +he had come off with honour, and might have called it a victory; but +endeavouring to break the whole party and carry off some cannon, the +obstinate resistance of these few dragoons lost him his advantages, +and held him in play till so many fresh troops got through the pass +again as made us too strong for him, and had not night parted them he +had been entirely defeated. + +At last, finding our troops increase and spread themselves on his +flank, he retired and gave over. We had no great stomach to pursue him +neither, though some horse were ordered to follow a little way. + +The duke lost about a thousand men, and we almost twice as many, and +but for those dragoons had lost the whole rear-guard and half our +cannon. I was in a very sorry case in this action too. I was with the +rear in the regiment of horse of Perigoort, with a captain of which +regiment I had contracted some acquaintance. I would have rid off at +first, as the captain desired me, but there was no doing it, for the +cannon was in the lane, and the horse and dragoons of the van eagerly +pressing back through the lane must have run me down or carried me +with them. As for the wood, it was a good shelter to save one's life, +but was so thick there was no passing it on horseback. + +Our regiment was one of the first that was broke, and being all in +confusion, with the Duke of Savoy's men at our heels, away we ran into +the wood. Never was there so much disorder among a parcel of runaways +as when we came to this wood; it was so exceeding bushy and thick at +the bottom there was no entering it, and a volley of small shot from +a regiment of Savoy's dragoons poured in upon us at our breaking into +the wood made terrible work among our horses. + +For my part I was got into the wood, but was forced to quit my horse, +and by that means, with a great deal of difficulty, got a little +farther in, where there was a little open place, and being quite spent +with labouring among the bushes I sat down resolving to take my fate +there, let it be what it would, for I was not able to go any farther. +I had twenty or thirty more in the same condition come to me in less +than half-an-hour, and here we waited very securely the success of the +battle, which was as before. + +It was no small relief to those with me to hear the Savoyards were +beaten, for otherwise they had all been lost; as for me, I confess, +I was glad as it was because of the danger, but otherwise I cared not +much which had the better, for I designed no service among them. + +One kindness it did me, that I began to consider what I had to do +here, and as I could give but a very slender account of myself for +what it was I run all these risks, so I resolved they should fight it +among themselves, for I would come among them no more. + +The captain with whom, as I noted above, I had contracted some +acquaintance in this regiment, was killed in this action, and the +French had really a great blow here, though they took care to conceal +it all they could; and I cannot, without smiling, read some of the +histories and memoirs of this action, which they are not ashamed to +call a victory. + +We marched on to Saluzzo, and the next day the Duke of Savoy presented +himself in battalia on the other side of a small river, giving us a +fair challenge to pass and engage him. We always said in our camp that +the orders were to fight the Duke of Savoy wherever we met him; but +though he braved us in our view we did not care to engage him, but we +brought Saluzzo to surrender upon articles, which the duke could not +relieve without attacking our camp, which he did not care to do. + +The next morning we had news of the surrender of Mantua to the +Imperial army. We heard of it first from the Duke of Savoy's cannon, +which he fired by way of rejoicing, and which seemed to make him +amends for the loss of Saluzzo. + +As this was a mortification to the French, so it quite damped the +success of the campaign, for the Duke de Montmorency imagining that +the Imperial general would send immediate assistance to the Marquis +Spinola, who besieged Casale, they called frequent councils of war +what course to take, and at last resolved to halt in Piedmont. A few +days after their resolutions were changed again by the news of the +death of the Duke of Savoy, Charles Emanuel, who died, as some say, +agitated with the extremes of joy and grief. + +This put our generals upon considering again whether they should march +to the relief of Casale, but the chimera of the Germans put them by, +and so they took up quarters in Piedmont. They took several small +places from the Duke of Savoy, making advantage of the consternation +the duke's subjects were in on the death of their prince, and spread +themselves from the seaside to the banks of the Po. But here an enemy +did that for them which the Savoyards could not, for the plague got +into their quarters and destroyed abundance of people, both of the +army and of the country. + +I thought then it was time for me to be gone, for I had no manner of +courage for that risk; and I think verily I was more afraid of being +taken sick in a strange country than ever I was of being killed in +battle. Upon this resolution I procured a pass to go for Genoa, and +accordingly began my journey, but was arrested at Villa Franca by a +slow lingering fever, which held me about five days, and then turned +to a burning malignancy, and at last to the plague. My friend, the +captain, never left me night nor day; and though for four days more I +knew nobody, nor was capable of so much as thinking of myself, yet it +pleased God that the distemper gathered in my neck, swelled and broke. +During the swelling I was raging mad with the violence of pain, which +being so near my head swelled that also in proportion, that my eyes +were swelled up, and for the twenty-four hours my tongue and mouth; +then, as my servant told me, all the physicians gave me over, as past +all remedy, but by the good providence of God the swelling broke. + +The prodigious collection of matter which this swelling discharged +gave me immediate relief, and I became sensible in less than an hour's +time; and in two hours or thereabouts fell into a little slumber which +recovered my spirits and sensibly revived me. Here I lay by it till +the middle of September. My captain fell sick after me, but recovered +quickly. His man had the plague, and died in two days; my man held it +out well. + +About the middle of September we heard of a truce concluded between +all parties, and being unwilling to winter at Villa Franca, I got +passes, and though we were both but weak, we began to travel in +litters for Milan. + +And here I experienced the truth of an old English proverb, that +standers-by see more than the gamesters. + +The French, Savoyards, and Spaniards made this peace or truce all for +separate and several grounds, and every one were mistaken. + +The French yielded to it because they had given over the relief of +Casale, and were very much afraid it would fall into the hands of the +Marquis Spinola. The Savoyards yielded to it because they were afraid +the French would winter in Piedmont; the Spaniards yielded to it +because the Duke of Savoy being dead, and the Count de Colalto, the +Imperial general, giving no assistance, and his army weakened by +sickness and the fatigues of the siege, he foresaw he should never +take the town, and wanted but to come off with honour. + +The French were mistaken, because really Spinola was so weak that had +they marched on into Montferrat the Spaniards must have raised the +siege; the Duke of Savoy was mistaken, because the plague had so +weakened the French that they durst not have stayed to winter in +Piedmont; and Spinola was mistaken, for though he was very slow, if he +had stayed before the town one fortnight longer, Thoiras the governor +must have surrendered, being brought to the last extremity. + +Of all these mistakes the French had the advantage, for Casale, was +relieved, the army had time to be recruited, and the French had the +best of it by an early campaign. + +I passed through Montferrat in my way to Milan just as the truce was +declared, and saw the miserable remains of the Spanish army, who by +sickness, fatigue, hard duty, the sallies of the garrison and such +like consequences, were reduced to less than 2000 men, and of them +above 1000 lay wounded and sick in the camp. + +Here were several regiments which I saw drawn out to their arms that +could not make up above seventy or eighty men, officers and all, and +those half starved with hunger, almost naked, and in a lamentable +condition. From thence I went into the town, and there things were +still in a worse condition, the houses beaten down, the walls and +works ruined, the garrison, by continual duty, reduced from 4500 men +to less than 800, without clothes, money, or provisions, the brave +governor weak with continual fatigue, and the whole face of things in +a miserable case. + +The French generals had just sent them 30,000 crowns for present +supply, which heartened them a little, but had not the truce been made +as it was, they must have surrendered upon what terms the Spaniards +had pleased to make them. + +Never were two armies in such fear of one another with so little +cause; the Spaniards afraid of the French whom the plague had +devoured, and the French afraid of the Spaniards whom the siege had +almost ruined. + +The grief of this mistake, together with the sense of his master, +the Spaniards, leaving him without supplies to complete the siege of +Casale, so affected the Marquis Spinola, that he died for grief, and +in him fell the last of that rare breed of Low Country soldiers, who +gave the world so great and just a character of the Spanish infantry, +as the best soldiers of the world; a character which we see them so +very much degenerated from since, that they hardly deserve the name of +soldiers. + +I tarried at Milan the rest of the winter, both for the recovery of my +health, and also for supplies from England. + +Here it was I first heard the name of Gustavus Adolphus, the king of +Sweden, who now began his war with the emperor; and while the king +of France was at Lyons, the league with Sweden was made, in which the +French contributed 1,200,000 crowns in money, and 600,000 per annum +to the attempt of Gustavus Adolphus. About this time he landed in +Pomerania, took the towns of Stettin and Stralsund, and from thence +proceeded in that prodigious manner of which I shall have occasion to +be very particular in the prosecution of these Memoirs. + +I had indeed no thoughts of seeing that king or his armies. I had +been so roughly handled already, that I had given over the thoughts +of appearing among the fighting people, and resolved in the spring +to pursue my journey to Venice, and so for the rest of Italy. Yet +I cannot deny that as every Gazette gave us some accounts of the +conquests and victories of this glorious prince, it prepossessed my +thoughts with secret wishes of seeing him, but these were so young +and unsettled, that I drew no resolutions from them for a long while +after. + +About the middle of January I left Milan and came to Genoa, from +thence by sea to Leghorn, then to Naples, Rome, and Venice, but saw +nothing in Italy that gave me any diversion. + +As for what is modern, I saw nothing but lewdness, private murders, +stabbing men at the corner of a street, or in the dark, hiring of +bravos, and the like. These were to me the modern excellencies of +Italy; and I had no gust to antiquities. + +'Twas pleasant indeed when I was at Rome to say here stood the +Capitol, there the Colossus of Nero, here was the Amphitheatre of +Titus, there the Aqueduct of----, here the Forum, there the Catacombs, +here the Temple of Venus, there of Jupiter, here the Pantheon, and the +like; but I never designed to write a book. As much as was useful I +kept in my head, and for the rest, I left it to others. + +I observed the people degenerated from the ancient glorious +inhabitants, who were generous, brave, and the most valiant of all +nations, to a vicious baseness of soul, barbarous, treacherous, +jealous and revengeful, lewd and cowardly, intolerably proud and +haughty, bigoted to blind, incoherent devotion, and the grossest of +idolatry. + +Indeed, I think the unsuitableness of the people made the place +unpleasant to me, for there is so little in a country to recommend it +when the people disgrace it, that no beauties of the creation can make +up for the want of those excellencies which suitable society procure +the defect of. This made Italy a very unpleasant country to me; +the people were the foil to the place, all manner of hateful vices +reigning in their general way of living. + +I confess I was not very religious myself, and being come abroad into +the world young enough, might easily have been drawn into evils that +had recommended themselves with any tolerable agreeableness to nature +and common manners; but when wickedness presented itself full-grown in +its grossest freedoms and liberties, it quite took away all the gust +to vice that the devil had furnished me with. + +The prodigious stupid bigotry of the people also was irksome to me; I +thought there was something in it very sordid. The entire empire the +priests have over both the souls and bodies of the people, gave me a +specimen of that meanness of spirit, which is nowhere else to be seen +but in Italy, especially in the city of Rome. + +At Venice I perceived it quite different, the civil authority having +a visible superiority over the ecclesiastic, and the Church being more +subject there to the State than in any other part of Italy. + +For these reasons I took no pleasure in filling my memoirs of Italy +with remarks of places or things. All the antiquities and valuable +remains of the Roman nation are done better than I can pretend to by +such people who made it more their business; as for me, I went to see, +and not to write, and as little thought then of these Memoirs as I ill +furnished myself to write them. + +I left Italy in April, and taking the tour of Bavaria, though very +much out of the way, I passed through Munich, Passau, Lintz, and at +last to Vienna. + +I came to Vienna the 10th of April 1631, intending to have gone from +thence down the Danube into Hungary, and by means of a pass, which I +had obtained from the English ambassador at Constantinople, I designed +to have seen all the great towns on the Danube, which were then in the +hands of the Turks, and which I had read much of in the history of +the war between the Turks and the Germans; but I was diverted from my +design by the following occasion. + +There had been a long bloody war in the empire of Germany for twelve +years, between the emperor, the Duke of Bavaria, the King of +Spain, and the Popish princes and electors on the one side, and the +Protestant princes on the other; and both sides having been exhausted +by the war, and even the Catholics themselves beginning to dislike the +growing power of the house of Austria, 'twas thought all parties were +willing to make peace. Nay, things were brought to that pass that some +of the Popish princes and electors began to talk of making alliances +with the King of Sweden. + +Here it is necessary to observe, that the two Dukes of Mecklenburg +having been dispossessed of most of their dominions by the tyranny +of the Emperor Ferdinand, and being in danger of losing the rest, +earnestly solicited the King of Sweden to come to their assistance; +and that prince, as he was related to the house of Mecklenburg, and +especially as he was willing to lay hold of any opportunity to break +with the emperor, against whom he had laid up an implacable prejudice, +was very ready and forward to come to their assistance. + +The reasons of his quarrel with the emperor were grounded upon the +Imperialists concerning themselves in the war of Poland, where the +emperor had sent 8000 foot and 2000 horse to join the Polish army +against the king, and had thereby given some check to his arms in that +war. + +In pursuance, therefore, of his resolution to quarrel with the +emperor, but more particularly at the instances of the princes +above-named, his Swedish Majesty had landed the year before at +Stralsund with about 12,000 men, and having joined with some forces +which he had left in Polish Prussia, all which did not make 30,000 +men, he began a war with the emperor, the greatest in event, filled +with the most famous battles, sieges, and extraordinary actions, +including its wonderful success and happy conclusion, of any war ever +maintained in the world. + +The King of Sweden had already taken Stettin, Stralsund, Rostock, +Wismar, and all the strong places on the Baltic, and began to spread +himself in Germany. He had made a league with the French, as I +observed in my story of Saxony; he had now made a treaty with the Duke +of Brandenburg, and, in short, began to be terrible to the empire. + +In this conjuncture the emperor called the General Diet of the empire +to be held at Ratisbon, where, as was pretended, all sides were +to treat of peace and to join forces to beat the Swedes out of the +empire. Here the emperor, by a most exquisite management, brought the +affairs of the Diet to a conclusion, exceedingly to his own advantage, +and to the farther oppression of the Protestants; and, in particular, +in that the war against the King of Sweden was to be carried on in +such manner as that the whole burden and charge would lie on the +Protestants themselves, and they be made the instruments to oppose +their best friends. Other matters also ended equally to their +disadvantage, as the methods resolved on to recover the Church lands, +and to prevent the education of the Protestant clergy; and what +remained was referred to another General Diet to be held at +Frankfort-au-Main in August 1631. + +I won't pretend to say the other Protestant princes of Germany had +never made any overtures to the King of Sweden to come to their +assistance, but 'tis plain they had entered into no league with him; +that appears from the difficulties which retarded the fixing of the +treaties afterward, both with the Dukes of Brandenburg and Saxony, +which unhappily occasioned the ruin of Magdeburg. + +But 'tis plain the Swede was resolved on a war with the emperor. His +Swedish majesty might, and indeed could not but foresee that if he +once showed himself with a sufficient force on the frontiers of the +empire, all the Protestant princes would be obliged by their interest +or by his arms to fall in with him, and this the consequence made +appear to be a just conclusion, for the Electors of Brandenburg and +Saxony were both forced to join with him. + +First, they were willing to join with him--at least they could not +find in their hearts to join with the emperor, of whose power they +had such just apprehensions. They wished the Swedes success, and would +have been very glad to have had the work done at another man's charge, +but, like true Germans, they were more willing to be saved than to +save themselves, and therefore hung back and stood upon terms. + +Secondly, they were at last forced to it. The first was forced to join +by the King of Sweden himself, who being come so far was not to be +dallied with, and had not the Duke of Brandenburg complied as he did, +he had been ruined by the Swede. The Saxon was driven into the arms +of the Swede by force, for Count Tilly, ravaging his country, made him +comply with any terms to be saved from destruction. + +Thus matters stood at the end of the Diet at Ratisbon. The King +of Sweden began to see himself leagued against at the Diet both by +Protestant and Papist; and, as I have often heard his Majesty say +since, he had resolved to try to force them off from the emperor, and +to treat them as enemies equally with the rest if they did not. + +But the Protestants convinced him soon after, that though they +were tricked into the outward appearance of a league against him at +Ratisbon, they had no such intentions; and by their ambassadors to him +let him know that they only wanted his powerful assistance to defend +their councils, when they would soon convince him that they had a due +sense of the emperor's designs, and would do their utmost for their +liberty. And these I take to be the first invitations the King of +Sweden had to undertake the Protestant cause as such, and which +entitled him to say he fought for the liberty and religion of the +German nation. + +I have had some particular opportunities to hear these things form the +mouths of some of the very princes themselves, and therefore am the +forwarder to relate them; and I place them here because, previous +to the part I acted on this bloody scene, 'tis necessary to let the +reader into some part of that story, and to show him in what manner +and on what occasions this terrible war began. + +The Protestants, alarmed at the usage they had met with at the former +Diet, had secretly proposed among themselves to form a general union +or confederacy, for preventing that ruin which they saw, unless some +speedy remedies were applied, would be inevitable. The Elector of +Saxony, the head of the Protestants, a vigorous and politic prince, +was the first that moved it; and the Landgrave of Hesse, a zealous and +gallant prince, being consulted with, it rested a great while between +those two, no method being found practicable to bring it to pass, the +emperor being so powerful in all parts, that they foresaw the petty +princes would not dare to negotiate an affair of such a nature, +being surrounded with the Imperial forces, who by their two generals, +Wallenstein and Tilly, kept them in continual subjection and terror. + +This dilemma had like to have stifled the thoughts of the union as +a thing impracticable, when one Seigensius, a Lutheran minister, a +person of great abilities, and one whom the Elector of Saxony made +great use of in matters of policy as well as religion, contrived for +them this excellent expedient. + +I had the honour to be acquainted with this gentleman while I was at +Leipsic. It pleased him exceedingly to have been the contriver of so +fine a structure as the Conclusions of Leipsic, and he was glad to be +entertained on that subject. I had the relation from his own mouth, +when, but very modestly, he told me he thought 'twas an inspiration +darted on a sudden into his thoughts, when the Duke of Saxony calling +him into his closet one morning, with a face full of concern, shaking +his head, and looking very earnestly, "What will become of us, +doctor?" said the duke; "we shall all be undone at Frankfort-au-Main." +"Why so, please your highness?" says the doctor. "Why, they will fight +with the King of Sweden with our armies and our money," says the duke, +"and devour our friends and ourselves by the help of our friends and +ourselves." "But what is become of the confederacy, then," said the +doctor, "which your highness had so happily framed in your thoughts, +and which the Landgrave of Hesse was so pleased with?" "Become of it?" +says the duke, "'tis a good thought enough, but 'tis impossible to +bring it to pass among so many members of the Protestant princes as +are to be consulted with, for we neither have time to treat, nor will +half of them dare to negotiate the matter, the Imperialists being +quartered in their very bowels." "But may not some expedient be found +out," says the doctor, "to bring them all together to treat of it in +a general meeting?" "'Tis well proposed," says the duke, "but in what +town or city shall they assemble where the very deputies shall not +be besieged by Tilly or Wallenstein in fourteen days' time, and +sacrificed to the cruelty and fury of the Emperor Ferdinand?" "Will +your highness be the easier in it," replies the doctor, "if a way may +be found out to call such an assembly upon other causes, at which the +emperor may have no umbrage, and perhaps give his assent? You know the +Diet at Frankfort is at hand; 'tis necessary the Protestants should +have an assembly of their own to prepare matters for the General Diet, +and it may be no difficult matter to obtain it." The duke, surprised +with joy at the motion, embraced the doctor with an extraordinary +transport. "Thou hast done it, doctor," said he, and immediately +caused him to draw a form of a letter to the emperor, which he did +with the utmost dexterity of style, in which he was a great master, +representing to his Imperial Majesty that, in order to put an end to +the troubles of Germany, his Majesty would be pleased to permit the +Protestant princes of the empire to hold a Diet to themselves, to +consider of such matters as they were to treat of at the General +Diet, in order to conform themselves to the will and pleasure of his +Imperial Majesty, to drive out foreigners, and settle a lasting peace +in the empire. He also insinuated something of their resolutions +unanimously to give their suffrages in favour of the King of Hungary +at the election of a king of the Romans, a thing which he knew the +emperor had in his thought, and would push at with all his might at +the Diet. This letter was sent, and the bait so neatly concealed, that +the Electors of Bavaria and Mentz, the King of Hungary, and several +of the Popish princes, not foreseeing that the ruin of them all lay in +the bottom of it, foolishly advised the emperor to consent to it. + +In consenting to this the emperor signed his own destruction, for here +began the conjunction of the German Protestants with the Swede, which +was the fatalest blow to Ferdinand, and which he could never recover. + +Accordingly the Diet was held at Leipsic, February 8, 1630, where the +Protestants agreed on several heads for their mutual defence, +which were the grounds of the following war. These were the famous +Conclusions of Leipsic, which so alarmed the emperor and the whole +empire, that to crush it in the beginning, the emperor commanded Count +Tilly immediately to fall upon the Landgrave of Hesse and the Duke of +Saxony as the principal heads of the union; but it was too late. + +The Conclusions were digested into ten heads:-- + +1. That since their sins had brought God's judgments upon the whole +Protestant Church, they should command public prayers to be made to +Almighty God for the diverting the calamities that attended them. + +2. That a treaty of peace might be set on foot, in order to come to a +right understanding with the Catholic princes. + +3. That a time for such a treaty being obtained, they should appoint +an assembly of delegates to meet preparatory to the treaty. + +4. That all their complaints should be humbly represented to his +Imperial Majesty and the Catholic Electors, in order to a peaceable +accommodation. + +5. That they claim the protection of the emperor, according to the +laws of the empire, and the present emperor's solemn oath and promise. + +6. That they would appoint deputies who should meet at certain +times to consult of their common interest, and who should be always +empowered to conclude of what should be thought needful for their +safety. + +7. That they will raise a competent force to maintain and defend their +liberties, rights, and religion. + +8. That it is agreeable to the Constitution of the empire, concluded +in the Diet at Augsburg, to do so. + +9. That the arming for their necessary defence shall by no means +hinder their obedience to his Imperial Majesty, but that they will +still continue their loyalty to him. + +10. They agree to proportion their forces, which in all amounted to +70,000 men. + +The emperor, exceedingly startled at the Conclusions, issued out a +severe proclamation or ban against them, which imported much the +same thing as a declaration of war, and commanded Tilly to begin, +and immediately to fall on the Duke of Saxony with all the fury +imaginable, as I have already observed. + +Here began the flame to break out; for upon the emperor's ban, the +Protestants send away to the King of Sweden for succour. + +His Swedish Majesty had already conquered Mecklenburg, and part of +Pomerania, and was advancing with his victorious troops, increased +by the addition of some regiments raised in those parts, in order to +carry on the war against the emperor, having designed to follow up +the Oder into Silesia, and so to push the war home to the emperor's +hereditary countries of Austria and Bohemia, when the first messengers +came to him in this case; but this changed his measures, and brought +him to the frontiers of Brandenburg resolved to answer the desires +of the Protestants. But here the Duke of Brandenburg began to halt, +making some difficulties and demanding terms, which drove the king to +use some extremities with him, and stopped the Swedes for a while, +who had otherwise been on the banks of the Elbe as soon as Tilly, +the Imperial general, had entered Saxony, which if they had done, the +miserable destruction of Magdeburg had been prevented, as I observed +before. The king had been invited into the union, and when he first +came back from the banks of the Oder he had accepted it, and was +preparing to back it with all his power. + +The Duke of Saxony had already a good army which he had with infinite +diligence recruited, and mustered them under the cannon of Leipsic. +The King of Sweden having, by his ambassador at Leipsic, entered into +the union of the Protestants, was advancing victoriously to their aid, +just as Count Tilly had entered the Duke of Saxony's dominions. The +fame of the Swedish conquests, and of the hero who commanded them, +shook my resolution of travelling into Turkey, being resolved to see +the conjunction of the Protestant armies, and before the fire was +broke out too far to take the advantage of seeing both sides. + +While I remained at Vienna, uncertain which way I should proceed, I +remember I observed they talked of the King of Sweden as a prince of +no consideration, one that they might let go on and tire himself in +Mecklenburg and thereabout, till they could find leisure to deal with +him, and then might be crushed as they pleased; but 'tis never safe +to despise an enemy, so this was not an enemy to be despised, as they +afterwards found. + +As to the Conclusions of Leipsic, indeed, at first they gave the +Imperial court some uneasiness, but when they found the Imperial +armies, began to fright the members out of the union, and that the +several branches had no considerable forces on foot, it was the +general discourse at Vienna, that the union at Leipsic only gave +the emperor an opportunity to crush absolutely the Dukes of Saxony, +Brandenburg, and the Landgrave of Hesse, and they looked upon it as a +thing certain. + +I never saw any real concern in their faces at Vienna till news came +to court that the King of Sweden had entered into the union; but as +this made them very uneasy, they began to move the powerfulest methods +possible to divert this storm; and upon this news Tilly was hastened +to fall into Saxony before this union could proceed to a conjunction +of forces. This was certainly a very good resolution, and no measure +could have been more exactly concerted, had not the diligence of the +Saxons prevented it. + +The gathering of this storm, which from a cloud began to spread over +the empire, and from the little duchy of Mecklenburg began to threaten +all Germany, absolutely determined me, as I noted before, as to +travelling, and laying aside the thoughts of Hungary, I resolved, if +possible, to see the King of Sweden's army. + +I parted from Vienna the middle of May, and took post for Great Glogau +in Silesia, as if I had purposed to pass into Poland, but designing +indeed to go down the Oder to Custrim in the marquisate of +Brandenburg, and so to Berlin. But when I came to the frontiers of +Silesia, though I had passes, I could go no farther, the guards on +all the frontiers were so strict, so I was obliged to come back into +Bohemia, and went to Prague. From hence I found I could easily pass +through the Imperial provinces to the lower Saxony, and accordingly +took passes for Hamburg, designing, however, to use them no farther +than I found occasion. + +By virtue of these passes I got into the Imperial army, under Count +Tilly, then at the siege of Magdeburg, May the 2nd. + +I confess I did not foresee the fate of this city, neither, I believe, +did Count Tilly himself expect to glut his fury with so entire a +desolation, much less did the people expect it. I did believe they +must capitulate, and I perceived by discourse in the army that Tilly +would give them but very indifferent conditions; but it fell out +otherwise. The treaty of surrender was, as it were, begun, nay, some +say concluded, when some of the out-guards of the Imperialists finding +the citizens had abandoned the guards of the works, and looked to +themselves with less diligence than usual, they broke in, carried an +half-moon, sword in hand, with little resistance; and though it was +a surprise on both sides, the citizens neither fearing, nor the army +expecting the occasion, the garrison, with as much resolution as could +be expected under such a fright, flew to the walls, twice beat the +Imperialists off, but fresh men coming up, and the administrator of +Magdeburg himself being wounded and taken, the enemy broke in, took +the city by storm, and entered with such terrible fury, that, +without respect to age or condition, they put all the garrison and +inhabitants, man, woman, and child, to the sword, plundered the city, +and when they had done this set it on fire. + +This calamity sure was the dreadfulest sight that ever I saw; the +rage of the Imperial soldiers was most intolerable, and not to be +expressed. Of 25,000, some said 30,000 people, there was not a soul to +be seen alive, till the flames drove those that were hid in vaults and +secret places to seek death in the streets rather than perish in the +fire. Of these miserable creatures some were killed too by the furious +soldiers, but at last they saved the lives of such as came out of +their cellars and holes, and so about two thousand poor desperate +creatures were left. The exact number of those that perished in +this city could never be known, because those the soldiers had first +butchered the flames afterwards devoured. + +I was on the outer side of the Elbe when this dreadful piece of +butchery was done. The city of Magdeburg had a sconce or fort over +against it called the toll-house, which joined to the city by a very +fine bridge of boats. This fort was taken by the Imperialists a few +days before, and having a mind to see it, and the rather because from +thence I could have a very good view of the city, I was going over +Tilley's bridge of boats to view this fort. About ten o'clock in the +morning I perceived they were storming by the firing, and immediately +all ran to the works; I little thought of the taking the city, but +imagined it might be some outwork attacked, for we all expected +the city would surrender that day, or next, and they might have +capitulated upon very good terms. + +Being upon the works of the fort, on a sudden I heard the dreadfulest +cry raised in the city that can be imagined; 'tis not possible to +express the manner of it, and I could see the women and children +running about the streets in a most lamentable condition. + +The city wall did not run along the side where the river was with +so great a height, but we could plainly see the market-place and the +several streets which run down to the river. In about an hour's time +after this first cry all was in confusion; there was little shooting, +the execution was all cutting of throats and mere house murders. The +resolute garrison, with the brave Baron Falkenberg, fought it out +to the last, and were cut in pieces, and by this time the Imperial +soldiers having broke open the gates and entered on all sides, the +slaughter was very dreadful. We could see the poor people in crowds +driven down the streets, flying from the fury of the soldiers, who +followed butchering them as fast as they could, and refused mercy to +anybody, till driving them to the river's edge, the desperate wretches +would throw themselves into the river, where thousands of them +perished, especially women and children. Several men that could swim +got over to our side, where the soldiers not heated with fight gave +them quarter, and took them up, and I cannot but do this justice to +the German officers in the fort: they had five small flat boats, and +they gave leave to the soldiers to go off in them, and get what booty +they could, but charged them not to kill anybody, but take them all +prisoners. + +Nor was their humanity ill rewarded, for the soldiers, wisely avoiding +those places where their fellows were employed in butchering the +miserable people, rowed to other places, where crowds of people stood +crying out for help, and expecting to be every minute either drowned +or murdered; of these at sundry times they fetched over near six +hundred, but took care to take in none but such as offered them good +pay. + +Never was money or jewels of greater service than now, for those that +had anything of that sort to offer were soonest helped. + +There was a burgher of the town who, seeing a boat coming near him, +but out of his call, by the help of a speaking trumpet, told the +soldiers in it he would give them 20,000 dollars to fetch him off. +They rowed close to the shore, and got him with his wife and six +children into the boat, but such throngs of people got about the boat +that had like to have sunk her, so that the soldiers were fain to +drive a great many out again by main force, and while they were doing +this some of the enemies coming down the street desperately drove them +all into the water. + +The boat, however, brought the burgher and his wife and children safe, +and though they had not all that wealth about them, yet in jewels and +money he gave them so much as made all the fellows very rich. + +I cannot pretend to describe the cruelty of this day: the town by +five in the afternoon was all in a flame; the wealth consumed was +inestimable, and a loss to the very conqueror. I think there was +little or nothing left but the great church and about a hundred +houses. + +This was a sad welcome into the army for me, and gave me a horror and +aversion to the emperor's people, as well as to his cause. I quitted +the camp the third day after this execution, while the fire was hardly +out in the city; and from thence getting safe-conduct to pass into the +Palatinate, I turned out of the road at a small village on the Elbe, +called Emerfield, and by ways and towns I can give but small account +of, having a boor for our guide, whom we could hardly understand, I +arrived at Leipsic on the 17th of May. + +We found the elector intense upon the strengthening of his army, but +the people in the greatest terror imaginable, every day expecting +Tilly with the German army, who by his cruelty at Magdeburg was become +so dreadful to the Protestants that they expected no mercy wherever he +came. + +The emperor's power was made so formidable to all the Protestants, +particularly since the Diet at Ratisbon left them in a worse case +than it found them, that they had not only formed the Conclusions of +Leipsic, which all men looked on as the effect of desperation rather +than any probable means of their deliverance, but had privately +implored the protection and assistance of foreign powers, and +particularly the King of Sweden, from whom they had promises of a +speedy and powerful assistance. And truly if the Swede had not with +a very strong hand rescued them, all their Conclusions at Leipsic had +served but to hasten their ruin. I remember very well when I was in +the Imperial army they discoursed with such contempt of the forces +of the Protestant, that not only the Imperialists but the Protestants +themselves gave them up as lost. The emperor had not less than 200,000 +men in several armies on foot, who most of them were on the back of +the Protestants in every corner. If Tilly did but write a threatening +letter to any city or prince of the union, they presently submitted, +renounced the Conclusions of Leipsic, and received Imperial garrisons, +as the cities of Ulm and Memmingen, the duchy of Wirtemberg, and +several others, and almost all Suaben. + +Only the Duke of Saxony and the Landgrave of Hesse upheld the drooping +courage of the Protestants, and refused all terms of peace, slighted +all the threatenings of the Imperial generals, and the Duke of +Brandenburg was brought in afterward almost by force. + +The Duke of Saxony mustered his forces under the walls of Leipsic, +and I having returned to Leipsic, two days before, saw them pass the +review. The duke, gallantly mounted, rode through the ranks, attended +by his field-marshal Arnheim, and seemed mighty well pleased with +them, and indeed the troops made a very fine appearance; but I that +had seen Tilly's army and his old weather-beaten soldiers, whose +discipline and exercises were so exact, and their courage so often +tried, could not look on the Saxon army without some concern for them +when I considered who they had to deal with. Tilly's men were rugged +surly fellows, their faces had an air of hardy courage, mangled with +wounds and scars, their armour showed the bruises of musket bullets, +and the rust of the winter storms. I observed of them their clothes +were always dirty, but their arms were clean and bright; they were +used to camp in the open fields, and sleep in the frosts and rain; +their horses were strong and hardy like themselves, and well taught +their exercises; the soldiers knew their business so exactly that +general orders were enough; every private man was fit to command, and +their wheelings, marchings, counter-marchings and exercise were done +with such order and readiness, that the distinct words of command +were hardly of any use among them; they were flushed with victory, and +hardly knew what it was to fly. + +There had passed some messages between Tilly and the duke, and he gave +always such ambiguous answers as he thought might serve to gain time; +but Tilly was not to be put off with words, and drawing his army +towards Saxony, sends four propositions to him to sign, and demands an +immediate reply. The propositions were positive. + +1. To cause his troops to enter into the emperor's service, and to +march in person with them against the King of Sweden. + +2. To give the Imperial army quarters in his country, and supply them +with necessary provisions. + +3. To relinquish the union of Leipsic, and disown the ten Conclusions. + +4. To make restitution of the goods and lands of the Church. + +The duke being pressed by Tilly's trumpeter for an immediate answer +sat all night, and part of the next day, in council with his privy +councillors, debating what reply to give him, which at last was +concluded, in short, that he would live and die in defence of the +Protestant religion, and the Conclusions of Leipsic, and bade Tilly +defiance. + +The die being thus cast, he immediately decamped with his whole army +for Torgau, fearing that Tilly should get there before him, and so +prevent his conjunction with the Swede. The duke had not yet concluded +any positive treaty with the King of Swedeland, and the Duke of +Brandenburg having made some difficulty of joining, they both stood +on some niceties till they had like to have ruined themselves all at +once. + +Brandenburg had given up the town of Spandau to the king by a former +treaty to secure a retreat for his army, and the king was advanced +as far as Frankfort-upon-the-Oder, when on a sudden some small +difficulties arising, Brandenburg seems cold in the matter, and with +a sort of indifference demands to have his town of Spandau restored to +him again. Gustavus Adolphus, who began presently to imagine the duke +had made his peace with the emperor, and so would either be his enemy +or pretend a neutrality, generously delivered him his town of Spandau, +but immediately turns about, and with his whole army besieges him in +his capital city of Berlin. This brought the duke to know his error, +and by the interpositions of the ladies, the Queen of Sweden being the +duke's sister, the matter was accommodated, and the duke joined his +forces with the king. + +But the duke of Saxony had like to have been undone by this delay, +for the Imperialists, under Count de Furstenberg, were entered his +country, and had possessed themselves of Halle, and Tilly was on +his march to join him, as he afterwards did, and ravaging the +whole country laid siege to Leipsic itself. The duke driven to this +extremity rather flies to the Swede than treats with him, and on the +2nd of September the duke's army joined with the King of Sweden. + +I had not come to Leipsic but to see the Duke of Saxony's army, and +that being marched, as I have said, for Torgau, I had no business +there, but if I had, the approach of Tilly and the Imperial army was +enough to hasten me away, for I had no occasion to be besieged there; +so on the 27th of August I left the town, as several of the principal +inhabitants had done before, and more would have done had not the +governor published a proclamation against it, and besides they knew +not whither to fly, for all places were alike exposed. The poor people +were under dreadful apprehensions of a siege, and of the merciless +usage of the Imperial soldiers, the example of Magdeburg being fresh +before them, the duke and his army gone from them, and the town, +though well furnished, but indifferently fortified. + +In this condition I left them, buying up stores of provisions, +working hard to scour their moats, set up palisadoes, repair their +fortifications, and preparing all things for a siege; and following +the Saxon army to Torgau, I continued in the camp till a few days +before they joined the King of Sweden. + +I had much ado to persuade my companion from entering into the +service of the Duke of Saxony, one of whose colonels, with whom we had +contracted a particular acquaintance, offering him a commission to be +cornet in one of the old regiments of horse; but the difference I had +observed between this new army and Tilly's old troops had made such +an impression on me, that I confess I had yet no manner of inclination +for the service, and therefore persuaded him to wait a while till we +had seen a little further into affairs, and particularly till we had +seen the Swedish army which we had heard so much of. + +The difficulties which the Elector-Duke of Saxony made of joining with +the king were made up by a treaty concluded with the king on the 2nd +of September at Coswig, a small town on the Elbe, whither the king's +army was arrived the night before; for General Tilly being now entered +into the duke's country, had plundered and ruined all the lower part +of it, and was now actually besieging the capital city of Leipsic. +These necessities made almost any conditions easy to him; the greatest +difficulty was that the King of Sweden demanded the absolute command +of the army, which the duke submitted to with less goodwill than he +had reason to do, the king's experience and conduct considered. + +I had not patience to attend the conclusions of their particular +treaties, but as soon as ever the passage was clear I quitted the +Saxon camp and went to see the Swedish army. I fell in with the +out-guards of the Swedes at a little town called Beltsig, on the river +Wersa, just as they were relieving the guards and going to march, and +having a pass from the English ambassador was very well received by +the officer who changed the guards, and with him I went back into +the army. By nine in the morning the army was in full march, the king +himself at the head of them on a grey pad, and riding from one brigade +to another, ordered the march of every line himself. + +When I saw the Swedish troops, their exact discipline, their order, +the modesty and familiarity of their officers, and the regular living +of the soldiers, their camp seemed a well-ordered city; the meanest +country woman with her market ware was as safe from violence as in the +streets of Vienna. There were no women in the camp but such as being +known to the provosts to be the wives of the soldiers, who were +necessary for washing linen, taking care of the soldiers' clothes, and +dressing their victuals. + +The soldiers were well clad, not gay, furnished with excellent arms, +and exceedingly careful of them; and though they did not seem so +terrible as I thought Tilly's men did when I first saw them, yet the +figure they made, together with what we had heard of them, made them +seem to me invincible: the discipline and order of their marchings, +camping, and exercise was excellent and singular, and, which was to +be seen in no armies but the king's, his own skill, judgment, and +vigilance having added much to the general conduct of armies then in +use. + +As I met the Swedes on their march I had no opportunity to acquaint +myself with anybody till after the conjunction of the Saxon army, +and then it being but four days to the great battle of Leipsic, our +acquaintance was but small, saving what fell out accidentally by +conversation. + +I met with several gentlemen in the king's army who spoke English very +well; besides that there were three regiments of Scots in the army, +the colonels whereof I found were extraordinarily esteemed by the +king, as the Lord Reay, Colonel Lumsdell, and Sir John Hepburn. The +latter of these, after I had by an accident become acquainted with, I +found had been for many years acquainted with my father, and on that +account I received a great deal of civility from him, which afterwards +grew into a kind of intimate friendship. He was a complete soldier +indeed, and for that reason so well beloved by that gallant king, that +he hardly knew how to go about any great action without him. + +It was impossible for me now to restrain my young comrade from +entering into the Swedish service, and indeed everything was so +inviting that I could not blame him. A captain in Sir John Hepburn's +regiment had picked acquaintance with him, and he having as much +gallantry in his face as real courage in his heart, the captain had +persuaded him to take service, and promised to use his interest to get +him a company in the Scotch brigade. I had made him promise me not +to part from me in my travels without my consent, which was the only +obstacle to his desires of entering into the Swedish pay; and being +one evening in the captain's tent with him and discoursing very freely +together, the captain asked him very short but friendly, and looking +earnestly at me, "Is this the gentleman, Mr Fielding, that has done +so much prejudice to the King of Sweden's service?" I was doubly +surprised at the expression, and at the colonel, Sir John Hepburn, +coming at that very moment into the tent. The colonel hearing +something of the question, but knowing nothing of the reason of it, +any more than as I seemed a little to concern myself at it, yet after +the ceremony due to his character was over, would needs know what I +had done to hinder his Majesty's service. "So much truly," says the +captain, "that if his Majesty knew it he would think himself very +little beholden to him." "I am sorry, sir," said I, "that I should +offend in anything, who am but a stranger; but if you would please to +inform me, I would endeavour to alter anything in my behaviour that is +prejudicial to any one, much less to his Majesty's service." "I shall +take you at your word, sir," says the captain; "the King of Sweden, +sir, has a particular request to you." "I should be glad to know two +things, sir," said I; "first, how that can be possible, since I am +not yet known to any man in the army, much less to his Majesty? and +secondly, what the request can be?" "Why, sir, his Majesty desires you +would not hinder this gentleman from entering into his service, who +it seems desires nothing more, if he may have your consent to it." "I +have too much honour for his Majesty," returned I, "to deny anything +which he pleases to command me; but methinks 'tis some hardship you +should make that the king's order, which 'tis very probable he knows +nothing of." Sir John Hepburn took the case up something gravely, and +drinking a glass of Leipsic beer to the captain, said, "Come, captain, +don't press these gentlemen; the king desires no man's service but +what is purely volunteer." So we entered into other discourse, and the +colonel perceiving by my talk that I had seen Tilly's army, was mighty +curious in his questions, and seeming very well satisfied with the +account I gave him. + +The next day the army having passed the Elbe at Wittenberg, and joined +the Saxon army near Torgau, his Majesty caused both armies to draw +up in battalia, giving every brigade the same post in the lines as he +purposed to fight in. I must do the memory of that glorious general +this honour, that I never saw an army drawn up with so much variety, +order, and exact regularity since, though I have seen many armies +drawn up by some of the greatest captains of the age. The order by +which his men were directed to flank and relieve one another, the +methods of receiving one body of men if disordered into another, and +rallying one squadron without disordering another was so admirable; +the horse everywhere flanked lined and defended by the foot, and the +foot by the horse, and both by the cannon, was such that if those +orders were but as punctually obeyed, 'twere impossible to put an army +so modelled into any confusion. + +The view being over, and the troops returned to their camps, the +captain with whom we drank the day before meeting me told me I must +come and sup with him in his tent, where he would ask my pardon for +the affront he gave me before. I told him he needed not put himself +to the trouble, I was not affronted at all; that I would do myself the +honour to wait on him, provided he would give me his word not to speak +any more of it as an affront. + +We had not been a quarter of an hour in his tent but Sir John Hepburn +came in again, and addressing to me, told me he was glad to find me +there; that he came to the captain's tent to inquire how to send to +me; and that I must do him the honour to go with him to wait on the +king, who had a mind to hear the account I could give him of the +Imperial army from my own mouth. I must confess I was at some loss in +my mind how to make my address to his Majesty, but I had heard so much +of the conversable temper of the king, and his particular sweetness of +humour with the meanest soldier, that I made no more difficulty, but +having paid my respects to Colonel Hepburn, thanked him for the honour +he had done me, and offered to rise and wait upon him. "Nay," says +the Colonel, "we will eat first, for I find Gourdon," which was the +captain's name, "has got something for supper, and the king's order is +at seven o'clock." So we went to supper, and Sir John, becoming very +friendly, must know my name; which, when I had told him, and of what +place and family, he rose from his seat, and embracing me, told me he +knew my father very well, and had been intimately acquainted with +him, and told me several passages wherein my father had particularly +obliged him. After this we went to supper, and the king's health being +drank round, the colonel moved the sooner because he had a mind to +talk with me. + +When we were going to the king he inquired of me where I had been, and +what occasion brought me to the army. I told him the short history of +my travels, and that I came hither from Vienna on purpose to see the +King of Sweden and his army. He asked me if there was any service he +could do me, by which he meant, whether I desired an employment. +I pretended not to take him so, but told him the protection his +acquaintance would afford me was more than I could have asked, since I +might thereby have opportunity to satisfy my curiosity, which was the +chief end of my coming abroad. He perceiving by this that I had no +mind to be a soldier, told me very kindly I should command him in +anything; that his tent and equipage, horses and servants should +always have orders to be at my service; but that as a piece of +friendship, he would advise me to retire to some place distant from +the army, for that the army would march to-morrow, and the king was +resolved to fight General Tilly, and he would not have me hazard +myself; that if I thought fit to take his advice, he would have me +take that interval to see the court at Berlin, whither he would send +one of his servants to wait on me. + +His discourse was too kind not to extort the tenderest acknowledgment +from me that I was capable of. I told him his care of me was so +obliging, that I knew not what return to make him, but if he pleased +to leave me to my choice I desired no greater favour than to trail a +pike under his command in the ensuing battle. "I can never answer it +to your father," says he, "to suffer you to expose yourself so far." +I told him my father would certainly acknowledge his friendship in the +proposal made me; but I believed he knew him better than to think he +would be well pleased with me if I should accept of it; that I was +sure my father would have rode post five hundred miles to have been +at such a battle under such a general, and it should never be told +him that his son had rode fifty miles to be out of it. He seemed to +be something concerned at the resolution I had taken, and replied very +quickly upon me, that he approved very well of my courage; "but," says +he, "no man gets any credit by running upon needless adventures, nor +loses any by shunning hazards which he has no order for. 'Tis enough," +says he, "for a gentleman to behave well when he is commanded upon any +service; I have had fighting enough," says he, "upon these points +of honour, and I never got anything but reproof for it from the king +himself." + +"Well, sir," said I, "however if a man expects to rise by his valour, +he must show it somewhere; and if I were to have any command in an +army, I would first try whether I could deserve it. I have never yet +seen any service, and must have my induction some time or other. I +shall never have a better schoolmaster than yourself, nor a better +school than such an army." "Well," says Sir John, "but you may have +the same school and the same teaching after this battle is over; for +I must tell you beforehand, this will be a bloody touch. Tilly has +a great army of old lads that are used to boxing, fellows with +iron faces, and 'tis a little too much to engage so hotly the first +entrance into the wars. You may see our discipline this winter, and +make your campaign with us next summer, when you need not fear but +we shall have fighting enough, and you will be better acquainted with +things. We do never put our common soldiers upon pitched battles the +first campaign, but place our new men in garrisons and try them in +parties first." "Sir," said I, with a little more freedom, "I believe +I shall not make a trade of the war, and therefore need not serve an +apprenticeship to it; 'tis a hard battle where none escapes. If I +come off, I hope I shall not disgrace you, and if not, 'twill be some +satisfaction to my father to hear his son died fighting under the +command of Sir John Hepburn, in the army of the King of Sweden, and I +desire no better epitaph upon my tomb." + +"Well," says Sir John, and by this time we were just come to the +king's quarters, and the guards calling to us interrupted his reply; +so we went into the courtyard where the king was lodged, which was in +an indifferent house of one of the burghers of Dieben, and Sir John +stepping up, met the king coming down some steps into a large room +which looked over the town wall into a field where part of the +artillery was drawn up. Sir John Hepburn sent his man presently to me +to come up, which I did; and Sir John without any ceremony carries me +directly up to the king, who was leaning on his elbow in the window. +The king turning about, "This is the English gentleman," says Sir +John, "who I told your Majesty had been in the Imperial army." "How +then did he get hither," says the king, "without being taken by the +scouts?" At which question, Sir John saying nothing, "By a pass, +and please your Majesty, from the English ambassador's secretary at +Vienna," said I, making a profound reverence. "Have you then been at +Vienna?" says the king. "Yes, and please your Majesty," said I; upon +which the king, folding up a letter he had in his hand, seemed much +more earnest to talk about Vienna than about Tilly. "And, pray, what +news had you at Vienna?" "Nothing, sir," said I, "but daily accounts +one in the neck of another of their own misfortunes, and your +Majesty's conquests, which makes a very melancholy court there." "But, +pray," said the king, "what is the common opinion there about these +affairs?" "The common people are terrified to the last degree," said +I, "and when your Majesty took Frankfort-upon-Oder, if your army had +marched but twenty miles into Silesia, half the people would have run +out of Vienna, and I left them fortifying the city." "They need not," +replied the king, smiling; "I have no design to trouble them, it is +the Protestant countries I must be for." + +Upon this the Duke of Saxony entered the room, and finding the king +engaged, offered to retire; but the king, beckoning with his hand, +called to him in French; "Cousin," says the king, "this gentleman has +been travelling and comes from Vienna," and so made me repeat what +I had said before; at which the king went on with me, and Sir John +Hepburn informing his Majesty that I spoke High Dutch, he changed +his language, and asked me in Dutch where it was that I saw General +Tilly's army. I told his Majesty at the siege of Magdeburg. "At +Magdeburg!" said the king, shaking his head; "Tilly must answer to me +some day for that city, and if not to me, to a greater King than I. +Can you guess what army he had with him?" said the king. "He had two +armies with him," said I, "but one I suppose will do your Majesty +no harm." "Two armies!" said the king. "Yes, sir, he has one army +of about 26,000 men," said I, "and another of about 15,000 women and +their attendants," at which the king laughed heartily. "Ay, ay," says +the king, "those 15,000 do us as much harm as the 26,000, for they +eat up the country, and devour the poor Protestants more than the men. +Well," says the king, "do they talk of fighting us?" "They talk big +enough, sir," said I, "but your Majesty has not been so often fought +with as beaten in their discourse." "I know not for the men," says the +king, "but the old man is as likely to do it as talk of it, and I hope +to try them in a day or two." + +The king inquired after that several matters of me about the Low +Countries, the Prince of Orange, and of the court and affairs in +England; and Sir John Hepburn informing his Majesty that I was the son +of an English gentleman of his acquaintance, the king had the goodness +to ask him what care he had taken of me against the day of battle. +Upon which Sir John repeated to him the discourse we had together by +the way; the king seeming particularly pleased with it, began to take +me to task himself. "You English gentlemen," says he, "are too +forward in the wars, which makes you leave them too soon again." "Your +Majesty," replied I, "makes war in so pleasant a manner as makes +all the world fond of fighting under your conduct." "Not so pleasant +neither," says the king, "here's a man can tell you that sometimes it +is not very pleasant." "I know not much of the warrior, sir," said +I, "nor of the world, but if always to conquer be the pleasure of the +war, your Majesty's soldiers have all that can be desired." "Well," +says the king, "but however, considering all things, I think you would +do well to take the advice Sir John Hepburn has given you." "Your +Majesty may command me to anything, but where your Majesty and so many +gallant gentlemen hazard their lives, mine is not worth mentioning; +and I should not dare to tell my father at my return into England +that I was in your Majesty's army, and made so mean a figure that +your Majesty would not permit me to fight under that royal standard." +"Nay," replied the king, "I lay no commands upon you, but you are +young." "I can never die, sir," said I, "with more honour than in your +Majesty's service." I spake this with so much freedom, and his Majesty +was so pleased with it, that he asked me how I would choose to serve, +on horseback or on foot. I told his Majesty I should be glad to +receive any of his Majesty's commands, but if I had not that honour I +had purposed to trail a pike under Sir John Hepburn, who had done me +so much honour as to introduce me into his Majesty's presence. "Do so, +then," replied the king, and turning to Sir John Hepburn, said, "and +pray, do you take care of him." At which, overcome with the goodness +of his discourse, I could not answer a word, but made him a profound +reverence and retired. + +The next day but one, being the 7th of September, before day the army +marched from Dieben to a large field about a mile from Leipsic, where +we found Tilly's army in full battalia in admirable order, which made +a show both glorious and terrible. Tilly, like a fair gamester, had +taken up but one side of the plain, and left the other free, and all +the avenues open for the king's army; nor did he stir to the charge +till the king's army was completely drawn up and advanced toward him. +He had in his army 44,000 old soldiers, every way answerable to what +I have said of them before; and I shall only add, a better army, I +believe, never was so soundly beaten. + +The king was not much inferior in force, being joined with the Saxons, +who were reckoned 22,000 men, and who drew up on the left, making a +main battle and two wings, as the king did on the right. + +The king placed himself at the right wing of his own horse, Gustavus +Horn had the main battle of the Swedes, the Duke of Saxony had the +main battle of his own troops, and General Arnheim the right wing of +his horse. The second line of the Swedes consisted of the two Scotch +brigades, and three Swedish, with the Finland horse in the wings. + +In the beginning of the fight, Tilly's right wing charged with such +irresistible fury upon the left of the king's army where the Saxons +were posted, that nothing could withstand them. The Saxons fled amain, +and some of them carried the news over the country that all was lost, +and the king's army overthrown; and indeed it passed for an oversight +with some that the king did not place some of his old troops among the +Saxons, who were new-raised men. The Saxons lost here near 2000 men, +and hardly ever showed their faces again all the battle, except some +few of their horse. + +I was posted with my comrade, the captain, at the head of three +Scottish regiments of foot, commanded by Sir John Hepburn, with +express directions from the colonel to keep by him. Our post was in +the second line, as a reserve to the King of Sweden's main battle, +and, which was strange, the main battle, which consisted of four great +brigades of foot, were never charged during the whole fight; and yet +we, who had the reserve, were obliged to endure the whole weight +of the Imperial army. The occasion was, the right wing of the +Imperialists having defeated the Saxons, and being eager in the chase, +Tilly, who was an old soldier, and ready to prevent all mistakes, +forbids any pursuit. "Let them go," says he, "but let us beat the +Swedes, or we do nothing." Upon this the victorious troops fell in +upon the flank of the king's army, which, the Saxons being fled, lay +open to them. Gustavus Horn commanded the left wing of the Swedes, and +having first defeated some regiments which charged him, falls in upon +the rear of the Imperial right wing, and separates them from the van, +who were advanced a great way forward in pursuit of the Saxons, and +having routed the said rear or reserve, falls on upon Tilly's main +battle, and defeated part of them; the other part was gone in chase of +the Saxons, and now also returned, fell in upon the rear of the left +wing of the Swedes, charging them in the flank, for they drew up upon +the very ground which the Saxons had quitted. This changed the whole +front, and made the Swedes face about to the left, and made a great +front on their flank to make this good. Our brigades, who were placed +as a reserve for the main battle, were, by special order from the +king, wheeled about to the left, and placed for the right of this new +front to charge the Imperialists; they were about 12,000 of their best +foot, besides horse, and flushed with the execution of the Saxons, +fell on like furies. The king by this time had almost defeated the +Imperialists' left wing; their horse, with more haste than good speed, +had charged faster than their foot could follow, and having broke into +the king's first line, he let them go, where, while the second line +bears the shock, and bravely resisted them, the king follows them on +the crupper with thirteen troops of horse, and some musketeers, by +which being hemmed in, they were all cut down in a moment as it were, +and the army never disordered with them. This fatal blow to the left +wing gave the king more leisure to defeat the foot which followed, and +to send some assistance to Gustavus Horn in his left wing, who had his +hands full with the main battle of the Imperialists. + +But those troops who, as I said, had routed the Saxons, being called +off from the pursuit, had charged our flank, and were now grown very +strong, renewed the battle in a terrible manner. Here it was I saw our +men go to wreck. Colonel Hall, a brave soldier, commanded the rear of +the Swede's left wing; he fought like a lion, but was slain, and most +of his regiment cut off, though not unrevenged, for they entirely +ruined Furstenberg's regiment of foot. Colonel Cullembach, with his +regiment of horse, was extremely overlaid also, and the colonel and +many brave officers killed, and in short all that wing was shattered, +and in an ill condition. + +In this juncture came the king, and having seen what havoc the enemy +made of Cullembach's troops, he comes riding along the front of our +three brigades, and himself led us on to the charge; the colonel of +his guards, the Baron Dyvel, was shot dead just as the king had given +him some orders. When the Scots advanced, seconded by some regiments +of horse which the king also sent to the charge, the bloodiest fight +began that ever men beheld, for the Scottish brigades, giving fire +three ranks at a time over one another's heads, poured in their shot +so thick, that the enemy were cut down like grass before a scythe; +and following into the thickest of their foot with the clubs of their +muskets made a most dreadful slaughter, and yet was there no flying. +Tilly's men might be killed and knocked down, but no man turned his +back, nor would give an inch of ground, but as they were wheeled, or +marched, or retreated by their officers. + +There was a regiment of cuirassiers which stood whole to the last, +and fought like lions; they went ranging over the field when all +their army was broken, and nobody cared for charging them; they were +commanded by Baron Kronenburg, and at last went off from the battle +whole. These were armed in black armour from head to foot, and they +carried off their general. About six o'clock the field was cleared of +the enemy, except at one place on the king's side, where some of them +rallied, and though they knew all was lost would take no quarter, but +fought it out to the last man, being found dead the next day in rank +and file as they were drawn up. + +I had the good fortune to receive no hurt in this battle, excepting +a small scratch on the side of my neck by the push of a pike; but my +friend received a very dangerous wound when the battle was as good as +over. He had engaged with a German colonel, whose name we could never +learn, and having killed his man, and pressed very close upon him, +so that he had shot his horse, the horse in the fall kept the colonel +down, lying on one of his legs; upon which he demanded quarter, which +Captain Fielding granting, helped him to quit his horse, and having +disarmed him, was bringing him into the line, when the regiment of +cuirassiers, which I mentioned, commanded by Baron Kronenburg, came +roving over the field, and with a flying charge saluted our front with +a salvo of carabine shot, which wounded us a great many men, and among +the rest the captain received a shot in his thigh, which laid him on +the ground, and being separated from the line, his prisoner got away +with them. + +This was the first service I was in, and indeed I never saw any fight +since maintained with such gallantry, such desperate valour, together +with such dexterity of management, both sides being composed of +soldiers fully tried, bred to the wars, expert in everything, exact in +their order, and incapable of fear, which made the battle be much more +bloody than usual. Sir John Hepburn, at my request, took particular +care of my comrade, and sent his own surgeon to look after him; +and afterwards, when the city of Leipsic was retaken, provided him +lodgings there, and came very often to see him; and indeed I was in +great care for him too, the surgeons being very doubtful of him a +great while; for having lain in the field all night among the dead, +his wound, for want of dressing, and with the extremity of cold, was +in a very ill condition, and the pain of it had thrown him into a +fever. 'Twas quite dusk before the fight ended, especially where the +last rallied troops fought so long, and therefore we durst not break +our order to seek out our friends, so that 'twas near seven o'clock +the next morning before we found the captain, who, though very weak by +the loss of blood, had raised himself up, and placed his back against +the buttock of a dead horse. I was the first that knew him, and +running to him, embraced him with a great deal of joy; he was not able +to speak, but made signs to let me see he knew me, so we brought him +into the camp, and Sir John Hepburn, as I noted before, sent his own +surgeons to look after him. + +The darkness of the night prevented any pursuit, and was the only +refuge the enemy had left: for had there been three hours more +daylight ten thousand more lives had been lost, for the Swedes (and +Saxons especially) enraged by the obstinacy of the enemy, were so +thoroughly heated that they would have given quarter but to few. The +retreat was not sounded till seven o'clock, when the king drew up the +whole army upon the field of battle, and gave strict command that none +should stir from their order; so the army lay under their arms all +night, which was another reason why the wounded soldiers suffered very +much by the cold; for the king, who had a bold enemy to deal with, was +not ignorant what a small body of desperate men rallied together might +have done in the darkness of the night, and therefore he lay in his +coach all night at the head of the line, though it froze very hard. + +As soon as the day began to peep the trumpets sounded to horse, and +all the dragoons and light-horse in the army were commanded to the +pursuit. The cuirassiers and some commanded musketeers advanced some +miles, if need were, to make good their retreat, and all the foot +stood to their arms for a reverse; but in half-an-hour word was +brought to the king that the enemy were quite dispersed, upon which +detachments were made out of every regiment to search among the dead +for any of our friends that were wounded; and the king himself gave a +strict order, that if any were found wounded and alive among the enemy +none should kill them, but take care to bring them into the camp--a +piece of humanity which saved the lives of near a thousand of the +enemies. + +This piece of service being over, the enemy's camp was seized upon, +and the soldiers were permitted to plunder it; all the cannon, arms, +and ammunition was secured for the king's use, the rest was given up +to the soldiers, who found so much plunder that they had no reason to +quarrel for shares. + +For my share, I was so busy with my wounded captain that I got nothing +but a sword, which I found just by him when I first saw him; but my +man brought me a very good horse with a furniture on him, and one +pistol of extraordinary workmanship. + +I bade him get upon his back and make the best of the day for himself, +which he did, and I saw him no more till three days after, when he +found me out at Leipsic, so richly dressed that I hardly knew him; and +after making his excuse for his long absence, gave me a very pleasant +account where he had been. He told me that, according to my order, +being mounted on the horse he had brought me, he first rid into the +field among the dead to get some clothes suitable to the equipage of +his horse, and having seized on a laced coat, a helmet, a sword, and +an extraordinary good cane, was resolved to see what was become of the +enemy; and following the track of the dragoons, which he could +easily do by the bodies on the road, he fell in with a small party +of twenty-five dragoons, under no command but a corporal, making to +a village where some of the enemies' horse had been quartered. The +dragoons, taking him for an officer by his horse, desired him to +command them, told him the enemy was very rich, and they doubted not +a good booty. He was a bold, brisk fellow, and told them, with all +his heart, but said he had but one pistol, the other being broken with +firing; so they lent him a pair of pistols, and a small piece they had +taken, and he led them on. There had been a regiment of horse and +some troops of Crabats in the village, but they were fled on the first +notice of the pursuit, excepting three troops, and these, on sight +of this small party, supposing them to be only the first of a greater +number, fled in the greatest confusion imaginable. They took the +village, and about fifty horses, with all the plunder of the enemy, +and with the heat of the service he had spoiled my horse, he said, for +which he had brought me two more; for he, passing for the commander of +the party, had all the advantage the custom of war gives an officer in +like cases. + +I was very well pleased with the relation the fellow gave me, and, +laughing at him, "Well, captain," said I, "and what plunder have ye +got?" "Enough to make me a captain, sir," says he, "if you please, and +a troop ready raised too; for the party of dragoons are posted in the +village by my command, till they have farther orders." In short, +he pulled out sixty or seventy pieces of gold, five or six watches, +thirteen or fourteen rings, whereof two were diamond rings, one of +which was worth fifty dollars, silver as much as his pockets would +hold; besides that he had brought three horses, two of which were +laden with baggage, and a boor he had hired to stay with them at +Leipsic till he had found me out. "But I am afraid, captain," says I, +"you have plundered the village instead of plundering the enemy." "No +indeed, not we," says he, "but the Crabats had done it for us and we +light of them just as they were carrying it off." "Well," said I, "but +what will you do with your men, for when you come to give them orders +they will know you well enough?" "No, no," says he, "I took care of +that, for just now I gave a soldier five dollars to carry them news +that the army was marched to Merseburg, and that they should follow +thither to the regiment." + +Having secured his money in my lodgings, he asked me if I pleased to +see his horses, and to have one for myself? I told him I would go and +see them in the afternoon; but the fellow being impatient goes and +fetches them. There were three horses, one whereof was a very good +one, and by the furniture was an officer's horse of the Crabats, and +that my man would have me accept, for the other he had spoiled, as +he said. I was but indifferently horsed before, so I accepted of the +horse, and went down with him to see the rest of his plunder there. +He had got three or four pair of pistols, two or three bundles of +officers' linen, and lace, a field-bed, and a tent, and several other +things of value; but at last, coming to a small fardel, "And this," +says he, "I took whole from a Crabat running away with it under his +arm," so he brought it up into my chamber. He had not looked into it, +he said, but he understood 'twas some plunder the soldiers had made, +and finding it heavy took it by consent. We opened it and found it was +a bundle of some linen, thirteen or fourteen pieces of plate, and in a +small cup, three rings, a fine necklace of pearl and the value of 100 +rix-dollars in money. + +The fellow was amazed at his own good fortune, and hardly knew what +to do with himself; I bid him go take care of his other things, and +of his horses, and come again. So he went and discharged the boor that +waited and packed up all his plunder, and came up to me in his old +clothes again. "How now, captain," says I, "what, have you altered +your equipage already?" "I am no more ashamed, sir, of your livery," +answered he, "than of your service, and nevertheless your servant for +what I have got by it." "Well," says I to him, "but what will you do +now with all your money?" "I wish my poor father had some of it," says +he, "and for the rest I got it for you, sir, and desire you would take +it." He spoke it with so much honesty and freedom that I could not +but take it very kindly; but, however, I told him I would not take a +farthing from him as his master, but I would have him play the good +husband with it, now he had such good fortune to get it. He told me +he would take my directions in everything. "Why, then," said I, "I'll +tell you what I would advise you to do, turn it all into ready money, +and convey it by return home into England, and follow yourself the +first opportunity, and with good management you may put yourself in a +good posture of living with it." The fellow, with a sort of dejection +in his looks, asked me if he had disobliged me in anything? "Why?" +says I. "That I was willing to turn him out of his service." "No, +George" (that was his name), says I, "but you may live on this money +without being a servant." "I'd throw it all into the Elbe," says he, +"over Torgau bridge, rather than leave your service; and besides," +says he, "can't I save my money without going from you? I got it in +your service, and I'll never spend it out of your service, unless you +put me away. I hope my money won't make me the worse servant; if I +thought it would, I'd soon have little enough." "Nay, George," says +I, "I shall not oblige you to it, for I am not willing to lose you +neither: come, then," says I, "let us put it all together, and see +what it will come to." So he laid it all together on the table, and by +our computation he had gotten as much plunder as was worth about 1400 +rix-dollars, besides three horses with their furniture, a tent, a bed, +and some wearing linen. Then he takes the necklace of pearl, a very +good watch, a diamond ring, and 100 pieces of gold, and lays them by +themselves, and having, according to our best calculation, valued the +things, he put up all the rest, and as I was going to ask him what +they were left out for, he takes them up in his hand, and coming round +the table, told me, that if I did not think him unworthy of my service +and favour, he begged I would give him leave to make that present to +me; that it was my first thought his going out, that he had got it +all in my service, and he should think I had no kindness for him if I +should refuse it. + +I was resolved in my mind not to take it from him, and yet I could +find no means to resist his importunity. At last I told him, I would +accept of part of his present, and that I esteemed his respect in +that as much as the whole, and that I would not have him importune me +farther; so I took the ring and watch, with the horse and furniture as +before, and made him turn all the rest into money at Leipsic, and +not suffering him to wear his livery, made him put himself into a +tolerable equipage, and taking a young Leipsicer into my service, he +attended me as a gentleman from that time forward. + +The king's army never entered Leipsic, but proceeded to Merseberg, and +from thence to Halle, and so marched on into Franconia, while the Duke +of Saxony employed his forces in recovering Leipsic and driving the +Imperialists out of his country. I continued at Leipsic twelve days, +being not willing to leave my comrade till he was recovered; but Sir +John Hepburn so often importuned me to come into the army, and sent +me word that the king had very often inquired for me, that at last I +consented to go without him; so having made our appointment where to +meet, and how to correspond by letters, I went to wait on Sir John +Hepburn, who then lay with the king's army at the city of Erfurt in +Saxony. As I was riding between Leipsic and Halle, I observed my +horse went very awkwardly and uneasy, and sweat very much, though the +weather was cold, and we had rid but very softly; I fancied therefore +that the saddle might hurt the horse, and calls my new captain up. +"George," says I, "I believe this saddle hurts the horse." So we +alighted, and looking under the saddle found the back of the horse +extremely galled; so I bid him take off the saddle, which he did, and +giving the horse to my young Leipsicer to lead, we sat down to see if +we could mend it, for there was no town near us. Says George, pointing +with his finger, "If you please to cut open the pannel there, I'll get +something to stuff into it which will bear it from the horse's back." +So while he looked for something to thrust in, I cut a hole in +the pannel of the saddle, and, following it with my finger, I felt +something hard, which seemed to move up and down. Again, as I thrust +it with my finger, "Here's something that should not be here," says I, +not yet imagining what afterwards fell out, and calling, "Run back," +bade him put up his finger. "Whatever 'tis," says he, "'tis this hurts +the horse, for it bears just on his back when the saddle is set on." +So we strove to take hold on it, but could not reach it; at last we +took the upper part of the saddle quite from the pannel, and there +lay a small silk purse wrapped in a piece of leather, and full of gold +ducats. "Thou art born to be rich, George," says I to him, "here's +more money." We opened the purse and found in it four hundred and +thirty-eight small pieces of gold. + +There I had a new skirmish with him whose the money should be. I +told him 'twas his, he told me no; I had accepted of the horse and +furniture, and all that was about him was mine, and solemnly vowed he +would not have a penny of it. I saw no remedy, but put up the money +for the present, mended our saddle, and went on. We lay that night at +Halle, and having had such a booty in the saddle, I made him search +the saddles of the other two horses, in one of which we found three +French crowns, but nothing in the other. + +We arrived at Erfurt the 28th of September, but the army was removed, +and entered into Franconia, and at the siege of Koningshoven we came +up with them. The first thing I did was to pay my civilities to Sir +John Hepburn, who received me very kindly, but told me withal that +I had not done well to be so long from him, and the king had +particularly inquired for me, had commanded him to bring me to him at +my return. I told him the reason of my stay at Leipsic, and how I had +left that place and my comrade, before he was cured of his wounds, to +wait on him according to his letters. He told me the king had spoken +some things very obliging about me, and he believed would offer me +some command in the army, if I thought well to accept of it. I told +him I had promised my father not to take service in an army without +his leave, and yet if his Majesty should offer it, I neither knew +how to resist it, nor had I an inclination to anything more than the +service, and such a leader, though I had much rather have served as a +volunteer at my own charge (which, as he knew, was the custom of our +English gentlemen) than in any command. He replied, "Do as you think +fit; but some gentlemen would give 20,000 crowns to stand so fair for +advancement as you do." + +The town of Koningshoven capitulated that day, and Sir John was +ordered to treat with the citizens, so I had no further discourse with +him then; and the town being taken, the army immediately advanced down +the river Maine, for the king had his eye upon Frankfort and Mentz, +two great cities, both which he soon became master of, chiefly by +the prodigious expedition of his march; for within a month after the +battle, he was in the lower parts of the empire, and had passed from +the Elbe to the Rhine, an incredible conquest, had taken all the +strong cities, the bishoprics of Bamberg, of Wurtzburg, and almost all +the circle of Franconia, with part of Schawberland--a conquest large +enough to be seven years a-making by the common course of arms. + +Business going on thus, the king had not leisure to think of small +matters, and I being not thoroughly resolved in my mind, did not press +Sir John to introduce me. I had wrote to my father with an account +of my reception in the army, the civilities of Sir John Hepburn, the +particulars of the battle, and had indeed pressed him to give me +leave to serve the King of Sweden, to which particular I waited for +an answer, but the following occasion determined me before an answer +could possibly reach me. + +The king was before the strong castle of Marienburg, which commands +the city of Wurtzburg. He had taken the city, but the garrison and +richer part of the burghers were retired into the castle, and trusting +to the strength of the place, which was thought impregnable, they bade +the Swedes do their worst; 'twas well provided with all things, and a +strong garrison in it, so that the army indeed expected 'twould be a +long piece of work. The castle stood on a high rock, and on the steep +of the rock was a bastion which defended the only passage up the hill +into the castle; the Scots were chose out to make this attack, and the +king was an eye-witness of their gallantry. In the action Sir John was +not commanded out, but Sir James Ramsey led them on; but I observed +that most of the Scotch officers in the other regiments prepared to +serve as volunteers for the honour of their countrymen, and Sir John +Hepburn led them on. I was resolved to see this piece of service, +and therefore joined myself to the volunteers. We were armed with +partisans, and each man two pistols at our belt. It was a piece of +service that seemed perfectly desperate, the advantage of the hill, +the precipice we were to mount, the height of the bastion, the +resolute courage and number of the garrison, who from a complete +covert made a terrible fire upon us, all joined to make the action +hopeless. But the fury of the Scots musketeers was not to be abated by +any difficulties; they mounted the hill, scaled the works like madmen, +running upon the enemies' pikes, and after two hours' desperate fight +in the midst of fire and smoke, took it by storm, and put all the +garrison to the sword. The volunteers did their part, and had their +share of the loss too, for thirteen or fourteen were killed out of +thirty-seven, besides the wounded, among whom I received a hurt more +troublesome than dangerous by a thrust of a halberd into my arm, which +proved a very painful wound, and I was a great while before it was +thoroughly recovered. + +The king received us as we drew off at the foot of the hill, calling +the soldiers his brave Scots, and commending the officers by name. +The next morning the castle was also taken by storm, and the greatest +booty that ever was found in any one conquest in the whole war; the +soldiers got here so much money that they knew not what to do with it, +and the plunder they got here and at the battle of Leipsic made them +so unruly, that had not the king been the best master of discipline in +the world, they had never been kept in any reasonable bounds. + +The king had taken notice of our small party of volunteers, and though +I thought he had not seen me, yet he sent the next morning for Sir +John Hepburn, and asked him if I were not come to the army? "Yes," +says Sir John, "he has been here two or three days." And as he was +forming an excuse for not having brought me to wait on his Majesty, +says the king, interrupting him, "I wonder you would let him thrust +himself into a hot piece of service as storming the Port Graft. +Pray let him know I saw him, and have a very good account of his +behaviour." Sir John returned with this account to me, and pressed +me to pay my duty to his Majesty the next morning; and accordingly, +though I had but an ill night with the pain of my wound, I was with +him at the levee in the castle. + +I cannot but give some short account of the glory of the morning; the +castle had been cleared of the dead bodies of the enemies, and what +was not pillaged by the soldiers was placed under a guard. There was +first a magazine of very good arms for about 18,000 or 20,000 foot, +and 4000 horse, a very good train of artillery of about eighteen +pieces of battery, thirty-two brass field-pieces, and four mortars. +The bishop's treasure, and other public monies not plundered by the +soldiers, was telling out by the officers, and amounted to 400,000 +florins in money; and the burghers of the town in solemn procession, +bareheaded, brought the king three tons of gold as a composition to +exempt the city from plunder. Here was also a stable of gallant horses +which the king had the curiosity to go and see. + +When the ceremony of the burghers was over, the king came down into +the castle court, walked on the parade (where the great train of +artillery was placed on their carriages) and round the walls, and gave +order for repairing the bastion that was stormed by the Scots; and +as at the entrance of the parade Sir John Hepburn and I made our +reverence to the king, "Ho, cavalier!" said the king to me, "I am glad +to see you," and so passed forward. I made my bow very low, but his +Majesty said no more at that time. + +When the view was over the king went up into the lodgings, and Sir +John and I walked in an antechamber for about a quarter of an hour, +when one of the gentlemen of the bedchamber came out to Sir John, and +told him the king asked for him; he stayed but a little with the king, +and come out to me and told me the king had ordered him to bring me to +him. + +His Majesty, with a countenance full of honour and goodness, +interrupted my compliment, and asked me how I did; at which answering +only with a bow, says the king, "I am sorry to see you are hurt; I +would have laid my commands on you not to have shown yourself in so +sharp a piece of service, if I had known you had been in the camp." +"Your Majesty does me too much honour," said I, "in your care of a +life that has yet done nothing to deserve your favour." His Majesty +was pleased to say something very kind to me relating to my behaviour +in the battle of Leipsic, which I have not vanity enough to write; +at the conclusion whereof, when I replied very humbly that I was not +sensible that any service I had done, or could do, could possibly +merit so much goodness, he told me he had ordered me a small testimony +of his esteem, and withal gave me his hand to kiss. I was now +conquered, and with a sort of surprise told his Majesty I found myself +so much engaged by his goodness, as well as my own inclination, that +if his Majesty would please to accept of my devoir, I was resolved to +serve in his army, or wherever he pleased to command me. "Serve +me," says the king, "why, so you do, but I must not have you be a +musketeer; a poor soldier at a dollar a week will do that." "Pray, +Sir John," says the king, "give him what commission he desires." "No +commission, sir," says I, "would please me better than leave to fight +near your Majesty's person, and to serve you at my own charge till I +am qualified by more experience to receive your commands." "Why, then, +it shall be so," said the king, "and I charge you, Hepburn," says he, +"when anything offers that is either fit for him, or he desires, that +you tell me of it;" and giving me his hand again to kiss, I withdrew. + +I was followed before I had passed the castle gate by one of the +king's pages, who brought me a warrant, directed to Sir John Hepburn, +to go to the master of the horse for an immediate delivery of things +ordered by the king himself for my account, where being come, the +equerry produced me a very good coach with four horses, harness, and +equipage, and two very fine saddle-horses, out of the stable of the +bishop's horses afore-mentioned; with these there was a list for three +servants, and a warrant to the steward of the king's baggage to defray +me, my horses, and servants at the king's charge till farther order. +I was very much at a loss how to manage myself in this so strange +freedom of so great a prince, and consulting with Sir John Hepburn, I +was proposing to him whether it was not proper to go immediately back +to pay my duty to his Majesty, and acknowledge his bounty in the best +terms I could; but while we were resolving to do so, the guards stood +to their arms, and we saw the king go out at the gate in his coach +to pass into the city, so we were diverted from it for that time. I +acknowledge the bounty of the king was very surprising, but I must say +it was not so very strange to me when I afterwards saw the course of +his management. Bounty in him was his natural talent, but he never +distributed his favours but where he thought himself both loved and +faithfully served, and when he was so, even the single actions of +his private soldiers he would take particular notice of himself, and +publicly own, acknowledge, and reward them, of which I am obliged to +give some instances. + +A private musketeer at the storming the castle of Wurtzburg, when +all the detachment was beaten off, stood in the face of the enemy and +fired his piece, and though he had a thousand shot made at him, stood +unconcerned, and charged his piece again, and let fly at the enemy, +continuing to do so three times, at the same time beckoning with his +hand to his fellows to come on again, which they did, animated by his +example, and carried the place for the king. + +When the town was taken the king ordered the regiment to be drawn out, +and calling for that soldier, thanked him before them all for +taking the town for him, gave him a thousand dollars in money, and a +commission with his own hand for a foot company, or leave to go home, +which he would. The soldier took the commission on his knees, kissed +it, and put it into his bosom, and told the king, he would never leave +his service as long as he lived. + +This bounty of the king's, timed and suited by his judgment, was +the reason that he was very well served, entirely beloved, and most +punctually obeyed by his soldiers, who were sure to be cherished and +encouraged if they did well, having the king generally an eye-witness +of their behaviour. + +My indiscretion rather than valour had engaged me so far at the battle +of Leipsic, that being in the van of Sir John Hepburn's brigade, +almost three whole companies of us were separated from our line, and +surrounded by the enemies' pikes. I cannot but say also that we were +disengaged rather by a desperate charge Sir John made with the whole +regiment to fetch us off, than by our own valour, though we were not +wanting to ourselves neither, but this part of the action being talked +of very much to the advantage of the young English volunteer, and +possibly more than I deserved, was the occasion of all the distinction +the king used me with ever after. + +I had by this time letters from my father, in which, though with some +reluctance, he left me at liberty to enter into arms if I thought fit, +always obliging me to be directed, and, as he said, commanded by +Sir John Hepburn. At the same time he wrote to Sir John Hepburn, +commending his son's fortunes, as he called it, to his care, which +letters Sir John showed the king unknown to me. + +I took care always to acquaint my father of every circumstance, and +forgot not to mention his Majesty's extraordinary favour, which so +affected my father, that he obtained a very honourable mention of it +in a letter from King Charles to the King of Sweden, written by his +own hand. + +I had waited on his Majesty, with Sir John Hepburn, to give him thanks +for his magnificent present, and was received with his usual goodness, +and after that I was every day among the gentlemen of his ordinary +attendance. And if his Majesty went out on a party, as he would +often do, or to view the country, I always attended him among the +volunteers, of whom a great many always followed him; and he would +often call me out, talk with me, send me upon messages to towns, to +princes, free cities, and the like, upon extraordinary occasions. + +The first piece of service he put me upon had like to have embroiled +me with one of his favourite colonels. The king was marching through +the Bergstraet, a low country on the edge of the Rhine, and, as all +men thought, was going to besiege Heidelberg, but on a sudden orders +a party of his guards, with five companies of Scots, to be drawn out; +while they were drawing out this detachment the king calls me to him, +"Ho, cavalier," says he, that was his usual word, "you shall command +this party;" and thereupon gives me orders to march back all night, +and in the morning, by break of day, to take post under the walls of +the fort of Oppenheim, and immediately to entrench myself as well as I +could. Grave Neels, the colonel of his guards, thought himself injured +by this command, but the king took the matter upon himself, and Grave +Neels told me very familiarly afterwards, "We have such a master," +says he, "that no man can be affronted by. I thought myself wronged," +says he, "when you commanded my men over my head; and for my life," +says he, "I knew not which way to be angry." + +I executed my commission so punctually that by break of day I was set +down within musket-shot of the fort, under covert of a little mount, +on which stood a windmill, and had indifferently fortified myself, and +at the same time had posted some of my men on two other passes, but +at farther distance from the fort, so that the fort was effectually +blocked up on the land side. In the afternoon the enemy sallied on my +first entrenchment, but being covered from their cannon, and defended +by a ditch which I had drawn across the road, they were so well +received by my musketeers that they retired with the loss of six or +seven men. + +The next day Sir John Hepburn was sent with two brigades of foot to +carry on the work, and so my commission ended. The king expressed +himself very well pleased with what I had done, and when he was so +was never sparing of telling of it, for he used to say that public +commendations were a great encouragement to valour. + +While Sir John Hepburn lay before the fort and was preparing to storm +it, the king's design was to get over the Rhine, but the Spaniards +which were in Oppenheim had sunk all the boats they could find. At +last the king, being informed where some lay that were sunk, caused +them to be weighed with all the expedition possible, and in the night +of the 7th of December, in three boats, passed over his regiment of +guards, about three miles above the town, and, as the king thought, +secure from danger; but they were no sooner landed, and not drawn into +order, but they were charged by a body of Spanish horse, and had not +the darkness given them opportunity to draw up in the enclosures +in several little parties, they had been in great danger of being +disordered; but by this means they lined the hedges and lanes so with +musketeers, that the remainder had time to draw up in battalia, and +saluted the horse with their muskets, so that they drew farther off. + +The king was very impatient, hearing his men engaged, having no boats +nor possible means to get over to help them. At last, about eleven +o'clock at night, the boats came back, and the king thrust another +regiment into them, and though his officers dissuaded him, would go +over himself with them on foot, and did so. This was three months that +very day when the battle of Leipsic was fought, and winter time too, +that the progress of his arms had spread from the Elbe, where it parts +Saxony and Brandenburg, to the Lower Palatine and the Rhine. + +I went over in the boat with the king. I never saw him in so much +concern in my life, for he was in pain for his men; but before we got +on shore the Spaniards retired. However, the king landed, ordered his +men, and prepared to entrench, but he had not time, for by that time +the boats were put off again, the Spaniards, not knowing more troops +were landed, and being reinforced from Oppenheim, came on again, and +charged with great fury; but all things were now in order, and they +were readily received and beaten back again. They came on again the +third time, and with repeated charges attacked us; but at last +finding us too strong for them they gave it over. By this time another +regiment of foot was come over, and as soon as day appeared the king +with the three regiments marched to the town, which surrendered at the +first summons, and the next day the fort yielded to Sir John Hepburn. + +The castle at Oppenheim held out still with a garrison of 800 +Spaniards, and the king, leaving 200 Scots of Sir James Ramsey's men +in the town, drew out to attack the castle. Sir James Ramsey being +left wounded at Wurtzburg, the king gave me the command of those 200 +men, which were a regiment, that is to say, all that were left of a +gallant regiment of 2000 Scots, which the king brought out of Sweden +with him, under that brave colonel. There was about thirty officers, +who, having no soldiers, were yet in pay, and served as reformadoes +with the regiment, and were over and above the 200 men. + +The king designed to storm the castle on the lower side by the way +that leads to Mentz, and Sir John Hepburn landed from the other side +and marched up to storm on the Rhine port. + +My reformado Scots, having observed that the town port of the castle +was not so well guarded as the rest, all the eyes of the garrison +being bent towards the king and Sir John Hepburn, came running to me, +and told me they believed they could enter the castle, sword in hand, +if I would give them leave. I told them I durst not give them orders, +my commission being only to keep and defend the town; but they being +very importunate, I told them they were volunteers, and might do what +they pleased, that I would lend them fifty men, and draw up the rest +to second them, or bring them off, as I saw occasion, so as I might +not hazard the town. This was as much as they desired; they sallied +immediately, and in a trice the volunteers scaled the port, cut in +pieces the guard, and burst open the gate, at which the fifty entered. +Finding the gate won, I advanced immediately with 100 musketeers more, +having locked up all the gates of the town but the castle port, and +leaving fifty still for a reserve just at that gate; the townsmen, +too, seeing the castle, as it were, taken, ran to arms, and followed +me with above 200 men. The Spaniards were knocked down by the Scots +before they knew what the matter was, and the king and Sir John +Hepburn, advancing to storm, were surprised when, instead of +resistance, they saw the Spaniards throwing themselves over the walls +to avoid the fury of the Scots. Few of the garrison got away, but were +either killed or taken, and having cleared the castle, I set open the +port on the king's side, and sent his Majesty word the castle was his +own. The king came on, and entered on foot. I received him at the head +of the Scots reformadoes; who all saluted him with their pikes. The +king gave them his hat, and turning about, "Brave Scots, brave Scots," +says he smiling, "you were too quick for me;" then beckoning to me, +made me tell him how and in what manner we had managed the storm, +which he was exceeding well pleased with, but especially at the +caution I had used to bring them off if they had miscarried, and +secured the town. + +From hence the army marched to Mentz, which in four days' time +capitulated, with the fort and citadel, and the city paid his Majesty +300,000 dollars to be exempted from the fury of the soldiers. Here the +king himself drew the plan of those invincible fortifications which to +this day makes it one of the strongest cities in Germany. + +Friburg, Koningstien, Neustadt, Kaiserslautern, and almost all the +Lower Palatinate, surrendered at the very terror of the King of +Sweden's approach, and never suffered the danger of a siege. + +The king held a most magnificent court at Mentz, attended by the +Landgrave of Hesse, with an incredible number of princes and lords +of the empire, with ambassadors and residents of foreign princes; +and here his Majesty stayed till March, when the queen, with a great +retinue of Swedish nobility, came from Erfurt to see him. The king, +attended by a gallant train of German nobility, went to Frankfort, and +from thence on to Hoest, to meet the queen, where her Majesty arrived +February 8. + +During the king's stay in these parts, his armies were not idle, his +troops, on one side under the Rhinegrave, a brave and ever-fortunate +commander, and under the Landgrave of Hesse, on the other, ranged the +country from Lorraine to Luxemburg, and past the Moselle on the west, +and the Weser on the north. Nothing could stand before them: the +Spanish army which came to the relief of the Catholic Electors was +everywhere defeated and beaten quite out of the country, and the +Lorraine army quite ruined. 'Twas a most pleasant court sure as ever +was seen, where every day expresses arrived of armies defeated, towns +surrendered, contributions agreed upon, parties routed, prisoners +taken, and princes sending ambassadors to sue for truces and +neutralities, to make submissions and compositions, and to pay arrears +and contributions. + +Here arrived, February 10, the King of Bohemia from England, and with +him my Lord Craven, with a body of Dutch horse, and a very fine train +of English volunteers, who immediately, without any stay, marched on +to Hoest to wait upon his Majesty of Sweden, who received him with a +great deal of civility, and was treated at a noble collation by the +king and queen at Frankfort. Never had the unfortunate king so fair a +prospect of being restored to his inheritance of the Palatinate as +at that time, and had King James, his father-in-law, had a soul +answerable to the occasion, it had been effected before, but it was a +strange thing to see him equipped from the English court with one lord +and about forty or fifty English gentlemen in his attendance, whereas +had the King of England now, as 'tis well known he might have done, +furnished him with 10,000 or 12,000 English foot, nothing could have +hindered him taking a full possession of his country; and yet even +without that help did the King of Sweden clear almost his whole +country of Imperialists, and after his death reinstal his son in the +Electorate; but no thanks to us. + +The Lord Craven did me the honour to inquire for me by name, and his +Majesty of Sweden did me yet more by presenting me to the King of +Bohemia, and my Lord Craven gave me a letter from my father. And +speaking something of my father having served under the Prince of +Orange in the famous battle of Nieuport, the king, smiling, returned, +"And pray tell him from me his son has served as well in the warm +battle of Leipsic." + +My father being very much pleased with the honour I had received from +so great a king, had ordered me to acquaint his Majesty that, if he +pleased to accept of their service, he would raise him a regiment of +English horse at his own charge to be under my command, and to be +sent over into Holland; and my Lord Craven had orders from the King of +England to signify his consent to the said levy. I acquainted my old +friend Sir John Hepburn with the contents of the letter in order to +have his advice, who being pleased with the proposal, would have me +go to the king immediately with the letter, but present service put it +off for some days. + +The taking of Creutznach was the next service of any moment. The king +drew out in person to the siege of this town. The town soon came to +parley, but the castle seemed a work of difficulty, for its situation +was so strong and so surrounded with works behind and above one and +another, that most people thought the king would receive a check +from it; but it was not easy to resist the resolution of the King of +Sweden. + +He never battered it but with two small pieces, but having viewed the +works himself, ordered a mine under the first ravelin, which being +sprung with success, he commands a storm. I think there was not +more commanded men than volunteers, both English, Scots, French, and +Germans. My old comrade was by this time recovered of his wound at +Leipsic, and made one. The first body of volunteers, of about forty, +were led on by my Lord Craven, and I led the second, among whom were +most of the reformado Scots officers who took the castle of Oppenheim. +The first party was not able to make anything of it; the garrison +fought with so much fury that many of the volunteer gentlemen being +wounded, and some killed, the rest were beaten off with loss. The king +was in some passion at his men, and rated them for running away, as he +called it, though they really retreated in good order, and commanded +the assault to be renewed. 'Twas our turn to fall on next. Our Scots +officers, not being used to be beaten, advanced immediately, and my +Lord Craven with his volunteers pierced in with us, fighting gallantly +in the breach with a pike in his hand; and, to give him the honour due +to his bravery, he was with the first on the top of the rampart, and +gave his hand to my comrade, and lifted him up after him. We helped +one another up, till at last almost all the volunteers had gained +the height of the ravelin, and maintained it with a great deal of +resolution, expecting when the commanded men had gained the same +height to advance upon the enemy; when one of the enemy's captains +called to my Lord Craven, and told him if they might have honourable +terms they would capitulate, which my lord telling him he would engage +for, the garrison fired no more, and the captain, leaping down from +the next rampart, came with my Lord Craven into the camp, where the +conditions were agreed on, and the castle surrendered. + +After the taking of this town, the king, hearing of Tilly's approach, +and how he had beaten Gustavus Horn, the king's field-marshal, out of +Bamberg, began to draw his forces together, and leaving the care of +his conquests in these parts to his chancellor Oxenstiern, prepares to +advance towards Bavaria. + +I had taken an opportunity to wait upon his Majesty with Sir John +Hepburn and being about to introduce the discourse of my father's +letter, the king told me he had received a compliment on my account +in a letter from King Charles. I told him his Majesty had by his +exceeding generosity bound me and all my friends to pay their +acknowledgments to him, and that I supposed my father had obtained +such a mention of it from the King of England, as gratitude moved him +to that his Majesty's favour had been shown in me to a family both +willing and ready to serve him, that I had received some commands from +my father, which, if his Majesty pleased to do me the honour to accept +of, might put me in a condition to acknowledge his Majesty's goodness +in a manner more proportioned to the sense I had of his favour; and +with that I produced my father's letter, and read that clause in it +which related to the regiment of horse, which was as follows:-- + +"I read with a great deal of satisfaction the account you give of the +great and extraordinary conquests of the King of Sweden, and with more +his Majesty's singular favour to you; I hope you will be careful to +value and deserve so much honour. I am glad you rather chose to serve +as a volunteer at your own charge, than to take any command, which, +for want of experience, you might misbehave in. + +"I have obtained of the king that he will particularly thank his +Majesty of Sweden for the honour he has done you, and if his Majesty +gives you so much freedom, I could be glad you should in the humblest +manner thank his Majesty in the name of an old broken soldier. + +"If you think yourself officer enough to command them, and his Majesty +pleased to accept them, I would have you offer to raise his Majesty +a regiment of horse, which, I think, I may near complete in our +neighbourhood with some of your old acquaintance, who are very willing +to see the world. If his Majesty gives you the word, they shall +receive his commands in the Maes, the king having promised me to give +them arms, and transport them for that service into Holland; and I +hope they may do his Majesty such service as may be for your honour +and the advantage of his Majesty's interest and glory." + +"YOUR LOVING FATHER." + +"'Tis an offer like a gentleman and like a soldier," says the king," +and I'll accept of it on two conditions: first," says the king, "that +I will pay your father the advance money for the raising the regiment; +and next, that they shall be landed in the Weser or the Elbe; for +which, if the King of England will not, I will pay the passage; for +if they land in Holland, it may prove very difficult to get them to us +when the army shall be marched out of this part of the country." + +I returned this answer to my father, and sent my man George into +England to order that regiment, and made him quartermaster. I sent +blank commissions for the officers, signed by the king, to be filled +up as my father should think fit; and when I had the king's order for +the commissions, the secretary told me I must go back to the king with +them. Accordingly I went back to the king, who, opening the packet, +laid all the commissions but one upon a table before him, and bade +me take them, and keeping that one still in his hand, "Now," says he, +"you are one of my soldiers," and therewith gave me his commission, as +colonel of horse in present pay. I took the commission kneeling, +and humbly thanked his Majesty. "But," says the king, "there is one +article-of-war I expect of you more than of others." "Your Majesty can +expect nothing of me which I shall not willingly comply with," said I, +"as soon as I have the honour to understand what it is." "Why, it is," +says the king, "that you shall never fight but when you have orders, +for I shall not be willing to lose my colonel before I have the +regiment." "I shall be ready at all times, sir," returned I, "to obey +your Majesty's orders." + +I sent my man express with the king's answer and the commission to my +father, who had the regiment completed in less than two months' time, +and six of the officers, with a list of the rest, came away to me, +whom I presented to his Majesty when he lay before Nuremberg, where +they kissed his hand. + +One of the captains offered to bring the whole regiment travelling as +private men into the army in six weeks' time, and either to transport +their equipage, or buy it in Germany, but 'twas thought impracticable. +However, I had so many come in that manner that I had a complete troop +always about me, and obtained the king's order to muster them as a +troop. + +On the 8th of March the king decamped, and, marching up the river +Maine, bent his course directly for Bavaria, taking several small +places by the way, and expecting to engage with Tilly, who he thought +would dispute his entrance into Bavaria, kept his army together; but +Tilly, finding himself too weak to encounter him, turned away, and +leaving Bavaria open to the king, marched into the Upper Palatinate. +The king finding the country clear of the Imperialists comes to +Nuremberg, made his entrance into that city the 21st of March, and +being nobly treated by the citizens, he continued his march into +Bavaria, and on the 26th sat down before Donauwerth. The town was +taken the next day by storm, so swift were the conquests of this +invincible captain. Sir John Hepburn, with the Scots and the English +volunteers at the head of them, entered the town first, and cut all +the garrison to pieces, except such as escaped over the bridge. + +I had no share in the business of Donauwerth, being now among the +horse, but I was posted on the roads with five troops of horse, where +we picked up a great many stragglers of the garrison, whom we made +prisoners of war. + +'Tis observable that this town of Donauwerth is a very strong place +and well fortified, and yet such expedition did the king make, and +such resolution did he use in his first attacks, that he carried the +town without putting himself to the trouble of formal approaches. +'Twas generally his way when he came before any town with a design to +besiege it; he never would encamp at a distance and begin his trenches +a great way off, but bring his men immediately within half musket-shot +of the place; there getting under the best cover he could, he would +immediately begin his batteries and trenches before their faces; +and if there was any place possibly to be attacked, he would fall to +storming immediately. By this resolute way of coming on he carried +many a town in the first heat of his men, which would have held out +many days against a more regular siege. + +This march of the king broke all Tilly's measures, for now he was +obliged to face about, and leaving the Upper Palatinate, to come +to the assistance of the Duke of Bavaria; for the king being 20,000 +strong, besides 10,000 foot and 4000 horse and dragoons which joined +him from the Duringer Wald, was resolved to ruin the duke, who lay +now open to him, and was the most powerful and inveterate enemy of the +Protestants in the empire. + +Tilly was now joined with the Duke of Bavaria, and might together make +about 22,000 men, and in order to keep the Swedes out of the country +of Bavaria, had planted themselves along the banks of the river Lech, +which runs on the edge of the duke's territories; and having fortified +the other side of the river, and planted his cannon for several miles +at all the convenient places on the river, resolved to dispute the +king's passage. + +I shall be the longer in relating this account of the Lech, being +esteemed in those days as great an action as any battle or siege of +that age, and particularly famous for the disaster of the gallant old +General Tilly; and for that I can be more particular in it than other +accounts, having been an eye-witness to every part of it. + +The king being truly informed of the disposition of the Bavarian army, +was once of the mind to have left the banks of the Lech, have repassed +the Danube, and so setting down before Ingolstadt, the duke's capital +city, by the taking that strong town to have made his entrance into +Bavaria, and the conquest of such a fortress, one entire action; +but the strength of the place and the difficulty of maintaining his +leaguer in an enemy's country while Tilly was so strong in the field, +diverted him from that design; he therefore concluded that Tilly +was first to be beaten out of the country, and then the siege of +Ingolstadt would be the easier. + +Whereupon the king resolved to go and view the situation of the enemy. +His Majesty went out the 2nd of April with a strong party of horse, +which I had the honour to command. We marched as near as we could +to the banks of the river, not to be too much exposed to the enemy's +cannon, and having gained a little height, where the whole course of +the river might be seen, the king halted, and commanded to draw up. +The king alighted, and calling me to him, examined every reach and +turning of the river by his glass, but finding the river run a long +and almost a straight course he could find no place which he liked; +but at last turning himself north, and looking down the stream, he +found the river, stretching a long reach, doubles short upon itself, +making a round and very narrow point. "There's a point will do our +business," says the king, "and if the ground be good I'll pass there, +let Tilly do his worst." + +He immediately ordered a small party of horse to view the ground, and +to bring him word particularly how high the bank was on each side and +at the point. "And he shall have fifty dollars," says the king, "that +will bring me word how deep the water is." I asked his Majesty leave +to let me go, which he would by no means allow of; but as the party +was drawing out, a sergeant of dragoons told the king, if he pleased +to let him go disguised as a boor, he would bring him an account of +everything he desired. The king liked the notion well enough, and +the fellow being very well acquainted with the country, puts on a +ploughman's habit, and went away immediately with a long pole upon +his shoulder. The horse lay all this while in the woods, and the +king stood undiscerned by the enemy on the little hill aforesaid. The +dragoon with his long pole comes down boldly to the bank of the river, +and calling to the sentinels which Tilly had placed on the other +bank, talked with them, asked them if they could not help him over the +river, and pretended he wanted to come to them. At last being come to +the point where, as I said, the river makes a short turn, he stands +parleying with them a great while, and sometimes, pretending to wade +over, he puts his long pole into the water, then finding it pretty +shallow he pulls off his hose and goes in, still thrusting his pole in +before him, till being gotten up to his middle, he could reach beyond +him, where it was too deep, and so shaking his head, comes back again. +The soldiers on the other side, laughing at him, asked him if he could +swim? He said, "No," "Why, you fool you," says one of the sentinels, +"the channel of the river is twenty feet deep." "How do you know +that?" says the dragoon. "Why, our engineer," says he, "measured it +yesterday." This was what he wanted, but not yet fully satisfied, +"Ay, but," says he, "maybe it may not be very broad, and if one of you +would wade in to meet me till I could reach you with my pole, I'd give +him half a ducat to pull me over." The innocent way of his discourse +so deluded the soldiers, that one of them immediately strips and goes +in up to the shoulders, and our dragoon goes in on this side to meet +him; but the stream took t' other soldier away, and he being a good +swimmer, came swimming over to this side. The dragoon was then in a +great deal of pain for fear of being discovered, and was once going +to kill the fellow, and make off; but at last resolved to carry on the +humour, and having entertained the fellow with a tale of a tub, about +the Swedes stealing his oats, the fellow being a-cold wanted to be +gone, and he as willing to be rid of him, pretended to be very sorry +he could not get over the river, and so makes off. + +By this, however, he learned both the depth and breadth of the +channel, the bottom and nature of both shores, and everything the king +wanted to know. We could see him from the hill by our glasses very +plain, and could see the soldier naked with him. Says the king, "He +will certainly be discovered and knocked on the head from the other +side: he is a fool," says the king, "he does not kill the fellow and +run off." But when the dragoon told his tale, the king was extremely +well satisfied with him, gave him a hundred dollars, and made him a +quartermaster to a troop of cuirassiers. + +The king having farther examined the dragoon, he gave him a very +distinct account of the shore and the ground on this side, which he +found to be higher than the enemy's by ten or twelve foot, and a hard +gravel. + +Hereupon the king resolves to pass there, and in order to it gives, +himself, particular directions for such a bridge as I believe never +army passed a river on before nor since. + +His bridge was only loose planks laid upon large tressels in the same +homely manner as I have seen bricklayers raise a low scaffold to build +a brick wall; the tressels were made higher than one another to answer +to the river as it became deeper or shallower, and was all framed and +fitted before any appearance was made of attempting to pass. + +When all was ready the king brings his army down to the bank of the +river, and plants his cannon as the enemy had done, some here and some +there, to amuse them. + +At night, April 4th, the king commanded about 2000 men to march to +the point, and to throw up a trench on either side, and quite round +it with a battery of six pieces of cannon at each end, besides three +small mounts, one at the point and one of each side, which had each of +them two pieces upon them. This work was begun so briskly and so well +carried on, the king firing all the night from the other parts of +the river, that by daylight all the batteries at the new work were +mounted, the trench lined with 2000 musketeers, and all the utensils +of the bridge lay ready to be put together. + +Now the Imperialists discovered the design, but it was too late +to hinder it; the musketeers in the great trench, and the five new +batteries, made such continual fire that the other bank, which, as +before, lay twelve feet below them, was too hot for the Imperialists; +whereupon Tilly, to be provided for the king at his coming over, falls +to work in a wood right against the point, and raises a great battery +for twenty pieces of cannon, with a breastwork or line, as near the +river as he could, to cover his men, thinking that when the king had +built his bridge he might easily beat it down with his cannon. + +But the king had doubly prevented him, first by laying his bridge so +low that none of Tilly's shot could hurt it; for the bridge lay not +above half a foot above the water's edge, by which means the king, who +in that showed himself an excellent engineer, had secured it from +any batteries to be made within the land, and the angle of the bank +secured it from the remoter batteries on the other side, and the +continual fire of the cannon and small shot beat the Imperialists from +their station just against it, they having no works to cover them. + +And in the second place, to secure his passage he sent over about +200 men, and after that 200 more, who had orders to cast up a large +ravelin on the other bank, just where he designed to land his bridge. +This was done with such expedition too, that it was finished before +night, and in condition to receive all the shot of Tilly's great +battery, and effectually covered his bridge. While this was doing the +king on his side lays over his bridge. Both sides wrought hard all +day and night, as if the spade, not the sword, had been to decide +the controversy, and that he had got the victory whose trenches and +batteries were first ready. In the meanwhile the cannon and musket +bullets flew like hail, and made the service so hot that both sides +had enough to do to make their men stand to their work. The king, in +the hottest of it, animated his men by his presence, and Tilly, to +give him his due, did the same; for the execution was so great, and +so many officers killed, General Altringer wounded, and two +sergeant-majors killed, that at last Tilly himself was obliged +to expose himself, and to come up to the very face of our line to +encourage his men, and give his necessary orders. + +And here about one o'clock, much about the time that the king's +brigade and works were finished, and just as they said he had ordered +to fall on upon our ravelin with 3000 foot, was the brave old +Tilly slain with a musket ball in the thigh. He was carried off to +Ingolstadt, and lived some days after, but died of that wound the +same day as the king had his horse shot under him at the siege of that +town. + +We made no question of passing the river here, having brought +everything so forward, and with such extraordinary success; but we +should have found it a very hot piece of work if Tilly had lived one +day more, and, if I may give my opinion of it, having seen Tilly's +battery and breastwork, in the face of which we must have passed the +river, I must say that, whenever we had marched, if Tilly had fallen +in with his horse and foot, placed in that trench, the whole army +would have passed as much danger as in the face of a strong town in +the storming a counterscarp. The king himself, when he saw with what +judgment Tilly had prepared his works, and what danger he must have +run, would often say that day's success was every way equal to the +victory of Leipsic. + +Tilly being hurt and carried off, as if the soul of the army had been +lost, they began to draw off. The Duke of Bavaria took horse and rid +away as if he had fled out of battle for his life. + +The other generals, with a little more caution, as well as courage, +drew off by degrees, sending their cannon and baggage away first, and +leaving some to continue firing on the bank of the river, to conceal +their retreat. The river preventing any intelligence, we knew nothing +of the disaster befallen them; and the king, who looked for blows, +having finished his bridge and ravelin, ordered to run a line with +palisadoes to take in more ground on the bank of the river, to cover +the first troops he should send over. This being finished the same +night, the king sends over a party of his guards to relieve the men +who were in the ravelin, and commanded 600 musketeers to man the new +line out of the Scots brigade. + +Early in the morning a small party of Scots, commanded by one Captain +Forbes, of my Lord Reay's regiment, were sent out to learn something +of the enemy, the king observing they had not fired all night; and +while this party were abroad, the army stood in battalia; and my old +friend Sir John Hepburn, whom of all men the king most depended upon +for any desperate service, was ordered to pass the bridge with his +brigade, and to draw up without the line, with command to advance as +he found the horse, who were to second him, come over. + +Sir John being passed without the trench, meets Captain Forbes with +some prisoners, and the good news of the enemy's retreat. He sends him +directly to the king, who was by this time at the head of his army, +in full battalia, ready to follow his vanguard, expecting a hot day's +work of it. Sir John sends messenger after messenger to the king, +entreating him to give him orders to advance; but the king would not +suffer him, for he was ever upon his guard, and would not venture a +surprise; so the army continued on this side the Lech all day and the +next night. In the morning the king sent for me, and ordered me to +draw out 300 horse, and a colonel with 600 horse, and a colonel with +800 dragoons, and ordered us to enter the wood by three ways, but +so as to be able to relieve one another; and then ordered Sir John +Hepburn with his brigade to advance to the edge of the wood to secure +our retreat, and at the same time commanded another brigade of foot to +pass the bridge, if need were, to second Sir John Hepburn, so warily +did this prudent general proceed. + +We advanced with our horse into the Bavarian camp, which we found +forsaken. The plunder of it was inconsiderable, for the exceeding +caution the king had used gave them time to carry off all their +baggage. We followed them three or four miles, and returned to our +camp. + +I confess I was most diverted that day with viewing the works which +Tilly had cast up, and must own again that had he not been taken off +we had met with as desperate a piece of work as ever was attempted. +The next day the rest of the cavalry came up to us, commanded by +Gustavus Horn, and the king and the whole army followed. We advanced +through the heart of Bavaria, took Rain at the first summons, and +several other small towns, and sat down before Augsburg. + +Augsburg, though a Protestant city, had a Popish Bavarian garrison +in it of above 5000 men, commanded by a Fugger, a great family in +Bavaria. The governor had posted several little parties as out-scouts +at the distance of two miles and a half or three miles from the town. +The king, at his coming up to this town, sends me with my little troop +and three companies of dragoons to beat in these out-scouts. The first +party I lighted on was not above sixteen men, who had made a small +barricado across the road, and stood resolutely upon their guard. I +commanded the dragoons to alight and open the barricado, which, while +they resolutely performed, the sixteen men gave them two volleys of +their muskets, and through the enclosures made their retreat to a +turnpike about a quarter of a mile farther. We passed their first +traverse, and coming up to the turnpike, I found it defended by 200 +musketeers. I prepared to attack them, sending word to the king how +strong the enemy was, and desired some foot to be sent me. My dragoons +fell on, and though the enemy made a very hot fire, had beat them from +this post before 200 foot, which the king had sent me, had come +up. Being joined with the foot, I followed the enemy, who retreated +fighting, till they came under the cannon of a strong redoubt, where +they drew up, and I could see another body of foot of about 300 join +them out of the works; upon which I halted, and considering I was in +view of the town, and a great way from the army, I faced about and +began to march off. As we marched I found the enemy followed, but +kept at a distance, as if they only designed to observe me. I had not +marched far, but I heard a volley of small shot, answered by two or +three more, which I presently apprehended to be at the turnpike, +where I had left a small guard of twenty-six men with a lieutenant. +Immediately I detached 100 dragoons to relieve my men and secure +my retreat, following myself as fast as the foot could march. The +lieutenant sent me back word the post was taken by the enemy, and my +men cut off. Upon this I doubled my pace, and when I came up I found +it as the lieutenant said; for the post was taken and manned with 300 +musketeers and three troops of horse. By this time, also, I found the +party in my rear made up towards me, so that I was like to be charged +in a narrow place both in front and rear. + +I saw there was no remedy but with all my force to fall upon that +party before me, and so to break through before those from the town +could come up with me; wherefore, commanding my dragoons to alight, I +ordered them to fall on upon the foot. Their horse were drawn up in +an enclosed field on one side of the road, a great ditch securing the +other side, so that they thought if I charged the foot in front they +would fall upon my flank, while those behind would charge my rear; +and, indeed, had the other come in time, they had cut me off. My +dragoons made three fair charges on their foot, but were received with +so much resolution and so brisk a fire, that they were beaten off, and +sixteen men killed. Seeing them so rudely handled, and the horse ready +to fall in, I relieved them with 100 musketeers, and they renewed +the attack; at the same time, with my troop of horse, flanked on both +wings with fifty musketeers, I faced their horse, but did not offer +to charge them. The case grew now desperate, and the enemy behind +were just at my heels with near 600 men. The captain who commanded the +musketeers who flanked my horse came up to me; says he, "If we do not +force this pass all will be lost; if you will draw out your troop and +twenty of my foot, and fall in, I'll engage to keep off the horse with +the rest." "With all my heart," says I. + +Immediately I wheeled off my troop, and a small party of the +musketeers followed me, and fell in with the dragoons and foot, who, +seeing the danger too as well as I, fought like madmen. The foot at +the turnpike were not able to hinder our breaking through, so we +made our way out, killing about 150 of them, and put the rest into +confusion. + +But now was I in as great a difficulty as before how to fetch off my +brave captain of foot, for they charged home upon him. He defended +himself with extraordinary gallantry, having the benefit of a piece of +a hedge to cover him, but he lost half his men, and was just upon +the point of being defeated when the king, informed by a soldier that +escaped from the turnpike, one of twenty-six, had sent a party of 600 +dragoons to bring me off; these came upon the spur, and joined with +me just as I had broke through the turnpike. The enemy's foot rallied +behind their horse, and by this time their other party was come in; +but seeing our relief they drew off together. + +I lost above 100 men in these skirmishes, and killed them about 180. +We secured the turnpike, and placed a company of foot there with 100 +dragoons, and came back well beaten to the army. The king, to prevent +such uncertain skirmishes, advanced the next day in view of the town, +and, according to his custom, sits down with his whole army within +cannon-shot of their walls. + +The King won this great city by force of words, for by two or three +messages and letters to and from the citizens, the town was gained, +the garrison not daring to defend them against their wills. His +Majesty made his public entrance into the city on the 14th of April, +and receiving the compliments of the citizens, advanced immediately to +Ingolstadt, which is accounted, and really is, the strongest town in +all these parts. + +The town had a very strong garrison in it, and the Duke of Bavaria lay +entrenched with his army under the walls of it, on the other side of +the river. The king, who never loved long sieges, having viewed the +town, and brought his army within musket-shot of it, called a council +of war, where it was the king's opinion, in short, that the town would +lose him more than 'twas worth, and therefore he resolved to raise his +siege. + +Here the king going to view the town had his horse shot with a +cannon-bullet from the works, which tumbled the king and his horse +over one another, that everybody thought he had been killed; but he +received no hurt at all. That very minute, as near as could be learnt, +General Tilly died in the town of the shot he received on the bank of +the Lech, as aforesaid. + +I was not in the camp when the king was hurt, for the king had sent +almost all the horse and dragoons, under Gustavus Horn, to face the +Duke of Bavaria's camp, and after that to plunder the country; which +truly was a work the soldiers were very glad of, for it was very +seldom they had that liberty given them, and they made very good use +of it when it was, for the country of Bavaria was rich and plentiful, +having seen no enemy before during the whole war. + +The army having left the siege of Ingolstadt, proceeds to take in the +rest of Bavaria. Sir John Hepburn, with three brigades of foot, and +Gustavus Horn, with 3000 horse and dragoons, went to the Landshut, and +took it the same day. The garrison was all horse, and gave us several +camisadoes at our approach, in one of which I lost two of my +troops, but when we had beat them into close quarters they presently +capitulated. The general got a great sum of money of the town, besides +a great many presents to the officers. And from thence the king +went on to Munich, the Duke of Bavaria's court. Some of the general +officers would fain have had the plundering of the duke's palace, but +the king was too generous. The city paid him 400,000 dollars; and the +duke's magazine was there seized, in which was 140 pieces of cannon, +and small arms for above 20,000 men. The great chamber of the duke's +rarities was preserved, by the king's special order, with a great deal +of care. I expected to have stayed here some time, and to have taken +a very exact account of this curious laboratory; but being commanded +away, I had no time, and the fate of the war never gave me opportunity +to see it again. + +The Imperialists, under the command of Commissary Osta, had +besieged Biberach, an Imperial city not very well fortified; and the +inhabitants being under the Swedes' protection, defended themselves +as well as they could, but were in great danger, and sent several +expresses to the king for help. + +The king immediately detaches a strong body of horse and foot to +relieve Biberach, and would be the commander himself. I marched among +the horse, but the Imperialists saved us the labour; for the news +of the king's coming frighted away Osta, that he left Biberach, +and hardly looked behind him till he got up to the Bodensee, on the +confines of Switzerland. + +At our return from this expedition the king had the first news of +Wallenstein's approach, who, on the death of Count Tilly, being +declared generalissimo of the emperor's forces, had played the tyrant +in Bohemia, and was now advancing with 60,000 men, as they reported, +to relieve the Duke of Bavaria. + +The king, therefore, in order to be in a posture to receive this great +general, resolves to quit Bavaria, and to expect him on the frontiers +of Franconia. And because he knew the Nurembergers for their kindness +to him would be the first sacrifice, he resolved to defend that city +against him whatever it cost. + +Nevertheless he did not leave Bavaria without a defence; but, on the +one hand, he left Sir John Baner with 10,000 men about Augsburg, and +the Duke of Saxe-Weimar with another like army about Ulm and Meningen, +with orders so to direct their march as that they might join him upon +any occasion in a few days. + +We encamped about Nuremberg the middle of June. The army, after so +many detachments, was not above 19,000 men. The Imperial army, joined +with the Bavarian, were not so numerous as was reported, but were +really 60,000 men. The king, not strong enough to fight, yet, as he +used to say, was strong enough not to be forced to fight, formed his +camp so under the cannon of Nuremberg that there was no besieging the +town but they must besiege him too; and he fortified his camp in so +formidable a manner that Wallenstein never durst attack him. On the +30th of June Wallenstein's troops appeared, and on the 5th of July +encamped close by the king, and posted themselves not on the Bavarian +side, but between the king and his own friends of Schwaben and +Frankenland, in order to intercept his provisions, and, as they +thought, to starve him out of his camp. + +Here they lay to see, as it were, who could subsist longest. The king +was strong in horse, for we had full 8000 horse and dragoons in the +army, and this gave us great advantage in the several skirmishes we +had with the enemy. The enemy had possession of the whole country, and +had taken effectual care to furnish their army with provisions; they +placed their guards in such excellent order, to secure their convoys, +that their waggons went from stage to stage as quiet as in a time of +peace, and were relieved every five miles by parties constantly +posted on the road. And thus the Imperial general sat down by us, not +doubting but he should force the king either to fight his way through +on very disadvantageous terms, or to rise for want of provisions, and +leave the city of Nuremberg a prey to his army; for he had vowed the +destruction of the city, and to make it a second Magdeburg. + +But the king, who was not to be easily deceived, had countermined all +Wallenstein's designs. He had passed his honour to the Nurembergers +that he would not leave them, and they had undertaken to victual his +army, and secure him from want, which they did so effectually, that +he had no occasion to expose his troops to any hazard or fatigues for +convoys or forage on any account whatever. + +The city of Nuremberg is a very rich and populous city, and the king +being very sensible of their danger, had given his word for their +defence. And when they, being terrified at the threats of the +Imperialists, sent their deputies to beseech the king to take care of +them, he sent them word he would, and be besieged with them. They, on +the other hand, laid in such stores of all sorts of provision, both +for men and horse, that had Wallenstein lain before it six months +longer, there would have been no scarcity. Every private house was +a magazine, the camp was plentifully supplied with all manner of +provisions, and the market always full, and as cheap as in times of +peace. The magistrates were so careful, and preserved so excellent an +order in the disposal of all sorts of provision, that no engrossing of +corn could be practised, for the prices were every day directed at the +town-house; and if any man offered to demand more money for corn than +the stated price, he could not sell, because at the town store-house +you might buy cheaper. Here are two instances of good and bad conduct: +the city of Magdeburg had been entreated by the king to settle funds, +and raise money for their provision and security, and to have a +sufficient garrison to defend them, but they made difficulties, either +to raise men for themselves, or to admit the king's troops to assist +them, for fear of the charge of maintaining them; and this was the +cause of the city's ruin. + +The city of Nuremberg opened their arms to receive the assistance +proffered by the Swedes, and their purses to defend their town +and common cause; and this was the saving them absolutely from +destruction. The rich burghers and magistrates kept open houses, where +the officers of the army were always welcome; and the council of the +city took such care of the poor that there was no complaining nor +disorders in the whole city. There is no doubt but it cost the city +a great deal of money; but I never saw a public charge borne with so +much cheerfulness, nor managed with so much prudence and conduct in my +life. The city fed above 50,000 mouths every day, including their own +poor, besides themselves; and yet when the king had lain thus three +months, and finding his armies longer in coming up than he expected, +asked the burgrave how their magazines held out, he answered, they +desired his Majesty not to hasten things for them, for they could +maintain themselves and him twelve months longer if there was +occasion. This plenty kept both the army and city in good health, as +well as in good heart; whereas nothing was to be had of us but blows, +for we fetched nothing from without our works, nor had no business +without the line but to interrupt the enemy. + +The manner of the king's encampment deserves a particular chapter. +He was a complete surveyor and a master in fortification, not to be +outdone by anybody. He had posted his army in the suburbs of the town, +and drawn lines round the whole circumference, so that he begirt +the whole city with his army. His works were large, the ditch deep, +flanked with innumerable bastions, ravelins, horn-works, forts, +redoubts, batteries, and palisadoes, the incessant work of 8000 men +for about fourteen days; besides that, the king was adding something +or other to it every day, and the very posture of his camp was +enough to tell a bigger army than Wallenstein's that he was not to be +assaulted in his trenches. + +The king's design appeared chiefly to be the preservation of the +city; but that was not all. He had three armies acting abroad in +three several places. Gustavus Horn was on the Moselle, the chancellor +Oxenstiern about Mentz, Cologne, and the Rhine, Duke William and +Duke Bernhard, together with General Baner, in Bavaria. And though he +designed they should all join him, and had wrote to them all to that +purpose, yet he did not hasten them, knowing that while he kept the +main army at bay about Nuremberg, they would, without opposition, +reduce those several countries they were acting in to his power. This +occasioned his lying longer in the camp at Nuremberg than he would +have done, and this occasioned his giving the Imperialists so many +alarms by his strong parties of horse, of which he was well provided, +that they might not be able to make any considerable detachments for +the relief of their friends. And here he showed his mastership in the +war, for by this means his conquests went on as effectually as if he +had been abroad himself. + +In the meantime it was not to be expected two such armies should lie +long so near without some action. The Imperial army, being masters +of the field, laid the country for twenty miles round Nuremberg in a +manner desolate. What the inhabitants could carry away had been before +secured in such strong towns as had garrisons to protect them, +and what was left the hungry Crabats devoured or set on fire; but +sometimes they were met with by our men, who often paid them home for +it. There had passed several small rencounters between our parties +and theirs; and as it falls out in such cases, sometimes one side, +sometimes the other, got the better. But I have observed there never +was any party sent out by the king's special appointment but always +came home with victory. + +The first considerable attempt, as I remember, was made on a convoy of +ammunition. The party sent out was commanded by a Saxon colonel, and +consisted of 1000 horse and 500 dragoons, who burnt above 600 waggons +loaded with ammunition and stores for the army, besides taking about +2000 muskets, which they brought back to the army. + +The latter end of July the king received advice that the Imperialists +had formed a magazine for provision at a town called Freynstat, twenty +miles from Nuremberg. Hither all the booty and contributions raised in +the Upper Palatinate, and parts adjacent, was brought and laid up as +in a place of security, a garrison of 600 men being placed to defend +it; and when a quantity of provisions was got together, convoys were +appointed to fetch it off. + +The king was resolved, if possible, to take or destroy this magazine; +and sending for Colonel Dubalt, a Swede, and a man of extraordinary +conduct, he tells him his design, and withal that he must be the man +to put it in execution, and ordered him to take what forces he thought +convenient. The colonel, who knew the town very well, and the country +about it, told his Majesty he would attempt it with all his heart; but +he was afraid 'twould require some foot to make the attack. "But we +can't stay for that," says the king; "you must then take some dragoons +with you;" and immediately the king called for me. I was just coming +up the stairs as the king's page was come out to inquire for me, so +I went immediately in to the king. "Here is a piece of hot work +for you," says the king, "Dubalt will tell it you; go together and +contrive it." + +We immediately withdrew, and the colonel told me the design, and what +the king and he had discoursed; that, in his opinion, foot would be +wanted: but the king had declared there was no time for the foot to +march, and had proposed dragoons. I told him, I thought dragoons might +do as well; so we agreed to take 1600 horse and 400 dragoons. The +king, impatient in his design, came into the room to us to know what +we had resolved on, approved our measures, gave us orders immediately; +and, turning to me, "You shall command the dragoons," says the king, +"but Dubalt must be general in this case, for he knows the country." +"Your Majesty," said I, "shall be always served by me in any figure +you please." The king wished us good speed, and hurried us away the +same afternoon, in order to come to the place in time. We marched +slowly on because of the carriages we had with us, and came to +Freynstat about one o'clock in the night perfectly undiscovered. The +guards were so negligent, that we came to the very port before they +had notice of us, and a sergeant with twelve dragoons thrust in upon +the out-sentinels, and killed them without noise. + +Immediately ladders were placed to the half-moon which defended +the gate, which the dragoons mounted and carried in a trice, about +twenty-eight men being cut in pieces within. As soon as the ravelin +was taken, they burst open the gate, at which I entered at the head of +200 dragoons, and seized the drawbridge. By this time the town was +in alarm, and the drums beat to arms, but it was too late, for by the +help of a petard we broke open the gate, and entered the town. The +garrison made an obstinate fight for about half-an-hour, but our +men being all in, and three troops of horse dismounted coming to our +assistance with their carabines, the town was entirely mastered by +three of the clock, and guards set to prevent anybody running to give +notice to the enemy. There were about 200 of the garrison killed, and +the rest taken prisoners. The town being thus secured, the gates were +opened, and Colonel Dubalt came in with the horse. + +The guards being set, we entered the magazine, where we found an +incredible quantity of all sorts of provision. There was 150 tons of +bread, 8000 sacks of meal, 4000 sacks of oats, and of other provisions +in proportion. We caused as much of it as could be loaded to be +brought away in such waggons and carriages as we found, and set the +rest on fire, town and all. We stayed by it till we saw it past a +possibility of being saved, and then drew off with 800 waggons, which +we found in the place, most of which we loaded with bread, meal, and +oats. While we were doing this we sent a party of dragoons into the +fields, who met us again as we came out, with above 1000 head of black +cattle, besides sheep. + +Our next care was to bring this booty home without meeting with the +enemy, to secure which, the colonel immediately despatched an +express to the king, to let him know of our success, and to desire a +detachment might be made to secure our retreat, being charged with so +much plunder. + +And it was no more than need; for though we had used all the diligence +possible to prevent any notice, yet somebody, more forward than +ordinary, had escaped away, and carried news of it to the Imperial +army. The general, upon this bad news, detaches Major-General Sparr +with a body of 6000 men to cut off our retreat. The king, who had +notice of this detachment, marches out in person with 3000 men to wait +upon General Sparr. All this was the account of one day. The king met +General Sparr at the moment when his troops were divided, fell upon +them, routed one part of them, and the rest in a few hours after, +killed them 1000 men, and took the general prisoner. + +In the interval of this action we came safe to the camp with our +booty, which was very considerable, and would have supplied our whole +army for a month. Thus we feasted at the enemy's cost, and beat them +into the bargain. + +The king gave all the live cattle to the Nurembergers, who, though +they had really no want of provisions, yet fresh meat was not so +plentiful as such provisions which were stored up in vessels and laid +by. + +After this skirmish we had the country more at command than before, +and daily fetched in fresh provisions and forage in the fields. + +The two armies had now lain a long time in sight of one another, +and daily skirmishes had considerably weakened them; and the king, +beginning to be impatient, hastened the advancement of his friends +to join him, in which also they were not backward; but having +drawn together their forces from several parts, and all joined the +chancellor Oxenstiern, news came, the 15th of August, that they were +in full march to join us; and being come to a small town called Brock, +the king went out of the camp with about 1000 horse to view them. I +went along with the horse, and the 21st of August saw the review +of all the armies together, which were 30,000 men, in extraordinary +equipage, old soldiers, and commanded by officers of the greatest +conduct and experience in the world. There was the rich chancellor of +Sweden, who commanded as general; Gustavus Horn and John Baner, both +Swedes and old generals; Duke William and Duke Bernhard of Weimar; the +Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel, the Palatine of Birkenfelt, and abundance +of princes and lords of the empire. + +The armies being joined, the king, who was now a match for +Wallenstein, quits his camp and draws up in battalia before the +Imperial trenches: but the scene was changed. Wallenstein was no more +able to fight now than the king was before; but, keeping within his +trenches, stood upon his guard. The king coming up close to his +works, plants batteries, and cannonaded him in his very camp. The +Imperialists, finding the king press upon them, retreat into a woody +country about three leagues, and, taking possession of an old ruined +castle, posted their army behind it. + +This old castle they fortified, and placed a very strong guard there. +The king, having viewed the place, though it was a very strong post, +resolved to attack it with the whole right wing. The attack was made +with a great deal of order and resolution, the king leading the first +party on with sword in hand, and the fight was maintained on both +sides with the utmost gallantry and obstinacy all the day and the next +night too, for the cannon and musket never gave over till the morning; +but the Imperialists having the advantage of the hill, of their works +and batteries, and being continually relieved, and the Swedes naked, +without cannon or works, the post was maintained, and the king, +finding it would cost him too much blood, drew off in the morning. + +This was the famous fight at Altemberg, where the Imperialists boasted +to have shown the world the King of Sweden was not invincible. They +call it the victory at Altemberg; 'tis true the king failed in his +attempt of carrying their works, but there was so little of a victory +in it, that the Imperial general thought fit not to venture a second +brush, but to draw off their army as soon as they could to a safer +quarter. + +I had no share in this attack, very few of the horse being in the +action, but my comrade, who was always among the Scots volunteers, was +wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy. They used him very civilly, +and the king and Wallenstein straining courtesies with one another, +the king released Major-General Sparr without ransom, and the Imperial +general sent home Colonel Tortenson, a Swede, and sixteen volunteer +gentlemen, who were taken in the heat of the action, among whom my +captain was one. + +The king lay fourteen days facing the Imperial army, and using all +the stratagems possible to bring them to a battle, but to no purpose, +during which time we had parties continually out, and very often +skirmishes with the enemy. + +I had a command of one of these parties in an adventure, wherein I got +no booty, nor much honour. The King had received advice of a convoy +of provisions which was to come to the enemy's camp from the Upper +Palatinate, and having a great mind to surprise them, he commanded +us to waylay them with 1200 horse, and 800 dragoons. I had exact +directions given me of the way they were to come, and posting my horse +in a village a little out of the road, I lay with my dragoons in a +wood, by which they were to pass by break of day. The enemy appeared +with their convoy, and being very wary, their out-scouts discovered us +in the wood, and fired upon the sentinel I had posted in a tree at +the entrance of the wood. Finding myself discovered, I would have +retreated to the village where my horse were posted, but in a moment +the wood was skirted with the enemy's horse, and 1000 commanded +musketeers advanced to beat me out. In this pickle I sent away three +messengers one after another for the horse, who were within two miles +of me, to advance to my relief; but all my messengers fell into the +enemy's hands. Four hundred of my dragoons on foot, whom I had placed +at a little distance before me, stood to their work, and beat off two +charges of the enemy's foot with some loss on both sides. Meantime 200 +of my men faced about, and rushing out of the wood, broke through +a party of the enemy's horse, who stood to watch our coming out. I +confess I was exceedingly surprised at it, thinking those fellows had +done it to make their escape, or else were gone over to the enemy; and +my men were so discouraged at it, that they began to look about +which way to run to save themselves, and were just upon the point of +disbanding to shift for themselves, when one of the captains called +to me aloud to beat a parley and treat. I made no answer, but, as if +I had not heard him, immediately gave the word for all the captains to +come together. The consultation was but short, for the musketeers were +advancing to a third charge, with numbers which we were not likely to +deal with. In short, we resolved to beat a parley, and demand quarter, +for that was all we could expect, when on a sudden the body of horse +I had posted in the village, being directed by the noise, had advanced +to relieve me, if they saw occasion, and had met the 200 dragoons, +who guided them directly to the spot where they had broke through, and +altogether fell upon the horse of the enemy, who were posted on that +side, and, mastering them before they could be relieved, cut them all +to pieces and brought me off. Under the shelter of this party, we made +good our retreat to the village, but we lost above 300 men, and were +glad to make off from the village too, for the enemy were very much +too strong for us. + +Returning thence towards the camp, we fell foul with 200 Crabats, who +had been upon the plundering account. We made ourselves some amends +upon them for our former loss, for we showed them no mercy; but our +misfortunes were not ended, for we had but just despatched those +Crabats when we fell in with 3000 Imperial horse, who, on the +expectation of the aforesaid convoy, were sent out to secure them. +All I could do could not persuade my men to stand their ground against +this party; so that finding they would run away in confusion, I agreed +to make off, and facing to the right, we went over a large common +a full trot, till at last fear, which always increases in a flight, +brought us to a plain flight, the enemy at our heels. I must confess +I was never so mortified in my life; 'twas to no purpose to turn head, +no man would stand by us; we run for life, and a great many we left by +the way who were either wounded by the enemy's shot, or else could not +keep race with us. + +At last, having got over the common, which was near two miles, we came +to a lane; one of our captains, a Saxon by country, and a gentleman of +a good fortune, alighted at the entrance of the lane, and with a bold +heart faced about, shot his own horse, and called his men to stand by +him and defend the lane. Some of his men halted, and we rallied about +600 men, which we posted as well as we could, to defend the pass; +but the enemy charged us with great fury. The Saxon gentleman, after +defending himself with exceeding gallantry, and refusing quarter, was +killed upon the spot. A German dragoon, as I thought him, gave me a +rude blow with the stock of his piece on the side of my head, and was +just going to repeat it, when one of my men shot him dead. I was so +stunned with the blow, that I knew nothing; but recovering, I found +myself in the hands of two of the enemy's officers, who offered me +quarter, which I accepted; and indeed, to give them their due, they +used me very civilly. Thus this whole party was defeated, and not +above 500 men got safe to the army; nor had half the number escaped, +had not the Saxon captain made so bold a stand at the head of the +lane. + +Several other parties of the king's army revenged our quarrel, and +paid them home for it; but I had a particular loss in this defeat, +that I never saw the king after; for though his Majesty sent a trumpet +to reclaim us as prisoners the very next day, yet I was not delivered, +some scruple happening about exchanging, till after the battle of +Luetzen, where that gallant prince lost his life. + +The Imperial army rose from their camp about eight or ten days after +the king had removed, and I was carried prisoner in the army till they +sat down to the siege of Coburg Castle, and then was left with other +prisoners of war, in the custody of Colonel Spezuter, in a small +castle near the camp called Neustadt. Here we continued indifferent +well treated, but could learn nothing of what action the armies were +upon, till the Duke of Friedland, having been beaten off from the +castle of Coburg, marched into Saxony, and the prisoners were sent for +into the camp, as was said, in order to be exchanged. + +I came into the Imperial leaguer at the siege of Leipsic, and within +three days after my coming, the city was surrendered, and I got +liberty to lodge at my old quarters in the town upon my parole. + +The King of Sweden was at the heels of the Imperialists, for finding +Wallenstein resolved to ruin the Elector of Saxony, the king had +re-collected as much of his divided army as he could, and came upon +him just as he was going to besiege Torgau. + +As it is not my design to write a history of any more of these wars +than I was actually concerned in, so I shall only note that, upon +the king's approach, Wallenstein halted, and likewise called all his +troops together, for he apprehended the king would fall on him, and +we that were prisoners fancied the Imperial soldiers went unwillingly +out, for the very name of the King of Sweden was become terrible to +them. In short, they drew all the soldiers of the garrison they could +spare out of Leipsic; sent for Pappenheim again, who was gone but +three days before with 6000 men on a private expedition. On the 16th +of November, the armies met on the plains of Luetzen; a long and bloody +battle was fought, the Imperialists were entirely routed and beaten, +12,000 slain upon the spot, their cannon, baggage, and 2000 prisoners +taken, but the King of Sweden lost his life, being killed at the head +of his troops in the beginning of the fight. + +It is impossible to describe the consternation the death of this +conquering king struck into all the princes of Germany; the grief +for him exceeded all manner of human sorrow. All people looked upon +themselves as ruined and swallowed up; the inhabitants of two-thirds +of all Germany put themselves into mourning for him; when the +ministers mentioned him in their sermons or prayers, whole +congregations would burst out into tears. The Elector of Saxony was +utterly inconsolable, and would for several days walk about his palace +like a distracted man, crying the saviour of Germany was lost, the +refuge of abused princes was gone, the soul of the war was dead; and +from that hour was so hopeless of out-living the war, that he sought +to make peace with the emperor. + +Three days after this mournful victory, the Saxons recovered the town +of Leipsic by stratagem. The Duke of Saxony's forces lay at Torgau, +and perceiving the confusion the Imperialists were in at the news of +the overthrow of their army, they resolved to attempt the recovery of +the town. They sent about twenty scattering troopers, who, pretending +themselves to be Imperialists fled from the battle, were let in one by +one, and still as they came in, they stayed at the court of guard in +the port, entertaining the soldiers with discourse about the fight, +and how they escaped, and the like, till the whole number being got +in, at a watchword they fell on the guard, and cut them all in pieces; +and immediately opening the gate to three troops of Saxon horse, the +town was taken in a moment. + +It was a welcome surprise to me, for I was at liberty of course; and +the war being now on another foot, as I thought, and the king dead, I +resolved to quit the service. + +I had sent my man, as I have already noted, into England, in order to +bring over the troops my father had raised for the King of Sweden. He +executed his commission so well, that he landed with five troops at +Embden in very good condition; and orders were sent them by the king, +to join the Duke of Lunenberg's army, which they did at the siege of +Boxtude, in the Lower Saxony. Here by long and very sharp service +they were most of them cut off, and though they were several times +recruited, yet I understood there were not three full troops left. + +The Duke of Saxe-Weimar, a gentleman of great courage, had the command +of the army after the king's death, and managed it with so much +prudence, that all things were in as much order as could be expected, +after so great a loss; for the Imperialists were everywhere beaten, +and Wallenstein never made any advantage of the king's death. + +I waited on him at Heilbronn, whither he was gone to meet the great +chancellor of Sweden, where I paid him my respects, and desired he +would bestow the remainder of my regiment on my comrade the captain, +which he did with all the civility and readiness imaginable. So I took +my leave of him, and prepared to come for England. + +I shall only note this, that at this Diet, the Protestant princes of +the empire renewed their league with one another, and with the crown +of Sweden, and came to several regulations and conclusions for the +carrying on the war, which they afterwards prosecuted, under the +direction of the said chancellor of Sweden. But it was not the work of +a small difficulty nor of a short time. And having been persuaded +to continue almost two years afterwards at Frankfort, Heilbronn, and +there-about, by the particular friendship of that noble wise man, and +extraordinary statesman, Axeli Oxenstiern, chancellor of Sweden, I had +opportunity to be concerned in, and present at, several treaties of +extraordinary consequence, sufficient for a history, if that were my +design. + +Particularly I had the happiness to be present at, and have some +concern in, the treaty for the restoring the posterity of the truly +noble Palsgrave, King of Bohemia. King James of England had indeed too +much neglected the whole family; and I may say with authority enough, +from my own knowledge of affairs, had nothing been done for them but +what was from England, that family had remained desolate and forsaken +to this day. + +But that glorious king, whom I can never mention without some remark +of his extraordinary merit, had left particular instructions with his +chancellor to rescue the Palatinate to its rightful lord, as a proof +of his design to restore the liberty of Germany, and reinstate the +oppressed princes who were subjected to the tyranny of the house of +Austria. + +Pursuant to this resolution, the chancellor proceeded very much like +a man of honour; and though the King of Bohemia was dead a little +before, yet he carefully managed the treaty, answered the objections +of several princes, who, in the general ruin of the family, had +reaped private advantages, settled the capitulations for the quota of +contributions very much for their advantage, and fully reinstalled +the Prince Charles in the possession of all his dominions in the Lower +Palatinate, which afterwards was confirmed to him and his posterity by +the peace of Westphalia, where all these bloody wars were finished +in a peace, which has since been the foundation of the Protestants' +liberty, and the best security of the whole empire. + +I spent two years rather in wandering up and down than travelling; +for though I had no mind to serve, yet I could not find in my heart to +leave Germany; and I had obtained some so very close intimacies with +the general officers that I was often in the army, and sometimes they +did me the honour to bring me into their councils of war. + +Particularly, at that eminent council before the battle of Noerdlingen, +I was invited to the council of war, both by Duke Bernhard of Weimar +and by Gustavus Horn. They were generals of equal worth, and their +courage and experience had been so well, and so often tried, that more +than ordinary regard was always given to what they said. Duke Bernhard +was indeed the younger man, and Gustavus had served longer under our +great schoolmaster the king; but it was hard to judge which was the +better general, since both had experience enough, and shown undeniable +proofs both of their bravery and conduct. + +I am obliged, in the course of my relation, so often to mention the +great respect I often received from these great men, that it makes me +sometimes jealous, lest the reader may think I affect it as a vanity. +The truth is, that I am ready to confess, the honours I received, upon +all occasions, from persons of such worth, and who had such an eminent +share in the greatest action of that age, very much pleased me, and +particularly, as they gave me occasions to see everything that was +doing on the whole stage of the war. For being under no command, +but at liberty to rove about, I could come to no Swedish garrison or +party, but, sending my name to the commanding officer, I could have +the word sent me; and if I came into the army, I was often treated as +I was now at this famous battle of Noerdlingen. + +But I cannot but say, that I always looked upon this particular +respect to be the effect of more than ordinary regard the great king +of Sweden always showed me, rather than any merit of my own; and the +veneration they all had for his memory, made them continue to show me +all the marks of a suitable esteem. + +But to return to the council of war, the great and, indeed, the only +question before us was, Shall we give battle to the Imperialists, or +not? Gustavus Horn was against it, and gave, as I thought, the most +invincible arguments against a battle that reason could imagine. + +First, they were weaker than the enemy by above 5000 men. + +Secondly, the Cardinal-Infant of Spain, who was in the Imperial army +with 8000 men, was but there _en passant_, being going from Italy to +Flanders, to take upon him the government of the Low Countries; and if +he saw no prospect of immediate action, would be gone in a few days. + +Thirdly, they had two reinforcements, one of 5000 men, under the +command of Colonel Cratz, and one of 7000 men, under the Rhinegrave, +who were just at hand--the last within three days' march of them: and, + +Lastly, they had already saved their honour; in that they had put 600 +foot into the town of Noerdlingen, in the face of the enemy's army, and +consequently the town might hold out some days the longer. + +Fate, rather than reason, certainly blinded the rest of the generals +against such arguments as these. Duke Bernhard and almost all the +generals were for fighting, alleging the affront it would be to the +Swedish reputation to see their friends in the town lost before their +faces. + +Gustavus Horn stood stiff to his cautious advice, and was against it, +and I thought the Baron D'Offkirk treated him a little indecently; +for, being very warm in the matter, he told them, that if Gustavus +Adolphus had been governed by such cowardly counsel, he had never +been conqueror of half Germany in two years. "No," replied old General +Horn, very smartly, "but he had been now alive to have testified for +me, that I was never taken by him for a coward: and yet," says he, +"the king was never for a victory with a hazard, when he could have it +without." + +I was asked my opinion, which I would have declined, being in no +commission; but they pressed me to speak. I told them I was for +staying at least till the Rhinegrave came up, who, at least, might, if +expresses were sent to hasten him, be up with us in twenty-four hours. +But Offkirk could not hold his passion, and had not he been overruled +he would have almost quarrelled with Marshal Horn. Upon which the old +general, not to foment him, with a great deal of mildness stood up, +and spoke thus-- + +"Come, Offkirk," says he, "I'll submit my opinion to you, and the +majority of our fellow-soldiers. We will fight, but, upon my word, we +shall have our hands full." + +The resolution thus taken, they attacked the Imperial army. I must +confess the counsels of this day seemed as confused as the resolutions +of the night. + +Duke Bernhard was to lead the van of the left wing, and to post +himself upon a hill which was on the enemy's right without their +entrenchments, so that, having secured that post, they might level +their cannon upon the foot, who stood behind the lines, and relieved +the town at pleasure. He marched accordingly by break of day, and +falling with great fury upon eight regiments of foot, which were +posted at the foot of the hill, he presently routed them, and made +himself master of the post. Flushed with this success, he never +regards his own concerted measures of stopping there and possessing +what he had got, but pushes on and falls in with the main body of the +enemy's army. + +While this was doing, Gustavus Horn attacks another post on the hill, +where the Spaniards had posted and lodged themselves behind some +works they had cast up on the side of the hill. Here they defended +themselves with extreme obstinacy for five hours, and at last obliged +the Swedes to give it over with loss. This extraordinary gallantry of +the Spaniards was the saving of the Imperial army; for Duke +Bernhard having all this while resisted the frequent charges of the +Imperialists, and borne the weight of two-thirds of their army, was +not able to stand any longer, but sending one messenger on the neck of +another to Gustavus Horn for more foot, he, finding he could not carry +his point, had given it over, and was in full march to second the +duke. But now it was too late, for the King of Hungary seeing the +duke's men, as it were, wavering, and having notice of Horn's wheeling +about to second him, falls in with all his force upon his flank, +and with his Hungarian hussars, made such a furious charge, that the +Swedes could stand no longer. + +The rout of the left wing was so much the more unhappy, as it happened +just upon Gustavus Horn's coming up; for, being pushed on with the +enemies at their heels, they were driven upon their own friends, who, +having no ground to open and give them way, were trodden down by their +own runaway brethren. This brought all into the utmost confusion. +The Imperialists cried "Victoria!" and fell into the middle of the +infantry with a terrible slaughter. + +I have always observed, 'tis fatal to upbraid an old experienced +officer with want of courage. If Gustavus Horn had not been whetted +with the reproaches of the Baron D'Offkirk, and some of the other +general officers, I believe it had saved the lives of a thousand men; +for when all was thus lost, several officers advised him to make a +retreat with such regiments as he had yet unbroken; but nothing could +persuade him to stir a foot. But turning his flank into a front, he +saluted the enemy, as they passed by him in pursuit of the rest, +with such terrible volleys of small shot, as cost them the lives of +abundance of their men. + +The Imperialists, eager in the pursuit, left him unbroken, till the +Spanish brigade came up and charged him. These he bravely repulsed +with a great slaughter, and after them a body of dragoons; till being +laid at on every side, and most of his men killed, the brave old +general, with all the rest who were left, were made prisoners. + +The Swedes had a terrible loss here, for almost all their infantry +were killed or taken prisoners. Gustavus Horn refused quarter several +times; and still those that attacked him were cut down by his men, +who fought like furies, and by the example of their general, behaved +themselves like lions. But at last, these poor remains of a body of +the bravest men in the world were forced to submit. I have heard him +say, he had much rather have died than been taken, but that he yielded +in compassion to so many brave men as were about him; for none of them +would take quarter till he gave his consent. + +I had the worst share in this battle that ever I had in any action of +my life; and that was to be posted among as brave a body of horse as +any in Germany, and yet not be able to succour our own men; but +our foot were cut in pieces (as it were) before our faces, and the +situation of the ground was such as we could not fall in. All that we +were able to do, was to carry off about 2000 of the foot, who, running +away in the rout of the left wing, rallied among our squadrons, and +got away with us. Thus we stood till we saw all was lost, and then +made the best retreat we could to save ourselves, several regiments +having never charged, nor fired a shot; for the foot had so +embarrassed themselves among the lines and works of the enemy, and in +the vineyards and mountains, that the horse were rendered absolutely +unserviceable. + +The Rhinegrave had made such expedition to join us, that he reached +within three miles of the place of action that night, and he was a +great safeguard for us in rallying our dispersed men, who else had +fallen into the enemy's hands, and in checking the pursuit of the +enemy. + +And indeed, had but any considerable body of the foot made an orderly +retreat, it had been very probable they had given the enemy a brush +that would have turned the scale of victory; for our horse being +whole, and in a manner untouched, the enemy found such a check in the +pursuit, that 1600 of their forwardest men following too eagerly, fell +in with the Rhinegrave's advanced troops the next day, and were cut in +pieces without mercy. + +This gave us some satisfaction for the loss, but it was but small +compared to the ruin of that day. We lost near 8000 men upon the spot, +and above 3000 prisoners, all our cannon and baggage, and 120 colours. +I thought I never made so indifferent a figure in my life, and so we +thought all; to come away, lose our infantry, our general, and our +honour, and never fight for it. Duke Bernhard was utterly disconsolate +for old Gustavus Horn, for he concluded him killed; he tore the hair +from his head like a madman, and telling the Rhinegrave the story of +the council of war, would reproach himself with not taking his advice, +often repeating it in his passion. "Tis I," said he, "have been the +death of the bravest general in Germany;" would call himself fool +and boy, and such names, for not listening to the reasons of an old +experienced soldier. But when he heard he was alive in the enemy's +hands he was the easier, and applied himself to the recruiting his +troops, and the like business of the war; and it was not long before +he paid the Imperialists with interest. + +I returned to Frankfort-au-Main after this action, which happened the +17th of August 1634; but the progress of the Imperialists was so great +that there was no staying at Frankfort. The chancellor Oxenstiern +removed to Magdeburg, Duke Bernhard and the Landgrave marched into +Alsatia, and the Imperialists carried all before them for all the rest +of the campaign. They took Philipsburg by surprise; they took Augsburg +by famine, Spire and Treves by sieges, taking the Elector prisoner. +But this success did one piece of service to the Swedes, that it +brought the French into the war on their side, for the Elector of +Treves was their confederate. The French gave the conduct of the war +to Duke Bernhard. This, though the Duke of Saxony fell off, and fought +against them, turned the scale so much in their favour, that they +recovered their losses, and proved a terror to all Germany. The +farther accounts of the war I refer to the histories of those times, +which I have since read with a great deal of delight. + +I confess when I saw the progress of the Imperial army, after the +battle of Noerdlingen, and the Duke of Saxony turning his arms against +them, I thought their affairs declining; and, giving them over for +lost, I left Frankfort, and came down the Rhine to Cologne, and from +thence into Holland. + +I came to the Hague the 8th of March 1635, having spent three years +and a half in Germany, and the greatest part of it in the Swedish +army. + +I spent some time in Holland viewing the wonderful power of art, +which I observed in the fortifications of their towns, where the very +bastions stand on bottomless morasses, and yet are as firm as any in +the world. There I had the opportunity of seeing the Dutch army, +and their famous general, Prince Maurice. 'Tis true, the men behaved +themselves well enough in action, when they were put to it, but the +prince's way of beating his enemies without fighting, was so unlike +the gallantry of my royal instructor, that it had no manner of relish +with me. Our way in Germany was always to seek out the enemy and fight +him; and, give the Imperialists their due, they were seldom hard to +be found, but were as free of their flesh as we were. Whereas Prince +Maurice would lie in a camp till he starved half his men, if by lying +there he could but starve two-thirds of his enemies; so that indeed +the war in Holland had more of fatigues and hardships in it, and ours +had more of fighting and blows. Hasty marches, long and unwholesome +encampments, winter parties, counter-marching, dodging and +entrenching, were the exercises of his men, and oftentimes killed +him more men with hunger, cold and diseases, than he could do with +fighting. Not that it required less courage, but rather more, for +a soldier had at any time rather die in the field _a la coup de +mousquet_, than be starved with hunger, or frozen to death in the +trenches. + +Nor do I think I lessen the reputation of that great general; for 'tis +most certain he ruined the Spaniard more by spinning the war thus out +in length, than he could possibly have done by a swift conquest. +For had he, Gustavus-like, with a torrent of victory dislodged the +Spaniard of all the twelve provinces in five years, whereas he was +forty years a-beating them out of seven, he had left them rich and +strong at home, and able to keep them in constant apprehensions of a +return of his power. Whereas, by the long continuance of the war, he +so broke the very heart of the Spanish monarchy, so absolutely and +irrecoverably impoverished them, that they have ever since languished +of the disease, till they are fallen from the most powerful, to be the +most despicable nation in the world. + +The prodigious charge the King of Spain was at in losing the seven +provinces, broke the very spirit of the nation; and that so much, +that all the wealth of their Peruvian mountains have not been able to +retrieve it; King Philip having often declared that war, besides his +Armada for invading England, had cost him 370,000,000 of ducats, and +4,000,000 of the best soldiers in Europe; whereof, by an unreasonable +Spanish obstinacy, above 60,000 lost their lives before Ostend, a town +not worth a sixth part either of the blood or money it cost in a siege +of three years; and which at last he had never taken, but that Prince +Maurice thought it not worth the charge of defending it any longer. + +However, I say, their way of fighting in Holland did not relish with +me at all. The prince lay a long time before a little fort called +Schenkenschanz, which the Spaniard took by surprise, and I thought he +might have taken it much sooner. Perhaps it might be my mistake, but +I fancied my hero, the King of Sweden, would have carried it sword in +hand, in half the time. + +However it was, I did not like it; so in the latter end of the year I +came to the Hague, and took shipping for England, where I arrived, to +the great satisfaction of my father and all my friends. + +My father was then in London, and carried me to kiss the king's hand. +His Majesty was pleased to receive me very well, and to say a great +many very obliging things to my father upon my account. + +I spent my time very retired from court, for I was almost wholly in +the country; and it being so much different from my genius, which +hankered after a warmer sport than hunting among our Welsh mountains, +I could not but be peeping in all the foreign accounts from Germany, +to see who and who was together. There I could never hear of a battle, +and the Germans being beaten, but I began to wish myself there. +But when an account came of the progress of John Baner, the Swedish +general in Saxony, and of the constant victories he had there over the +Saxons, I could no longer contain myself, but told my father this life +was very disagreeable to me; that I lost my time here, and might to +much more advantage go into Germany, where I was sure I might make my +fortune upon my own terms; that, as young as I was, I might have been +a general officer by this time, if I had not laid down my commission; +that General Baner, or the Marshal Horn, had either of them so much +respect for me, that I was sure I might have anything of them; and +that if he pleased to give me leave, I would go for Germany again. My +father was very unwilling to let me go, but seeing me uneasy, told +me that, if I was resolved, he would oblige me to stay no longer in +England than the next spring, and I should have his consent. + +The winter following began to look very unpleasant upon us in England, +and my father used often to sigh at it; and would tell me sometimes +he was afraid we should have no need to send Englishmen to fight in +Germany. + +The cloud that seemed to threaten most was from Scotland. My father, +who had made himself master of the arguments on both sides, used to be +often saying he feared there was some about the king who exasperated +him too much against the Scots, and drove things too high. For my +part, I confess I did not much trouble my head with the cause; but all +my fear was they would not fall out, and we should have no fighting. +I have often reflected since, that I ought to have known better, that +had seen how the most flourishing provinces of Germany were reduced to +the most miserable condition that ever any country in the world was, +by the ravagings of soldiers, and the calamities of war. + +How much soever I was to blame, yet so it was, I had a secret joy +at the news of the king's raising an army, and nothing could have +withheld me from appearing in it; but my eagerness was anticipated +by an express the king sent to my father, to know if his son was in +England; and my father having ordered me to carry the answer myself, I +waited upon his Majesty with the messenger. The king received me with +his usual kindness, and asked me if I was willing to serve him against +the Scots? + +I answered, I was ready to serve him against any that his Majesty +thought fit to account his enemies, and should count it an honour to +receive his commands. Hereupon his Majesty offered me a commission. I +told him, I supposed there would not be much time for raising of men; +that if his Majesty pleased I would be at the rendezvous with as many +gentlemen as I could get together, to serve his Majesty as volunteers. + +The truth is, I found all the regiments of horse the king designed to +raise were but two as regiments; the rest of the horse were such as +the nobility raised in their several countries, and commanded them +themselves; and, as I had commanded a regiment of horse abroad, it +looked a little odd to serve with a single troop at home; and the king +took the thing presently. "Indeed 'twill be a volunteer war," said the +king, "for the Northern gentry have sent me an account of above 4000 +horse they have already." I bowed, and told his Majesty I was glad to +hear his subjects were forward to serve him. So taking his Majesty's +orders to be at York by the end of March, I returned to my father. + +My father was very glad I had not taken a commission, for I know not +from what kind of emulation between the western and northern gentry. +The gentlemen of our side were not very forward in the service; their +loyalty to the king in the succeeding times made it appear it was not +for any disaffection to his Majesty's interest or person, or to the +cause; but this, however, made it difficult for me when I came home +to get any gentlemen of quality to serve with me, so that I presented +myself to his Majesty only as a volunteer, with eight gentlemen and +about thirty-six countrymen well mounted and armed. + +And as it proved, these were enough, for this expedition ended in an +accommodation with the Scots; and they not advancing so much as to +their own borders, we never came to any action. But the armies lay +in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, ate up the country, +and spent the king a vast sum of money; and so this war ended, a +pacification was made, and both sides returned. + +The truth is, I never saw such a despicable appearance of men in arms +to begin a war in my life; whether it was that I had seen so many +braver armies abroad that prejudiced me against them, or that it +really was so; for to me they seemed little better than a rabble met +together to devour, rather than fight for their king and country. +There was indeed a great appearance of gentlemen, and those of +extraordinary quality; but their garb, their equipages, and their +mien, did not look like war; their troops were filled with footmen +and servants, and wretchedly armed, God wot. I believe I might say, +without vanity, one regiment of Finland horse would have made sport +at beating them all. There were such crowds of parsons (for this was +a Church war in particular) that the camp and court was full of them; +and the king was so eternally besieged with clergymen of one sort or +another, that it gave offence to the chief of the nobility. + +As was the appearance, so was the service. The army marched to the +borders, and the headquarter was at Berwick-upon-Tweed; but the Scots +never appeared, no, not so much as their scouts; whereupon the king +called a council of war, and there it was resolved to send the Earl of +Holland with a party of horse into Scotland, to learn some news of the +enemy. And truly the first news he brought us was, that finding their +army encamped about Coldingham, fifteen miles from Berwick, as soon as +he appeared, the Scots drew out a party to charge him, upon which +most of his men halted--I don't say run away, but 'twas next door to +it--for they could not be persuaded to fire their pistols, and wheel +of like soldiers, but retreated in such a disorderly and shameful +manner, that had the enemy but had either the courage or conduct to +have followed them, it must have certainly ended in the ruin of the +whole party. + + +[Footnote 1: Upon the breach of the match between the King of England +and the Infanta of Spain; and particularly upon the old quarrel of the +King of Bohemia and the Palatinate.] + + + + +THE SECOND PART + + +I confess, when I went into arms at the beginning of this war, I never +troubled myself to examine sides: I was glad to hear the drums beat +for soldiers, as if I had been a mere Swiss, that had not cared which +side went up or down, so I had my pay. I went as eagerly and blindly +about my business, as the meanest wretch that 'listed in the army; nor +had I the least compassionate thought for the miseries of my native +country, till after the fight at Edgehill. I had known as much, and +perhaps more than most in the army, what it was to have an enemy +ranging in the bowels of a kingdom; I had seen the most flourishing +provinces of Germany reduced to perfect deserts, and the voracious +Crabats, with inhuman barbarity, quenching the fires of the plundered +villages with the blood of the inhabitants. Whether this had hardened +me against the natural tenderness which I afterwards found return upon +me, or not, I cannot tell; but I reflected upon myself afterwards with +a great deal of trouble, for the unconcernedness of my temper at the +approaching ruin of my native country. + +I was in the first army at York, as I have already noted, and, I must +confess, had the least diversion there that ever I found in an army in +my life. For when I was in Germany with the King of Sweden, we used +to see the king with the general officers every morning on horseback +viewing his men, his artillery, his horses, and always something going +forward. Here we saw nothing but courtiers and clergymen, bishops and +parsons, as busy as if the direction of the war had been in them. The +king was seldom seen among us, and never without some of them always +about him. + +Those few of us that had seen the wars, and would have made a short +end of this for him, began to be very uneasy; and particularly a +certain nobleman took the freedom to tell the king that the clergy +would certainly ruin the expedition. The case was this: he would +have had the king have immediately marched into Scotland, and put the +matter to the trial of a battle; and he urged it every day. And the +king finding his reasons very good, would often be of his opinion; but +next morning he would be of another mind. + +This gentleman was a man of conduct enough, and of unquestioned +courage, and afterwards lost his life for the king. He saw we had an +army of young stout fellows numerous enough; and though they had not +yet seen much service, he was for bringing them to action, that the +Scots might not have time to strengthen themselves, nor they have +time by idleness and sotting, the bane of soldiers, to make themselves +unfit for anything. + +I was one morning in company with this gentleman; and as he was a warm +man, and eager in his discourse, "A pox of these priests," says he, +"'tis for them the king has raised this army, and put his friends to a +vast charge; and now we are come, they won't let us fight." + +But I was afterwards convinced the clergy saw further into the matter +than we did. They saw the Scots had a better army than we had--bold +and ready, commanded by brave officers--and they foresaw that if we +fought we should be beaten, and if beaten, they were undone. And 'twas +very true, we had all been ruined if we had engaged. + +It is true when we came to the pacification which followed, I confess +I was of the same mind the gentleman had been of; for we had better +have fought and been beaten than have made so dishonourable a treaty +without striking a stroke. This pacification seems to me to have laid +the scheme of all the blood and confusion which followed in the Civil +War. For whatever the king and his friends might pretend to do by +talking big, the Scots saw he was to be bullied into anything, and +that when it came to the push the courtiers never cared to bring it to +blows. + +I have little or nothing to say as to action in this mock expedition. +The king was persuaded at last to march to Berwick; and, as I have +said already, a party of horse went out to learn news of the Scots, +and as soon as they saw them, ran away from them bravely. + +This made the Scots so insolent that, whereas before they lay encamped +behind a river, and never showed themselves, in a sort of modest +deference to their king, which was the pretence of not being +aggressors or invaders, only arming in their own defence, now, having +been invaded by the English troops entering Scotland, they had what +they wanted. And to show it was not fear that retained them before, +but policy, now they came up in parties to our very gates, braving and +facing us every day. + +I had, with more curiosity than discretion, put myself as a volunteer +at the head of one of our parties of horse, under my Lord Holland, +when they went out to discover the enemy; they went, they said, to see +what the Scots were a-doing. + +We had not marched far, but our scouts brought word they had +discovered some horse, but could not come up to them, because a river +parted them. At the heels of these came another party of our men upon +the spur to us, and said the enemy was behind, which might be true for +aught we knew; but it was so far behind that nobody could see them, +and yet the country was plain and open for above a mile before us. +Hereupon we made a halt, and, indeed, I was afraid it would have been +an odd sort of a halt, for our men began to look one upon another, +as they do in like cases, when they are going to break; and when the +scouts came galloping in the men were in such disorder, that had but +one man broke away, I am satisfied they had all run for it. + +I found my Lord Holland did not perceive it; but after the first +surprise was a little over I told my lord what I had observed, and +that unless some course was immediately taken they would all run at +the first sight of the enemy. I found he was much concerned at it, and +began to consult what course to take to prevent it. I confess 'tis a +hard question how to make men stand and face an enemy, when fear has +possessed their minds with an inclination to run away. But I'll give +that honour to the memory of that noble gentleman, who, though his +experience in matters of war was small, having never been in much +service, yet his courage made amends for it; for I daresay he would +not have turned his horse from an army of enemies, nor have saved his +life at the price of running away for it. + +My lord soon saw, as well as I, the fright the men were in, after I +had given him a hint of it; and to encourage them, rode through their +ranks and spoke cheerfully to them, and used what arguments he thought +proper to settle their minds. I remembered a saying which I heard old +Marshal Gustavus Horn speak in Germany, "If you find your men falter, +or in doubt, never suffer them to halt, but keep them advancing; for +while they are going forward, it keeps up their courage." + +As soon as I could get opportunity to speak to him, I gave him this +as my opinion. "That's very well," says my lord, "but I am studying," +says he, "to post them so as that they can't run if they would; and if +they stand but once to face the enemy, I don't fear them afterwards." + +While we were discoursing thus, word was brought that several parties +of the enemies were seen on the farther side of the river, upon which +my lord gave the word to march; and as we were marching on, my lord +calls out a lieutenant who had been an old soldier, with only five +troopers whom he had most confidence in, and having given him his +lesson, he sends him away. In a quarter of an hour one of the +five troopers comes back galloping and hallooing, and tells us his +lieutenant had, with his small party, beaten a party of twenty of the +enemy's horse over the river, and had secured the pass, and desired my +lord would march up to him immediately. + +Tis a strange thing that men's spirits should be subjected to such +sudden changes, and capable of so much alteration from shadows of +things. They were for running before they saw the enemy, now they are +in haste to be led on, and but that in raw men we are obliged to bear +with anything, the disorder in both was intolerable. + +The story was a premeditated sham, and not a word of truth in it, +invented to raise their spirits, and cheat them out of their cowardly +phlegmatic apprehensions, and my lord had his end in it; for they +were all on fire to fall on. And I am persuaded, had they been led +immediately into a battle begun to their hands, they would have laid +about them like furies; for there is nothing like victory to flush a +young soldier. Thus, while the humour was high, and the fermentation +lasted, away we marched, and, passing one of their great commons, +which they call moors, we came to the river, as he called it, where +our lieutenant was posted with his four men; 'twas a little brook +fordable with ease, and, leaving a guard at the pass, we advanced to +the top of a small ascent, from whence we had a fair view of the Scots +army, as they lay behind another river larger than the former. + +Our men were posted well enough, behind a small enclosure, with a +narrow lane in their front. And my lord had caused his dragoons to be +placed in the front to line the hedges; and in this posture he stood +viewing the enemy at a distance. The Scots, who had some intelligence +of our coming, drew out three small parties, and sent them by +different ways to observe our number; and, forming a fourth party, +which I guessed to be about 600 horse, advanced to the top of the +plain, and drew up to face us, but never offered to attack us. + +One of the small parties, making about 100 men, one third foot, +passes upon our flank in view, but out of reach; and, as they marched, +shouted at us, which our men, better pleased with that work than with +fighting, readily enough answered, and would fain have fired at them +for the pleasure of making a noise, for they were too far off to hit +them. + +I observed that these parties had always some foot with them; and yet +if the horse galloped, or pushed on ever so forward, the foot were as +forward as they, which was an extraordinary advantage. + +Gustavus Adolphus, that king of soldiers, was the first that I have +ever observed found the advantage of mixing small bodies of musketeers +among his horse; and, had he had such nimble strong fellows as these, +he would have prized them above all the rest of his men. These were +those they call Highlanders. They would run on foot with their arms +and all their accoutrements, and keep very good order too, and yet +keep pace with the horse, let them go at what rate they would. When I +saw the foot thus interlined among the horse, together with the way of +ordering their flying parties, it presently occurred to my mind that +here was some of our old Scots come home out of Germany that had the +ordering of matters, and if so, I knew we were not a match for them. + +Thus we stood facing the enemy till our scouts brought us word the +whole Scots army was in motion, and in full march to attack us; and, +though it was not true, and the fear of our men doubled every object, +yet 'twas thought convenient to make our retreat. The whole matter was +that the scouts having informed them what they could of our strength, +the 600 were ordered to march towards us, and three regiments of foot +were drawn out to support the horse. + +I know not whether they would have ventured to attack us, at least +before their foot had come up; but whether they would have put it to +the hazard or no, we were resolved not to hazard the trial, so we +drew down to the pass. And, as retreating looks something like running +away, especially when an enemy is at hand, our men had much ado to +make their retreat pass for a march, and not a flight; and, by their +often looking behind them, anybody might know what they would have +done if they had been pressed. + +I confess, I was heartily ashamed when the Scots, coming up to the +place where we had been posted, stood and shouted at us. I would have +persuaded my lord to have charged them, and he would have done it with +all his heart, but he saw it was not practicable; so we stood at gaze +with them above two hours, by which time their foot were come up to +them, and yet they did not offer to attack us. I never was so ashamed +of myself in my life; we were all dispirited. The Scots gentlemen +would come out single, within shot of our post, which in a time of war +is always accounted a challenge to any single gentleman, to come out +and exchange a pistol with them, and nobody would stir; at last our +old lieutenant rides out to meet a Scotchman that came pickeering on +his quarter. This lieutenant was a brave and a strong fellow, had been +a soldier in the Low Countries; and though he was not of any quality, +only a mere soldier, had his preferment for his conduct. He gallops +bravely up to his adversary, and exchanging their pistols, the +lieutenant's horse happened to be killed. The Scotchman very +generously dismounts, and engages him with his sword, and fairly +masters him, and carries him away prisoner; and I think this horse was +all the blood was shed in that war. + +The lieutenant's name thus conquered was English, and as he was a very +stout old soldier, the disgrace of it broke his heart. The Scotchman, +indeed, used him very generously; for he treated him in the camp very +courteously, gave him another horse, and set him at liberty, gratis. +But the man laid it so to heart, that he never would appear in the +army, but went home to his own country and died. + +I had enough of party-making, and was quite sick with indignation at +the cowardice of the men; and my lord was in as great a fret as I, but +there was no remedy. We durst not go about to retreat, for we should +have been in such confusion that the enemy must have discovered it; so +my lord resolved to keep the post, if possible, and send to the king +for some foot. Then were our men ready to fight with one another who +should be the messenger; and at last when a lieutenant with twenty +dragoons was despatched, he told us afterwards he found himself an +hundred strong before he was gotten a mile from the place. + +In short, as soon as ever the day declined, and the dusk of the +evening began to shelter the designs of the men, they dropped away +from us one by one; and at last in such numbers, that if we had stayed +till the morning, we had not had fifty men left; out of 1200 horse and +dragoons. + +When I saw how it was, consulting with some of the officers, we all +went to my Lord Holland, and pressed him to retreat, before the enemy +should discern the flight of our men; so he drew us off, and we came +to the camp the next morning, in the shamefullest condition that ever +poor men could do. And this was the end of the worst expedition ever I +made in my life. + +To fight and be beaten is a casualty common to a soldier, and I have +since had enough of it; but to run away at the sight of an enemy, +and neither strike or be stricken, this is the very shame of the +profession, and no man that has done it ought to show his face +again in the field, unless disadvantages of place or number make it +tolerable, neither of which was our case. + +My Lord Holland made another march a few days after, in hopes to +retrieve this miscarriage; but I had enough of it, so I kept in my +quarters. And though his men did not desert him as before, yet upon +the appearance of the enemy they did not think fit to fight, and came +off with but little more honour than they did before. + +There was no need to go out to seek the enemy after this, for they +came, as I have noted, and pitched in sight of us, and their parties +came up every day to the very out-works of Berwick, but nobody +cared to meddle with them. And in this posture things stood when the +pacification was agreed on by both parties, which, like a short truce, +only gave both sides breath to prepare for a new war more ridiculously +managed than the former. When the treaty was so near a conclusion +as that conversation was admitted on both sides, I went over to the +Scotch camp to satisfy my curiosity, as many of our English officers +did also. + +I confess the soldiers made a very uncouth figure, especially the +Highlanders. The oddness and barbarity of their garb and arms seemed +to have something in it remarkable. + +They were generally tall swinging fellows; their swords were +extravagantly, and, I think, insignificantly broad, and they carried +great wooden targets, large enough to cover the upper part of their +bodies. Their dress was as antique as the rest; a cap on their heads, +called by them a bonnet, long hanging sleeves behind, and their +doublet, breeches, and stockings of a stuff they called plaid, striped +across red and yellow, with short cloaks of the same. These fellows +looked, when drawn out, like a regiment of merry-andrews, ready for +Bartholomew Fair. They are in companies all of a name, and therefore +call one another only by their Christian names, as Jemmy, Jocky, that +is, John, and Sawny, that is, Alexander, and the like. And they scorn +to be commanded but by one of their own clan or family. They are all +gentlemen, and proud enough to be kings. The meanest fellow among them +is as tenacious of his honour as the best nobleman in the country, +and they will fight and cut one another's throats for every trifling +affront. + +But to their own clans or lairds, they are the willingest and most +obedient fellows in nature. Give them their due, were their skill in +exercises and discipline proportioned to their courage, they would +make the bravest soldiers in the world. They are large bodies, and +prodigiously strong; and two qualities they have above other nations, +viz., hardy to endure hunger, cold, and hardships, and wonderfully +swift of foot. The latter is such an advantage in the field that I +know none like it; for if they conquer, no enemy can escape them, and +if they run, even the horse can hardly overtake them. These were some +of them, who, as I observed before, went out in parties with their +horse. + +There were three or four thousand of these in the Scots army, armed +only with swords and targets; and in their belts some of them had a +pistol, but no muskets at that time among them. + +But there were also a great many regiments of disciplined men, who, +by their carrying their arms, looked as if they understood their +business, and by their faces, that they durst see an enemy. + +I had not been half-an-hour in their camp after the ceremony of giving +our names, and passing their out-guards and main-guard was over, but +I was saluted by several of my acquaintance; and in particular, by one +who led the Scotch volunteers at the taking the castle of Oppenheim, +of which I have given an account. They used me with all the respect +they thought due to me, on account of old affairs, gave me the word, +and a sergeant waited upon me whenever I pleased to go abroad. + +I continued twelve or fourteen days among them, till the pacification +was concluded; and they were ordered to march home. They spoke very +respectfully of the king, but I found were exasperated to the last +degree at Archbishop Laud and the English bishops, for endeavouring to +impose the Common Prayer Book upon them; and they always talked with +the utmost contempt of our soldiers and army. I always waived the +discourse about the clergy, and the occasion of the war, but I could +not but be too sensible what they said of our men was true; and by +this I perceived they had an universal intelligence from among us, +both of what we were doing, and what sort of people we were that were +doing it; and they were mighty desirous of coming to blows with us. I +had an invitation from their general, but I declined it, lest I should +give offence. I found they accepted the pacification as a thing not +likely to hold, or that they did not design should hold; and that +they were resolved to keep their forces on foot, notwithstanding the +agreement. Their whole army was full of brave officers, men of as +much experience and conduct as any in the world; and all men who know +anything of the war, know good officers presently make a good army. + +Things being thus huddled up, the English came back to York, where +the army separated, and the Scots went home to increase theirs; for I +easily foresaw that peace was the farthest thing from their thoughts. + +The next year the flame broke out again. The king draws his forces +down into the north, as before, and expresses were sent to all the +gentlemen that had commands to be at the place by the 15th of July. As +I had accepted of no command in the army, so I had no inclination at +all to go, for I foresaw there would be nothing but disgrace attend +it. My father, observing such an alteration in my usual forwardness, +asked me one day what was the matter, that I who used to be so forward +to go into the army, and so eager to run abroad to fight, now showed +no inclination to appear when the service of the king and country +called me to it? I told him I had as much zeal as ever for the king's +service, and for the country too: but he knew a soldier could not +abide to be beaten; and being from thence a little more inquisitive, I +told him the observations I had made in the Scots army, and the people +I had conversed with there. "And, sir," says I, "assure yourself, if +the king offers to fight them, he will be beaten; and I don't love to +engage when my judgment tells me beforehand I shall be worsted." +And as I had foreseen, it came to pass; for the Scots resolving to +proceed, never stood upon the ceremony of aggression, as before, but +on the 20th of August they entered England with their army. + +However, as my father desired, I went to the king's army, which was +then at York, but not gotten all together. The king himself was at +London, but upon this news takes post for the army, and advancing a +part of his forces, he posted the Lord Conway and Sir Jacob Astley, +with a brigade of foot and some horse, at Newburn, upon the river +Tyne, to keep the Scots from passing that river. + +The Scots could have passed the Tyne without fighting; but to let us +see that they were able to force their passage, they fall upon his +body of men and notwithstanding all the advantages of the place, they +beat them from the post, took their baggage and two pieces of cannon, +with some prisoners. Sir Jacob Astley made what resistance he could, +but the Scots charged with so much fury, and being also overpowered, +he was soon put into confusion. Immediately the Scots made themselves +masters of Newcastle, and the next day of Durham, and laid those two +counties under intolerable contributions. + +Now was the king absolutely ruined; for among his own people the +discontents before were so plain, that had the clergy had any +forecast, they would never have embroiled him with the Scots, till he +had fully brought matters to an understanding at home. But the +case was thus: the king, by the good husbandry of Bishop Juxon, his +treasurer, had a million of ready money in his treasury, and upon that +account, having no need of a Parliament, had not called one in twelve +years; and perhaps had never called another, if he had not by this +unhappy circumstance been reduced to a necessity of it; for now +this ready money was spent in two foolish expeditions, and his army +appeared in a condition not fit to engage the Scots. The detachment +under Sir Jacob Astley, which were of the flower of his men, had +been routed at Newburn, and the enemy had possession of two entire +counties. + +All men blamed Laud for prompting the king to provoke the Scots, a +headstrong nation, and zealous for their own way of worship; and Laud +himself found too late the consequences of it, both to the whole cause +and to himself; for the Scots, whose native temper is not easily to +forgive an injury, pursued him by their party in England, and never +gave it over till they laid his head on the block. + +The ruined country now clamoured in his Majesty's ears with daily +petitions, and the gentry of other neighbouring counties cry out for +peace and Parliament. The king, embarrassed with these difficulties, +and quite empty of money, calls a great council of the nobility at +York, and demands their advice, which any one could have told him +before would be to call a Parliament. + +I cannot, without regret, look back upon the misfortune of the king, +who, as he was one of the best princes in his personal conduct that +ever reigned in England, had yet some of the greatest unhappinesses in +his conduct as a king, that ever prince had, and the whole course of +his life demonstrated it. + +1. An impolitic honesty. His enemies called it obstinacy; but as I was +perfectly acquainted with his temper, I cannot but think it was his +judgment, when he thought he was in the right, to adhere to it as a +duty though against his interest. + +2. Too much compliance when he was complying. No man but himself would +have denied what at some times he denied, and have granted what at +other times he granted; and this uncertainty of counsel proceeded from +two things. + +1. The heat of the clergy, to whom he was exceedingly devoted, and for +whom, indeed, he ruined himself. + +2. The wisdom of his nobility. + +Thus when the counsel of his priests prevailed, all was fire and +fury; the Scots were rebels, and must be subdued, and the Parliament's +demands were to be rejected as exorbitant. But whenever the king's +judgment was led by the grave and steady advice of his nobility and +counsellors, he was always inclined by them to temperate his measures +between the two extremes. And had he gone on in such a temper, he had +never met with the misfortunes which afterward attended him, or had +so many thousands of his friends lost their lives and fortunes in his +service. + +I am sure we that knew what it was to fight for him, and that loved +him better than any of the clergy could pretend to, have had many +a consultation how to bring over our master from so espousing their +interest, as to ruin himself for it; but 'twas in vain. + +I took this interval when I sat still and only looked on, to make +these remarks, because I remember the best friends the king had were +at this time of that opinion, that 'twas an unaccountable piece +of indiscretion, to commence a quarrel with the Scots, a poor and +obstinate people, for a ceremony and book of Church discipline, at a +time when the king stood but upon indifferent terms with his people at +home. + +The consequence was, it put arms into the hands of his subjects to +rebel against him; it embroiled him with his Parliament in England, to +whom he was fain to stoop in a fatal and unusual manner to get money, +all his own being spent, and so to buy off the Scots whom he could not +beat off. + +I cannot but give one instance of the unaccountable politics of his +ministers. If they overruled this unhappy king to it, with design to +exhaust and impoverish him, they were the worst of traitors; if not, +the grossest of fools. They prompted the king to equip a fleet against +the Scots, and to put on board it 5000 land men. Had this been all, +the design had been good, that while the king had faced the army upon +the borders, these 5000, landing in the Firth of Edinburgh, might +have put that whole nation into disorder. But in order to this, they +advised the king to lay out his money in fitting out the biggest ships +he had, and the "Royal Sovereign," the biggest ship the world had ever +seen, which cost him no less than L100,000, was now built, and fitted +out for this voyage. + +This was the most incongruous and ridiculous advice that could be +given, and made us all believe we were betrayed, though we knew not by +whom. + +To fit out ships of 100 guns to invade Scotland, which had not one +man-of-war in the world, nor any open confederacy with any prince or +state that had any fleet, 'twas a most ridiculous thing. An hundred +sail of Newcastle colliers, to carry the men with their stores and +provisions, and ten frigates of 40 guns each, had been as good a fleet +as reason and the nature of the thing could have made tolerable. + +Thus things were carried on, till the king, beggared by the +mismanagement of his counsels, and beaten by the Scots, was driven to +the necessity of calling a Parliament in England. + +It is not my design to enter into the feuds and brangles of this +Parliament. I have noted, by observations of their mistakes, who +brought the king to this happy necessity of calling them. + +His Majesty had tried Parliaments upon several occasions before, but +never found himself so much embroiled with them but he could send them +home, and there was an end of it; but as he could not avoid calling +these, so they took care to put him out of a condition to dismiss +them. + +The Scots army was now quartered upon the English. The counties, +the gentry, and the assembly of lords at York, petitioned for a +Parliament. + +The Scots presented their demands to the king, in which it was +observed that matters were concerted between them and a party in +England; and I confess when I saw that, I began to think the king in +an ill case; for as the Scots pretended grievances, we thought, +the king redressing those grievances, they could ask no more; and +therefore all men advised the king to grant their full demands. And +whereas the king had not money to supply the Scots in their march +home, I know there were several meetings of gentlemen with a design to +advance considerable sums of money to the king to set him free, and +in order to reinstate his Majesty, as before. Not that we ever advised +the king to rule without a Parliament, but we were very desirous of +putting him out of the necessity of calling them, at least just then. + +But the eighth article of the Scots' demands expressly required, that +an English Parliament might be called to remove all obstructions of +commerce, and to settle peace, religion, and liberty; and in another +article they tell the king, the 24th of September being the time his +Majesty appointed for the meeting of the peers, will make it too long +ere the Parliament meet. And in another, that a Parliament was the +only way of settling peace, and bring them to his Majesty's obedience. + +When we saw this in the army, 'twas time to look about. Everybody +perceived that the Scots army would call an English Parliament; and +whatever aversion the king had to it, we all saw he would be obliged +to comply with it; and now they all began to see their error, who +advised the king to this Scotch war. + +While these things were transacting, the assembly of the peers meet at +York, and by their advice a treaty was begun with the Scots. I had the +honour to be sent with the first message which was in writing. + +I brought it, attended by a trumpet and a guard of 500 horse, to +the Scots quarters. I was stopped at Darlington, and my errand being +known, General Leslie sent a Scots major and fifty horses to receive +me, but would let neither my trumpet or guard set foot within +their quarters. In this manner I was conducted to audience in the +chapter-house at Durham, where a committee of Scots lords who attended +the army received me very courteously, and gave me their answer in +writing also. + +'Twas in this answer that they showed, at least to me, their design +of embroiling the king with his English subjects; they discoursed very +freely with me, and did not order me to withdraw when they debated +their private opinions. They drew up several answers but did not like +them; at last they gave me one which I did not receive, I thought it +was too insolent to be borne with. As near as I can remember it was +thus: The commissioners of Scotland attending the service in the army, +do refuse any treaty in the city of York. + +One of the commissioners who treated me with more distinction than the +rest, and discoursed freely with me, gave me an opportunity to speak +more freely of this than I expected. + +I told them if they would return to his Majesty an answer fit for me +to carry, or if they would say they would not treat at all, I would +deliver such a message. But I entreated them to consider the answer +was to their sovereign, and to whom they made a great profession of +duty and respect, and at least they ought to give their reasons why +they declined a treaty at York, and to name some other place, or +humbly to desire his Majesty to name some other place; but to send +word they would not treat at York, I could deliver no such message, +for when put into English it would signify they would not treat at +all. + +I used a great many reasons and arguments with them on this head, +and at last with some difficulty obtained of them to give the reason, +which was the Earl of Strafford's having the chief command at York, +whom they declared their mortal enemy, he having declared them rebels +in Ireland. + +With this answer I returned. I could make no observations in the short +time I was with them, for as I stayed but one night, so I was guarded +as a close prisoner all the while. I saw several of their officers +whom I knew, but they durst not speak to me, and if they would have +ventured, my guard would not have permitted them. + +In this manner I was conducted out of their quarters to my own party +again, and having delivered my message to the king and told his +Majesty the circumstances, I saw the king receive the account of the +haughty behaviour of the Scots with some regret; however, it was his +Majesty's time now to bear, and therefore the Scots were complied +with, and the treaty appointed at Ripon; where, after much debate, +several preliminary articles were agreed on, as a cessation of arms, +quarters, and bounds to the armies, subsistence to the Scots army, and +the residue of the demands was referred to a treaty at London, &c. + +We were all amazed at the treaty, and I cannot but remember we used to +wish much rather we had been suffered to fight; for though we had been +worsted at first, the power and strength of the king's interest, which +was not yet tried, must, in fine, have been too strong for the Scots, +whereas now we saw the king was for complying with anything, and all +his friends would be ruined. + +I confess I had nothing to fear, and so was not much concerned, but +our predictions soon came to pass, for no sooner was this Parliament +called but abundance of those who had embroiled their king with his +people of both kingdoms, like the disciples when their Master was +betrayed to the Jews, forsook him and fled; and now Parliament tyranny +began to succeed Church tyranny, and we soldiers were glad to see it +at first. The bishops trembled, the judges went to gaol, the officers +of the customs were laid hold on; and the Parliament began to lay +their fingers on the great ones, particularly Archbishop Laud and the +Earl of Strafford. We had no great concern for the first, but the +last was a man of so much conduct and gallantry, and so beloved by the +soldiers and principal gentry of England, that everybody was touched +with his misfortune. + +The Parliament now grew mad in their turn, and as the prosperity of +any party is the time to show their discretion, the Parliament showed +they knew as little where to stop as other people. The king was not in +a condition to deny anything, and nothing could be demanded but they +pushed it. They attainted the Earl of Strafford, and thereby made +the king cut off his right hand to save his left, and yet not save +it neither. They obtained another bill to empower them to sit during +their own pleasure, and after them, triennial Parliaments to meet, +whether the king call them or no; and granting this completed his +Majesty's ruin. + +Had the House only regulated the abuses of the court, punished evil +counsellors, and restored Parliaments to their original and just +powers, all had been well, and the king, though he had been more than +mortified, had yet reaped the benefit of future peace; for now +the Scots were sent home, after having eaten up two counties, and +received a prodigious sum of money to boot. And the king, though too +late, goes in person to Edinburgh, and grants them all they could +desire, and more than they asked; but in England, the desires of ours +were unbounded, and drove at all extremes. + +They drew out the bishops from sitting in the House, made a +protestation equivalent to the Scotch Covenant, and this done, print +their remonstrance. This so provoked the king, that he resolves upon +seizing some of the members, and in an ill hour enters the House in +person to take them. Thus one imprudent thing on one hand produced +another of the other hand, till the king was obliged to leave them to +themselves, for fear of being mobbed into something or other unworthy +of himself. + +These proceedings began to alarm the gentry and nobility of England; +for, however willing we were to have evil counsellors removed, and +the government return to a settled and legal course, according to the +happy constitution of this nation, and might have been forward enough +to have owned the king had been misled, and imposed upon to do things +which he had rather had not been done, yet it did not follow, that +all the powers and prerogatives of the crown should devolve upon the +Parliament, and the king in a manner be deposed, or else sacrificed to +the fury of the rabble. + +The heats of the House running them thus to all extremes, and at last +to take from the king the power of the militia, which indeed was +all that was left to make him anything of a king, put the king upon +opposing force with force; and thus the flame of civil war began. + +However backward I was in engaging in the second year's expedition +against the Scots, I was as forward now, for I waited on the king +at York, where a gallant company of gentlemen as ever were seen in +England, engaged themselves to enter into his service; and here some +of us formed ourselves into troops for the guard of his person. + +The king having been waited upon by the gentry of Yorkshire, and +having told them his resolution of erecting his royal standard, and +received from them hearty assurances of support, dismisses them, and +marches to Hull, where lay the train of artillery, and all the +arms and ammunition belonging to the northern army which had been +disbanded. But here the Parliament had been beforehand with his +Majesty, so that when he came to Hull, he found the gates shut, and +Sir John Hotham, the governor, upon the walls, though with a great +deal of seeming humility and protestations of loyalty to his person, +yet with a positive denial to admit any of the king's attendants into +the town. If his Majesty pleased to enter the town in person with any +reasonable number of his household, he would submit, but would not +be prevailed on to receive the king as he would be received, with his +forces, though those forces were then but very few. + +The king was exceedingly provoked at this repulse, and indeed it was +a great surprise to us all, for certainly never prince began a war +against the whole strength of his kingdom under the circumstances that +he was in. He had not a garrison, or a company of soldiers in his +pay, not a stand of arms, or a barrel of powder, a musket, cannon +or mortar, not a ship of all the fleet, or money in his treasury to +procure them; whereas the Parliament had all his navy, and ordnance, +stores, magazines, arms, ammunition, and revenue in their keeping. +And this I take to be another defect of the king's counsel, and a sad +instance of the distraction of his affairs, that when he saw how all +things were going to wreck, as it was impossible but he should see it, +and 'tis plain he did see it, that he should not long enough before it +came to extremities secure the navy, magazines, and stores of war, in +the hands of his trusty servants, that would have been sure to have +preserved them for his use, at a time when he wanted them. + +It cannot be supposed but the gentry of England, who generally +preserved their loyalty for their royal master, and at last heartily +showed it, were exceedingly discouraged at first when they saw the +Parliament had all the means of making war in their own hands, and the +king was naked and destitute either of arms or ammunition, or money +to procure them. Not but that the king, by extraordinary application, +recovered the disorder the want of these things had thrown him into, +and supplied himself with all things needful. + +But my observation was this, had his Majesty had the magazines, navy, +and forts in his own hand, the gentry, who wanted but the prospect of +something to encourage them, had come in at first, and the Parliament, +being unprovided, would have been presently reduced to reason. But +this was it that balked the gentry of Yorkshire, who went home again, +giving the king good promises, but never appeared for him, till +by raising a good army in Shropshire and Wales, he marched towards +London, and they saw there was a prospect of their being supported. + +In this condition the king erected his standard at Nottingham, 22nd +August 1642, and I confess, I had very melancholy apprehensions of +the king's affairs, for the appearance to the royal standard was +but small. The affront the king had met with at Hull, had balked and +dispirited the northern gentry, and the king's affairs looked with +a very dismal aspect. We had expresses from London of the prodigious +success of the Parliament levies, how their men came in faster than +they could entertain them, and that arms were delivered out to whole +companies listed together, and the like. And all this while the +king had not got together a thousand foot, and had no arms for them +neither. When the king saw this, he immediately despatches five +several messengers, whereof one went to the Marquis of Worcester into +Wales; one went to the queen, then at Windsor; one to the Duke +of Newcastle, then Marquis of Newcastle, into the north; one into +Scotland; and one into France, where the queen soon after arrived to +raise money, and buy arms, and to get what assistance she could among +her own friends. Nor was her Majesty idle, for she sent over several +ships laden with arms and ammunition, with a fine train of artillery, +and a great many very good officers; and though one of the first fell +into the hands of the Parliament, with three hundred barrels of powder +and some arms, and one hundred and fifty gentlemen, yet most of the +gentlemen found means, one way or other, to get to us, and most of +the ships the queen freighted arrived; and at last her Majesty came +herself, and brought an extraordinary supply both of men, money, +arms, &c., with which she joined the king's forces under the Earl of +Newcastle in the north. + +Finding his Majesty thus bestirring himself to muster his friends +together, I asked him if he thought it might not be for his Majesty's +service to let me go among my friends, and his loyal subjects about +Shrewsbury? "Yes," says the king, smiling, "I intend you shall, and +I design to go with you myself." I did not understand what the king +meant then, and did not think it good manners to inquire, but the next +day I found all things disposed for a march, and the king on horseback +by eight of the clock; when calling me to him, he told me I should +go before, and let my father and all my friends know he would be at +Shrewsbury the Saturday following. I left my equipages, and taking +post with only one servant, was at my father's the next morning by +break of day. My father was not surprised at the news of the king's +coming at all, for, it seems, he, together with the royal gentry of +those parts, had sent particularly to give the king an invitation to +move that way, which I was not made privy to, with an account what +encouragement they had there in the endeavours made for his interest. +In short, the whole country was entirely for the king, and such was +the universal joy the people showed when the news of his Majesty's +coming down was positively known, that all manner of business was laid +aside, and the whole body of the people seemed to be resolved upon the +war. + +As this gave a new face to the king's affairs, so I must own it filled +me with joy; for I was astonished before, when I considered what +the king and his friends were like to be exposed to. The news of the +proceedings of the Parliament, and their powerful preparations, were +now no more terrible; the king came at the time appointed, and +having lain at my father's house one night, entered Shrewsbury in the +morning. The acclamations of the people, the concourse of the nobility +and gentry about his person, and the crowds which now came every day +into the standard, were incredible. + +The loyalty of the English gentry was not only worth notice, but the +power of the gentry is extraordinary visible in this matter. The +king, in about six weeks' time, which was the most of his stay at +Shrewsbury, was supplied with money, arms, ammunition, and a train of +artillery, and listed a body of an army upwards of 20,000 men. + +His Majesty seeing the general alacrity of his people, immediately +issued out commissions, and formed regiments of horse and foot; +and having some experienced officers about him, together with about +sixteen who came from France, with a ship loaded with arms and some +field-pieces which came very seasonably into the Severn, the men were +exercised, regularly disciplined, and quartered, and now we began to +look like soldiers. My father had raised a regiment of horse at his +own charge, and completed them, and the king gave out arms to them +from the supplies which I mentioned came from abroad. Another party +of horse, all brave stout fellows, and well mounted, came in from +Lancashire, and the Earl of Derby at the head of them. The Welshmen +came in by droves; and so great was the concourse of people, that the +king began to think of marching, and gave the command, as well as the +trust of regulating the army, to the brave Earl of Lindsey, as general +of the foot. The Parliament general being the Earl of Essex, two +braver men, or two better officers, were not in the kingdom; they had +both been old soldiers, and had served together as volunteers in the +Low Country wars, under Prince Maurice. They had been comrades and +companions abroad, and now came to face one another as enemies in the +field. + +Such was the expedition used by the king and his friends, in the +levies of this first army, that notwithstanding the wonderful +expedition the Parliament made, the king was in the field before them; +and now the gentry in other parts of the nation bestirred themselves, +and seized upon, and garrisoned several considerable places, for the +king. In the north, the Earl of Newcastle not only garrisoned the most +considerable places, but even the general possession of the north was +for the king, excepting Hull, and some few places, which the old Lord +Fairfax had taken up for the Parliament. On the other hand, entire +Cornwall and most of the western counties were the king's. The +Parliament had their chief interest in the south and eastern part +of England, as Kent, Surrey, and, Sussex, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, +Cambridge, Bedford, Huntingdon, Hertford, Buckinghamshire, and the +other midland counties. These were called, or some of them at least, +the associated counties, and felt little of the war, other than +the charges; but the main support of the Parliament was the city of +London. + +The king made the seat of his court at Oxford, which he caused to be +regularly fortified. The Lord Say had been here, and had possession of +the city for the enemy, and was debating about fortifying it, but +came to no resolution, which was a very great over-sight in them; the +situation of the place, and the importance of it, on many accounts, +to the city of London, considered; and they would have retrieved this +error afterwards, but then 'twas too late; for the king made it the +headquarter, and received great supplies and assistance from the +wealth of the colleges, and the plenty of the neighbouring country. +Abingdon, Wallingford, Basing, and Reading, were all garrisoned and +fortified as outworks to defend this as the centre. And thus all +England became the theatre of blood, and war was spread into every +corner of the country, though as yet there was no stroke struck. I had +no command in this army. My father led his own regiment, and, old as +he was, would not leave his royal master, and my elder brother stayed +at home to support the family. As for me, I rode a volunteer in the +royal troop of guards, which may very well deserve the title of a +royal troop, for it was composed of young gentlemen, sons of the +nobility, and some of the prime gentry of the nation, and I think not +a person of so mean a birth or fortune as myself. We reckoned in this +troop two and thirty lords, or who came afterwards to be such, +and eight and thirty of younger sons of the nobility, five French +noblemen, and all the rest gentlemen of very good families and +estates. + +And that I may give the due to their personal valour, many of this +troop lived afterwards to have regiments and troops under their +command in the service of the king, many of them lost their lives for +him, and most of them their estates. Nor did they behave unworthy of +themselves in their first showing their faces to the enemy, as shall +be mentioned in its place. + +While the king remained at Shrewsbury, his loyal friends bestirred +themselves in several parts of the kingdom. Goring had secured +Portsmouth, but being young in matters of war, and not in time +relieved, though the Marquis of Hertford was marching to relieve him, +yet he was obliged to quit the place, and shipped himself for Holland, +from whence he returned with relief for the king, and afterwards +did very good service upon all occasions, and so effectually cleared +himself of the scandal the hasty surrender of Portsmouth had brought +upon his courage. + +The chief power of the king's forces lay in three places, in Cornwall, +in Yorkshire, and at Shrewsbury. In Cornwall, Sir Ralph Hopton, +afterwards Lord Hopton, Sir Bevil Grenvile, and Sir Nicholas Slanning +secured all the country, and afterwards spread themselves over +Devonshire and Somersetshire, took Exeter from the Parliament, +fortified Bridgewater and Barnstaple, and beat Sir William Waller at +the battle of Roundway Down, as I shall touch at more particularly +when I come to recite the part of my own travels that way. + +In the north, The Marquis of Newcastle secured all the country, +garrisoned York, Scarborough, Carlisle, Newcastle, Pomfret, Leeds, and +all the considerable places, and took the field with a very good army, +though afterwards he proved more unsuccessful than the rest, having +the whole power of a kingdom at his back, the Scots coming in with +an army to the assistance of the Parliament, which, indeed, was the +general turn of the scale of the war; for had it not been for this +Scots army, the king had most certainly reduced the Parliament, at +least to good terms of peace, in two years' time. + +The king was the third article. His force at Shrewsbury I have noted +already. The alacrity of the gentry filled him with hopes, and all his +army with vigour, and the 8th of October 1642, his Majesty gave orders +to march. The Earl of Essex had spent above a month after his leaving +London (for he went thence the 9th of September) in modelling and +drawing together his forces; his rendezvous was at St Albans, from +whence he marched to Northampton, Coventry, and Warwick, and leaving +garrisons in them, he comes on to Worcester. Being thus advanced, he +possesses Oxford, as I noted before, Banbury, Bristol, Gloucester, and +Worcester, out of all which places, except Gloucester, we drove him +back to London in a very little while. + +Sir John Byron had raised a very good party of 500 horse, most +gentlemen, for the king, and had possessed Oxford; but on the approach +of the Lord Say quitted it, being now but an open town, and retreated +to Worcester, from whence, on the approach of Essex's army, he +retreated to the king. And now all things grew ripe for action, both +parties having secured their posts, and settled their schemes of the +war, taken their posts and places as their measures and opportunities +directed. The field was next in their eye, and the soldiers began to +inquire when they should fight, for as yet there had been little or no +blood drawn; and 'twas not long before they had enough of it; for, I +believe, I may challenge all the historians in Europe to tell me of +any war in the world where, in the space of four years, there were so +many pitched battles, sieges, fights, and skirmishes, as in this war. +We never encamped or entrenched, never fortified the avenues to our +posts, or lay fenced with rivers and defiles; here was no leaguers in +the field, as at the story of Nuremberg, neither had our soldiers any +tents, or what they call heavy baggage. 'Twas the general maxim of +this war, "Where is the enemy? let us go and fight them," or, on the +other hand, if the enemy was coming, "What was to be done?" "Why, what +should be done? Draw out into the fields and fight them." I cannot say +'twas the prudence of the parties, and had the king fought less he had +gained more. And I shall remark several times when the eagerness of +fighting was the worst counsel, and proved our loss. This benefit, +however, happened in general to the country, that it made a quick, +though a bloody, end of the war, which otherwise had lasted till it +might have ruined the whole nation. + +On the 10th of October the king's army was in full march, his Majesty, +generalissimo, the Earl of Lindsey, general of the foot, Prince +Rupert, general of the horse; and the first action in the field was by +Prince Rupert and Sir John Byron. Sir John had brought his body of +500 horse, as I noted already, from Oxford to Worcester; the Lord +Say, with a strong party, being in the neighbourhood of Oxford, and +expected in the town, Colonel Sandys, a hot man, and who had more +courage than judgment, advances with about 1500 horse and dragoons, +with design to beat Sir John Byron out of Worcester, and take post +there for the Parliament. + +The king had notice that the Earl of Essex designed for Worcester, and +Prince Rupert was ordered to advance with a body of horse and dragoons +to face the enemy, and bring off Sir John Byron. This his Majesty did +to amuse the Earl of Essex, that he might expect him that way; whereas +the king's design was to get between the Earl of Essex's army and the +city of London; and his Majesty's end was doubly answered, for he +not only drew Essex on to Worcester, where he spent more time than he +needed, but he beat the party into the bargain. + +I went volunteer in this party, and rode in my father's regiment; for +though we really expected not to see the enemy, yet I was tired with +lying still. We came to Worcester just as notice was brought to +Sir John Byron, that a party of the enemy was on their march for +Worcester, upon which the prince immediately consulting what was to be +done, resolves to march the next morning and fight them. + +The enemy, who lay at Pershore, about eight miles from Worcester, and, +as I believe, had no notice of our march, came on very confidently +in the morning, and found us fairly drawn up to receive them. I must +confess this was the bluntest, downright way of making war that ever +was seen. The enemy, who, in all the little knowledge I had of war, +ought to have discovered our numbers, and guessed by our posture what +our design was, might easily have informed themselves that we intended +to attack them, and so might have secured the advantage of a bridge in +their front; but without any regard to these methods of policy, they +came on at all hazards. Upon this notice, my father proposed to the +prince to halt for them, and suffer ourselves to be attacked, since +we found them willing to give us the advantage. The prince approved of +the advice, so we halted within view of a bridge, leaving space enough +on our front for about half the number of their forces to pass and +draw up; and at the bridge was posted about fifty dragoons, with +orders to retire as soon as the enemy advanced, as if they had been +afraid. On the right of the road was a ditch, and a very high bank +behind, where we had placed 300 dragoons, with orders to lie flat on +their faces till the enemy had passed the bridge, and to let fly among +them as soon as our trumpets sounded a charge. Nobody but Colonel +Sandys would have been caught in such a snare, for he might easily +have seen that when he was over the bridge there was not room enough +for him to fight in. But the Lord of hosts was so much in their +mouths, for that was the word for that day, that they took little heed +how to conduct the host of the Lord to their own advantage. + +As we expected, they appeared, beat our dragoons from the bridge, and +passed it. We stood firm in one line with a reserve, and expected a +charge, but Colonel Sandys, showing a great deal more judgment than +we thought he was master of, extends himself to the left, finding +the ground too strait, and began to form his men with a great deal of +readiness and skill, for by this time he saw our number was greater +than he expected. The prince perceiving it, and foreseeing that the +stratagem of the dragoons would be frustrated by this, immediately +charges with the horse, and the dragoons at the same time standing +upon their feet, poured in their shot upon those that were passing +the bridge. This surprise put them into such disorder, that we had but +little work with them. For though Colonel Sandys with the troops next +him sustained the shock very well, and behaved themselves gallantly +enough, yet the confusion beginning in their rear, those that had not +yet passed the bridge were kept back by the fire of the dragoons, +and the rest were easily cut in pieces. Colonel Sandys was mortally +wounded and taken prisoner, and the crowd was so great to get back, +that many pushed into the water, and were rather smothered than +drowned. Some of them who never came into the fight, were so frighted, +that they never looked behind them till they came to Pershore, and, +as we were afterwards informed, the lifeguards of the general who had +quartered in the town, left it in disorder enough, expecting us at the +heels of their men. + +If our business had been to keep the Parliament army from coming to +Worcester, we had a very good opportunity to have secured the bridge +at Pershore; but our design lay another way, as I have said, and the +king was for drawing Essex on to the Severn, in hopes to get behind +him, which fell out accordingly. + +Essex, spurred by this affront in the infancy of their affairs, +advances the next day, and came to Pershore time enough to be at the +funeral of some of his men; and from thence he advances to Worcester. + +We marched back to Worcester extremely pleased with the good success +of our first attack, and our men were so flushed with this little +victory that it put vigour into the whole army. The enemy lost about +3000 men, and we carried away near 150 prisoners, with 500 horses, +some standards and arms, and among the prisoners their colonel; but he +died a little after of his wounds. + +Upon the approach of the enemy, Worcester was quitted, and the forces +marched back to join the king's army, which lay then at Bridgnorth, +Ludlow, and thereabout. As the king expected, it fell out; Essex found +so much work at Worcester to settle Parliament quarters, and secure +Bristol, Gloucester, and Hereford, that it gave the king a full day's +march of him. So the king, having the start of him, moves towards +London; and Essex, nettled to be both beaten in fight and outdone in +conduct, decamps, and follows the king. + +The Parliament, and the Londoners too, were in a strange consternation +at this mistake of their general; and had the king, whose great +misfortune was always to follow precipitant advices,--had the king, +I say, pushed on his first design, which he had formed with very good +reason, and for which he had been dodging with Essex eight or ten +days, viz., of marching directly to London, where he had a very +great interest, and where his friends were not yet oppressed and +impoverished, as they were afterwards, he had turned the scale of his +affairs. And every man expected it; for the members began to shift +for themselves, expresses were sent on the heels of one another to the +Earl of Essex to hasten after the king, and, if possible, to bring him +to a battle. Some of these letters fell into our hands, and we might +easily discover that the Parliament were in the last confusion at +the thoughts of our coming to London. Besides this, the city was in a +worse fright than the House, and the great moving men began to go +out of town. In short, they expected us, and we expected to come, but +Providence for our ruin had otherwise determined it. + +Essex, upon news of the king's march, and upon receipt of the +Parliament's letters, makes long marches after us, and on the 23rd of +October reaches the village of Kineton, in Warwickshire. The king was +almost as far as Banbury, and there calls a council of war. Some of +the old officers that foresaw the advantage the king had, the concern +the city was in, and the vast addition, both to the reputation of his +forces and the increase of his interest, it would be if the king could +gain that point, urged the king to march on to London. Prince +Rupert and the fresh colonels pressed for fighting, told the king it +dispirited their men to march with the enemy at their heels; that the +Parliament army was inferior to him by 6000 men, and fatigued with +hasty marching; that as their orders were to fight, he had nothing +to do but to post himself to advantage, and receive them to their +destruction; that the action near Worcester had let them know how easy +it was to deal with a rash enemy; and that 'twas a dishonour for him, +whose forces were so much superior, to be pursued by his subjects in +rebellion. These and the like arguments prevailed with the king to +alter his wiser measures and resolve to fight. Nor was this all; when +a resolution of fighting was taken, that part of the advice which they +who were for fighting gave, as a reason for their opinion, was forgot, +and instead of halting and posting ourselves to advantage till the +enemy came up, we were ordered to march back and meet them. + +Nay, so eager was the prince for fighting, that when, from the top of +Edgehill, the enemy's army was descried in the bottom between them +and the village of Kineton, and that the enemy had bid us defiance, +by discharging three cannons, we accepted the challenge, and answering +with two shots from our army, we must needs forsake the advantages +of the hills, which they must have mounted under the command of our +cannon, and march down to them into the plain. I confess, I thought +here was a great deal more gallantry than discretion; for it was +plainly taking an advantage out of our own hands, and putting it into +the hands of the enemy. An enemy that must fight, may always be fought +with to advantage. My old hero, the glorious Gustavus Adolphus, was as +forward to fight as any man of true valour mixed with any policy need +to be, or ought to be; but he used to say, "An enemy reduced to a +necessity of fighting is half beaten." + +Tis true, we were all but young in the war; the soldiers hot and +forward, and eagerly desired to come to hands with the enemy. But +I take the more notice of it here, because the king in this acted +against his own measures; for it was the king himself had laid the +design of getting the start of Essex, and marching to London. His +friends had invited him thither, and expected him, and suffered deeply +for the omission; and yet he gave way to these hasty counsels, and +suffered his judgment to be overruled by majority of voices; an error, +I say, the King of Sweden was never guilty of. For if all the officers +at a council of war were of a different opinion, yet unless their +reasons mastered his judgment, their votes never altered his measures. +But this was the error of our good, but unfortunate master, three +times in this war, and particularly in two of the greatest battles of +the time, viz., this of Edgehill, and that of Naseby. + +The resolution for fighting being published in the army, gave an +universal joy to the soldiers, who expressed an extraordinary ardour +for fighting. I remember my father talking with me about it, asked +me what I thought of the approaching battle. I told him I thought the +king had done very well; for at that time I did not consult the extent +of the design, and had a mighty mind, like other rash people, to see +it brought to a day, which made me answer my father as I did. "But," +said I, "sir, I doubt there will be but indifferent doings on both +sides, between two armies both made up of fresh men, that have never +seen any service." My father minded little what I spoke of that; but +when I seemed pleased that the king had resolved to fight, he looked +angrily at me, and told me he was sorry I could see no farther into +things. "I tell you," says he hastily, "if the king should kill and +take prisoners this whole army, general and all, the Parliament will +have the victory; for we have lost more by slipping this opportunity +of getting into London, than we shall ever get by ten battles." I +saw enough of this afterwards to convince me of the weight of what +my father said, and so did the king too; but it was then too late. +Advantages slipped in war are never recovered. + +We were now in a full march to fight the Earl of Essex. It was on +Sunday morning the 24th of October 1642, fair weather overhead, but +the ground very heavy and dirty. As soon as we came to the top of +Edgehill, we discovered their whole army. They were not drawn up, +having had two miles to march that morning, but they were very busy +forming their lines, and posting the regiments as they came up. Some +of their horse were exceedingly fatigued, having marched forty-eight +hours together; and had they been suffered to follow us three or four +days' march farther, several of their regiments of horse would +have been quite ruined, and their foot would have been rendered +unserviceable for the present. But we had no patience. + +As soon as our whole army was come to the top of the hill, we +were drawn up in order of battle. The king's army made a very fine +appearance; and indeed they were a body of gallant men as ever +appeared in the field, and as well furnished at all points; the +horse exceedingly well accoutred, being most of them gentlemen and +volunteers, some whole regiments serving without pay; their horses +very good and fit for service as could be desired. The whole army were +not above 18,000 men, and the enemy not 1000 over or under, though we +had been told they were not above 12,000; but they had been reinforced +with 4000 men from Northampton. The king was with the general, the +Earl of Lindsey, in the main battle; Prince Rupert commanded the right +wing, and the Marquis of Hertford, the Lord Willoughby, and several +other very good officers the left. + +The signal of battle being given with two cannon shots, we marched +in order of battalia down the hill, being drawn up in two lines with +bodies of reserve; the enemy advanced to meet us much in the same +form, with this difference only, that they had placed their cannon on +their right, and the king had placed ours in the centre, before, or +rather between two great brigades of foot. Their cannon began with us +first, and did some mischief among the dragoons of our left wing; but +our officers, perceiving the shot took the men and missed the horses, +ordered all to alight, and every man leading his horse, to advance in +the same order; and this saved our men, for most of the enemy's shot +flew over their heads. Our cannon made a terrible execution upon their +foot for a quarter of an hour, and put them into great confusion, +till the general obliged them to halt, and changed the posture of his +front, marching round a small rising ground by which he avoided the +fury of our artillery. + +By this time the wings were engaged, the king having given the signal +of battle, and ordered the right wing to fall on. Prince Rupert, who, +as is said, commanded that wing, fell on with such fury, and pushed +the left wing of the Parliament army so effectually, that in a moment +he filled all with terror and confusion. Commissary-General Ramsey, a +Scotsman, a Low Country Soldier, and an experienced officer, commanded +their left wing, and though he did all that an expert soldier, and +a brave commander could do, yet 'twas to no purpose; his lines were +immediately broken, and all overwhelmed in a trice. Two regiments of +foot, whether as part of the left wing, or on the left of the main +body, I know not, were disordered by their own horse, and rather +trampled to death by the horses, than beaten by our men; but they were +so entirely broken and disordered, that I do not remember that ever +they made one volley upon our men; for their own horse running away, +and falling foul on these foot, were so vigorously followed by our +men, that the foot never had a moment to rally or look behind them. +The point of the left wing of horse were not so soon broken as the +rest, and three regiments of them stood firm for some time. The +dexterous officers of the other regiments taking the opportunity, +rallied a great many of their scattered men behind them, and pieced +in some troops with those regiments; but after two or three charges, +which a brigade of our second line, following the prince, made upon +them, they also were broken with the rest. + +I remember that at the great battle of Leipsic, the right wing of the +Imperialists having fallen in upon the Saxons with like fury to this, +bore down all before them, and beat the Saxons quite out of the field; +upon which the soldiers cried, "Victoria, let us follow." "No, no," +said the old General Tilly, "let them go, but let us beat the Swedes +too, and then all's our own." Had Prince Rupert taken this method, and +instead of following the fugitives, who were dispersed so effectually +that two regiments would have secured them from rallying--I say, had +he fallen in upon the foot, or wheeled to the left, and fallen in +upon the rear of the enemy's right wing of horse, or returned to +the assistance of the left wing of our horse, we had gained the most +absolute and complete victory that could be; nor had 1000 men of +the enemy's army got off. But this prince, who was full of fire, and +pleased to see the rout of an enemy, pursued them quite to the town of +Kineton, where indeed he killed abundance of their men, and some time +also was lost in plundering the baggage. + +But in the meantime, the glory and advantage of the day was lost to +the king, for the right wing of the Parliament horse could not be so +broken. Sir William Balfour made a desperate charge upon the point of +the king's left, and had it not been for two regiments of dragoons who +were planted in the reserve, had routed the whole wing, for he broke +through the first line, and staggered the second, who advanced to +their assistance, but was so warmly received by those dragoons, who +came seasonably in, and gave their first fire on horseback, that his +fury was checked, and having lost a great many men, was forced to +wheel about to his own men; and had the king had but three regiments +of horse at hand to have charged him, he had been routed. The rest of +this wing kept their ground, and received the first fury of the enemy +with great firmness; after which, advancing in their turn, they +were at once masters of the Earl of Essex's cannon. And here we lost +another advantage; for if any foot had been at hand to support these +horse, they had carried off the cannon, or turned it upon the main +battle of the enemy's foot, but the foot were otherwise engaged. The +horse on this side fought with great obstinacy and variety of success +a great while. Sir Philip Stapleton, who commanded the guards of the +Earl of Essex, being engaged with a party of our Shrewsbury cavaliers, +as we called them, was once in a fair way to have been cut off by +a brigade of our foot, who, being advanced to fall on upon the +Parliament's main body, flanked Sir Philip's horse in their way, and +facing to the left, so furiously charged him with their pikes, that he +was obliged to retire in great disorder, and with the loss of a great +many men and horses. + +All this while the foot on both sides were desperately engaged, and +coming close up to the teeth of one another with the clubbed musket +and push of pike, fought with great resolution, and a terrible +slaughter on both sides, giving no quarter for a great while; and they +continued to do thus, till, as if they were tired, and out of wind, +either party seemed willing enough to leave off, and take breath. +Those which suffered most were that brigade which had charged Sir +William Stapleton's horse, who being bravely engaged in the front +with the enemy's foot, were, on the sudden, charged again in front +and flank by Sir William Balfour's horse and disordered, after a +very desperate defence. Here the king's standard was taken, the +standard-bearer, Sir Edward Verney, being killed; but it was rescued +again by Captain Smith, and brought to the king the same night, for +which the king knighted the captain. + +This brigade of foot had fought all the day, and had not been broken +at last, if any horse had been at hand to support them. The field +began to be now clear; both armies stood, as it were, gazing at one +another, only the king, having rallied his foot, seemed inclined to +renew the charge, and began to cannonade them, which they could not +return, most of their cannon being nailed while they were in our +possession, and all the cannoniers killed or fled; and our gunners did +execution upon Sir William Balfour's troops for a good while. + +My father's regiment being in the right with the prince, I saw little +of the fight but the rout of the enemy's left, and we had as full a +victory there as we could desire, but spent too much time in it. We +killed about 2000 men in that part of the action, and having totally +dispersed them, and plundered their baggage, began to think of our +fellows when 'twas too late to help them. We returned, however, +victorious to the king, just as the battle was over. The king asked +the prince what news? He told him he could give his Majesty a good +account of the enemy's horse. "Ay, by G--d," says a gentleman that +stood by me, "and of their carts too." That word was spoken with such +a sense of the misfortune, and made such an impression on the whole +army, that it occasioned some ill blood afterwards among us; and but +that the king took up the business, it had been of ill consequence, +for some person who had heard the gentleman speak it, informed the +prince who it was, and the prince resenting it, spoke something +about it in the hearing of the party when the king was present. The +gentleman, not at all surprised, told his Highness openly he had said +the words; and though he owned he had no disrespect for his Highness, +yet he could not but say, if it had not been so, the enemy's army had +been better beaten. The prince replied something very disobliging; +upon which the gentleman came up to the king, and kneeling, humbly +besought his Majesty to accept of his commission, and to give him +leave to tell the prince, that whenever his Highness pleased, he was +ready to give him satisfaction. The prince was exceedingly provoked, +and as he was very passionate, began to talk very oddly, and without +all government of himself. The gentleman, as bold as he, but much +calmer preserved his temper, but maintained his quarrel; and the king +was so concerned, that he was very much out of humour with the prince +about it. However, his Majesty, upon consideration, soon ended the +dispute, by laying his commands on them both to speak no more of it +for that day; and refusing the commission from the colonel, for he +was no less, sent for them both next morning in private, and made them +friends again. + +But to return to our story. We came back to the king timely enough to +put the Earl of Essex's men out of all humour of renewing the fight, +and as I observed before, both parties stood gazing at one another, +and our cannon playing upon them obliged Sir William Balfour's horse +to wheel off in some disorder, but they returned us none again, which, +as we afterwards understood, was, as I said before, for want of both +powder and gunners, for the cannoniers and firemen were killed, or +had quitted their train in the fight, when our horse had possession of +their artillery; and as they had spiked up some of the cannon, so they +had carried away fifteen carriages of powder. + +Night coming on, ended all discourse of more fighting, and the king +drew off and marched towards the hills. I know no other token of +victory which the enemy had than their lying in the field of battle +all night, which they did for no other reason than that, having lost +their baggage and provisions, they had nowhere to go, and which we did +not, because we had good quarters at hand. + +The number of prisoners and of the slain were not very unequal; the +enemy lost more men, we most of quality. Six thousand men on both +sides were killed on the spot, whereof, when our rolls were examined, +we missed 2500. We lost our brave general the old Earl of Lindsey, +who was wounded and taken prisoner, and died of his wounds; Sir Edward +Stradling, Colonel Lundsford, prisoners; and Sir Edward Verney and a +great many gentlemen of quality slain. On the other hand, we carried +off Colonel Essex, Colonel Ramsey, and the Lord St John, who also died +of his wounds; we took five ammunition waggons full of powder, and +brought off about 500 horse in the defeat of the left wing, with +eighteen standards and colours, and lost seventeen. + +The slaughter of the left wing was so great, and the flight so +effectual, that several of the officers rid clear away, coasting +round, and got to London, where they reported that the Parliament army +was entirely defeated--all lost, killed, or taken, as if none but them +were left alive to carry the news. This filled them with consternation +for a while, but when other messengers followed, all was restored +to quiet again, and the Parliament cried up their victory and +sufficiently mocked God and their general with their public thanks for +it. Truly, as the fight was a deliverance to them, they were in the +right to give thanks for it; but as to its being a victory, neither +side had much to boast of, and they less a great deal than we had. + +I got no hurt in this fight, and indeed we of the right wing had but +little fighting; I think I had discharged my pistols but once, and my +carabine twice, for we had more fatigue than fight; the enemy +fled, and we had little to do but to follow and kill those we could +overtake. I spoiled a good horse, and got a better from the enemy in +his room, and came home weary enough. My father lost his horse, and +in the fall was bruised in his thigh by another horse treading on him, +which disabled him for some time, and at his request, by his Majesty's +consent, I commanded the regiment in his absence. + +The enemy received a recruit of 4000 men the next morning; if they had +not, I believe they had gone back towards Worcester; but, encouraged +by that reinforcement, they called a council of war, and had a long +debate whether they could attack us again; but notwithstanding their +great victory, they durst not attempt it, though this addition of +strength made them superior to us by 3000 men. + +The king indeed expected, that when these troops joined them they +would advance, and we were preparing to receive them at a village +called Aynho, where the headquarters continued three or four days; +and had they really esteemed the first day's work a victory, as they +called it, they would have done it, but they thought not good to +venture, but march away to Warwick, and from thence to Coventry. The +king, to urge them to venture upon him, and come to a second battle, +sits down before Banbury, and takes both town and castle; and two +entire regiments of foot, and one troop of horse, quit the Parliament +service, and take up their arms for the king. This was done almost +before their faces, which was a better proof of a victory on our side, +than any they could pretend to. From Banbury we marched to Oxford; and +now all men saw the Parliament had made a great mistake, for they were +not always in the right any more than we, to leave Oxford without a +garrison. The king caused new regular works to be drawn round it, +and seven royal bastions with ravelins and out-works, a double ditch, +counterscarp, and covered way; all which, added to the advantage +of its situation, made it a formidable place, and from this time it +became our place of arms, and the centre of affairs on the king's +side. + +If the Parliament had the honour of the field, the king reaped the +fruits of the victory; for all this part of the country submitted to +him. Essex's army made the best of their way to London, and were but +in an ill condition when they came there, especially their horse. + +The Parliament, sensible of this, and receiving daily accounts of the +progress we made, began to cool a little in their temper, abated of +their first rage, and voted an address for peace; and sent to the king +to let him know they were desirous to prevent the effusion of more +blood, and to bring things to an accommodation, or, as they called it, +a right understanding. + +I was now, by the king's particular favour, summoned to the councils +of war, my father continuing absent and ill; and now I began to think +of the real grounds, and which was more, of the fatal issue of this +war. I say, I now began it; for I cannot say that I ever rightly +stated matters in my own mind before, though I had been enough used +to blood, and to see the destruction of people, sacking of towns, and +plundering the country; yet 'twas in Germany, and among strangers; but +I found a strange, secret and unaccountable sadness upon my spirits, +to see this acting in my own native country. It grieved me to the +heart, even in the rout of our enemies, to see the slaughter of them; +and even in the fight, to hear a man cry for quarter in English, moved +me to a compassion which I had never been used to; nay, sometimes +it looked to me as if some of my own men had been beaten; and when +I heard a soldier cry, "O God, I am shot," I looked behind me to see +which of my own troop was fallen. Here I saw myself at the cutting of +the throats of my friends; and indeed some of my near relations. My +old comrades and fellow-soldiers in Germany were some with us, some +against us, as their opinions happened to differ in religion. For my +part, I confess I had not much religion in me, at that time; but I +thought religion rightly practised on both sides would have made us +all better friends; and therefore sometimes I began to think, that +both the bishops of our side, and the preachers on theirs, made +religion rather the pretence than the cause of the war. And from those +thoughts I vigorously argued it at the council of war against marching +to Brentford, while the address for a treaty of peace from the +Parliament was in hand: for I was for taking the Parliament by the +handle which they had given us, and entering into a negotiation, with +the advantage of its being at their own request. + +I thought the king had now in his hands an opportunity to make an +honourable peace; for this battle of Edgehill, as much as they boasted +of the victory to hearten up their friends, had sorely weakened their +army, and discouraged their party too, which in effect was worse as to +their army. The horse were particularly in an ill case, and the foot +greatly diminished, and the remainder very sickly; but besides this, +the Parliament were greatly alarmed at the progress we made afterward; +and still fearing the king's surprising them, had sent for the Earl of +Essex to London, to defend them; by which the country was, as it were, +defeated and abandoned, and left to be plundered; our parties overrun +all places at pleasure. All this while I considered, that whatever the +soldiers of fortune meant by the war, our desires were to suppress +the exorbitant power of a party, to establish our king in his just +and legal rights; but not with a design to destroy the constitution of +government, and the being of Parliament. And therefore I thought now +was the time for peace, and there were a great many worthy gentlemen +in the army of my mind; and, had our master had ears to hear us, the +war might have had an end here. + +This address for peace was received by the king at Maidenhead, whither +this army was now advanced, and his Majesty returned answer by Sir +Peter Killegrew, that he desired nothing more, and would not be +wanting on his part. Upon this the Parliament name commissioners, and +his Majesty excepting against Sir John Evelyn, they left him out, +and sent others; and desired the king to appoint his residence near +London, where the commissioners might wait upon him. Accordingly the +king appointed Windsor for the place of treaty, and desired the +treaty might be hastened. And thus all things looked with a favourable +aspect, when one unlucky action knocked it all on the head, and filled +both parties with more implacable animosities than they had before, +and all hopes of peace vanished. + +During this progress of the king's armies, we were always abroad with +the horse ravaging the country, and plundering the Roundheads. Prince +Rupert, a most active vigilant party man, and I must own, fitter for +such than for a general, was never lying still, and I seldom stayed +behind; for our regiment being very well mounted, he would always send +for us, if he had any extraordinary design in hand. + +One time in particular he had a design upon Aylesbury, the capital of +Buckinghamshire; indeed our view at first was rather to beat the +enemy out of town and demolish their works, and perhaps raise some +contributions on the rich country round it, than to garrison the +place, and keep it; for we wanted no more garrisons, being masters of +the field. + +The prince had 2500 horse with him in this expedition, but no foot; +the town had some foot raised in the country by Mr Hampden, and two +regiments of country militia, whom we made light of, but we found they +stood to their tackle better than well enough. We came very early to +the town, and thought they had no notice of us; but some false brother +had given them the alarm, and we found them all in arms, the hedges +without the town lined with musketeers, on that side in particular +where they expected us, and two regiments of foot drawn up in view to +support them, with some horse in the rear of all. + +The prince, willing, however, to do something, caused some of his +horse to alight, and serve as dragoons; and having broken a way into +the enclosures, the horse beat the foot from behind the hedges, while +the rest who were alighted charged them in the lane which leads to +the town. Here they had cast up some works, and fired from their +lines very regularly, considering them as militia only, the governor +encouraging them by his example; so that finding without some foot +there would be no good to be done, we gave it over, and drew off; and +so Aylesbury escaped a scouring for that time. + +I cannot deny but these flying parties of horse committed great spoil +among the country people; and sometimes the prince gave a liberty to +some cruelties which were not at all for the king's interest; because +it being still upon our own country, and the king's own subjects, whom +in all his declarations he protested to be careful of, it seemed to +contradict all those protestations and declarations, and served to +aggravate and exasperate the common people; and the king's enemies +made all the advantages of it that was possible, by crying out of +twice as many extravagancies as were committed. + +Tis true, the king, who naturally abhorred such things, could not +restrain his men, no, nor his generals, so absolutely as he would +have done. The war, on his side, was very much _a la_ volunteer; +many gentlemen served him at their own charge, and some paid whole +regiments themselves: sometimes also the king's affairs were straiter +than ordinary, and his men were not very well paid, and this obliged +him to wink at their excursions upon the country, though he did not +approve of them. And yet I must own, that in those parts of England +where the war was hottest, there never was seen that ruin and +depopulation, murders, and barbarities, which I have seen even among +Protestant armies abroad, in Germany and other foreign parts of the +world. And if the Parliament people had seen those things abroad, as I +had, they would not have complained. + +The most I have seen was plundering the towns for provisions, drinking +up their beer, and turning our horses into their fields, or stacks +of corn; and sometimes the soldiers would be a little rude with the +wenches; but alas! what was this to Count Tilly's ravages in Saxony? +Or what was our taking of Leicester by storm, where they cried out of +our barbarities, to the sacking of New Brandenburg, or the taking of +Magdeburg? In Leicester, of 7000 or 8000 people in the town, 300 were +killed; in Magdeburg, of 25,000 scarce 2700 were left, and the whole +town burnt to ashes. I myself have seen seventeen or eighteen villages +on fire in a day, and the people driven away from their dwellings, +like herds of cattle. I do not instance these greater barbarities to +justify lesser actions, which are nevertheless irregular; but I do +say, that circumstances considered, this war was managed with as +much humanity on both sides as could be expected, especially also +considering the animosity of parties. + +But to return to the prince: he had not always the same success in +these enterprises, for sometimes we came short home. And I cannot omit +one pleasant adventure which happened to a party of ours, in one of +these excursions into Buckinghamshire. The major of our regiment was +soundly beaten by a party, which, as I may say, was led by a woman; +and, if I had not rescued him, I know not but he had been taken +prisoner by a woman. It seems our men had besieged some fortified +house about Oxfordshire, towards Thame, and the house being defended +by the lady in her husband's absence, she had yielded the house upon a +capitulation; one of the articles of which was, to march out with +all her servants, soldiers, and goods, and to be conveyed to Thame. +Whether she thought to have gone no farther, or that she reckoned +herself safe there, I know not; but my major, with two troops of +horse, meets with this lady and her party, about five miles from +Thame, as we were coming back from our defeated attack of Aylesbury. +We reckoned ourselves in an enemy's country, and had lived a little at +large, or at discretion, as 'tis called abroad; and these two troops, +with the major, were returning to our detachment from a little +village, where, at the farmer's house, they had met with some liquor, +and truly some of his men were so drunk they could but just sit upon +their horses. The major himself was not much better, and the whole +body were but in a sorry condition to fight. Upon the road they meet +this party; the lady having no design of fighting, and being, as she +thought, under the protection of the articles, sounds a parley, and +desired to speak with the officer. The major, as drunk as he was, +could tell her, that by the articles she was to be assured no farther +than Thame, and being now five miles beyond it, she was a fair enemy, +and therefore demanded to render themselves prisoners. The lady +seemed surprised, but being sensible she was in the wrong, offered +to compound for her goods, and would have given him L300, and I think +seven or eight horses. The major would certainly have taken it, if he +had not been drunk; but he refused it, and gave threatening words to +her, blustering in language which he thought proper to fright a woman, +viz., that he would cut them all to pieces, and give no quarter, and +the like. + +The lady, who had been more used to the smell of powder than he +imagined, called some of her servants to her, and, consulting with +them what to do, they all unanimously encouraged her to let them +fight; told her it was plain that the commander was drunk, and all +that were with him were rather worse than he, and hardly able to sit +their horses; and that therefore one bold charge would put them all +into confusion. In a word, she consented, and, as she was a woman, +they desired her to secure herself among the waggons; but she refused, +and told them bravely she would take her fate with them. In short, she +boldly bade my major defiance, and that he might do his worst, since +she had offered him fair, and he had refused it; her mind was altered +now, and she would give him nothing, and bade his officer that +parleyed longer with her be gone; so the parley ended. After this she +gave him fair leave to go back to his men; but before he could tell +his tale to them she was at his heels with all her men, and gave him +such a home charge as put his men into disorder, and, being too drunk +to rally, they were knocked down before they knew what to do with +themselves, and in a few minutes more they took to a plain flight. +But what was still worse, the men, being some of them very drunk, when +they came to run for their lives fell over one another, and tumbled +over their horses, and made such work that a troop of women might have +beaten them all. In this pickle, with the enemy at his heels, I +came in with him, hearing the noise. When I appeared the pursuers +retreated, and, seeing what a condition my people were in, and not +knowing the strength of the enemy, I contented myself with bringing +them off without pursuing the other; nor could I ever hear positively +who this female captain was. We lost seventeen or eighteen of our men, +and about thirty horses; but when the particulars of the story was +told us, our major was so laughed at by the whole army, and laughed +at everywhere, that he was ashamed to show himself for a week or a +fortnight after. + +But to return to the king: his Majesty, as I observed, was at +Maidenhead addressed by the Parliament for peace, and Windsor +being appointed for the place of treaty, the van of his army lay at +Colebrook. In the meantime, whether it were true or only a pretence, +but it was reported the Parliament general had sent a body of his +troops, with a train of artillery, to Hammersmith, in order to fall +upon some part of our army, or to take some advanced post, which was +to the prejudice of our men; whereupon the king ordered the army to +march, and, by the favour of a thick mist, came within half a mile of +Brentford before he was discovered. There were two regiments of foot, +and about 600 horse into the town, of the enemy's best troops; these +taking the alarm, posted themselves on the bridge at the west end of +the town. The king attacked them with a select detachment of his best +infantry, and they defended themselves with incredible obstinacy. I +must own I never saw raw men, for they could not have been in arms +above four months, act like them in my life. In short, there was no +forcing these men, for, though two whole brigades of our foot, backed +by our horse, made five several attacks upon them they could not break +them, and we lost a great many brave men in that action. At last, +seeing the obstinacy of these men, a party of horse was ordered to go +round from Osterley; and, entering the town on the north side, where, +though the horse made some resistance, it was not considerable, the +town was presently taken. I led my regiment through an enclosure, and +came into the town nearer to the bridge than the rest, by which means +I got first into the town; but I had this loss by my expedition, that +the foot charged me before the body was come up, and poured in their +shot very furiously. My men were but in an ill case, and would not +have stood much longer, if the rest of the horse coming up the lane +had not found them other employment. When the horse were thus entered, +they immediately dispersed the enemy's horse, who fled away towards +London, and falling in sword in hand upon the rear of the foot, who +were engaged at the bridge, they were all cut in pieces, except about +200, who, scorning to ask quarter, desperately threw themselves into +the river of Thames, where they were most of them drowned. + +The Parliament and their party made a great outcry at this +attempt--that it was base and treacherous while in a treaty of peace; +and that the king, having amused them with hearkening to a treaty, +designed to have seized upon their train of artillery first, and, +after that, to have surprised both the city of London and the +Parliament. And I have observed since, that our historians note this +action as contrary to the laws of honour and treaties, though as there +was no cessation of arms agreed on, nothing is more contrary to the +laws of war than to suggest it. + +That it was a very unhappy thing to the king and whole nation, as it +broke off the hopes of peace, and was the occasion of bringing the +Scots army in upon us, I readily acknowledge, but that there +was anything dishonourable in it, I cannot allow. For though the +Parliament had addressed to the king for peace, and such steps were +taken in it as before, yet, as I have said, there was no proposals +made on either side for a cessation of arms, and all the world must +allow, that in such cases the war goes on in the field, while the +peace goes on in the cabinet. And if the war goes on, admit the king +had designed to surprise the city or Parliament, or all of them, it +had been no more than the custom of war allows, and what they would +have done by him if they could. The treaty of Westphalia, or peace of +Munster, which ended the bloody wars of Germany, was a precedent for +this. That treaty was actually negotiating seven years, and yet the +war went on with all the vigour and rancour imaginable, even to the +last. Nay, the very time after the conclusion of it, but before the +news could be brought to the army, did he that was afterwards King +of Sweden, Carolus Gustavus, take the city of Prague by surprise, and +therein an inestimable booty. Besides, all the wars of Europe are full +of examples of this kind, and therefore I cannot see any reason to +blame the king for this action as to the fairness of it. Indeed, as +to the policy of it, I can say little; but the case was this. The king +had a gallant army, flushed with success, and things hitherto had gone +on very prosperously, both with his own army and elsewhere; he had +above 35,000 men in his own army, including his garrison left at +Banbury, Shrewsbury, Worcester, Oxford, Wallingford, Abingdon, +Reading, and places adjacent. On the other hand, the Parliament army +came back to London in but a very sorry condition;[1] for what with +their loss in their victory, as they called it, at Edgehill, their +sickness, and a hasty march to London, they were very much diminished, +though at London they soon recruited them again. And this prosperity +of the king's affairs might encourage him to strike this blow, +thinking to bring the Parliament to the better terms by the +apprehensions of the superior strength of the king's forces. + +But, however it was, the success did not equally answer the king's +expectation. The vigorous defence the troops posted at Brentford +made as above, gave the Earl of Essex opportunity, with extraordinary +application, to draw his forces out to Turnham Green. And the +exceeding alacrity of the enemy was such, that their whole army +appeared with them, making together an army of 24,000 men, drawn up +in view of our forces by eight o'clock the next morning. The city +regiments were placed between the regular troops, and all together +offered us battle, but we were not in a condition to accept it. The +king indeed was sometimes of the mind to charge them, and once or +twice ordered parties to advance to begin to skirmish, but upon better +advice altered his mind, and indeed it was the wisest counsel to defer +the fighting at that time. The Parliament generals were as unfixed in +their resolutions, on the other side, as the king; sometimes they sent +out parties, and then called them back again. One strong party of near +3000 men marched off towards Acton, with orders to amuse us on that +side, but were countermanded. Indeed, I was of the opinion we might +have ventured the battle, for though the Parliament's army were more +numerous, yet the city trained bands, which made up 4000 of their +foot, were not much esteemed, and the king was a great deal stronger +in horse than they. But the main reason that hindered the engagement, +was want of ammunition, which the king having duly weighed, he caused +the carriages and cannon to draw off first, and then the foot, the +horse continuing to force the enemy till all was clear gone; and then +we drew off too and marched to Kingston, and the next day to Reading. + +Now the king saw his mistake in not continuing his march for London, +instead of facing about to fight the enemy at Edgehill. And all the +honour we had gained in so many successful enterprises lay buried in +this shameful retreat from an army of citizens' wives; for truly that +appearance at Turnham Green was gay, but not great. There was as many +lookers-on as actors. The crowds of ladies, apprentices, and mob was +so great, that when the parties of our army advanced, and as they +thought, to charge, the coaches, horsemen, and crowd, that cluttered +away to be out of harm's way, looked little better than a rout. And I +was persuaded a good home charge from our horse would have sent their +whole army after them. But so it was, that this crowd of an army was +to triumph over us, and they did it, for all the kingdom was carefully +informed how their dreadful looks had frightened us away. + +Upon our retreat, the Parliament resent this attack, which they call +treacherous, and vote no accommodation; but they considered of it +afterwards, and sent six commissioners to the king with propositions. +But the change of the scene of action changed the terms of peace, and +now they made terms like conquerors, petition him to desert his army, +and return to the Parliament, and the like. Had his Majesty, at the +head of his army, with the full reputation they had before, and in the +ebb of their affairs, rested at Windsor, and commenced a treaty, they +had certainly made more reasonable proposals; but now the scabbard +seemed to be thrown away on both sides. + +The rest of the winter was spent in strengthening parties and places, +also in fruitless treaties of peace, messages, remonstrances, and +paper war on both sides, and no action remarkable happened anywhere +that I remember. Yet the king gained ground everywhere, and his forces +in the north increased under the Earl of Newcastle; also my Lord +Goring, then only called Colonel Goring, arrived from Holland, +bringing three ships laden with arms and ammunition, and notice that +the queen was following with more. Goring brought 4000 barrels of +gunpowder, and 20,000 small arms; all which came very seasonably, for +the king was in great want of them, especially the powder. Upon this +recruit the Earl of Newcastle draws down to York, and being above +16,000 strong, made Sir Thomas Fairfax give ground, and retreat to +Hull. + +Whoever lay still, Prince Rupert was always abroad, and I chose to go +out with his Highness as often as I had opportunity, for hitherto he +was always successful. About this time the prince being at Oxford, I +gave him intelligence of a party of the enemy who lived a little at +large, too much for good soldiers, about Cirencester. The prince, glad +of the news, resolved to attack them, and though it was a wet season, +and the ways exceeding bad, being in February, yet we marched all +night in the dark, which occasioned the loss of some horses and +men too, in sloughs and holes, which the darkness of the night had +suffered them to fall into. We were a very strong party, being about +3000 horse and dragoons, and coming to Cirencester very early in the +morning, to our great satisfaction the enemy were perfectly surprised, +not having the least notice of our march, which answered our end more +ways than one. However, the Earl of Stamford's regiment made some +resistance; but the town having no works to defend it, saving a slight +breastwork at the entrance of the road, with a turnpike, our dragoons +alighted, and forcing their way over the bellies of Stamford's foot, +they beat them from their defence, and followed them at their heels +into the town. Stamford's regiment was entirely cut in pieces, and +several others, to the number of about 800 men, and the town entered +without any other resistance. We took 1200 prisoners, 3000 arms, and +the county magazine, which at that time was considerable; for there +was about 120 barrels of powder, and all things in proportion. + +I received the first hurt I got in this war at this action, for having +followed the dragoons and brought my regiment within the barricado +which they had gained, a musket bullet struck my horse just in the +head, and that so effectually that he fell down as dead as a stone all +at once. The fall plunged me into a puddle of water and daubed me; and +my man having brought me another horse and cleaned me a little, I was +just getting up, when another bullet struck me on my left hand, which +I had just clapped on the horse's main to lift myself into the saddle. +The blow broke one of my fingers, and bruised my hand very much; and +it proved a very painful hurt to me. For the present I did not +much concern myself about it, but made my man tie it up close in my +handkerchief, and led up my men to the market-place, where we had +a very smart brush with some musketeers who were posted in the +churchyard; but our dragoons soon beat them out there, and the whole +town was then our own. We made no stay here, but marched back with +all our booty to Oxford, for we knew the enemy were very strong at +Gloucester, and that way. + +Much about the same time, the Earl of Northampton, with a strong +party, set upon Lichfield, and took the town, but could not take the +Close; but they beat a body of 4000 men coming to the relief of the +town, under Sir John Gell, of Derbyshire, and Sir William Brereton, of +Cheshire, and killing 600 of them, dispersed the rest. + +Our second campaign now began to open; the king marched from Oxford +to relieve Reading, which was besieged by the Parliament forces; +but General Fielding, Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Arthur Ashton being +wounded, surrendered to Essex before the king could come up; for +which he was tried by martial law, and condemned to die, but the king +forbore to execute the sentence. This was the first town we had lost +in the war, for still the success of the king's affairs was very +encouraging. This bad news, however, was overbalanced by an account +brought the king at the same time, by an express from York, that the +queen had landed in the north, and had brought over a great magazine +of arms and ammunition, besides some men. Some time after this her +Majesty, marching southward to meet the king, joined the army near +Edgehill, where the first battle was fought. She brought the king 3000 +foot, 1500 horse and dragoons, six pieces of cannon, 1500 barrels of +powder, 12,000 small arms. + +During this prosperity of the king's affairs his armies increased +mightily in the western counties also. Sir William Waller, indeed, +commanded for the Parliament in those parts too, and particularly in +Dorsetshire, Hampshire, and Berkshire, where he carried on their +cause but too fast; but farther west, Sir Nicholas Slanning, Sir Ralph +Hopton, and Sir Bevil Grenvile had extended the king's quarters from +Cornwall through Devonshire, and into Somersetshire, where they +took Exeter, Barnstaple, and Bideford; and the first of these they +fortified very well, making it a place of arms for the west, and +afterwards it was the residence of the queen. + +At last, the famous Sir William Waller and the king's forces met, and +came to a pitched battle, where Sir William lost all his honour again. +This was at Roundway Down in Wiltshire. Waller had engaged our Cornish +army at Lansdown, and in a very obstinate fight had the better of +them, and made them retreat to the Devizes. Sir William Hopton, +however, having a good body of foot untouched, sent expresses and +messengers one in the neck of another to the king for some horse, and +the king being in great concern for that army, who were composed of +the flower of the Cornish men, commanded me to march with all possible +secrecy, as well as expedition, with 1200 horse and dragoons from +Oxford, to join them. We set out in the depth of the night, to avoid, +if possible, any intelligence being given of our route, and soon +joined with the Cornish army, when it was as soon resolved to give +battle to Waller; and, give him his due, he was as forward to fight as +we. As it is easy to meet when both sides are willing to be found, Sir +William Waller met us upon Roundway Down, where we had a fair field on +both sides, and room enough to draw up our horse. In a word, there +was little ceremony to the work; the armies joined, and we charged his +horse with so much resolution, that they quickly fled, and quitted +the field; for we over-matched him in horse, and this was the entire +destruction of their army. For the infantry, which outnumbered ours +by 1500, were now at our mercy; some faint resistance they made, just +enough to give us occasion to break into their ranks with our horse, +where we gave time to our foot to defeat others that stood to their +work, upon which they began to disband, and run every way they could; +but our horse having surrounded them, we made a fearful havoc of them. + +We lost not about 200 men in this action; Waller lost about 4000 +killed and taken, and as many dispersed that never returned to their +colours. Those of foot that escaped got into Bristol, and Waller, with +the poor remains of his routed regiments, got to London; so that it +is plain some ran east, and some ran west, that is to say, they fled +every way they could. + +My going with this detachment prevented my being at the siege of +Bristol, which Prince Rupert attacked much about the same time, and it +surrendered in three days. The Parliament questioned Colonel +Nathaniel Fiennes, the governor, and had him tried as a coward by a +court-martial, and condemned to die, but suspended the execution also, +as the king did the governor of Reading. I have often heard Prince +Rupert say, they did Colonel Fiennes wrong in that affair; and that if +the colonel would have summoned him, he would have demanded a passport +of the Parliament, and have come up and convinced the court that +Colonel Fiennes had not misbehaved himself, and that he had not a +sufficient garrison to defend a city of that extent; having not above +1200 men in the town, excepting some of Waller's runaways, most of +whom were unfit for service, and without arms; and that the citizens +in general being disaffected to him, and ready on the first occasion +to open the gates to the king's forces, it was impossible for him to +have kept the city. "And when I had farther informed them," said the +prince, "of the measures I had taken for a general assault the next +day, I am confident I should have convinced them that I had taken the +city by storm, if he had not surrendered." + +The king's affairs were now in a very good posture, and three armies +in the north, west, and in the centre, counted in the musters about +70,000 men besides small garrisons and parties abroad. Several of the +lords, and more of the commons, began to fall off from the Parliament, +and make their peace with the king; and the affairs of the Parliament +began to look very ill. The city of London was their inexhaustible +support and magazine, both for men, money, and all things necessary; +and whenever their army was out of order, the clergy of their party +in but one Sunday or two, would preach the young citizens out of their +shops, the labourers from their masters, into the army, and recruit +them on a sudden. And all this was still owing to the omission I first +observed, of not marching to London, when it might have been so easily +effected. + +We had now another, or a fairer opportunity, than before, but as ill +use was made of it. The king, as I have observed, was in a very good +posture; he had three large armies roving at large over the kingdom. +The Cornish army, victorious and numerous, had beaten Waller, secured +and fortified Exeter, which the queen had made her residence, and +was there delivered of a daughter, the Princess Henrietta Maria, +afterwards Duchess of Orleans, and mother of the Duchess Dowager of +Savoy, commonly known in the French style by the title of Madam Royal. +They had secured Salisbury, Sherborne Castle, Weymouth, Winchester, +and Basing-house, and commanded the whole country, except Bridgewater +and Taunton, Plymouth and Lynn; all which places they held blocked +up. The king was also entirely master of all Wales, Monmouthshire, +Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire, +Berkshire, and all the towns from Windsor up the Thames to +Cirencester, except Reading and Henley; and of the whole Severn, +except Gloucester. + +The Earl of Newcastle had garrisons in every strong place in the +north, from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Boston in Lincolnshire, and +Newark-upon-Trent, Hull only excepted, whither the Lord Fairfax and +his son Sir Thomas were retreated, their troops being routed and +broken, Sir Thomas Fairfax his baggage, with his lady and servants +taken prisoners, and himself hardly scaping. + +And now a great council of war was held in the king's quarters, what +enterprise to go upon; and it happened to be the very same day when +the Parliament were in a serious debate what should become of them, +and whose help they should seek. And indeed they had cause for it; and +had our counsels been as ready and well-grounded as theirs, we had put +an end to the war in a month's time. + +In this council the king proposed the marching to London, to put an +end to the Parliament and encourage his friends and loyal subjects in +Kent, who were ready to rise for him; and showed us letters from +the Earl of Newcastle, wherein he offered to join his Majesty with a +detachment of 4000 horse, and 8000 foot, if his Majesty thought fit +to march southward, and yet leave forces sufficient to guard the +north from any invasion. I confess, when I saw the scheme the king had +himself drawn for this attempt, I felt an unusual satisfaction in my +mind, from the hopes that he might bring this war to some tolerable +end; for I professed myself on all occasions heartily weary with +fighting with friends, brothers, neighbours, and acquaintance, and I +made no question but this motion of the king's would effectually bring +the Parliament to reason. + +All men seemed to like the enterprise but the Earl of Worcester, who, +on particular views for securing the country behind, as he called it, +proposed the taking in the town of Gloucester and Hereford first. He +made a long speech of the danger of leaving Massey, an active bold +fellow, with a strong party in the heart of all the king's quarters, +ready on all occasions to sally out and surprise the neighbouring +garrisons, as he had done Sudley Castle and others; and of the ease +and freedom to all those western parts to have them fully cleared +of the enemy. Interest presently backs this advice, and all those +gentlemen whose estates lay that way, or whose friends lived about +Worcester, Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, or the borders, and who, as they +said, had heard the frequent wishes of the country to have the city of +Gloucester reduced, fell in with this advice, alleging the consequence +it was for the commerce of the country to have the navigation of the +Severn free, which was only interrupted by this one town from the sea +up to Shrewsbury, &c. + +I opposed this, and so did several others. Prince Rupert was +vehemently against it; and we both offered, with the troops of the +country, to keep Gloucester blocked up during the king's march for +London, so that Massey should not be able to stir. + +This proposal made the Earl of Worcester's party more eager for the +siege than before, for they had no mind to a blockade which would +leave the country to maintain the troops all the summer; and of all +men the prince did not please them, for, he having no extraordinary +character for discipline, his company was not much desired even by +our friends. Thus, in an ill hour, 'twas resolved to sit down before +Gloucester. The king had a gallant army of 28,000 men whereof 11,000 +horse, the finest body of gentlemen that ever I saw together in my +life; their horses without comparison, and their equipages the finest +and the best in the world, and their persons Englishmen, which, I +think, is enough to say of them. + +According to the resolution taken in the council of war, the army +marched westward, and sat down before Gloucester the beginning of +August. There we spent a month to the least purpose that ever army +did. Our men received frequent affronts from the desperate sallies +of an inconsiderable enemy. I cannot forbear reflecting on the +misfortunes of this siege. Our men were strangely dispirited in all +the assaults they gave upon the place; there was something looked like +disaster and mismanagement, and our men went on with an ill will and +no resolution. The king despised the place, and thinking to carry it +sword in hand, made no regular approaches, and the garrison, being +desperate, made therefore the greater slaughter. In this work our +horse, who were so numerous and so fine, had no employment. Two +thousand horse had been enough for this business, and the enemy had no +garrison or party within forty miles of us, so that we had nothing to +do but look on with infinite regret upon the losses of our foot. + +The enemy made frequent and desperate sallies, in one of which I had +my share. I was posted upon a parade, or place of arms, with part of +my regiment, and part of Colonel Goring's regiment of horse, in order +to support a body of foot, who were ordered to storm the point of a +breastwork which the enemy had raised to defend one of the avenues to +the town. The foot were beat off with loss, as they always were; and +Massey, the governor, not content to have beaten them from his works, +sallies out with near 400 men, and falling in upon the foot as they +were rallying under the cover of our horse, we put ourselves in the +best posture we could to receive them. As Massey did not expect, I +suppose, to engage with any horse, he had no pikes with him, which +encouraged us to treat him the more rudely; but as to desperate men +danger is no danger, when he found he must clear his hands of us, +before he could despatch the foot, he faces up to us, fires but one +volley of his small shot, and fell to battering us with the stocks of +their muskets in such a manner that one would have thought they had +been madmen. + +We at first despised this way of clubbing us, and charging through +them, laid a great many of them upon the ground, and in repeating our +charge, trampled more of them under our horses' feet; and wheeling +thus continually, beat them off from our foot, who were just upon the +point of disbanding. Upon this they charged us again with their fire, +and at one volley killed thirty-three or thirty-four men and horses; +and had they had pikes with them, I know not what we should have done +with them. But at last charging through them again, we divided them; +one part of them being hemmed in between us and our own foot, were +cut in pieces to a man; the rest as I understood afterwards, retreated +into the town, having lost 300 of their men. + +In this last charge I received a rude blow from a stout fellow on +foot with the butt end of his musket which perfectly stunned me, and +fetched me off from my horse; and had not some near me took care of +me, I had been trod to death by our own men. But the fellow being +immediately killed, and my friends finding me alive, had taken me up, +and carried me off some distance, where I came to myself again after +some time, but knew little of what I did or said that night. This was +the reason why I say I afterwards understood the enemy retreated; for +I saw no more what they did then, nor indeed was I well of this blow +for all the rest of the summer, but had frequent pains in my head, +dizzinesses and swimming, that gave me some fears the blow had +injured the skull; but it wore off again, nor did it at all hinder my +attending my charge. + +This action, I think, was the only one that looked like a defeat given +the enemy at this siege. We killed them near 300 men, as I have said, +and lost about sixty of our troopers. + +All this time, while the king was harassing and weakening the best +army he ever saw together during the whole war, the Parliament +generals, or rather preachers, were recruiting theirs; for the +preachers were better than drummers to raise volunteers, zealously +exhorting the London dames to part with their husbands, and the city +to send some of their trained bands to join the army for the relief of +Gloucester; and now they began to advance towards us. + +The king hearing of the advance of Essex's army, who by this time was +come to Aylesbury, had summoned what forces he had within call, to +join him; and accordingly he received 3000 foot from Somersetshire; +and having battered the town for thirty-six hours, and made a fair +breach, resolves upon an assault, if possible, to carry the town +before the enemy came up. The assault was begun about seven in the +evening, and the men boldly mounted the breach; but after a very +obstinate and bloody dispute, were beaten out again by the besieged +with great loss. + +Being thus often repulsed, and the Earl of Essex's army approaching, +the king calls a council of war, and proposed to fight Essex's army. +The officers of the horse were for fighting; and without doubt we were +superior to him both in number and goodness of our horse, but the foot +were not in an equal condition; and the colonels of foot representing +to the king the weakness of their regiments, and how their men had +been balked and disheartened at this cursed siege, the graver counsel +prevailed, and it was resolved to raise the siege, and retreat towards +Bristol, till the army was recruited. Pursuant to this resolution, the +5th of September, the king, having before sent away his heavy cannon +and baggage, raised the siege, and marched to Berkeley Castle. The +Earl of Essex came the next day to Birdlip Hills; and understanding +by messengers from Colonel Massey, that the siege was raised, sends +a recruit of 2500 men into the city, and followed us himself with a +great body of horse. + +This body of horse showed themselves to us once in a large field fit +to have entertained them in; and our scouts having assured us they +were not above 4000, and had no foot with them, the king ordered +a detachment of about the same number to face them. I desired his +Majesty to let us have two regiments of dragoons with us, which was +then 800 men in a regiment, lest there might be some dragoons among +the enemy; which the king granted, and accordingly we marched, and +drew up in view of them. They stood their ground, having, as they +supposed, some advantage of the manner they were posted in, and +expected we would charge them. The king, who did us the honour to +command this party, finding they would not stir, calls me to him, and +ordered me with the dragoons, and my own regiment, to take a circuit +round by a village to a certain lane, where in their retreat they must +have passed, and which opened to a small common on the flank; with +orders, if they engaged, to advance and charge them in the flank. I +marched immediately; but though the country about there was almost all +enclosures, yet their scouts were so vigilant, that they discovered +me, and gave notice to the body; upon which their whole party moved to +the left, as if they intended to charge me, before the king with +his body of horse could come. But the king was too vigilant to be +circumvented so; and therefore his Majesty perceiving this, sends away +three regiments of horse to second me, and a messenger before them, to +order me to halt, and expect the enemy, for that he would follow with +the whole body. + +But before this order reached me, I had halted for some time; for +finding myself discovered, and not judging it safe to be entirely +cut off from the main body, I stopped at the village, and causing my +dragoons to alight, and line a thick hedge on my left, I drew up my +horse just at the entrance into the village opening to a common. +The enemy came up on the trot to charge me, but were saluted with a +terrible fire from the dragoons out of the hedge, which killed them +near 100 men. This being a perfect surprise to them, they halted, +and just at that moment they received orders from their main body +to retreat; the king at the same time appearing upon some heights in +their rear, which obliged them to think of retreating, or coming to a +general battle, which was none of their design. + +I had no occasion to follow them, not being in a condition to attack +the whole body; but the dragoons coming out into the common, gave them +another volley at a distance, which reached them effectually, for it +killed about twenty of them, and wounded more; but they drew off, and +never fired a shot at us, fearing to be enclosed between two parties, +and so marched away to their general's quarters, leaving ten or twelve +more of their fellows killed, and about 180 horses. Our men, after the +country fashion, gave them a shout at parting, to let them see we knew +they were afraid of us. + +However, this relieving of Gloucester raised the spirits as well as +the reputation of the Parliament forces, and was a great defeat to us; +and from this time things began to look with a melancholy aspect, for +the prosperous condition of the king's affairs began to decline. The +opportunities he had let slip were never to be recovered, and the +Parliament, in their former extremity, having voted an invitation +to the Scots to march to their assistance, we had now new enemies to +encounter; and, indeed, there began the ruin of his Majesty's affairs, +for the Earl of Newcastle, not able to defend himself against the +Scots on his rear, the Earl of Manchester in his front, and Sir Thomas +Fairfax on his flank, was everywhere routed and defeated, and his +forces obliged to quit the field to the enemy. + +About this time it was that we first began to hear of one Oliver +Cromwell, who, like a little cloud, rose out of the east, and spread +first into the north, till it shed down a flood that overwhelmed the +three kingdoms. + +He first was a private captain of horse, but now commanded a regiment +whom he armed _cap-a-pie a la cuirassier_; and, joining with the Earl +of Manchester, the first action we heard of him that made him anything +famous was about Grantham, where, with only his own regiment, he +defeated twenty-four troops of horse and dragoons of the king's +forces; then, at Gainsborough, with two regiments, his own of horse +and one of dragoons, where he defeated near 3000 of the Earl of +Newcastle's men, killed Lieutenant-General Cavendish, brother to the +Earl of Devonshire, who commanded them, and relieved Gainsborough; and +though the whole army came in to the rescue, he made good his retreat +to Lincoln with little loss; and the next week he defeated Sir John +Henderson at Winceby, near Horncastle, with sixteen regiments of horse +and dragoons, himself having not half that number; killed the Lord +Widdrington, Sir Ingram Hopton, and several gentlemen of quality. Thus +this firebrand of war began to blaze, and he soon grew a terror to +the north; for victory attended him like a page of honour, and he was +scarce ever known to be beaten during the whole war. + +Now we began to reflect again on the misfortune of our master's +counsels. Had we marched to London, instead of besieging Gloucester, +we had finished the war with a stroke. The Parliament's army was in +a most despicable condition, and had never been recruited, had we not +given them a month's time, which we lingered away at this fatal town +of Gloucester. But 'twas too late to reflect; we were a disheartened +army, but we were not beaten yet, nor broken. We had a large country +to recruit in, and we lost no time but raised men apace. In the +meantime his Majesty, after a short stay at Bristol, makes back again +towards Oxford with a part of the foot and all the horse. + +At Cirencester we had a brush again with Essex; that town owed us +a shrewd turn for having handled them coarsely enough before, when +Prince Rupert seized the county magazine. I happened to be in the town +that night with Sir Nicholas Crisp, whose regiment of horse quartered +there with Colonel Spencer and some foot; my own regiment was gone +before to Oxford. About ten at night, a party of Essex's men beat up +our quarters by surprise, just as we had served them before. They fell +in with us, just as people were going to bed, and having beaten the +out-guards, were gotten into the middle of the town before our men +could get on horseback. Sir Nicholas Crisp, hearing the alarm, gets +up, and with some of his clothes on, and some off, comes into my +chamber. "We are all undone," says he, "the Roundheads are upon us." +We had but little time to consult, but being in one of the principal +inns in the town, we presently ordered the gates of the inn to be +shut, and sent to all the inns where our men were quartered to do the +like, with orders, if they had any back-doors, or ways to get out, to +come to us. By this means, however, we got so much time as to get on +horseback, and so many of our men came to us by back ways, that we had +near 300 horse in the yards and places behind the house. And now we +began to think of breaking out by a lane which led from the back side +of the inn, but a new accident determined us another, though a worse +way. + +The enemy being entered, and our men cooped up in the yards of the +inns, Colonel Spencer, the other colonel, whose regiment of horse lay +also in the town, had got on horseback before us, and engaged with +the enemy, but being overpowered, retreated fighting, and sends to Sir +Nicholas Crisp for help. Sir Nicholas, moved to see the distress of +his friend, turning to me, says he, "What can we do for him?" I told +him I thought 'twas time to help him, if possible; upon which, opening +the inn gates, we sallied out in very good order, about 300 horse. +And several of the troops from other parts of the town joining us, we +recovered Colonel Spencer, and charging home, beat back the enemy to +their main body. But finding their foot drawn up in the churchyard, +and several detachments moving to charge us, we retreated in as good +order as we could. They did not think fit to pursue us, but they took +all the carriages which were under the convoy of this party, and laden +with provisions and ammunition, and above 500 of our horse, the foot +shifted away as well as they could. Thus we made off in a shattered +condition towards Farringdon, and so to Oxford, and I was very glad my +regiment was not there. + +We had small rest at Oxford, or indeed anywhere else; for the king was +marched from thence, and we followed him. I was something uneasy at my +absence from my regiment, and did not know how the king might resent +it, which caused me to ride after them with all expedition. But the +armies were engaged that very day at Newbury, and I came in too late. +I had not behaved myself so as to be suspected of a wilful shunning +the action; but a colonel of a regiment ought to avoid absence +from his regiment in time of fight, be the excuse never so just, as +carefully as he would a surprise in his quarters. The truth is, 'twas +an error of my own, and owing to two day's stay I made at the Bath, +where I met with some ladies who were my relations. And this is far +from being an excuse; for if the king had been a Gustavus Adolphus, I +had certainly received a check for it. + +This fight was very obstinate, and could our horse have come to action +as freely as the foot, the Parliament army had suffered much more; for +we had here a much better body of horse than they, and we never failed +beating them where the weight of the work lay upon the horse. + +Here the city train-bands, of which there was two regiments, and whom +we used to despise, fought very well. They lost one of their colonels, +and several officers in the action; and I heard our men say, they +behaved themselves as well as any forces the Parliament had. + +The Parliament cried victory here too, as they always did; and indeed +where the foot were concerned they had some advantage; but our horse +defeated them evidently. The king drew up his army in battalia, in +person, and faced them all the next day, inviting them to renew the +fight; but they had no stomach to come on again. + +It was a kind of a hedge fight, for neither army was drawn out in the +field; if it had, 'twould never have held from six in the morning to +ten at night. But they fought for advantages; sometimes one side had +the better, sometimes another. They fought twice through the town, in +at one end, and out at the other; and in the hedges and lanes, with +exceeding fury. The king lost the most men, his foot having suffered +for want of the succour of their horse, who on two several occasions +could not come at them. But the Parliament foot suffered also, and two +regiments were entirely cut in pieces, and the king kept the field. + +Essex, the Parliament general, had the pillage of the dead, and left +us to bury them; for while we stood all day to our arms, having given +them a fair field to fight us in, their camp rabble stripped the dead +bodies, and they not daring to venture a second engagement with us, +marched away towards London. + +The king lost in this action the Earls of Carnarvon and Sunderland, +the Lord Falkland, a French marquis and some very gallant officers, +and about 1200 men. The Earl of Carnarvon was brought into an inn in +Newbury, where the king came to see him. He had just life enough +to speak to his Majesty, and died in his presence. The king was +exceedingly concerned for him, and was observed to shed tears at the +sight of it. We were indeed all of us troubled for the loss of so +brave a gentleman, but the concern our royal master discovered, moved +us more than ordinary. Everybody endeavoured to have the king out +of the room, but he would not stir from the bedside, till he saw all +hopes of life was gone. + +The indefatigable industry of the king, his servants and friends, +continually to supply and recruit his forces, and to harass and +fatigue the enemy, was such, that we should still have given a good +account of the war had the Scots stood neuter. But bad news came every +day out of the north; as for other places, parties were always in +action. Sir William Waller and Sir Ralph Hopton beat one another by +turns; and Sir Ralph had extended the king's quarters from Launceston +in Cornwall, to Farnham in Surrey, where he gave Sir William Waller a +rub, and drove him into the castle. But in the north, the storm grew +thick, the Scots advanced to the borders, and entered England in +confederacy with the Parliament, against their king; for which the +Parliament requited them afterwards as they deserved. + +Had it not been for this Scotch army, the Parliament had easily +been reduced to terms of peace; but after this they never made any +proposals fit for the king to receive. Want of success before had made +them differ among themselves. Essex and Waller could never agree; the +Earl of Manchester and the Lord Willoughby differed to the highest +degree; and the king's affairs went never the worse for it. But +this storm in the north ruined us all; for the Scots prevailed in +Yorkshire, and being joined with Fairfax, Manchester, and Cromwell, +carried all before them; so that the king was obliged to send Prince +Rupert, with a body of 4000 horse, to the assistance of the Earl of +Newcastle, where that prince finished the destruction of the king's +interest, by the rashest and unaccountablest action in the world, of +which I shall speak in its place. + +Another action of the king's, though in itself no greater a cause of +offence than the calling the Scots into the nation, gave great offence +in general, and even the king's own friends disliked it; and was +carefully improved by his enemies to the disadvantage of the king, and +of his cause. + +The rebels in Ireland had, ever since the bloody massacre of the +Protestants, maintained a war against the English, and the Earl of +Ormond was general and governor for the king. The king, finding his +affairs pinch him at home, sends orders to the Earl of Ormond to +consent to a cessation of arms with the rebels, and to ship over +certain of his regiments hither to his Majesty's assistance. 'Tis +true, the Irish had deserved to be very ill treated by the English; +but while the Parliament pressed the king with a cruel and unnatural +war at home, and called in an army out of Scotland to support their +quarrel with their king, I could never be convinced, that it was such +a dishonourable action for the king to suspend the correction of +his Irish rebels till he was in a capacity to do it with safety to +himself; or to delay any farther assistance to preserve himself at +home; and the troops he recalled being his own, it was no breach of +his honour to make use of them, since he now wanted them for his own +security against those who fought against him at home. + +But the king was persuaded to make one step farther, and that, I +confess, was unpleasing to us all; and some of his best and most +faithful servants took the freedom to speak plainly to him of it; and +that was bringing some regiments of the Irish themselves over. This +cast, as we thought, an odium upon our whole nation, being some of +those very wretches who had dipped their hands in the innocent blood +of the Protestants, and, with unheard-of butcheries, had massacred so +many thousands of English in cool blood. + +Abundance of gentlemen forsook the king upon this score; and seeing +they could not brook the fighting in conjunction with this wicked +generation, came into the declaration of the Parliament, and making +composition for their estates, lived retired lives all the rest of +war, or went abroad. + +But as exigences and necessities oblige us to do things which at other +times we would not do, and is, as to man, some excuse for such things; +so I cannot but think the guilt and dishonour of such an action must +lie, very much of it, at least, at their doors, who drove the king +to these necessities and distresses, by calling in an army of his +own subjects whom he had not injured, but had complied with them in +everything, to make war upon him without any provocation. + +As to the quarrel between the king and his Parliament, there may +something be said on both sides; and the king saw cause himself to +disown and dislike some things he had done, which the Parliament +objected against, such as levying money without consent of Parliament, +infractions on their privileges, and the like. Here, I say, was some +room for an argument at least, and concessions on both sides were +needful to come to a peace. But for the Scots, all their demands had +been answered, all their grievances had been redressed, they had made +articles with their sovereign, and he had performed those articles; +their capital enemy Episcopacy was abolished; they had not one thing +to demand of the king which he had not granted. And therefore they had +no more cause to take up arms against their sovereign than they had +against the Grand Seignior. But it must for ever lie against them as +a brand of infamy, and as a reproach on their whole nation that, +purchased by the Parliament's money, they sold their honesty, and +rebelled against their king for hire; and it was not many years +before, as I have said already, they were fully paid the wages of +their unrighteousness, and chastised for their treachery by the very +same people whom they thus basely assisted. Then they would have +retrieved it, if it had not been too late. + +But I could not but accuse this age of injustice and partiality, who +while they reproached the king for his cessation of arms with the +Irish rebels, and not prosecuting them with the utmost severity, +though he was constrained by the necessities of the war to do it, +could yet, at the same time, justify the Scots taking up arms in a +quarrel they had no concern in, and against their own king, with whom +they had articled and capitulated, and who had so punctually complied +with all their demands, that they had no claim upon him, no grievances +to be redressed, no oppression to cry out of, nor could ask anything +of him which he had not granted. + +But as no action in the world is so vile, but the actors can cover +with some specious pretence, so the Scots now passing into England +publish a declaration to justify their assisting the Parliament. To +which I shall only say, in my opinion, it was no justification at all; +for admit the Parliament's quarrel had been never so just, it could +not be just in them to aid them, because 'twas against their own king +too, to whom they had sworn allegiance, or at least had crowned him, +and thereby had recognised his authority. For if maladministration be, +according to Prynne's doctrine, or according to their own Buchanan, a +sufficient reason for subjects to take up arms against their prince, +the breach of his coronation oath being supposed to dissolve the oath +of allegiance, which however I cannot believe; yet this can never be +extended to make it lawful, that because a king of England may, +by maladministration, discharge the subjects of England from their +allegiance, that therefore the subjects of Scotland may take up arms +against the King of Scotland, he having not infringed the compact +of government as to them, and they having nothing to complain of for +themselves. Thus I thought their own arguments were against them, and +Heaven seemed to concur with it; for although they did carry the cause +for the English rebels, yet the most of them left their bones here in +the quarrel. + +But what signifies reason to the drum and the trumpet! The Parliament +had the supreme argument with those men, viz., the money; and having +accordingly advanced a good round sum, upon payment of this (for the +Scots would not stir a foot without it) they entered England on +the 15th of January 1643[-4], with an army of 12,000 men, under the +command of old Leslie, now Earl of Leven, an old soldier of great +experience, having been bred to arms from a youth in the service of +the Prince of Orange. + +The Scots were no sooner entered England but they were joined by all +the friends to the Parliament party in the north; and first, Colonel +Grey, brother to the Lord Grey, joined them with a regiment of horse, +and several out of Westmoreland and Cumberland, and so they advanced +to Newcastle, which they summon to surrender. The Earl of Newcastle, +who rather saw than was able to prevent this storm, was in Newcastle, +and did his best to defend it; but the Scots, increased by this time +to above 20,000, lay close siege to the place, which was but meanly +fortified, and having repulsed the garrison upon several sallies, +and pressing the place very close, after a siege of twelve days, or +thereabouts, they enter the town sword in hand. The Earl of Newcastle +got away, and afterwards gathered what forces together he could, but +[was] not strong enough to hinder the Scots from advancing to Durham, +which he quitted to them, nor to hinder the conjunction of the Scots +with the forces of Fairfax, Manchester, and Cromwell. Whereupon the +earl, seeing all things thus going to wreck, he sends his horse +away, and retreats with his foot into York, making all necessary +preparations for a vigorous defence there, in case he should be +attacked, which he was pretty sure of, as indeed afterwards happened. +York was in a very good posture of defence, the fortifications very +regular, and exceeding strong; well furnished with provisions, and +had now a garrison of 12,000 men in it. The governor under the Earl +of Newcastle was Sir Thomas Glemham, a good soldier, and a gentleman +brave enough. + +The Scots, as I have said, having taken Durham, Tynemouth Castle, +and Sunderland, and being joined by Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had taken +Selby, resolve, with their united strength, to besiege York; but +when they came to view the city, and saw a plan of the works, and had +intelligence of the strength of the garrison, they sent expresses to +Manchester and Cromwell for help, who came on, and joined them with +9000, making together about 30,000 men, rather more than less. + +Now had the Earl of Newcastle's repeated messengers convinced the +king that it was absolutely necessary to send some forces to his +assistance, or else all would be lost in the north. Whereupon Prince +Rupert was detached, with orders first to go into Lancashire and +relieve Lathom House, defended by the brave Countess of Derby, and +then, taking all the forces he could collect in Cheshire, Lancashire, +and Yorkshire, to march to relieve York. + +The prince marched from Oxford with but three regiments of horse and +one of dragoons, making in all about 2800 men. The colonels of horse +were Colonel Charles Goring, the Lord Byron, and myself; the dragoons +were of Colonel Smith. In our march we were joined by a regiment of +horse from Banbury, one of dragoons from Bristol, and three regiments +of horse from Chester, so that when we came into Lancashire we were +about 5000 horse and dragoons. These horse we received from Chester +were those who, having been at the siege of Nantwich, were obliged to +raise the siege by Sir Thomas Fairfax; and the foot having yielded, +the horse made good their retreat to Chester, being about 2000, of +whom three regiments now joined us. We received also 2000 foot from +West Chester, and 2000 more out of Wales, and with this strength we +entered Lancashire. We had not much time to spend, and a great deal of +work to do. + +Bolton and Liverpool felt the first fury of our prince; at Bolton, +indeed, he had some provocation, for here we were like to be beaten +off. When first the prince came to the town, he sent a summons to +demand the town for the king, but received no answer but from their +guns, commanding the messenger to keep off at his peril. They had +raised some works about the town, and having by their intelligence +learnt that we had no artillery, and were only a flying party (so they +called us), they contemned the summons, and showed themselves upon +their ramparts, ready for us. The prince was resolved to humble them, +if possible, and takes up his quarters close to the town. In the +evening he orders me to advance with one regiment of dragoons and my +horse, to bring them off, if occasion was, and to post myself as near +as possible I could to the lines, yet so as not to be discovered; +and at the same time, having concluded what part of the works to fall +upon, he draws up his men on two other sides, as if he would storm +them there; and, on a signal, I was to begin the real assault on my +side with my dragoons. + +I had got so near the town with my dragoons, making them creep upon +their bellies a great way, that we could hear the soldiers talk on the +walls, when the prince, believing one regiment would be too few, sends +me word that he had ordered a regiment of foot to help, and that I +should not discover myself till they were come up to me. This broke +our measures, for the march of this regiment was discovered by the +enemy, and they took the alarm. Upon this I sent to the prince, to +desire he would put off the storm for that night, and I would answer +for it the next day; but the prince was impatient, and sent orders we +should fall on as soon as the foot came up to us. The foot marched out +of the way, missed us, and fell in with a road that leads to another +part of the town; and being not able to find us, make an attack +upon the town themselves; but the defendants, being ready for them, +received them very warmly, and beat them off with great loss. + +I was at a loss now what to do; for hearing the guns, and by the noise +knowing it was an assault upon the town, I was very uneasy to have my +share in it; but as I had learnt under the King of Sweden punctually +to adhere to the execution of orders, and my orders being to lie still +till the foot came up with me, I would not stir if I had been sure to +have done never so much service; but, however, to satisfy myself, I +sent to the prince to let him know that I continued in the same place +expecting the foot, and none being yet come, I desired farther orders. +The prince was a little amazed at this, and finding there must be some +mistake, came galloping away in the dark to the place and drew off the +men, which was no hard matter, for they were willing enough to give it +over. + +As for me, the prince ordered me to come off so privately as not to +be discovered, if possible, which I effectually did; and so we were +balked for that night. The next day the prince fell on upon another +quarter with three regiments of foot, but was beaten off with loss, +and the like a third time. At last the prince resolved to carry it, +doubled his numbers, and, renewing the attack with fresh men, the foot +entered the town over their works, killing in the first heat of the +action all that came in their way; some of the foot at the same time +letting in the horse, and so the town was entirely won. There was +about 600 of the enemy killed, and we lost above 400 in all, which was +owing to the foolish mistakes we made. Our men got some plunder here, +which the Parliament made a great noise about; but it was their due, +and they bought it dear enough. + +Liverpool did not cost us so much, nor did we get so much by it, the +people having sent their women and children and best goods on board +the ships in the road; and as we had no boats to board them with, we +could not get at them. Here, as at Bolton, the town and fort was taken +by storm, and the garrison were many of them cut in pieces, which, by +the way, was their own faults. + +Our next step was Lathom House, which the Countess of Derby had +gallantly defended above eighteen weeks against the Parliament forces; +and this lady not only encouraged her men by her cheerful and noble +maintenance of them, but by examples of her own undaunted spirit, +exposing herself upon the walls in the midst of the enemy's shot, +would be with her men in the greatest dangers; and she well deserved +our care of her person, for the enemy were prepared to use her very +rudely if she fell into their hands. + +Upon our approach the enemy drew off, and the prince not only +effectually relieved this vigorous lady, but left her a good quantity +of all sorts of ammunition, three great guns, 500 arms, and 200 men, +commanded by a major, as her extraordinary guard. + +Here the way being now opened, and our success answering our +expectation, several bodies of foot came in to us from Westmoreland +and from Cumberland; and here it was that the prince found means to +surprise the town of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which was recovered for +the king by the management of the mayor of the town, and some loyal +gentlemen of the county, and a garrison placed there again for the +king. + +But our main design being the relief of York, the prince advanced that +way apace, his army still increasing; and being joined by the Lord +Goring from Richmondshire with 4000 horse, which were the same the +Earl of Newcastle had sent away when he threw himself into York with +the infantry, we were now 18,000 effective men, whereof 10,000 horse +and dragoons; so the prince, full of hopes, and his men in good heart, +boldly marched directly for York. + +The Scots, as much surprised at the taking of Newcastle as at the +coming of their enemy, began to inquire which way they should get +home, if they should be beaten; and calling a council of war, they all +agreed to raise the siege. The prince, who drew with him a great train +of carriages charged with provision and ammunition for the relief of +the city, like a wary general, kept at a distance from the enemy, and +fetching a great compass about, brings all safe into the city, and +enters into York himself with all his army. + +No action of this whole war had gained the prince so much honour, or +the king's affairs so much advantage, as this, had the prince but had +the power to have restrained his courage after this, and checked his +fatal eagerness for fighting. Here was a siege raised, the reputation +of the enemy justly stirred, a city relieved, and furnished with all +things necessary in the face of an army superior in a number by near +10,000 men, and commanded by a triumvirate of Generals Leven, Fairfax, +and Manchester. Had the prince but remembered the proceeding of the +great Duke of Parma at the relief of Paris, he would have seen the +relieving the city was his business; 'twas the enemy's business to +fight if possible, 'twas his to avoid it; for, having delivered the +city, and put the disgrace of raising the siege upon the enemy, he had +nothing further to do but to have waited till he had seen what course +the enemy would take, and taken his further measures from their +motion. + +But the prince, a continual friend to precipitant counsels, would hear +no advice. I entreated him not to put it to the hazard; I told him +that he ought to consider if he lost the day he lost the kingdom, and +took the crown off from the king's head. I put him in mind that it +was impossible those three generals should continue long together; and +that if they did, they would not agree long in their counsels, which +would be as well for us as their separating. 'Twas plain Manchester +and Cromwell must return to the associated counties, who would not +suffer them to stay, for fear the king should attempt them. That he +could subsist well enough, having York city and river at his back; +but the Scots would eat up the country, make themselves odious, and +dwindle away to nothing, if he would but hold them at bay a little. +Other general officers were of the same mind; but all I could say, or +they either, to a man deaf to anything but his own courage, signified +nothing. He would draw out and fight; there was no persuading him to +the contrary, unless a man would run the risk of being upbraided with +being a coward, and afraid of the work. The enemy's army lay on a +large common, called Marston Moor, doubtful what to do. Some were for +fighting the prince, the Scots were against it, being uneasy at having +the garrison of Newcastle at their backs; but the prince brought their +councils of war to a result, for he let them know they must fight him, +whether they would or no; for the prince being, as before, 18,000 men, +and the Earl of Newcastle having joined him with 8000 foot out of the +city, were marched in quest of the enemy, had entered the moor in view +of their army, and began to draw up in order of battle; but the night +coming on, the armies only viewed each other at a distance for that +time. We lay all night upon our arms, and with the first of the day +were in order of battle; the enemy was getting ready, but part of +Manchester's men were not in the field, but lay about three miles off, +and made a hasty march to come up. + +The prince's army was exceedingly well managed; he himself commanded +the left wing, the Earl of Newcastle the right wing; and the Lord +Goring, as general of the foot, assisted by Major-General Porter +and Sir Charles Lucas, led the main battle. I had prevailed with the +prince, according to the method of the King of Sweden, to place some +small bodies of musketeers in the intervals of his horse, in the left +wing, but could not prevail upon the Earl of Newcastle to do it in the +right, which he afterwards repented. In this posture we stood facing +the enemy, expecting they would advance to us, which at last they +did; and the prince began the day by saluting them with his artillery, +which, being placed very well, galled them terribly for a quarter +of an hour. They could not shift their front, so they advanced the +hastier to get within our great guns, and consequently out of their +danger, which brought the fight the sooner on. + +The enemy's army was thus ordered; Sir Thomas Fairfax had the right +wing, in which was the Scots horse, and the horse of his own and his +father's army; Cromwell led the left wing, with his own and the Earl +of Manchester's horse, and the three generals, Leslie, old Fairfax, +and Manchester, led the main battle. + +The prince, with our left wing, fell on first, and, with his usual +fury, broke like a clap of thunder into the right wing of the Scots +horse, led by Sir Thomas Fairfax, and, as nothing could stand in his +way, he broke through and through them, and entirely routed them, +pursuing them quite out of the field. Sir Thomas Fairfax, with a +regiment of lances, and about 500 of his own horse, made good the +ground for some time; but our musketeers, which, as I said, were such +an unlooked-for sort of an article in a fight among the horse, that +those lances, which otherwise were brave fellows, were mowed down with +their shot, and all was put into confusion. Sir Thomas Fairfax was +wounded in the face, his brother killed, and a great slaughter was +made of the Scots, to whom I confess we showed no favour at all. + +While this was doing on our left, the Lord Goring with the main battle +charged the enemy's foot; and particularly one brigade commanded by +Major-General Porter, being mostly pikemen, not regarding the fire of +the enemy, charged with that fury in a close body of pikes, that they +overturned all that came in their way, and breaking into the middle of +the enemy's foot, filled all with terror and confusion, insomuch that +the three generals, thinking all had been lost, fled, and quitted the +field. + +But matters went not so well with that always unfortunate gentleman +the Earl of Newcastle and our right wing of horse; for Cromwell +charged the Earl of Newcastle with a powerful body of horse. And +though the earl, and those about him, did what men could do, and +behaved themselves with all possible gallantry, yet there was no +withstanding Cromwell's horse, but, like Prince Rupert, they bore down +all before them. And now the victory was wrung out of our hands by our +own gross miscarriage; for the prince, as 'twas his custom, too eager +in the chase of the enemy, was gone and could not be heard of. The +foot in the centre, the right wing of the horse being routed by +Cromwell, was left, and without the guard of his horse; Cromwell +having routed the Earl of Newcastle, and beaten him quite out of the +field, and Sir Thomas Fairfax rallying his dispersed troops, they fall +all together upon the foot. General Lord Goring, like himself, fought +like a lion, but, forsaken of his horse, was hemmed in on all sides, +and overthrown; and an hour after this, the prince returning, too late +to recover his friends, was obliged with the rest to quit the field to +conquerors. + +This was a fatal day to the king's affairs, and the risk too much +for any man in his wits to run; we lost 4000 men on the spot, 3000 +prisoners, among whom was Sir Charles Lucas, Major-General Porter, +Major-General Tilyard, and about 170 gentlemen of quality. We lost all +our baggage, twenty-five pieces of cannon, 3000 carriages, 150 barrels +of powder, 10,000 arms. The prince got into York with the Earl of +Newcastle, and a great many gentlemen; and 7000 or 8000 of the men, as +well horse as foot. + +I had but very coarse treatment in this fight; for returning with the +prince from the pursuit of the right wing, and finding all lost, I +halted with some other officers, to consider what to do. At first we +were for making our retreat in a body, and might have done so well +enough, if we had known what had happened, before we saw ourselves in +the middle of the enemy; for Sir Thomas Fairfax, who had got together +his scattered troops, and joined by some of the left wing, knowing +who we were, charged us with great fury. 'Twas not a time to think of +anything but getting away, or dying upon the spot; the prince kept +on in the front, and Sir Thomas Fairfax by this charge cut off about +three regiments of us from our body; but bending his main strength +at the prince, left us, as it were, behind him, in the middle of the +field of battle. We took this for the only opportunity we could have +to get off, and joining together, we made across the place of battle +in as good order as we could, with our carabines presented. In this +posture we passed by several bodies of the enemy's foot, who stood +with their pikes charged to keep us off; but they had no occasion, for +we had no design to meddle with them, but to get from them. + +Thus we made a swift march, and thought ourselves pretty secure; but +our work was not done yet, for on a sudden we saw ourselves under a +necessity of fighting our way through a great body of Manchester's +horse, who came galloping upon us over the moor. They had, as we +suppose, been pursuing some of our broken troops which were fled +before, and seeing us, they gave us a home charge. We received them as +well as we could, but pushed to get through them, which at last we did +with a considerable loss to them. However, we lost so many men, either +killed or separated from us (for all could not follow the same way), +that of our three regiments we could not be above 400 horse together +when we got quite clear, and these were mixed men, some of one troop +and regiment, some of another. Not that I believe many of us were +killed in the last attack, for we had plainly the better of the enemy, +but our design being to get off, some shifted for themselves one way +and some another, in the best manner they could, and as their several +fortunes guided them. Four hundred more of this body, as I afterwards +understood, having broke through the enemy's body another way, kept +together, and got into Pontefract Castle, and 300 more made northward +and to Skipton, where the prince afterwards fetched them off. + +These few of us that were left together, with whom I was, being now +pretty clear of pursuit, halted, and began to inquire who and who +we were, and what we should do; and on a short debate, I proposed we +should make to the first garrison of the king's that we could recover, +and that we should keep together, lest the country people should +insult us upon the roads. With this resolution we pushed on westward +for Lancashire, but our misfortunes were not yet at an end. We +travelled very hard, and got to a village upon the river Wharfe, near +Wetherby. At Wetherby there was a bridge, but we understood that a +party from Leeds had secured the town and the post, in order to stop +the flying Cavaliers, and that 'twould be very hard to get through +there, though, as we understood afterwards, there were no soldiers +there but a guard of the townsmen. In this pickle we consulted what +course to take. To stay where we were till morning, we all concluded, +would not be safe. Some advised to take the stream with our horses, +but the river, which is deep, and the current strong, seemed to bid +us have a care what we did of that kind, especially in the night. We +resolved therefore to refresh ourselves and our horses, which indeed +is more than we did, and go on till we might come to a ford or bridge, +where we might get over. Some guides we had, but they either were +foolish or false, for after we had rode eight or nine miles, they +plunged us into a river at a place they called a ford, but 'twas a +very ill one, for most of our horses swam, and seven or eight were +lost, but we saved the men. However, we got all over. + +We made bold with our first convenience to trespass upon the country +for a few horses, where we could find them, to remount our men whose +horses were drowned, and continued our march. But being obliged to +refresh ourselves at a small village on the edge of Bramham Moor, we +found the country alarmed by our taking some horses, and we were no +sooner got on horseback in the morning, and entering on the moor, but +we understood we were pursued by some troops of horse. There was +no remedy but we must pass this moor; and though our horses were +exceedingly tired, yet we pressed on upon a round trot, and recovered +an enclosed country on the other side, where we halted. And here, +necessity putting us upon it, we were obliged to look out for more +horses, for several of our men were dismounted, and others' horses +disabled by carrying double, those who lost their horses getting up +behind them. But we were supplied by our enemies against their will. + +The enemy followed us over the moor, and we having a woody enclosed +country about us, where we were, I observed by their moving, they had +lost sight of us; upon which I proposed concealing ourselves till we +might judge of their numbers. We did so, and lying close in a wood, +they passed hastily by us, without skirting or searching the wood, +which was what on another occasion they would not have done. I found +they were not above 150 horse, and considering, that to let them +go before us, would be to alarm the country, and stop our design, I +thought, since we might be able to deal with them, we should not meet +with a better place for it, and told the rest of our officers my mind, +which all our party presently (for we had not time for a long debate) +agreed to. + +Immediately upon this I caused two men to fire their pistols in the +wood, at two different places, as far asunder as I could. This I did +to give them an alarm, and amuse them; for being in the lane, they +would otherwise have got through before we had been ready, and I +resolved to engage them there, as soon as 'twas possible. After this +alarm, we rushed out of the wood, with about a hundred horse, and +charged them on the flank in a broad lane, the wood being on their +right. Our passage into the lane being narrow, gave us some difficulty +in our getting out; but the surprise of the charge did our work; for +the enemy, thinking we had been a mile or two before, had not the +least thoughts of this onset, till they heard us in the wood, and then +they who were before could not come back. We broke into the lane just +in the middle of them, and by that means divided them; and facing to +the left, charged the rear. First our dismounted men, which were near +fifty, lined the edge of the wood, and fired with their carabines upon +those which were before, so warmly, that they put them into a great +disorder. Meanwhile fifty more of our horse from the farther part of +the wood showed themselves in the lane upon their front. This put them +of the foremost party into a great perplexity, and they began to face +about, to fall upon us who were engaged in the rear. But their +facing about in a lane where there was no room to wheel, as one who +understands the manner of wheeling a troop of horse must imagine, put +them into a great disorder. Our party in the head of the lane taking +the advantage of this mistake of the enemy, charged in upon them, and +routed them entirely. + +Some found means to break into the enclosures on the other side of the +lane, and get away. About thirty were killed, and about twenty-five +made prisoners, and forty very good horses were taken; all this while +not a man of ours was lost, and not above seven or eight wounded. +Those in the rear behaved themselves better, for they stood our charge +with a great deal of resolution, and all we could do could not break +them; but at last our men who had fired on foot through the hedges at +the other party, coming to do the like here, there was no standing +it any longer. The rear of them faced about and retreated out of +the lane, and drew up in the open field to receive and rally their +fellows. We killed about seventeen of them, and followed them to the +end of the lane, but had no mind to have any more fighting than needs +must, our condition at that time not making it proper, the towns round +us being all in the enemy's hands, and the country but indifferently +pleased with us; however, we stood facing them till they thought fit +to march away. Thus we were supplied with horses enough to remount our +men, and pursued our first design of getting into Lancashire. As for +our prisoners, we let them off on foot. + +But the country being by this time alarmed, and the rout of our army +everywhere known, we foresaw abundance of difficulties before us; we +were not strong enough to venture into any great towns, and we were +too many to be concealed in small ones. Upon this we resolved to halt +in a great wood about three miles beyond the place where we had the +last skirmish, and sent our scouts to discover the country, and learn +what they could, either of the enemy or of our friends. + +Anybody may suppose we had but indifferent quarters here, either for +ourselves or for our horses; but, however, we made shift to lie here +two days and one night. In the interim I took upon me, with two more, +to go to Leeds to learn some news; we were disguised like country +ploughmen; the clothes we got at a farmer's house, which for that +particular occasion we plundered; and I cannot say no blood was shed +in a manner too rash, and which I could not have done at another time; +but our case was desperate, and the people too surly, and shot at us +out of the window, wounded one man and shot a horse, which we counted +as great a loss to us as a man, for our safety depended upon our +horses. Here we got clothes of all sorts, enough for both sexes, and +thus dressing myself up _au paysan,_ with a white cap on my head, and +a fork on my shoulder, and one of my comrades in the farmer's wife's +russet gown and petticoat, like a woman, the other with an old crutch +like a lame man, and all mounted on such horses as we had taken the +day before from the country, away we go to Leeds by three several +ways, and agreed to meet upon the bridge. My pretended country woman +acted her part to the life, though the party was a gentleman of good +quality, of the Earl of Worcester's family; and the cripple did as +well as he; but I thought myself very awkward in my dress, which made +me very shy, especially among the soldiers. We passed their sentinels +and guards at Leeds unobserved, and put up our horses at several +houses in the town, from whence we went up and down to make our +remarks. My cripple was the fittest to go among the soldiers, because +there was less danger of being pressed. There he informed himself of +the matters of war, particularly that the enemy sat down again to the +siege of York; that flying parties were in pursuit of the Cavaliers; +and there he heard that 500 horse of the Lord Manchester's men had +followed a party of Cavaliers over Bramham Moor, and that entering a +lane, the Cavaliers, who were 1000 strong, fell upon them, and killed +them all but about fifty. This, though it was a lie, was very pleasant +to us to hear, knowing it was our party, because of the other part of +the story, which was thus: That the Cavaliers had taken possession of +such a wood, where they rallied all the troops of their flying army; +that they had plundered the country as they came, taking all the +horses they could get; that they had plundered Goodman Thomson's +house, which was the farmer I mentioned, and killed man, woman, and +child; and that they were about 2000 strong. + +My other friend in woman's clothes got among the good wives at an +inn, where she set up her horse, and there she heard the same sad +and dreadful tidings; and that this party was so strong, none of +the neighbouring garrisons durst stir out; but that they had sent +expresses to York, for a party of horse to come to their assistance. + +I walked up and down the town, but fancied myself so ill disguised, +and so easy to be known, that I cared not to talk with anybody. We +met at the bridge exactly at our time, and compared our intelligence, +found it answered our end of coming, and that we had nothing to do but +to get back to our men; but my cripple told me, he would not stir till +he bought some victuals: so away he hops with his crutch, and buys +four or five great pieces of bacon, as many of hung beef, and two +or three loaves; and borrowing a sack at the inn (which I suppose +he never restored), he loads his horse, and getting a large leather +bottle, he filled that of aqua-vitae instead of small beer; my woman +comrade did the like. I was uneasy in my mind, and took no care but to +get out of the town; however, we all came off well enough; but +'twas well for me that I had no provisions with me, as you will hear +presently. + +We came, as I said, into the town by several ways, and so we went out; +but about three miles from the town we met again exactly where we had +agreed. I being about a quarter of a mile from the rest, I meets three +country fellows on horseback; one had a long pole on his shoulder, +another a fork, the third no weapon at all, that I saw. I gave them +the road very orderly, being habited like one of their brethren; but +one of them stopping short at me, and looking earnestly calls out, +"Hark thee, friend," says he, in a broad north-country tone, "whar +hast thou thilk horse?" I must confess I was in the utmost confusion +at the question, neither being able to answer the question, nor to +speak in his tone; so I made as if I did not hear him, and went on. +"Na, but ye's not gang soa," says the boor, and comes up to me, and +takes hold of the horse's bridle to stop me; at which, vexed at heart +that I could not tell how to talk to him, I reached him a great knock +on the pate with my fork, and fetched him off of his horse, and then +began to mend my pace. The other clowns, though it seems they knew not +what the fellow wanted, pursued me, and finding they had better heels +than I, I saw there was no remedy but to make use of my hands, and +faced about. + +The first that came up with me was he that had no weapons, so I +thought I might parley with him, and speaking as country-like as I +could, I asked him what he wanted? "Thou'st knaw that soon," says +Yorkshire, "and ise but come at thee." "Then keep awa', man," said +I, "or ise brain thee." By this time the third man came up, and the +parley ended; for he gave me no words, but laid at me with his long +pole, and that with such fury, that I began to be doubtful of him. +I was loth to shoot the fellow, though I had pistols under my grey +frock, as well for that the noise of a pistol might bring more people +in, the village being on our rear, and also because I could not +imagine what the fellow meant, or would have. But at last, finding +he would be too many for me with that long weapon, and a hardy strong +fellow, I threw myself off my horse, and running in with him, stabbed +my fork into his horse. The horse being wounded, staggered awhile, and +then fell down, and the booby had not the sense to get down in time, +but fell with him. Upon which, giving him a knock or two with my fork, +I secured him. The other, by this time, had furnished himself with a +great stick out of a hedge, and before I was disengaged from the last +fellow, gave me two such blows, that if the last had not missed my +head and hit me on the shoulder, I had ended the fight and my life +together. 'Twas time to look about me now, for this was a madman. I +defended myself with my fork, but 'twould not do. At last, in short, I +was forced to pistol him and get on horseback again, and with all the +speed I could make, get away to the wood to our men. + +If my two fellow-spies had not been behind, I had never known what was +the meaning of this quarrel of the three countrymen, but my cripple +had all the particulars. For he being behind us, as I have already +observed, when he came up to the first fellow who began the fray, he +found him beginning to come to himself. So he gets off, and pretends +to help him, and sets him up upon his breech, and being a very merry +fellow, talked to him: "Well, and what's the matter now?" says he to +him. "Ah, wae's me," says the fellow, "I is killed." "Not quite, mon," +says the cripple. "Oh, that's a fau thief," says he, and thus they +parleyed. My cripple got him on's feet, and gave him a dram of his +aqua-vitae bottle, and made much of him, in order to know what was the +occasion of the quarrel. Our disguised woman pitied the fellow too, +and together they set him up again upon his horse, and then he told +him that that fellow was got upon one of his brother's horses who +lived at Wetherby. They said the Cavaliers stole him, but 'twas like +such rogues. No mischief could be done in the country, but 'twas the +poor Cavaliers must bear the blame, and the like, and thus they jogged +on till they came to the place where the other two lay. The first +fellow they assisted as they had done t'other, and gave him a dram +out of the leather bottle, but the last fellow was past their care, +so they came away. For when they understood that 'twas my horse they +claimed, they began to be afraid that their own horses might be known +too, and then they had been betrayed in a worse pickle than I, and +must have been forced to have done some mischief or other to have got +away. + +I had sent out two troopers to fetch them off, if there was any +occasion; but their stay was not long and the two troopers saw them at +a distance coming towards us, so they returned. + +I had enough of going for a spy, and my companions had enough of +staying in the wood for other intelligences agreed with ours, and all +concurred in this, that it was time to be going; however, this use we +made of it, that while the country thought us so strong we were in the +less danger of being attacked, though in the more of being observed; +but all this while we heard nothing of our friends till the next day. +We heard Prince Rupert, with about 1000 horse, was at Skipton, and +from thence marched away to Westmoreland. + +We concluded now we had two or three days' time good; for, since +messengers were sent to York for a party to suppress us, we must have +at least two days' march of them, and therefore all concluded we +were to make the best of our way. Early in the morning, therefore, we +decamped from those dull quarters; and as we marched through a village +we found the people very civil to us, and the women cried out, "God +bless them, 'tis pity the Roundheads should make such work with +such brave men," and the like. Finding we were among our friends, +we resolved to halt a little and refresh ourselves; and, indeed, the +people were very kind to us, gave us victuals and drink, and took care +of our horses. It happened to be my lot to stop at a house where +the good woman took a great deal of pains to provide for us; but I +observed the good man walked about with a cap upon his head, and very +much out of order. I took no great notice of it, being very sleepy, +and having asked my landlady to let me have a bed, I lay down and +slept heartily. When I waked I found my landlord on another bed +groaning very heavily. + +When I came downstairs, I found my cripple talking with my landlady; +he was now out of his disguise, but we called him cripple still; and +the other, who put on the woman's clothes, we called Goody Thompson. +As soon as he saw me, he called me out, "Do you know," says he, "the +man of the house you are quartered in?" "No, not I," says I. "No; so I +believe, nor they you," says he; "if they did, the good wife would not +have made you a posset, and fetched a white loaf for you." "What do +you mean?" says I. "Have you seen the man?" says he. "Seen him," says +I; "yes, and heard him too; the man's sick, and groans so heavily," +says I, "that I could not lie upon the bed any longer for him." "Why, +this is the poor man," says he, "that you knocked down with your fork +yesterday, and I have had all the story out yonder at the next door." +I confess it grieved me to have been forced to treat one so roughly +who was one of our friends, but to make some amends, we contrived +to give the poor man his brother's horse; and my cripple told him +a formal story, that he believed the horse was taken away from the +fellow by some of our men, and if he knew him again, if 'twas his +friend's horse, he should have him. The man came down upon the news, +and I caused six or seven horses, which were taken at the same time, +to be shown him; he immediately chose the right; so I gave him the +horse, and we pretended a great deal of sorrow for the man's hurt, and +that we had not knocked the fellow on the head as well as took away +the horse. The man was so overjoyed at the revenge he thought was +taken on the fellow, that we heard him groan no more. + +We ventured to stay all day at this town and the next night, and got +guides to lead us to Blackstone Edge, a ridge of mountains which +part this side of Yorkshire from Lancashire. Early in the morning we +marched, and kept our scouts very carefully out every way, who brought +us no news for this day. We kept on all night, and made our horses do +penance for that little rest they had, and the next morning we passed +the hills and got into Lancashire, to a town called Littlebrough, +and from thence to Rochdale, a little market town. And now we thought +ourselves safe as to the pursuit of enemies from the side of York. Our +design was to get to Bolton, but all the county was full of the enemy +in flying parties, and how to get to Bolton we knew not. At last we +resolved to send a messenger to Bolton; but he came back and told +us he had with lurking and hiding tried all the ways that he thought +possible, but to no purpose, for he could not get into the town. We +sent another, and he never returned, and some time after we understood +he was taken by the enemy. At last one got into the town, but brought +us word they were tired out with constant alarms, had been strictly +blocked up, and every day expected a siege, and therefore advised us +either to go northward where Prince Rupert and the Lord Goring ranged +at liberty, or to get over Warrington Bridge, and so secure our +retreat to Chester. + +This double direction divided our opinions. I was for getting into +Chester, both to recruit myself with horses and with money, both which +I wanted, and to get refreshment, which we all wanted; but the major +part of our men were for the north. First they said there was their +general, and 'twas their duty to the cause, and the king's interest +obliged us to go where we could do best service; and there was their +friends, and every man might hear some news of his own regiment, for +we belonged to several regiments. Besides, all the towns to the +left of us were possessed by Sir William Brereton, Warrington, and +Northwich, garrisoned by the enemy, and a strong party at Manchester, +so that 'twas very likely we should be beaten and dispersed before +we could get to Chester. These reasons, and especially the last, +determined us for the north, and we had resolved to march the +next morning, when other intelligence brought us to more speedy +resolutions. We kept our scouts continually abroad to bring us +intelligence of the enemy, whom we expected on our backs, and also to +keep an eye upon the country; for, as we lived upon them something +at large, they were ready enough to do us any ill turn, as it lay in +their power. + +The first messenger that came to us was from our friends at Bolton, to +inform us that they were preparing at Manchester to attack us. One of +our parties had been as far as Stockport, on the edge of Cheshire, and +was pursued by a party of the enemy, but got off by the help of the +night. Thus, all things looked black to the south, we had resolved to +march northward in the morning, when one of our scouts from the side +of Manchester, assured us Sir Thomas Middleton, with some of the +Parliament forces and the country troops, making above 1200 men, were +on the march to attack us, and would certainly beat up our quarters +that night. Upon this advice we resolved to be gone; and, getting all +things in readiness, we began to march about two hours before night. +And having gotten a trusty fellow for a guide, a fellow that we found +was a friend to our side, he put a project into my head which saved +us all for that time; and that was, to give out in the village that +we were marched to Yorkshire, resolving to get into Pontefract Castle; +and accordingly he leads us out of the town the same way we came in, +and, taking a boy with him, he sends the boy back just at night, and +bade him say he saw us go up the hills at Blackstone Edge; and it +happened very well, for this party were so sure of us, that they had +placed 400 men on the road to the northward to intercept our retreat +that way, and had left no way for us, as they thought, to get away but +back again. + +About ten o'clock at night, they assaulted our quarters, but found we +were gone; and being informed which way, they followed upon the spur, +and travelling all night, being moonlight, they found themselves the +next day about fifteen miles east, just out of their way. For we had, +by the help of our guide, turned short at the foot of the hills, and +through blind, untrodden paths, and with difficulty enough, by noon +the next day had reached almost twenty-five miles north, near a town +called Clitheroe. Here we halted in the open field, and sent out +our people to see how things were in the country. This part of +the country, almost unpassable, and walled round with hills, was +indifferent quiet, and we got some refreshment for ourselves, but very +little horse-meat, and so went on. But we had not marched far before +we found ourselves discovered, and the 400 horse sent to lie in wait +for us as before, having understood which way we went, followed us +hard; and by letters to some of their friends at Preston, we found we +were beset again. + +Our guide began now to be out of his knowledge, and our scouts brought +us word, the enemy's horse was posted before us, and we knew they were +in our rear. In this exigence, we resolved to divide our small +body, and so amusing them, at least one might get off, if the other +miscarried. I took about eighty horse with me, among which were all +that I had of our own regiment, amounting to above thirty-two, and +took the hills towards Yorkshire. Here we met with such unpassable +hills, vast moors, rocks, and stonyways, as lamed all our horses and +tired our men; and some times I was ready to think we should never be +able to get over them, till our horses failing, and jackboots being +but indifferent things to travel in, we might be starved before we +should find any road, or towns; for guide we had none, but a boy who +knew but little, and would cry when we asked him any questions. I +believe neither men nor horses ever passed in some places where we +went, and for twenty hours we saw not a town nor a house, excepting +sometimes from the top of the mountains, at a vast distance. I am +persuaded we might have encamped here, if we had had provisions, till +the war had been over, and have met with no disturbance; and I have +often wondered since, how we got into such horrible places, as much +as how we got out. That which was worse to us than all the rest, was, +that we knew not where we were going, nor what part of the country we +should come into, when we came out of those desolate crags. At +last, after a terrible fatigue, we began to see the western parts of +Yorkshire, some few villages, and the country at a distance looked a +little like England, for I thought before it looked like old Brennus +Hill, which the Grisons call "the grandfather of the Alps." We got +some relief in the villages, which indeed some of us had so much need +of, that they were hardly able to sit their horses, and others were +forced to help them off, they were so faint. I never felt so much of +the power of hunger in my life, for having not eaten in thirty hours, +I was as ravenous as a hound; and if I had had a piece of horse-flesh, +I believe I should not have had patience to have staid dressing +it, but have fallen upon it raw, and have eaten it as greedily as a +Tartar. However I ate very cautiously, having often seen the danger of +men's eating heartily after long fasting. + +Our next care was to inquire our way. Halifax, they told us, was on +our right. There we durst not think of going. Skipton was before us, +and there we knew not how it was, for a body of 3000 horse, sent out +by the enemy in pursuit of Prince Rupert, had been there but two days +before, and the country people could not tell us whether they were +gone, or no. And Manchester's horse, which were sent out after our +party, were then at Halifax, in quest of us, and afterwards marched +into Cheshire. In this distress we would have hired a guide, but none +of the country people would go with us, for the Roundheads would hang +them, they said, when they came there. Upon this I called a fellow to +me, "Hark ye, friend," says I, "dost thee know the way so as to bring +us into Westmoreland, and not keep the great road from York?" "Ay, +merry," says he, "I ken the ways weel enou!" "And you would go and +guide us," said I, "but that you are afraid the Roundheads will hang +you?" "Indeed would I," says the fellow. "Why then," says I, "thou +hadst as good be hanged by a Cavalier as a Roundhead, for if thou wilt +not go, I'll hang thee just now." "Na, and ye serve me soa," says the +fellow, "Ise ene gang with ye, for I care not for hanging; and ye'll +get me a good horse, Ise gang and be one of ye, for I'll nere come +heame more." This pleased us still better, and we mounted the fellow, +for three of our men died that night with the extreme fatigue of the +last service. + +Next morning, when our new trooper was mounted and clothed we hardly +knew him; and this fellow led us by such ways, such wildernesses, and +yet with such prudence, keeping the hills to the left, that we might +have the villages to refresh ourselves, that without him, we had +certainly either perished in those mountains, or fallen into the +enemy's hands. We passed the great road from York so critically as to +time, that from one of the hills he showed us a party of the enemy's +horse who were then marching into Westmoreland. We lay still that day, +finding we were not discovered by them; and our guide proved the best +scout that we could have had; for he would go out ten miles at a time, +and bring us in all the news of the country. Here he brought us word, +that York was surrendered upon articles, and that Newcastle, which had +been surprised by the king's party, was besieged by another army of +Scots advanced to help their brethren. + +Along the edges of those vast mountains we passed with the help of our +guide, till we came into the forest of Swale; and finding ourselves +perfectly concealed here, for no soldier had ever been here all the +war, nor perhaps would not, if it had lasted seven years, we thought +we wanted a few days' rest, at least for our horses. So we resolved to +halt; and while we did so, we made some disguises, and sent out some +spies into the country; but as here were no great towns, nor no post +road, we got very little intelligence. We rested four days, and then +marched again; and indeed having no great stock of money about us, +and not very free of that we had, four days was enough for those poor +places to be able to maintain us. + +We thought ourselves pretty secure now; but our chief care was how to +get over those terrible mountains; for having passed the great road +that leads from York to Lancaster, the crags, the farther northward we +looked, looked still the worse, and our business was all on the other +side. Our guide told us, he would bring us out, if we would have +patience, which we were obliged to, and kept on this slow march, till +he brought us to Stanhope, in the country of Durham; where some of +Goring's horse, and two regiments of foot, had their quarters. This +was nineteen days from the battle of Marston Moor. The prince, who +was then at Kendal in Westmoreland, and who had given me over as lost, +when he had news of our arrival, sent an express to me, to meet him +at Appleby. I went thither accordingly, and gave him an account of our +journey, and there I heard the short history of the other part of our +men, whom we parted from in Lancashire. They made the best of their +way north; they had two resolute gentlemen who commanded; and being +so closely pursued by the enemy, that they found themselves under a +necessity of fighting, they halted, and faced about, expecting the +charge. The boldness of the action made the officer who led the +enemy's horse (which it seems were the county horse only) afraid +of them; which they perceiving, taking the advantage of his fears, +bravely advance, and charge them; and though they were above 200 +horse, they routed them, killed about thirty or forty, got some +horses, and some money, and pushed on their march night and day; but +coming near Lancaster, they were so waylaid and pursued, that they +agreed to separate, and shift every man for himself. Many of them fell +into the enemy's hands; some were killed attempting to pass through +the river Lune; some went back, six or seven got to Bolton, and about +eighteen got safe to Prince Rupert. + +The prince was in a better condition hereabouts than I expected; he +and my Lord Goring, with the help of Sir Marmaduke Langdale, and the +gentlemen of Cumberland, had gotten a body of 4000 horse, and about +6000 foot; they had retaken Newcastle, Tynemouth, Durham, Stockton, +and several towns of consequence from the Scots, and might have cut +them out work enough still, if that base people, resolved to engage +their whole interest to ruin their sovereign, had not sent a second +army of 10,000 men, under the Earl of Callander, to help their first. +These came and laid siege to Newcastle, but found more vigorous +resistance now than they had done before. + +There were in the town Sir John Morley, the Lord Crawford, Lord +Reay, and Maxwell, Scots; and old soldiers, who were resolved their +countrymen should buy the town very dear, if they had it; and had it +not been for our disaster at Marston Moor, they had never had it; for +Callander, finding he was not able to carry the town, sends to General +Leven to come from the siege of York to help him. + +Meantime the prince forms a very good army, and the Lord Goring, with +10,000 men, shows himself on the borders of Scotland, to try if that +might not cause the Scots to recall their forces; and, I am persuaded, +had he entered Scotland, the Parliament of Scotland had recalled the +Earl of Callander, for they had but 5000 men left in arms to send +against him; but they were loth to venture. However, this effect it +had, that it called the Scots northward again, and found them work +there for the rest of the summer to reduce the several towns in the +bishopric of Durham. + +I found with the prince the poor remains of my regiment, which, when +joined with those that had been with me, could not all make up three +troops, and but two captains, three lieutenants, and one cornet; the +rest were dispersed, killed, or taken prisoners. However, with those, +which we still called a regiment, I joined the prince, and after +having done all we could on that side, the Scots being returned from +York, the prince returned through Lancashire to Chester. + +The enemy often appeared and alarmed us, and once fell on one of our +parties, and killed us about a hundred men; but we were too many for +them to pretend to fight us, so we came to Bolton, beat the troops +of the enemy near Warrington, where I got a cut with a halberd in my +face, and arrived at Chester the beginning of August. + +The Parliament, upon their great success in the north, thinking the +king's forces quite unbroken, had sent their General Essex into the +west, where the king's army was commanded by Prince Maurice, Prince +Rupert's elder brother, but not very strong; and the king being, as +they supposed, by the absence of Prince Rupert, weakened so much as +that he might be checked by Sir William Waller, who, with 4500 foot, +and 1500 horse, was at that time about Winchester, having lately +beaten Sir Ralph Hopton;--upon all these considerations, the Earl of +Essex marches westward. + +The forces in the west being too weak to oppose him, everything gave +way to him, and all people expected he would besiege Exeter, where +the queen was newly lying-in, and sent a trumpet to desire he would +forbear the city, while she could be removed, which he did, and passed +on westward, took Tiverton, Bideford, Barnstaple, Launceston, relieved +Plymouth, drove Sir Richard Grenvile up into Cornwall, and followed +him thither, but left Prince Maurice behind him with 4000 men about +Barnstaple and Exeter. The king, in the meantime, marches from Oxford +into Worcester, with Waller at his heels. At Edgehill his Majesty +turns upon Waller, and gave him a brush, to put him in mind of the +place. The king goes on to Worcester, sends 300 horse to relieve +Durley Castle, besieged by the Earl of Denby, and sending part of his +forces to Bristol, returns to Oxford. + +His Majesty had now firmly resolved to march into the west, not having +yet any account of our misfortunes in the north. Waller and Middleton +waylay the king at Cropredy Bridge. The king assaults Middleton at the +bridge. + +Waller's men were posted with some cannon to guard a pass. Middleton's +men put a regiment of the king's foot to the rout, and pursued them. +Waller's men, willing to come in for the plunder, a thing their +general had often used them to, quit their post at the pass, and their +great guns, to have part in the victory. The king coming in seasonably +to the relief of his men, routs Middleton, and at the same time sends +a party round, who clapped in between Sir William Waller's men and +their great guns, and secured the pass and the cannon too. The +king took three colonels, besides other officers, and about 300 men +prisoners, with eight great guns, nineteen carriages of ammunition, +and killed about 200 men. + +Waller lost his reputation in this fight, and was exceedingly slighted +ever after, even by his own party; but especially by such as were +of General Essex's party, between whom and Waller there had been +jealousies and misunderstandings for some time. + +The king, about 8000 strong, marched on to Bristol, where Sir William +Hopton joined him, and from thence he follows Essex into Cornwall. +Essex still following Grenvile, the king comes to Exeter, and joining +with Prince Maurice, resolves to pursue Essex; and now the Earl of +Essex began to see his mistake, being cooped up between two seas, +the king's army in his rear, the country his enemy, and Sir Richard +Grenvile in his van. + +The king, who always took the best measures when he was left to his +own counsel, wisely refuses to engage, though superior in number, and +much stronger in horse. Essex often drew out to fight, but the king +fortifies, takes the passes and bridges, plants cannon, and secures +the country to keep off provisions, and continually straitens their +quarters, but would not fight. + +Now Essex sends away to the Parliament for help, and they write to +Waller, and Middleton, and Manchester to follow, and come up with +the king in his rear; but some were too far off, and could not, as +Manchester and Fairfax; others made no haste, as having no mind to it, +as Waller and Middleton, and if they had, it had been too late. + +At last the Earl of Essex, finding nothing to be done, and unwilling +to fall into the king's hands, takes shipping, and leaves his army to +shift for themselves. The horse, under Sir William Balfour, the +best horse officer, and, without comparison, the bravest in all the +Parliament army, advanced in small parties, as if to skirmish, but +following in with the whole body, being 3500 horse, broke through, and +got off. Though this was a loss to the king's victory, yet the foot +were now in a condition so much the worse. Brave old Skippon proposed +to fight through with the foot and die, as he called it, like +Englishmen, with sword in hand; but the rest of the officers shook +their heads at it, for, being well paid, they had at present no +occasion for dying. + +Seeing it thus, they agreed to treat, and the king grants them +conditions, upon laying down their arms, to march off free. This was +too much. Had his Majesty but obliged them upon oath not to serve +again for a certain time, he had done his business; but this was not +thought of; so they passed free, only disarmed, the soldiers not being +allowed so much as their swords. + +The king gained by this treaty forty pieces of cannon, all of brass, +300 barrels of gunpowder, 9000 arms, 8000 swords, match and bullet in +proportion, 200 waggons, 150 colours and standards, all the bag and +baggage of the army, and about 1000 of the men listed in his army. +This was a complete victory without bloodshed; and had the king +but secured the men from serving but for six months, it had most +effectually answered the battle of Marston Moor. + +As it was, it infused new life into all his Majesty's forces and +friends, and retrieved his affairs very much; but especially it +encouraged us in the north, who were more sensible of the blow +received at Marston Moor, and of the destruction the Scots were +bringing upon us all. + +While I was at Chester, we had some small skirmishes with Sir William +Brereton. One morning in particular Sir William drew up, and faced us, +and one of our colonels of horse observing the enemy to be not, as he +thought, above 200, desires leave of Prince Rupert to attack them +with the like number, and accordingly he sallied out with 200 horse. I +stood drawn up without the city with 800 more, ready to bring him off, +if he should be put to the worst, which happened accordingly; for, not +having discovered neither the country nor the enemy as he ought, Sir +William Brereton drew him into an ambuscade; so that before he came up +with Sir William's forces, near enough to charge, he finds about 300 +horse in his rear. Though he was surprised at this, yet, being a man +of a ready courage, he boldly faces about with 150 of his men, +leaving the other fifty to face Sir William. With this small party, he +desperately charges the 300 horse in his rear, and putting them into +disorder, breaks through them, and, had there been no greater force, +he had cut them all in pieces. Flushed with this success, and loth +to desert the fifty men he had left behind, he faces about again, and +charges through them again, and with these two charges entirely routs +them. Sir William Brereton finding himself a little disappointed, +advances, and falls upon the fifty men just as the colonel came up to +them; they fought him with a great deal of bravery, but the colonel +being unfortunately killed in the first charge, the men gave way, and +came flying all in confusion, with the enemy at their heels. As soon +as I saw this, I advanced, according to my orders, and the enemy, +as soon as I appeared, gave over the pursuit. This gentleman, as I +remember, was Colonel Marrow; we fetched off his body, and retreated +into Chester. + +The next morning the prince drew out of the city with about 1200 horse +and 2000 foot, and attacked Sir William Brereton in his quarters. The +fight was very sharp for the time, and near 700 men, on both sides, +were killed; but Sir William would not put it to a general engagement, +so the prince drew off, contenting himself to have insulted him in his +quarters. + +We now had received orders from the king to join him; but I +representing to the prince the condition of my regiment, which was +now 100 men, and that, being within twenty-five miles of my father's +house, I might soon recruit it, my father having got some men together +already, I desired leave to lie at Shrewsbury for a month, to make up +my men. Accordingly, having obtained his leave, I marched to Wrexham, +where in two days' time I got twenty men, and so on to Shrewsbury. I +had not been here above ten days, but I received an express to come +away with what recruits I had got together, Prince Rupert having +positive orders to meet the king by a certain day. I had not mounted +100 men, though I had listed above 200, when these orders came; but +leaving my father to complete them for me, I marched with those I had +and came to Oxford. + +The king, after the rout of the Parliament forces in the west, was +marched back, took Barnstaple, Plympton, Launceston, Tiverton, and +several other places, and left Plymouth besieged by Sir Richard +Grenvile, met with Sir William Waller at Shaftesbury, and again at +Andover, and boxed him at both places, and marched for Newbury. Here +the king sent for Prince Rupert to meet him, who with 3000 horse made +long marches to join him; but the Parliament having joined their three +armies together, Manchester from the north, Waller and Essex (the +men being clothed and armed) from the west, had attacked the king and +obliged him to fight the day before the prince came up. + +The king had so posted himself, as that he could not be obliged to +fight but with advantage, the Parliament's forces being superior in +number, and therefore, when they attacked him, he galled them with +his cannon, and declining to come to a general battle, stood upon the +defensive, expecting Prince Rupert with the horse. + +The Parliament's forces had some advantage over our foot, and took the +Earl of Cleveland prisoner. But the king, whose foot were not above +one to two, drew his men under the cannon of Donnington Castle, and +having secured his artillery and baggage, made a retreat with his foot +in very good order, having not lost in all the fight above 300 men, +and the Parliament as many. We lost five pieces of cannon and took +two, having repulsed the Earl of Manchester's men on the north side of +the town, with considerable loss. + +The king having lodged his train of artillery and baggage in +Donnington Castle, marched the next day for Oxford. There we joined +him with 3000 horse and 2000 foot. Encouraged with this reinforcement, +the king appears upon the hills on the north-west of Newbury, and +faces the Parliament army. The Parliament having too many generals as +well as soldiers, they could not agree whether they should fight or +no. This was no great token of the victory they boasted of, for they +were now twice our number in the whole, and their foot three for one. +The king stood in battalia all day, and finding the Parliament forces +had no stomach to engage him, he drew away his cannon and baggage out +of Donnington Castle in view of their whole army, and marched away to +Oxford. + +This was such a false step of the Parliament's generals, that all the +people cried shame of them. The Parliament appointed a committee to +inquire into it. Cromwell accused Manchester, and he Waller, and so +they laid the fault upon one another. Waller would have been glad to +have charged it upon Essex, but as it happened he was not in the army, +having been taken ill some days before. But as it generally is when a +mistake is made, the actors fall out among themselves, so it was here. +No doubt it was as false a step as that of Cornwall, to let the king +fetch away his baggage and cannon in the face of three armies, and +never fire a shot at them. + +The king had not above 8000 foot in his army, and they above 25,000. +Tis true the king had 8000 horse, a fine body, and much superior to +theirs; but the foot might, with the greatest ease in the world, have +prevented the removing the cannon, and in three days' time have taken +the castle, with all that was in it. + +Those differences produced their self-denying ordinance, and the +putting by most of their old generals, as Essex, Waller, Manchester, +and the like; and Sir Thomas Fairfax, a terrible man in the field, +though the mildest of men out of it, was voted to have the command +of all their forces, and Lambert to take the command of Sir Thomas +Fairfax's troops in the north, old Skippon being Major-General. + +This winter was spent on the enemy's side in modelling, as they called +it, their army, and on our side in recruiting ours, and some petty +excursions. Amongst the many addresses I observed one from Sussex or +Surrey, complaining of the rudeness of their soldiers, from which I +only observed that there were disorders among them as well as among +us, only with this difference, that they, for reasons I mentioned +before, were under circumstances to prevent it better than the +king. But I must do the king's memory that justice, that he used all +possible methods, by punishment of soldiers, charging, and sometimes +entreating, the gentlemen not to suffer such disorders and such +violences in their men; but it was to no purpose for his Majesty to +attempt it, while his officers, generals, and great men winked at it; +for the licentiousness of the soldier is supposed to be approved by +the officer when it is not corrected. + +The rudeness of the Parliament soldiers began from the divisions among +their officers; for in many places the soldiers grew so out of all +discipline and so unsufferably rude, that they, in particular, refused +to march when Sir William Waller went to Weymouth. This had turned to +good account for us, had these cursed Scots been out of our way, but +they were the staff of the party; and now they were daily solicited to +march southward, which was a very great affliction to the king and all +his friends. + +One booty the king got at this time, which was a very seasonable +assistance to his affairs, viz., a great merchant ship, richly laden +at London, and bound to the East Indies, was, by the seamen, brought +into Bristol, and delivered up to the king. Some merchants in Bristol +offered the king L40,000 for her, which his Majesty ordered should be +accepted, reserving only thirty great guns for his own use. + +The treaty at Uxbridge now was begun, and we that had been well beaten +in the war heartily wished the king would come to a peace; but we all +foresaw the clergy would ruin it all. The Commons were for Presbytery, +and would never agree the bishops should be restored. The king was +willinger to comply with anything than this, and we foresaw it would +be so; from whence we used to say among ourselves, "That the clergy +was resolved if there should be no bishop there should be no king." + +This treaty at Uxbridge was a perfect war between the men of the gown, +ours was between those of the sword; and I cannot but take notice +how the lawyers, statesmen, and the clergy of every side bestirred +themselves, rather to hinder than promote the peace. + +There had been a treaty at Oxford some time before, where the +Parliament insisting that the king should pass a bill to abolish +Episcopacy, quit the militia, abandon several of his faithful servants +to be exempted from pardon, and making several other most extravagant +demands, nothing was done, but the treaty broke off, both parties +being rather farther exasperated, than inclined to hearken to +conditions. + +However, soon after the success in the west, his Majesty, to let them +see that victory had not puffed him up so as to make him reject the +peace, sends a message to the Parliament, to put them in mind of +messages of like nature which they had slighted; and to let them know, +that notwithstanding he had beaten their forces, he was yet willing to +hearken to a reasonable proposal for putting an end to the war. + +The Parliament pretended the king, in his message, did not treat with +them as a legal Parliament, and so made hesitations; but after long +debates and delays they agreed to draw up propositions for peace to be +sent to the king. As this message was sent to the Houses about August, +I think they made it the middle of November before they brought the +propositions for peace; and, when they brought them, they had no +power to enter either upon a treaty, or so much as preliminaries for a +treaty, only to deliver the letter, and receive an answer. + +However, such were the circumstances of affairs at this time, that the +king was uneasy to see himself thus treated, and take no notice of it: +the king returned an answer to the propositions, and proposed a treaty +by commissioners which the Parliament appointed. + +Three months more were spent in naming commissioners. There was much +time spent in this treaty, but little done; the commissioners debated +chiefly the article of religion, and of the militia; in the latter +they were very likely to agree, in the former both sides seemed +too positive. The king would by no means abandon Episcopacy nor the +Parliament Presbytery; for both in their opinion were _jure divino_. + +The commissioners finding this point hardest to adjust, went from +it to that of the militia; but the time spinning out, the king's +commissioners demanded longer time for the treaty; the other sent up +for instructions, but the House refused to lengthen out the time. + +This was thought an insolence upon the king, and gave all good people +a detestation of such haughty behaviour; and thus the hopes of peace +vanished, both sides prepared for war with as much eagerness as +before. + +The Parliament was employed at this time in what they called +a-modelling their army; that is to say, that now the Independent party +[was] beginning to prevail; and, as they outdid all the others in +their resolution of carrying on the war to all extremities, so they +were both the more vigorous and more politic party in carrying it on. + +Indeed, the war was after this carried on with greater animosity than +ever, and the generals pushed forward with a vigour that, as it +had something in it unusual, so it told us plainly from this time, +whatever they did before, they now pushed at the ruin even of the +monarchy itself. + +All this while also the war went on, and though the Parliament had no +settled army, yet their regiments and troops were always in action; +and the sword was at work in every part of the kingdom. + +Among an infinite number of party skirmishings and fights this winter, +one happened which nearly concerned me, which was the surprise of the +town and castle of Shrewsbury. Colonel Mitton, with about 1200 horse +and foot, having intelligence with some people in the town, on a +Sunday morning early broke into the town and took it, castle and all. +The loss for the quality, more than the number, was very great to +the king's affairs. They took there fifteen pieces of cannon, Prince +Maurice's magazine of arms and ammunition, Prince Rupert's baggage, +above fifty persons of quality and officers. There was not above +eight or ten men killed on both sides, for the town was surprised, not +stormed. I had a particular loss in this action; for all the men and +horses my father had got together for the recruiting my regiment were +here lost and dispersed, and, which was the worse, my father happening +to be then in the town, was taken prisoner, and carried to Beeston +Castle in Cheshire. + +I was quartered all this winter at Banbury, and went little abroad; +nor had we any action till the latter end of February, when I was +ordered to march to Leicester with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, in order, +as we thought, to raise a body of men in that county and Staffordshire +to join the king. + +We lay at Daventry one night, and continuing our march to pass the +river above Northampton, that town being possessed by the enemy, we +understood a party of Northampton forces were abroad, and intended to +attack us. Accordingly, in the afternoon our scouts brought us word +the enemy were quartered in some villages on the road to Coventry. Our +commander, thinking it much better to set upon them in their quarters, +than to wait for them in the field, resolves to attack them early in +the morning before they were aware of it. We refreshed ourselves in +the field for that day, and, getting into a great wood near the enemy, +we stayed there all night, till almost break of day, without being +discovered. + +In the morning very early we heard the enemy's trumpets sound to +horse. This roused us to look abroad, and, sending out a scout, he +brought us word a part of the enemy was at hand. We were vexed to +be so disappointed, but finding their party small enough to be dealt +with, Sir Marmaduke ordered me to charge them with 300 horse and 200 +dragoons, while he at the same time entered the town. Accordingly I +lay still till they came to the very skirt of the wood where I was +posted, when I saluted them with a volley from my dragoons out of the +wood, and immediately showed myself with my horse on their front ready +to charge them. They appeared not to be surprised, and received our +charge with great resolution; and, being above 400 men, they pushed me +vigorously in their turn, putting my men into some disorder. In this +extremity I sent to order my dragoons to charge them in the flank, +which they did with great bravery, and the other still maintained the +fight with desperate resolution. There was no want of courage in our +men on both sides, but our dragoons had the advantage, and at last +routed them, and drove them back to the village. Here Sir Marmaduke +Langdale had his hands full too, for my firing had alarmed the towns +adjacent, that when he came into the town he found them all in arms, +and, contrary to his expectation, two regiments of foot, with about +500 horse more. As Sir Marmaduke had no foot, only horse and dragoons, +this was a surprise to him; but he caused his dragoons to enter the +town and charge the foot, while his horse secured the avenues of the +town. + +The dragoons bravely attacked the foot, and Sir Marmaduke falling +in with his horse, the fight was obstinate and very bloody, when the +horse that I had routed came flying into the street of the village, +and my men at their heels. Immediately I left the pursuit, and fell +in with all my force to the assistance of my friends, and, after an +obstinate resistance, we routed the whole party; we killed about +700 men, took 350, 27 officers, 100 arms, all their baggage, and 200 +horses, and continued our march to Harborough, where we halted to +refresh ourselves. + +Between Harborough and Leicester we met with a party of 800 dragoons +of the Parliament forces. They, found themselves too few to attack +us, and therefore to avoid us they had gotten into a small wood; but +perceiving themselves discovered, they came boldly out, and placed +themselves at the entrance into a lane, lining both sides of the +hedges with their shot. We immediately attacked them, beat them from +their hedges, beat them into the wood, and out of the wood again, +and forced them at last to a downright run away, on foot, among the +enclosures, where we could not follow them, killed about 100 of them, +and took 250 prisoners, with all their horses, and came that night to +Leicester. When we came to Leicester, and had taken up our quarters, +Sir Marmaduke Langdale sent for me to sup with him, and told me +that he had a secret commission in his pocket, which his Majesty had +commanded him not to open till he came to Leicester; that now he had +sent for me to open it together, that we might know what it was we +were to do, and to consider how to do it; so pulling out his sealed +orders, we found we were to get what force we could together, and a +certain number of carriages with ammunition, which the governor of +Leicester was to deliver us, and a certain quantity of provision, +especially corn and salt, and to relieve Newark. This town had been +long besieged. The fortifications of the place, together with its +situation, had rendered it the strongest place in England; and, as it +was the greatest pass in England, so it was of vast consequence to the +king's affairs. There was in it a garrison of brave old rugged boys, +fellows that, like Count Tilly's Germans, had iron faces, and they had +defended themselves with extraordinary bravery a great while, but were +reduced to an exceeding strait for want of provisions. + +Accordingly we received the ammunition and provision, and away we went +for Newark; about Melton Mowbray, Colonel Rossiter set upon us, with +above 3000 men; we were about the same number, having 2500 horse, and +800 dragoons. We had some foot, but they were still at Harborough, and +were ordered to come after us. + +Rossiter, like a brave officer as he was, charged us with great fury, +and rather outdid us in number, while we defended ourselves with all +the eagerness we could, and withal gave him to understand we were +not so soon to be beaten as he expected. While the fight continued +doubtful, especially on our side, our people, who had charge of the +carriages and provisions, began to enclose our flanks with them, as +if we had been marching, which, though it was done without orders, had +two very good effects, and which did us extraordinary service. First, +it secured us from being charged in the flank, which Rossiter had +twice attempted; and secondly, it secured our carriages from being +plundered, which had spoiled our whole expedition. Being thus +enclosed, we fought with great security; and though Rossiter made +three desperate charges upon us; he could never break us. Our men +received him with so much courage, and kept their order so well, that +the enemy, finding it impossible to force us, gave it over, and left +us to pursue our orders. We did not offer to chase them, but contented +enough to have repulsed and beaten them off, and our business being to +relieve Newark, we proceeded. + +If we are to reckon by the enemy's usual method, we got the victory, +because we kept the field, and had the pillage of their dead; but +otherwise, neither side had any great cause to boast. We lost about +150 men, and near as many hurt; they left 170 on the spot, and carried +off some. How many they had wounded we could not tell; we got seventy +or eighty horses, which helped to remount some of our men that had +lost theirs in the fight. We had, however, this advantage, that we +were to march on immediately after this service, the enemy only to +retire to their quarters, which was but hard by. This was an injury to +our wounded men, who we were after obliged to leave at Belvoir Castle, +and from thence we advanced to Newark. + +Our business at Newark was to relieve the place, and this we resolved +to do whatever it cost, though, at the same time, we resolved not to +fight unless we were forced to it. The town was rather blocked up than +besieged; the garrison was strong, but ill-provided; we had sent them +word of our coming to them, and our orders to relieve them, and they +proposed some measures for our doing it. The chief strength of the +enemy lay on the other side of the river; but they having also some +notice of our design, had sent over forces to strengthen their leaguer +on this side. The garrison had often surprised them by sallies, and +indeed had chiefly subsisted for some time by what they brought in on +this manner. + +Sir Marmaduke Langdale, who was our general for the expedition, was +for a general attempt to raise the siege, but I had persuaded him off +of that; first, because, if we should be beaten, as might be probable, +we then lost the town. Sir Marmaduke briskly replied, "A soldier ought +never to suppose he shall be beaten." "But, sir," says I, "you'll get +more honour by relieving the town, than by beating them. One will be +a credit to your conduct, as the other will be to your courage; and if +you think you can beat them, you may do it afterward, and then if you +are mistaken, the town is nevertheless secured, and half your victory +gained." + +He was prevailed with to adhere to this advice, and accordingly we +appeared before the town about two hours before night. The horse drew +up before the enemy's works; the enemy drew up within their works, and +seeing no foot, expected when our dragoons would dismount and attack +them. They were in the right to let us attack them, because of the +advantage of their batteries and works, if that had been our design; +but, as we intended only to amuse them, this caution of theirs +effected our design; for, while we thus faced them with our horse, two +regiments of foot, which came up to us but the night before, and +was all the infantry we had, with the waggons of provisions, and 500 +dragoons, taking a compass clean round the town, posted themselves on +the lower side of the town by the river. Upon a signal the garrison +agreed on before, they sallied out at this very juncture with all the +men they could spare, and dividing themselves in two parties, while +one party moved to the left to meet our relief, the other party fell +on upon part of that body which faced us. We kept in motion, and upon +this signal advanced to their works, and our dragoons fired upon +them, and the horse, wheeling and counter-marching often, kept them +continually expecting to be attacked. By this means the enemy were +kept employed, and our foot, with the waggons, appearing on that +quarter where they were least expected, easily defeated the advanced +guards and forced that post, where, entering the leaguer, the other +part of the garrison, who had sallied that way, came up to them, +received the waggons, and the dragoons entered with them into the +town. That party which we faced on the other side of the works knew +nothing of what was done till all was over; the garrison retreated in +good order, and we drew off, having finished what we came for without +fighting. Thus we plentifully stored the town with all things wanting, +and with an addition of 500 dragoons to their garrison; after which we +marched away without fighting a stroke. + +Our next orders were to relieve Pontefract Castle, another garrison +of the king's, which had been besieged ever since a few days after the +fight at Marston Moor, by the Lord Fairfax, Sir Thomas Fairfax, and +other generals in their turn. By the way we were joined with 800 horse +out of Derbyshire, and some foot, so many as made us about 4500 men in +all. + +Colonel Forbes, a Scotchman, commanded at the siege, in the absence of +the Lord Fairfax. The colonel had sent to my lord for more troops, and +his lordship was gathering his forces to come up to him, but he was +pleased to come too late. We came up with the enemy's leaguer about +the break of day, and having been discovered by their scouts, they, +with more courage than discretion, drew out to meet us. We saw no +reason to avoid them, being stronger in horse than they; and though we +had but a few foot, we had 1000 dragoons, which helped us out. We had +placed our horse and foot throughout in one line, with two reserves +of horse, and between every division of horse a division of foot, only +that on the extremes of our wings there were two parties of horse +on each point by themselves, and the dragoons in the centre on foot. +Their foot charged us home, and stood with push of pike a great while; +but their horse charging our horse and musketeers, and being closed +on the flanks, with those two extended troops on our wings, they +were presently disordered, and fled out of the field. The foot, thus +deserted, were charged on every side and broken. They retreated still +fighting, and in good order for a while; but the garrison sallying +upon them at the same time, and being followed close by our horse, +they were scattered, entirely routed, and most of them killed. The +Lord Fairfax was come with his horse as far as Ferrybridge, but the +fight was over, and all he could do was to rally those that fled, and +save some of their carriages, which else had fallen into our hands. We +drew up our little army in order of battle the next day, expecting the +Lord Fairfax would have charged us; but his lordship was so far from +any such thoughts that he placed a party of dragoons, with orders to +fortify the pass at Ferrybridge, to prevent our falling upon him in +his retreat, which he needed not have done; for, having raised the +siege of Pontefract, our business was done, we had nothing to say to +him, unless we had been strong enough to stay. + +We lost not above thirty men in this action, and the enemy 300, with +about 150 prisoners, one piece of cannon, all their ammunition, 1000 +arms, and most of their baggage, and Colonel Lambert was once taken +prisoner, being wounded, but got off again. + +We brought no relief for the garrison, but the opportunity to furnish +themselves out of the country, which they did very plentifully. The +ammunition taken from the enemy was given to them, which they wanted, +and was their due, for they had seized it in the sally they made, +before the enemy was quite defeated. + +I cannot omit taking notice on all occasions how exceeding serviceable +this method was of posting musketeers in the intervals, among the +horse, in all this war. I persuaded our generals to it as much as +possible, and I never knew a body of horse beaten that did so: yet I +had great difficulty to prevail upon our people to believe it, though +it was taught me by the greatest general in the world, viz., the King +of Sweden. Prince Rupert did it at the battle of Marston Moor; and had +the Earl of Newcastle not been obstinate against it in his right wing, +as I observed before, the day had not been lost. In discoursing this +with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, I had related several examples of the +serviceableness of these small bodies of firemen, and with great +difficulty brought him to agree, telling him I would be answerable +for the success. But after the fight, he told me plainly he saw the +advantage of it, and would never fight otherwise again if he had any +foot to place. So having relieved these two places, we hastened by +long marches through Derbyshire, to join Prince Rupert on the edge of +Shropshire and Cheshire. We found Colonel Rossiter had followed us at +a distance ever since the business at Melton Mowbray, but never cared +to attack us, and we found he did the like still. Our general would +fain have been doing with him again, but we found him too shy. Once +we laid a trap for him at Dovebridge, between Derby and +Burton-upon-Trent, the body being marched two days before. Three +hundred dragoons were left to guard the bridge, as if we were afraid +he should fall upon us. Upon this we marched, as I said, on to Burton, +and the next day, fetching a compass round, came to a village near +Titbury Castle, whose name I forgot, where we lay still expecting our +dragoons would be attacked. + +Accordingly, the colonel, strengthened with some troops of horse from +Yorkshire, comes up to the bridge, and finding some dragoons posted, +advances to charge them. The dragoons immediately get a-horseback, and +run for it, as they were ordered. But the old lad was not to be caught +so, for he halts immediately at the bridge, and would not come over +till he had sent three or four flying parties abroad to discover the +country. One of these parties fell into our hands, and received but +coarse entertainment. Finding the plot would not take, we appeared and +drew up in view of the bridge, but he would not stir. So we continued +our march into Cheshire, where we joined Prince Rupert and Prince +Maurice, making together a fine body, being above 8000 horse and +dragoons. + +This was the best and most successful expedition I was in during this +war. 'Twas well concerted, and executed with as much expedition and +conduct as could be desired, and the success was answerable to it. And +indeed, considering the season of the year (for we set out from Oxford +the latter end of February), the ways bad, and the season wet, it +was a terrible march of above 200 miles, in continual action, and +continually dodged and observed by a vigilant enemy, and at a time +when the north was overrun by their armies, and the Scots wanting +employment for their forces. Yet in less than twenty-three days we +marched 200 miles, fought the enemy in open field four times, relieved +one garrison besieged, and raised the siege of another, and joined our +friends at last in safety. + +The enemy was in great pain for Sir William Brereton and his forces, +and expresses rode night and day to the Scots in the north, and to the +parties in Lancashire to come to his help. The prince, who used to be +rather too forward to fight than otherwise, could not be persuaded to +make use of this opportunity, but loitered, if I may be allowed to say +so, till the Scots, with a brigade of horse and 2000 foot, had joined +him; and then 'twas not thought proper to engage them. + +I took this opportunity to go to Shrewsbury to visit my father, who +was a prisoner of war there, getting a pass from the enemy's governor. +They allowed him the liberty of the town, and sometimes to go to his +own house upon his parole, so that his confinement was not very much +to his personal injury. But this, together with the charges he had +been at in raising the regiment, and above L20,000 in money and plate, +which at several times he had lent, or given rather to the king, had +reduced our family to very ill circumstances; and now they talked of +cutting down his woods. + +I had a great deal of discourse with my father on this affair; and, +finding him extremely concerned, I offered to go to the king and +desire his leave to go to London and treat about his composition, or +to render myself a prisoner in his stead, while he went up himself. +In this difficulty I treated with the governor of the town, who very +civilly offered me his pass to go for London, which I accepted, and, +waiting on Prince Rupert, who was then at Worcester, I acquainted him +with my design. The prince was unwilling I should go to London; +but told me he had some prisoners of the Parliament's friends in +Cumberland, and he would get an exchange for my father. I told him +if he would give me his word for it I knew I might depend upon it, +otherwise there was so many of the king's party in their hands, that +his Majesty was tired with solicitations for exchanges, for we never +had a prisoner but there was ten offers of exchanges for him. The +prince told me I should depend upon him; and he was as good as his +word quickly after. + +While the prince lay at Worcester he made an incursion into +Herefordshire, and having made some of the gentlemen prisoners, +brought them to Worcester; and though it was an action which had not +been usual, they being persons not in arms, yet the like being my +father's case, who was really not in commission, nor in any military +service, having resigned his regiment three years before to me, the +prince insisted on exchanging them for such as the Parliament had +in custody in like circumstances. The gentlemen seeing no remedy, +solicited their own case at the Parliament, and got it passed in +their behalf; and by this means my father got his liberty, and by the +assistance of the Earl of Denbigh got leave to come to London to make +a composition as a delinquent for his estate. This they charged at +L7000, but by the assistance of the same noble person he got off for +L4000. Some members of the committee moved very kindly that my father +should oblige me to quit the king's service, but that, as a thing +which might be out of his power, was not insisted on. + +The modelling the Parliament army took them up all this winter, and +we were in great hopes the divisions which appeared amongst them might +have weakened their party; but when they voted Sir Thomas Fairfax to +be general, I confess I was convinced the king's affairs were lost and +desperate. Sir Thomas, abating the zeal of his party, and the mistaken +opinion of his cause, was the fittest man amongst them to undertake +the charge. He was a complete general, strict in his discipline, wary +in conduct, fearless in action, unwearied in the fatigue of the +war, and withal, of a modest, noble, generous disposition. We all +apprehended danger from him, and heartily wished him of our own side; +and the king was so sensible, though he would not discover it, that +when an account was brought him of the choice they had made, he +replied, "he was sorry for it; he had rather it had been anybody than +he." + +The first attempts of this new general and new army were at Oxford, +which, by the neighbourhood of a numerous garrison in Abingdon, began +to be very much straitened for provisions; and the new forces under +Cromwell and Skippon, one lieutenant-general, the other major-general +to Fairfax, approaching with a design to block it up, the king left +the place, supposing his absence would draw them away, as it soon did. + +The king resolving to leave Oxford, marches from thence with all his +forces, the garrison excepted, with design to have gone to Bristol; +but the plague was in Bristol, which altered the measures, and changed +the course of the king's designs, so he marched for Worcester about +the beginning of June 1645. The foot, with a train of forty pieces of +cannon, marching into Worcester, the horse stayed behind some time in +Gloucestershire. + +The first action our army did, was to raise the siege of Chester; Sir +William Brereton had besieged it, or rather blocked it up, and when +his Majesty came to Worcester, he sent Prince Rupert with 4000 horse +and dragoons, with orders to join some foot out of Wales, to raise the +siege; but Sir William thought fit to withdraw, and not stay for them, +and the town was freed without fighting. The governor took care in +this interval to furnish himself with all things necessary for another +siege; and, as for ammunition and other necessaries, he was in no +want. + +I was sent with a party into Staffordshire, with design to intercept +a convoy of stores coming from London, for the use of Sir William +Brereton; but they having some notice of the design, stopped, and went +out of the road to Burton-upon-Trent, and so I missed them; but that +we might not come back quite empty, we attacked Hawkesley House, and +took it, where we got good booty, and brought eighty prisoners back to +Worcester. From Worcester the king advanced into Shropshire, and took +his headquarters at Bridgnorth. This was a very happy march of the +king's, and had his Majesty proceeded, he had certainly cleared the +north once more of his enemies, for the country was generally for him. +At his advancing so far as Bridgnorth, Sir William Brereton fled up +into Lancashire; the Scots brigades who were with him retreated into +the north, while yet the king was above forty miles from them, and all +things lay open for conquest. The new generals, Fairfax and Cromwell, +lay about Oxford, preparing as if they would besiege it, and gave +the king's army so much leisure, that his Majesty might have been at +Newcastle before they could have been half way to him. But Heaven, +when the ruin of a person or party is determined, always so infatuates +their counsels as to make them instrumental to it themselves. + +The king let slip this great opportunity, as some thought, intending +to break into the associated counties of Northampton, Cambridge, +Norfolk, where he had some interests forming. What the design was, +we knew not, but the king turns eastward, and marches into +Leicestershire, and having treated the country but very indifferently, +as having deserved no better of us, laid siege to Leicester. + +This was but a short siege; for the king, resolving not to lose time, +fell on with his great guns, and having beaten down their works, our +foot entered, after a vigorous resistance, and took the town by storm. +There was some blood shed here, the town being carried by assault; but +it was their own faults; for after the town was taken, the soldiers +and townsmen obstinately fought us in the market-place; insomuch that +the horse was called to enter the town to clear the streets. But this +was not all; I was commanded to advance with these horse, being three +regiments, and to enter the town; the foot, who were engaged in the +streets, crying out, "Horse, horse." Immediately I advanced to the +gate, for we were drawn up about musket-shot from the works, to have +supported our foot in case of a sally. Having seized the gate, I +placed a guard of horse there, with orders to let nobody pass in +or out, and dividing my troops, rode up by two ways towards the +market-place. The garrison defending themselves in the market-place, +and in the churchyard with great obstinacy, killed us a great many +men; but as soon as our horse appeared they demanded quarter, which +our foot refused them in the first heat, as is frequent in all +nations, in like cases, till at last they threw down their arms, and +yielded at discretion; and then I can testify to the world, that fair +quarter was given them. I am the more particular in this relation, +having been an eye-witness of the action, because the king was +reproached in all the public libels, with which those times abounded, +for having put a great many to death, and hanged the committee of +the Parliament, and some Scots, in cold blood, which was a notorious +forgery; and as I am sure there was no such thing done, so I must +acknowledge I never saw any inclination in his Majesty to cruelty, or +to act anything which was not practised by the general laws of war, +and by men of honour in all nations. + +But the matter of fact, in respect to the garrison, was as I have +related; and, if they had thrown down their arms sooner, they had had +mercy sooner; but it was not for a conquering army, entering a town by +storm, to offer conditions of quarter in the streets. + +Another circumstance was, that a great many of the inhabitants, both +men and women, were killed, which is most true; and the case was thus: +the inhabitants, to show their over-forward zeal to defend the town, +fought in the breach; nay, the very women, to the honour of the +Leicester ladies, if they like it, officiously did their parts; and +after the town was taken, and when, if they had had any brains in +their zeal, they would have kept their houses, and been quiet, they +fired upon our men out of their windows, and from the tops of their +houses, and threw tiles upon their heads; and I had several of my men +wounded so, and seven or eight killed. This exasperated us to the last +degree; and, finding one house better manned than ordinary, and many +shot fired at us out of the windows, I caused my men to attack it, +resolved to make them an example for the rest; which they did, and +breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there, without +distinction; and I appeal to the world if they were to blame. If the +Parliament committee, or the Scots deputies were here, they ought to +have been quiet, since the town was taken; but they began with us, +and, I think, brought it upon themselves. This is the whole case, so +far as came within my knowledge, for which his Majesty was so much +abused. + +We took here Colonel Gray and Captain Hacker, and about 300 prisoners, +and about 300 more were killed. This was the last day of May 1645. + +His Majesty having given over Oxford for lost, continued here some +days, viewed the town, ordered the fortifications to be augmented, +and prepares to make it the seat of war. But the Parliament, roused at +this appearance of the king's army, orders their general to raise the +siege of Oxford, where the garrison had, in a sally, ruined some of +their works, and killed them 150 men, taking several prisoners, and +carrying them with them into the city; and orders him to march towards +Leicester, to observe the king. + +The king had now a small, but gallant army, all brave tried soldiers, +and seemed eager to engage the new-modelled army; and his Majesty, +hearing that Sir Thomas Fairfax, having raised the siege of Oxford, +advanced towards him, fairly saves him the trouble of a long march, +and meets him half way. + +The army lay at Daventry, and Fairfax at Towcester, about eight miles +off. Here the king sends away 600 horse, with 3000 head of cattle, to +relieve his people in Oxford; the cattle he might have spared better +than the men. The king having thus victualled Oxford, changes his +resolution of fighting Fairfax, to whom Cromwell was now joined with +4000 men, or was within a day's march, and marches northward. This +was unhappy counsel, because late given. Had we marched northward +at first, we had done it; but thus it was. Now we marched with a +triumphing enemy at our heels, and at Naseby their advanced parties +attacked our rear. The king, upon this, alters his resolution again, +and resolves to fight, and at midnight calls us up at Harborough to +come to a council of war. Fate and the king's opinion determined the +council of war; and 'twas resolved to fight. Accordingly the van, in +which was Prince Rupert's brigade of horse, of which my regiment was a +part, counter-marched early in the morning. + +By five o'clock in the morning, the whole army, in order of battle, +began to descry the enemy from the rising grounds, about a mile from +Naseby, and moved towards them. They were drawn up on a little ascent +in a large common fallow field, in one line extended from one side of +the field to the other, the field something more than a mile over, our +army in the same order, in one line, with the reserve. + +The king led the main battle of foot, Prince Rupert the right wing of +the horse, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale the left. Of the enemy Fairfax +and Skippon led the body, Cromwell and Rossiter the right, and Ireton +the left, the numbers of both armies so equal, as not to differ 500 +men, save that the king had most horse by about 1000, and Fairfax most +foot by about 500. The number was in each army about 18,000 men. The +armies coming close up, the wings engaged first. The prince with +his right wing charged with his wonted fury, and drove all the +Parliament's wing of horse, one division excepted, clear out of the +field; Ireton, who commanded this wing, give him his due, rallied +often, and fought like a lion; but our wing bore down all before them, +and pursued them with a terrible execution. + +Ireton seeing one division of his horse left, repaired to them, and +keeping his ground, fell foul of a brigade of our foot, who coming up +to the head of the line, he like a madman charges them with his horse. +But they with their pikes tore him to pieces; so that this division +was entirely ruined. Ireton himself, thrust through the thigh with +a pike, wounded in the face with a halberd, was unhorsed and taken +prisoner. + +Cromwell, who commanded the Parliament's right wing, charged Sir +Marmaduke Langdale with extraordinary fury, but he, an old tried +soldier, stood firm, and received the charge with equal gallantry, +exchanging all their shot, carabines and pistols and then fell on +sword in hand. Rossiter and Whalley had the better on the point of +the wing, and routed two divisions of horse, pushed them behind the +reserves, where they rallied and charged again, but were at last +defeated; the rest of the horse, now charged in the flank, retreated +fighting, and were pushed behind the reserves of foot. + +While this was doing the foot engaged with equal fierceness, and for +two hours there was a terrible fire. The king's foot, backed with +gallant officers, and full of rage at the rout of their horse, +bore down the enemy's brigade led by Skippon. The old man, wounded, +bleeding, retreats to their reserves. All the foot, except the +general's brigade, were thus driven into the reserves, where their +officers rallied them, and bring them on to a fresh charge; and here +the horse, having driven our horse above a quarter of a mile from the +foot, face about, and fall in on the rear of the foot. + +Had our right wing done thus, the day had been secured; but Prince +Rupert, according to his custom, following the flying enemy, never +concerned himself with the safety of those behind; and yet he returned +sooner than he had done in like cases too. At our return we found +all in confusion, our foot broken, all but one brigade, which, though +charged in the front, flank, and rear, could not be broken till Sir +Thomas Fairfax himself came up to the charge with fresh men, and then +they were rather cut in pieces than beaten, for they stood with their +pikes charged every way to the last extremity. + +In this condition, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, we saw the +king rallying his horse, and preparing to renew the fight; and our +wing of horse coming up to him, gave him opportunity to draw up a +large body of horse, so large that all the enemy's horse facing us +stood still and looked on, but did not think fit to charge us till +their foot, who had entirely broken our main battle, were put in order +again, and brought up to us. + +The officers about the king advised his Majesty rather to draw off; +for, since our foot were lost, it would be too much odds to expose the +horse to the fury of their whole army, and would but be sacrificing +his best troops without any hopes of success. The king, though with +great regret at the loss of his foot, yet seeing there was no other +hope, took this advice, and retreated in good order to Harborough, and +from thence to Leicester. + +This was the occasion of the enemy having so great a number of +prisoners; for the horse being thus gone off, the foot had no means +to make their retreat, and were obliged to yield themselves. +Commissary-General Ireton being taken by a captain of foot, makes the +captain his prisoner, to save his life, and gives him his liberty for +his courtesy before. + +Cromwell and Rossiter, with all the enemy's horse, followed us as far +as Leicester, and killed all that they could lay hold on straggling +from the body, but durst not attempt to charge us in a body. The +king, expecting the enemy would come to Leicester, removes to +Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where we had some time to recollect ourselves. + +This was the most fatal action of the whole war, not so much for +the loss of our cannon, ammunition, and baggage, of which the enemy +boasted so much, but as it was impossible for the king ever to +retrieve it. The foot, the best that ever he was master of, could +never be supplied; his army in the west was exposed to certain ruin, +the north overrun with the Scots; in short, the case grew desperate, +and the king was once upon the point of bidding us all disband, and +shift for ourselves. + +We lost in this fight not above 2000 slain, and the Parliament near +as many, but the prisoners were a great number; the whole body of foot +being, as I have said, dispersed, there were 4500 prisoners, besides +400 officers, 2000 horses, 12 pieces of cannon, 40 barrels of powder, +all the king's baggage, coaches, most of his servants, and his +secretary, with his cabinet of letters, of which the Parliament +made great improvement, and basely enough caused his private +letters--between his Majesty and the queen, her Majesty's letters to +the king, and a great deal of such stuff--to be printed. + +After this fatal blow, being retreated, as I have said, to +Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, the king ordered us to divide; +his Majesty, with a body of horse, about 3000, went to Lichfield, and +through Cheshire into North Wales, and Sir Marmaduke Langdale, with +about 2500, went to Newark. + +The king remained in Wales for several months; and though the length +of the war had almost drained that country of men, yet the king +raised a great many men there, recruited his horse regiments, and got +together six or seven regiments of foot, which seemed to look like the +beginning of a new army. + +I had frequent discourses with his Majesty in this low ebb of his +affairs, and he would often wish he had not exposed his army at +Naseby. I took the freedom once to make a proposition to his Majesty, +which, if it had taken effect, I verily believe would have given a new +turn to his affairs; and that was, at once to slight all his garrisons +in the kingdom, and give private orders to all the soldiers in every +place, to join in bodies, and meet at two general rendezvous, which I +would have appointed to be, one at Bristol, and one at West Chester. +I demonstrated how easily all the forces might reach these two places; +and both being strong and wealthy places, and both seaports, he would +have a free communication by sea with Ireland, and with his friends +abroad; and having Wales entirely his own, he might yet have an +opportunity to make good terms for himself, or else have another fair +field with the enemy. + +Upon a fair calculation of his troops in several garrisons and small +bodies dispersed about, I convinced the king, by his own accounts, +that he might have two complete armies, each of 25,000 foot, 8000 +horse, and 2000 dragoons; that the Lord Goring and the Lord Hopton +might ship all their forces, and come by sea in two tides, and be +with him in a shorter time than the enemy could follow. With two such +bodies he might face the enemy, and make a day of it; but now his men +were only sacrificed, and eaten up by piecemeal in a party-war, +and spent their lives and estates to do him no service. That if the +Parliament garrisoned the towns and castles he should quit, they would +lessen their army, and not dare to see him in the field: and if they +did not, but left them open, then 'twould be no loss to him, but he +might possess them as often as he pleased. + +This advice I pressed with such arguments, that the king was once +going to despatch orders for the doing it; but to be irresolute in +counsel is always the companion of a declining fortune; the king was +doubtful, and could not resolve till it was too late. + +And yet, though the king's forces were very low, his Majesty was +resolved to make one adventure more, and it was a strange one; for, +with but a handful of men, he made a desperate march, almost 250 miles +in the middle of the whole kingdom, compassed about with armies and +parties innumerable, traversed the heart of his enemy's country, +entered their associated counties, where no army had ever yet come, +and in spite of all their victorious troops facing and following him, +alarmed even London itself and returned safe to Oxford. + +His Majesty continued in Wales from the battle at Naseby till the 5th +or 6th of August, and till he had an account from all parts of the +progress of his enemies, and the posture of his own affairs. + +Here we found, that the enemy being hard pressed in Somersetshire by +the Lord Goring, and Lord Hopton's forces, who had taken Bridgewater, +and distressed Taunton, which was now at the point of surrender, +they had ordered Fairfax and Cromwell, and the whole army, to march +westward to relieve the town; which they did, and Goring's troops were +worsted, and himself wounded at the fight at Langport. + +The Scots, who were always the dead weight upon the king's affairs, +having no more work to do in the north, were, at the Parliament's +desire, advanced southward, and then ordered away towards South Wales, +and were set down to the siege of Hereford. Here this famous Scotch +army spent several months in a fruitless siege, ill provided of +ammunition, and worse with money; and having sat near three months +before the town, and done little but eaten up the country round them, +upon the repeated accounts of the progress of the Marquis of Montrose +in that kingdom, and pressing instances of their countrymen, they +resolved to raise their siege, and go home to relieve their friends. + +The king, who was willing to be rid of the Scots, upon good terms, and +therefore to hasten them, and lest they should pretend to push on the +siege to take the town first, gives it out, that he was resolved with +all his forces to go into Scotland, and join Montrose; and so having +secured Scotland, to renew the war from thence. + +And accordingly his Majesty marches northwards, with a body of 4000 +horse; and, had the king really done this, and with that body of horse +marched away (for he had the start of all his enemies, by above a +fortnight's march), he had then had the fairest opportunity for a +general turn of all his affairs, that he ever had in all the latter +part of this war. For Montrose, a gallant daring soldier, who from +the least shadow of force in the farthest corner of this country, had, +rolling like a snowball, spread all over Scotland, was come into +the south parts, and had summoned Edinburgh, frighted away their +statesmen, beaten their soldiers at Dundee and other places; and +letters and messengers in the heels of one another, repeated their +cries to their brethren in England, to lay before them the sad +condition of the country, and to hasten the army to their relief. The +Scots lords of the enemy's party fled to Berwick, and the chancellor +of Scotland goes himself to General Leslie, to press him for help. + +In this extremity of affairs Scotland lay when we marched out of +Wales. The Scots, at the siege of Hereford, hearing the king was gone +northward with his horse, conclude he was gone directly for Scotland, +and immediately send Leslie with 4000 horse and foot to follow, but +did not yet raise the siege. But the king, still irresolute, turns +away to the eastward, and comes to Lichfield, where he showed his +resentments at Colonel Hastings for his easy surrender of Leicester. + +In this march the enemy took heart. We had troops of horse on every +side upon us like hounds started at a fresh stag. Leslie, with the +Scots, and a strong body followed in our rear, Major-General Poyntz, +Sir John Gell, Colonel Rossiter, and others in our way; they pretended +to be 10,000 horse, and yet never durst face us. The Scots made one +attempt upon a troop which stayed a little behind, and took some +prisoners; but when a regiment of our horse faced them they retired. +At a village near Lichfield another party of about 1000 horse attacked +my regiment. We were on the left of the army, and at a little too +far a distance. I happened to be with the king at that time, and +my lieutenant-colonel with me, so that the major had charge of the +regiment. He made a very handsome defence, but sent messengers for +speedy relief. We were on a march, and therefore all ready, and the +king orders me a regiment of dragoons and 300 horse, and the body +halted to bring us off, not knowing how strong the enemy might be. +When I came to the place I found my major hard laid to, but fighting +like a lion. The enemy had broke in upon him in two places, and had +routed one troop, cutting them off from the body, and had made them +all prisoners. Upon this I fell in with the 300 horse, and cleared +my major from a party who charged him in the flank; the dragoons +immediately lighting, one party of them comes up on my wing, and +saluting the enemy with their muskets, put them to a stand, the other +party of dragoons wheeling to the left endeavouring to get behind +them. The enemy, perceiving they should be overpowered, retreated in +as good order as they could, but left us most of our prisoners, and +about thirty of their own. We lost about fifteen of our men, and +the enemy about forty, chiefly by the fire of our dragoons in their +retreat. + +In this posture we continued our march; and though the king halted +at Lichfield--which was a dangerous article, having so many of the +enemy's troops upon his hands, and this time gave them opportunity to +get into a body--yet the Scots, with their General Leslie, resolving +for the north, the rest of the troops were not able to face us, till, +having ravaged the enemy's country through Staffordshire, Warwick, +Leicester, and Nottinghamshire, we came to the leaguer before Newark. + +The king was once more in the mind to have gone into Scotland, and +called a council of war to that purpose; but then it was resolved by +all hands that it would be too late to attempt it, for the Scots and +Major-General Poyntz were before us, and several strong bodies +of horse in our rear; and there was no venturing now, unless any +advantage presented to rout one of those parties which attended us. + +Upon these and like considerations we resolved for Newark; on our +approach the forces which blocked up that town drew off, being too +weak to oppose us, for the king was now above 5000 horse and dragoons, +besides 300 horse and dragoons he took with him from Newark. + +We halted at Newark to assist the garrison, or give them time rather +to furnish themselves from the country with what they wanted, which +they were very diligent in doing; for in two days' time they filled +a large island which lies under the town, between the two branches of +the Trent, with sheep, oxen, cows, and horses, an incredible number; +and our affairs being now something desperate, we were not very +nice in our usage of the country, for really if it was not with a +resolution both to punish the enemy and enrich ourselves, no man can +give any rational account why this desperate journey was undertaken. +'Tis certain the Newarkers, in the respite they gained by our coming, +got above L50,000 from the country round them in corn, cattle, money, +and other plunder. + +From hence we broke into Lincolnshire, and the king lay at Belvoir +Castle, and from Belvoir Castle to Stamford. The swiftness of our +march was a terrible surprise to the enemy; for our van being at a +village on the great road called Stilton, the country people fled +into the Isle of Ely, and every way, as if all was lost. Indeed our +dragoons treated the country very coarsely, and all our men in general +made themselves rich. Between Stilton and Huntingdon we had a small +bustle with some of the associated troops of horse, but they were soon +routed, and fled to Huntingdon, where they gave such an account of us +to their fellows that they did not think fit to stay for us, but left +their foot to defend themselves as well as they could. + +While this was doing in the van a party from Burleigh House, near +Stamford, the seat of the Earl of Exeter, pursued four troops of +our horse, who, straggling towards Peterborough, and committing some +disorders there, were surprised before they could get into a posture +of fighting; and encumbered, as I suppose, with their plunder, they +were entirely routed, lost most of their horses, and were forced to +come away on foot; but finding themselves in this condition, they got +in a body into the enclosures, and in that posture turning dragoons, +they lined the hedges, and fired upon the enemy with their carabines. +This way of fighting, though not very pleasant to troopers, put the +enemy's horse to some stand, and encouraged our men to venture into a +village, where the enemy had secured forty of their horse; and boldly +charging the guard, they beat them off, and recovering those horses, +the rest made their retreat good to Wansford Bridge; but we lost near +100 horses, and about twelve of our men taken prisoners. + +The next day the king took Huntingdon; the foot which were left in the +town, as I observed by their horse, had posted themselves at the foot +of the bridge, and fortified the pass, with such things as the haste +and shortness of the time would allow; and in this posture they seemed +resolute to defend themselves. I confess, had they in time planted a +good force here, they might have put a full stop to our little army; +for the river is large and deep, the country on the left marshy, full +of drains and ditches, and unfit for horse, and we must have either +turned back, or took the right hand into Bedfordshire; but here not +being above 400 foot, and they forsaken of their horse, the resistance +they made was to no other purpose than to give us occasion to knock +them on the head, and plunder the town. + +However, they defended the bridge, as I have said, and opposed our +passage. I was this day in the van, and our forlorn having entered +Huntingdon without any great resistance till they came to the bridge, +finding it barricaded, they sent me word; I caused the troops to halt, +and rode up to the forlorn, to view the countenance of the enemy, and +found by the posture they had put themselves in, that they resolved to +sell us the passage as dear as they could. + +I sent to the king for some dragoons, and gave him account of what I +observed of the enemy, and that I judged them to be 1000 men; for I +could not particularly see their numbers. Accordingly the king ordered +500 dragoons to attack the bridge, commanded by a major; the enemy had +200 musketeers placed on the bridge, their barricade served them for +a breastwork on the front, and the low walls on the bridge served +to secure their flanks. Two bodies of their foot were placed on the +opposite banks of the river, and a reserve stood in the highway on the +rear. The number of their men could not have been better ordered, and +they wanted not courage answerable to the conduct of the party. They +were commanded by one Bennet, a resolute officer, who stood in the +front of his men on the bridge with a pike in his hand. + +Before we began to fall on, the king ordered to view the river, to see +if it was nowhere passable, or any boat to be had; but the river being +not fordable, and the boats all secured on the other side, the attack +was resolved on, and the dragoons fell on with extraordinary bravery. +The foot defended themselves obstinately, and beat off our dragoons +twice, and though Bennet was killed upon the spot, and after him his +lieutenant, yet their officers relieving them with fresh men, they +would certainly have beat us all off, had not a venturous fellow, one +of our dragoons, thrown himself into the river, swam over, and, in the +midst of a shower of musket-bullets, cut the rope which tied a great +flat-bottom boat, and brought her over. With the help of this boat, I +got over 100 troopers first, and then their horses, and then 200 more +without their horses; and with this party fell in with one of the +small bodies of foot that were posted on that side, and having routed +them, and after them the reserve which stood on the road, I made up +to the other party. They stood their ground, and having rallied the +runaways of both the other parties, charged me with their pikes, and +brought me to a retreat; but by this time the king had sent over 300 +men more, and they coming up to me, the foot retreated. Those on the +bridge finding how 'twas, and having no supplies sent them, as before, +fainted, and fled; and the dragoons rushing forward, most of them were +killed; about 150 of the enemy were killed, of which all the officers +at the bridge, the rest run away. + +The town suffered for it, for our men left them little of anything +they could carry. Here we halted and raised contributions, took money +of the country and of the open towns, to exempt them from plunder. +Twice we faced the town of Cambridge, and several of our officers +advised his Majesty to storm it. But having no foot, and but 1200 +dragoons, wiser heads diverted him from it, and leaving Cambridge +on the left, we marched to Woburn, in Bedfordshire, and our parties +raised money all over the country quite into Hertfordshire, within +five miles of St Alban's. + +The swiftness of our march, and uncertainty which way we intended, +prevented all possible preparation to oppose us, and we met with no +party able to make head against us. From Woburn the king went through +Buckingham to Oxford; some of our men straggling in the villages for +plunder, were often picked up by the enemy. But in all this long march +we did not lose 200 men, got an incredible booty, and brought six +waggons laden with money, besides 2000 horses and 3000 head of cattle, +into Oxford. From Oxford his Majesty moves again into Gloucestershire, +having left about 1500 of his horse at Oxford to scour the country, +and raise contributions, which they did as far as Reading. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax was returned from taking Bridgewater, and was sat +down before Bristol, in which Prince Rupert commanded with a strong +garrison, 2500 foot and 1000 horse. We had not force enough to attempt +anything there. But the Scots, who lay still before Hereford, +were afraid of us, having before parted with all their horse under +Lieutenant-General Leslie, and but ill stored with provisions; and if +we came on their backs, were in a fair way to be starved, or made to +buy their provisions at the price of their blood. + +His Majesty was sensible of this, and had we had but ten regiments of +foot, would certainly have fought the Scots. But we had no foot, or so +few as was not worth while to march them. However, the king marched +to Worcester, and the Scots, apprehending they should be blocked +up, immediately raised the siege, pretending it was to go help their +brethren in Scotland, and away they marched northwards. + +We picked up some of their stragglers, but they were so poor, had been +so ill paid, and so harassed at the siege, that they had neither money +nor clothes; and the poor soldiers fed upon apples and roots, and ate +the very green corn as it grew in the fields, which reduced them to +a very sorry condition of health, for they died like people infected +with the plague. + +'Twas now debated whether we should yet march for Scotland, but two +things prevented--(1.) The plague was broke out there, and multitudes +died of it, which made the king backward, and the men more backward. +(2.) The Marquis of Montrose, having routed a whole brigade of +Leslie's best horse, and carried all before him, wrote to his Majesty +that he did not now want assistance, but was in hopes in a few days +to send a body of foot into England to his Majesty's assistance. This +over-confidence of his was his ruin; for, on the contrary, had he +earnestly pressed the king to have marched, and fallen in with his +horse, the king had done it, and been absolutely master of Scotland +in a fortnight's time; but Montrose was too confident, and defied them +all, till at last they got their forces together, and Leslie with his +horse out of England, and worsted him in two or three encounters, and +then never left him till they drove him out of Scotland. + +While his Majesty stayed at Worcester, several messengers came to him +from Cheshire for relief, being exceedingly straitened by the forces +of the Parliament; in order to which the king marched, but Shrewsbury +being in the enemy's hands, he was obliged to go round by Ludlow, +where he was joined by some foot out of Wales. I took this opportunity +to ask his Majesty's leave to go by Shrewsbury to my father's, +and, taking only two servants, I left the army two days before they +marched. + +This was the most unsoldier-like action that ever I was guilty of, to +go out of the army to pay a visit when a time of action was just at +hand; and, though I protest I had not the least intimation, no, not +from my own thoughts, that the army would engage, at least before they +came to Chester, before which I intended to meet them, yet it looked +so ill, so like an excuse or a sham of cowardice, or disaffection to +the cause and to my master's interest, or something I know not what, +that I could not bear to think of it, nor never had the heart to see +the king's face after it. + +From Ludlow the king marched to relieve Chester. Poyntz, who commanded +the Parliament's forces, follows the king, with design to join with +the forces before Chester, under Colonel Jones, before the king could +come up. To that end Poyntz passes through Shrewsbury the day that the +king marched from Ludlow; yet the king's forces got the start of him, +and forced him to engage. Had the king engaged him but three hours +sooner, and consequently farther off from Chester, he had ruined him, +for Poyntz's men, not able to stand the shock of the king's horse, +gave ground, and would in half-an-hour more have been beaten out of +the field; but Colonel Jones, with a strong party from the camp, which +was within two miles; comes up in the heat of the action, falls on in +the king's rear, and turned the scale of the day. The body was, after +an obstinate fight, defeated, and a great many gentlemen of quality +killed and taken prisoners. The Earl of Lichfield was of the number of +the former, and sixty-seven officers of the latter, with 1000 others. +The king, with about 500 horse, got into Chester, and from thence into +Wales, whither all that could get away made up to him as fast as they +could, but in a bad condition. + +This was the last stroke they struck; the rest of the war was nothing +but taking all his garrisons from him one by one, till they finished +the war with the captivating his person, and then, for want of other +business, fell to fighting with one another. + +I was quite disconsolate at the news of this last action, and the +more because I was not there. My regiment wholly dispersed, my +lieutenant-colonel, a gentleman of a good family, and a near relation +to my mother, was prisoner, my major and three captains killed, and +most of the rest prisoners. + +The king, hopeless of any considerable party in Wales, Bristol being +surrendered, sends for Prince Rupert and Prince Maurice, who came +to him. With them, and the Lord Digby, Sir Marmaduke Langdale, and a +great train of gentlemen, his Majesty marches to Newark again, leaves +1000 horse with Sir William Vaughan to attempt the relief of Chester, +in doing whereof he was routed the second time by Jones and his men, +and entirely dispersed. + +The chief strength the king had in these parts was at Newark, and the +Parliament were very earnest with the Scots to march southward and to +lay siege to Newark; and while the Parliament pressed them to it, and +they sat still and delayed it, several heats began, and some ill blood +between them, which afterwards broke out into open war. The English +reproached the Scots with pretending to help them, and really +hindering their affairs. The Scots returned that they came to fight +for them, and are left to be starved, and can neither get money nor +clothes. At last they came to this, the Scots will come to the siege +if the Parliament will send them money, but not before. However, as +people sooner agree in doing ill than in doing well, they came to +terms, and the Scots came with their whole army to the siege of +Newark. + +The king, foreseeing the siege, calls his friends about him, tells +them he sees his circumstances are such that they can help him but +little, nor he protect them, and advises them to separate. The Lord +Digby, with Sir Marmaduke Langdale, with a strong body of horse, +attempt to get into Scotland to join with Montrose, who was still in +the Highlands, though reduced to a low ebb, but these gentlemen are +fallen upon on every side and routed, and at last, being totally +broken and dispersed, they fly to the Earl of Derby's protection in +the Isle of Man. + +Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice, Colonel Gerard, and above 400 +gentlemen, all officers of horse, lay their commissions down, and +seizing upon Wootton House for a retreat, make proposals to the +Parliament to leave the kingdom, upon their parole not to return again +in arms against the Parliament, which was accepted, though afterwards +the prince declined it. I sent my man post to the prince to be +included in this treaty, and for leave for all that would accept of +like conditions, but they had given in the list of their names, and +could not alter it. + +This was a sad time. The poor remains of the king's fortunes went +everywhere to wreck. Every garrison of the enemy was full of the +Cavalier prisoners, and every garrison the king had was beset with +enemies, either blocked up or besieged. Goring and the Lord Hopton +were the only remainders of the king's forces which kept in a body, +and Fairfax was pushing them with all imaginable vigour with his whole +army about Exeter and other parts of Devonshire and Cornwall. + +In this condition the king left Newark in the night, and got to +Oxford. The king had in Oxford 8000 men, and the towns of Banbury, +Farringdon, Donnington Castle, and such places as might have been +brought together in twenty-four hours, 15,000 or 20,000 men, with +which, if he had then resolved to have quitted the place, +and collected the forces in Worcester, Hereford, Lichfield, +Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and all the small castles and garrisons he had +thereabouts, he might have had near 40,000 men, might have beaten +the Scots from Newark, Colonel Jones from Chester, and all, before +Fairfax, who was in the west, could be able to come to their relief. +And this his Majesty's friends in North Wales had concerted; and, in +order to it, Sir Jacob Ashby gathered what forces he could, in our +parts, and attempted to join the king at Oxford, and to have proposed +it to him; but Sir Jacob was entirely routed at Stow-on-the-Wold, and +taken prisoner, and of 3000 men not above 600 came to Oxford. + +All the king's garrisons dropped one by one; Hereford, which had stood +out against the whole army of the Scots, was surprised by six men and +a lieutenant dressed up for country labourers, and a constable pressed +to work, who cut the guards in pieces, and let in a party of the +enemy. Chester was reduced by famine, all the attempts the king made +to relieve it being frustrated. + +Sir Thomas Fairfax routed the Lord Hopton at Torrington, and drove him +to such extremities, that he was forced up into the farthest corner of +Cornwall. The Lord Hopton had a gallant body of horse with him of nine +brigades, but no foot; Fairfax, a great army. + +Heartless, and tired out with continual ill news, and ill success, +I had frequent meetings with some gentlemen who had escaped from +the rout of Sir William Vaughan, and we agreed upon a meeting at +Worcester, of all the friends we could get, to see if we could raise +a body fit to do any service; or, if not, to consider what was to be +done. At this meeting we had almost as many opinions as people; our +strength appeared too weak to make any attempt, the game was too far +gone in our parts to be retrieved; all we could make up did not amount +to above 800 horse. + +'Twas unanimously agreed not to go into the Parliament as long as our +royal master did not give up the cause; but in all places, and by all +possible methods, to do him all the service we could. Some proposed +one thing, some another; at last we proposed getting vessels to carry +us to the Isle of Man to the Earl of Derby, as Sir Marmaduke Langdale, +Lord Digby, and others had done. I did not foresee any service +it would be to the king's affairs, but I started a proposal that, +marching to Pembroke in a body, we should there seize upon all the +vessels we could, and embarking ourselves, horses, and what foot +we could get, cross the Severn Sea, and land in Cornwall to the +assistance of Prince Charles, who was in the army of the Lord Hopton, +and where only there seemed to be any possibility of a chance for the +remaining part of our cause. + +This proposal was not without its difficulties, as how to get to the +seaside, and, when there, what assurance of shipping. The enemy, under +Major-General Langhorn, had overrun Wales, and 'twould be next to +impossible to effect it. + +We could never carry our proposal with the whole assembly; but, +however, about 200 of us resolved to attempt it, and [the] meeting +being broken up without coming to any conclusion, we had a private +meeting among ourselves to effect it. + +We despatched private messengers to Swansea and Pembroke, and other +places; but they all discouraged us from the attempt that way, and +advised us to go higher towards North Wales, where the king's interest +had more friends, and the Parliament no forces. Upon this we met, and +resolved, and having sent several messengers that way, one of my men +provided us two small vessels in a little creek near Harlech Castle, +in Merionethshire. We marched away with what expedition we could, and +embarked in the two vessels accordingly. It was the worst voyage sure +that ever man went; for first we had no manner of accommodation for so +many people, hay for our horses we got none, or very little, but good +store of oats, which served us for our own bread as well as provender +for the horses. + +In this condition we put off to sea, and had a fair wind all the first +night, but early in the morning a sudden storm drove us within two or +three leagues of Ireland. In this pickle, sea-sick, our horses rolling +about upon one another, and ourselves stifled for want of room, no +cabins nor beds, very cold weather, and very indifferent diet, we +wished ourselves ashore again a thousand times; and yet we were not +willing to go ashore in Ireland if we could help it; for the rebels +having possession of every place, that was just having our throats cut +at once. Having rolled about at the mercy of the winds all day, the +storm ceasing in the evening, we had fair weather again, but wind +enough, which being large, in two days and a night we came upon the +coast of Cornwall, and, to our no small comfort, landed the next day +at St Ives, in the county of Cornwall. + +We rested ourselves here, and sent an express to the Lord Hopton, who +was then in Devonshire, of our arrival, and desired him to assign us +quarters, and send us his farther orders. His lordship expressed a +very great satisfaction at our arrival, and left it to our own conduct +to join him as we saw convenient. + +We were marching to join him, when news came that Fairfax had given +him an entire defeat at Torrington. This was but the old story over +again. We had been used to ill news a great while, and 'twas the less +surprise to us. + +Upon this news we halted at Bodmin, till we should hear farther; and +it was not long before we saw a confirmation of the news before our +eyes, for the Lord Hopton, with the remainder of his horse, which he +had brought off at Torrington in a very shattered condition, retreated +to Launceston, the first town in Cornwall, and hearing that Fairfax +pursued him, came on to Bodmin. Hither he summoned all the troops +which he had left, which, when he had got together, were a fine +body indeed of 5000 horse, but few foot but what were at Pendennis, +Barnstaple, and other garrisons. These were commanded by the Lord +Hopton. The Lord Goring had taken shipping for France to get relief a +few days before. + +Here a grand council of war was called, and several things were +proposed, but as it always is in distress, people are most irresolute, +so 'twas here. Some were for breaking through by force, our number +being superior to the enemy's horse. To fight them with their foot +would be desperation and ridiculous; and to retreat would but be +to coop up themselves in a narrow place, where at last they must be +forced to fight upon disadvantage, or yield at mercy. Others opposed +this as a desperate action, and without probability of success, and +all were of different opinions. I confess, when I saw how things +were, I saw 'twas a lost game, and I was for the opinion of breaking +through, and doing it now, while the country was open and large, and +not being forced to it when it must be with more disadvantage. But +nothing was resolved on, and so we retreated before the enemy. Some +small skirmishes there happened near Bodmin, but none that were very +considerable. + +'Twas the 1st of March when we quitted Bodmin, and quartered at large +at Columb, St Dennis, and Truro, and the enemy took his quarters at +Bodmin, posting his horse at the passes from Padstow on the north, to +Wadebridge, Lostwithiel, and Fowey, spreading so from sea to sea, +that now breaking through was impossible. There was no more room for +counsel; for unless we had ships to carry us off, we had nothing to do +but when we were fallen upon, to defend ourselves, and sell victory as +dear as we could to the enemies. + +The Prince of Wales seeing the distress we were in, and loth to +fall into the enemy's hands, ships himself on board some vessels at +Falmouth, with about 400 lords and gentlemen. And as I had no command +here to oblige my attendance, I was once going to make one, but my +comrades, whom I had been the principal occasion of bringing hither, +began to take it ill, that I would leave them, and so I resolved we +would take our fate together. + +While thus we had nothing before us but a soldier's death, a fair +field, and a strong enemy, and people began to look one upon another, +the soldiers asked how their officers looked, and the officers asked +how their soldiers looked, and every day we expected to be our last, +when unexpectedly the enemy's general sent a trumpet to Truro to my +Lord Hopton, with a very handsome gentlemanlike offer:-- + +That since the general could not be ignorant of his present condition, +and that the place he was in could not afford him subsistence or +defence; and especially considering that the state of our affairs were +such, that if we should escape from thence we could not remove to +our advantage, he had thought good to let us know, that if we would +deliver up our horses and arms, he would, for avoiding the effusion of +Christian blood, or the putting any unsoldierly extremities upon us, +allow such honourable and safe conditions, as were rather better than +our present circumstances could demand, and such as should discharge +him to all the world, as a gentleman, as a soldier, and as a +Christian. + +After this followed the conditions he would give us, which were as +follows, viz.:--That all the soldiery, as well English as foreigners, +should have liberty to go beyond the seas, or to their own dwellings, +as they pleased; and to such as shall choose to live at home, +protection for their liberty, and from all violence and plundering +of soldiers, and to give them bag and baggage, and all their goods, +except horses and arms. + +That for officers in commissions, and gentlemen of quality, he would +allow them horses for themselves and one servant, or more, suitable +to their quality, and such arms as are suitable to gentlemen of such +quality travelling in times of peace; and such officers as would go +beyond sea, should take with them their full arms and number of horses +as are allowed in the army to such officers. + +That all the troopers shall receive on the delivery of their +horses, 20s. a man to carry them home; and the general's pass and +recommendation to any gentleman who desires to go to the Parliament to +settle the composition for their estates. + +Lastly, a very honourable mention of the general, and offer of their +mediation to the Parliament, to treat him as a man of honour, and one +who has been tender of the country, and behaved himself with all the +moderation and candour that could be expected from an enemy. + +Upon the unexpected receipt of this message, a council of war was +called, and the letter read; no man offered to speak a word; the +general moved it, but every one was loth to begin. + +At last an old colonel starts up, and asked the general what he +thought might occasion the writing this letter? The general told him, +he could not tell; but he could tell, he was sure, of one thing, that +he knew what was not the occasion of it, viz., that is, not any want +of force in their army to oblige us to other terms. Then a doubt was +started, whether the king and Parliament were not in any treaty, which +this agreement might be prejudicial to. + +This occasioned a letter to my Lord Fairfax, wherein our general +returning the civilities, and neither accepting nor refusing his +proposal, put it upon his honour, whether there was not some agreement +or concession between his Majesty and the Parliament, in order to a +general peace, which this treaty might be prejudicial to, or thereby +be prejudicial to us. + +The Lord Fairfax ingenuously declared, he had heard the king had made +some concessions, and he heartily wished he would make such as would +settle the kingdom in peace, that Englishmen might not wound and +destroy one another; but that he declared he knew of no treaty +commenced, nor anything passed which could give us the least shadow +of hope for any advantage in not accepting his conditions; at last +telling us, that though he did not insult over our circumstances, yet +if we thought fit, upon any such supposition, to refuse his offers, he +was not to seek in his measures. + +And it appeared so, for he immediately advanced his forlorns, and +dispossessed us of two advanced quarters, and thereby straitened us +yet more. + +We had now nothing to say, but treat, and our general was so sensible +of our condition, that he returned the trumpet with a safe-conduct for +commissioners at twelve o'clock that night; upon which a cessation of +arms was agreed on, we quitting Truro to the Lord Fairfax, and he left +St Allen to us to keep our headquarters. + +The conditions were soon agreed on; we disbanded nine full brigades of +horse, and all the conditions were observed with the most honour and +care by the enemy that ever I saw in my life. + +Nor can I omit to make very honourable mention of this noble +gentleman, though I did not like his cause; but I never saw a man of +a more pleasant, calm, courteous, downright, honest behaviour in my +life; and for his courage and personal bravery in the field, that we +had felt enough of. No man in the world had more fire and fury in him +while in action, or more temper and softness out of it. In short, and +I cannot do him greater honour, he exceedingly came near the character +of my foreign hero, Gustavus Adolphus, and in my account is, of all +the soldiers in Europe, the fittest to be reckoned in the second place +of honour to him. + +I had particular occasion to see much of his temper in all this +action, being one of the hostages given by our general for the +performance of the conditions, in which circumstance the general did +me several times the honour to send to me to dine with him; and was +exceedingly pleased to discourse with me about the passages of the +wars in Germany, which I had served in, he having been at the same +time in the Low Countries in the service of Prince Maurice; but I +observed if at any time my civilities extended to commendations of his +own actions, and especially to comparing him to Gustavus Adolphus, he +would blush like a woman, and be uneasy, declining the discourse, and +in this he was still more like him. + +Let no man scruple my honourable mention of this noble enemy, since +no man can suspect me of favouring the cause he embarked in, which +I served as heartily against as any man in the army; but I cannot +conceal extraordinary merit for its being placed in an enemy. + +This was the end of our making war, for now we were all under parole +never to bear arms against the Parliament; and though some of us did +not keep our word, yet I think a soldier's parole ought to be the most +sacred in such case, that a soldier may be the easier trusted at all +times upon his word. For my part, I went home fully contented, since +I could do my royal master no better service, that I had come off no +worse. + +The enemy going now on in a full current of success, and the king +reduced to the last extremity, and Fairfax, by long marches, being +come back within five miles of Oxford, his Majesty, loth to be cooped +up in a town which could on no account hold long out, quits the town +in a disguise, leaving Sir Thomas Clemham governor, and being only +attended with Mr Ashburnham and one more, rides away to Newark, and +there fatally committed himself to the honour and fidelity of the +Scots under General Leven. + +There had been some little bickering between the Parliament and the +Scots commissioners concerning the propositions which the Scots were +for a treaty with the king upon, and the Parliament refused it. The +Parliament, upon all proposals of peace, had formerly invited the king +to come and throw himself upon the honour, fidelity, and affection of +his Parliament. And now the king from Oxford offering to come up +to London on the protection of the Parliament for the safety of his +person, they refused him, and the Scots differed from them in it, and +were for a personal treaty. + +This, in our opinion, was the reason which prompted the king to throw +himself upon the fidelity of the Scots, who really by their infidelity +had been the ruin of all his affairs, and now, by their perfidious +breach of honour and faith with him, will be virtually and mediately +the ruin of his person. + +The Scots were, as all the nation besides them was, surprised at the +king's coming among them; the Parliament began very high with them, +and send an order to General Leven to send the king to Warwick Castle; +but he was not so hasty to part with so rich a prize. As soon as the +king came to the general, he signs an order to Colonel Bellasis, the +governor of Newark, to surrender it, and immediately the Scots decamp +homewards, carrying the king in the camp with them, and marching on, a +house was ordered to be provided for the king at Newcastle. + +And now the Parliament saw their error, in refusing his Majesty a +personal treaty, which, if they had accepted (their army was not yet +taught the way of huffing their masters), the kingdom might have been +settled in peace. Upon this the Parliament send to General Leven to +have his Majesty not be sent, which was their first language, but be +suffered to come to London to treat with his Parliament; before it +was, "Let the king be sent to Warwick Castle"; now 'tis, "To let his +Majesty come to London to treat with his people." + +But neither one or the other would do with the Scots; but we who knew +the Scots best knew that there was one thing would do with them, if +the other would not, and that was money; and therefore our hearts +ached for the king. + +The Scots, as I said, had retreated to Newcastle with the king, and +there they quartered their whole army at large upon the country; +the Parliament voted they had no farther occasion for the Scots, and +desired them to go home about their business. I do not say it was +in these words, but in whatsoever good words their messages might +be expressed, this and nothing less was the English of it. The Scots +reply, by setting forth their losses, damages, and dues, the substance +of which was, "Pay us our money and we will be gone, or else we won't +stir." The Parliament call for an account of their demands, which the +Scots give in, amounting to a million; but, according to their custom, +and especially finding that the army under Fairfax inclined gradually +that way, fall down to L500,000, and at last to L400,000; but all the +while this is transacting a separate treaty is carried on at London +with the commissioners of Scotland, and afterwards at Edinburgh, by +which it is given them to understand that, whereas upon payment of the +money, the Scots army is to march out of England, and to give up all +the towns and garrisons which they hold in this kingdom, so they are +to take it for granted that 'tis the meaning of the treaty that they +shall leave the king in the hands of the English Parliament. + +To make this go down the better, the Scotch Parliament, upon his +Majesty's desire to go with their army into Scotland, send him for +answer, that it cannot be for the safety of his Majesty or of the +State to come into Scotland, not having taken the Covenant, and this +was carried in their Parliament but by two voices. + +The Scots having refused his coming into Scotland, as was concerted +between the two Houses, and their army being to march out of +England, the delivering up the king became a consequence of the +thing--unavoidable, and of necessity. + +His Majesty, thus deserted of those into whose hands he had thrown +himself, took his leave of the Scots general at Newcastle, telling him +only, in few words, this sad truth, that he was bought and sold. The +Parliament commissioners received him at Newcastle from the Scots, and +brought him to Holmby House, in Northamptonshire; from whence, upon +the quarrels and feuds of parties, he was fetched by a party of horse, +commanded by one Cornet Joyce, from the army, upon their mutinous +rendezvous at Triplow Heath; and, after this, suffering many violences +and varieties of circumstances among the army, was carried to Hampton +Court, from whence his Majesty very readily made his escape; but not +having notice enough to provide effectual means for his more effectual +deliverance, was obliged to deliver himself to Colonel Hammond in the +Isle of Wight. Here, after some very indifferent usage, the Parliament +pursued a farther treaty with him, and all points were agreed but +two: the entire abolishing Episcopacy, which the king declared to be +against his conscience and his coronation oath; and the sale of the +Church lands, which he declared, being most of them gifts to God and +the Church, by persons deceased, his Majesty thought could not be +alienated without the highest sacrilege, and if taken from the uses +to which they were appointed by the wills of the donors, ought to be +restored back to the heirs and families of the persons who bequeathed +them. + +And these two articles so stuck with his Majesty, that he ventured +his fortune, and royal family, and his own life for them. However, at +last, the king condescended so far in these, that the Parliament voted +his Majesty's concessions to be sufficient to settle and establish the +peace of the nation. + +This vote discovered the bottom of all the counsels which then +prevailed; for the army, who knew if peace were once settled, they +should be undone, took the alarm at this, and clubbing together in +committees and councils, at last brought themselves to a degree +of hardness above all that ever this nation saw; for calling into +question the proceedings of their masters who employed them, they +immediately fall to work upon the Parliament, remove Colonel Hammond, +who had the charge of the king, and used him honourably, place a +new guard upon him, dismiss the commissioners, and put a stop to the +treaty; and, following their blow, march to London, place regiments of +foot at the Parliament-house door, and, as the members came up, +seize upon all those whom they had down in a list as promoters of the +settlement and treaty, and would not suffer them to sit; but the rest +who, being of their own stamp, are permitted to go on, carry on the +designs of the army, revive their votes of non-addresses to the +king, and then, upon the army's petition to bring all delinquents to +justice, the mask was thrown off, the word all is declared to be +meant the king, as well as every man else they pleased. 'Tis too sad +a story, and too much a matter of grief to me, and to all good men, to +renew the blackness of those days, when law and justice was under the +feet of power; the army ruled the Parliament, the private officers +their generals, the common soldiers their officers, and confusion was +in every part of the government. In this hurry they sacrificed their +king, and shed the blood of the English nobility without mercy. + +The history of the times will supply the particulars which I omit, +being willing to confine myself to my own accounts and observations. +I was now no more an actor, but a melancholy observator of the +misfortunes of the times. I had given my parole not to take up arms +against the Parliament, and I saw nothing to invite me to engage on +their side. I saw a world of confusion in all their counsels, and I +always expected that in a chain of distractions, as it generally falls +out, the last link would be destruction; and though I pretended to no +prophecy, yet the progress of affairs have brought it to pass, and I +have seen Providence, who suffered, for the correction of this nation, +the sword to govern and devour us, has at last brought destruction by +the sword upon the head of most of the party who first drew it. + + * * * * * + +If together with the brief account of what concern I had in the +active part of the war, I leave behind me some of my own remarks +and observations, it may be pertinent enough to my design, and not +unuseful to posterity. + +1. I observed by the sequel of things that it may be some excuse to +the first Parliament, who began this war, to say that they manifested +their designs were not aimed at the monarchy, nor their quarrel at +the person of the king; because, when they had in their power, though +against his will, they would have restored both his person and dignity +as a king, only loading it with such clogs of the people's power as +they at first pretended to, viz., the militia, and power of naming +the great officers at court, and the like; which powers, it was never +denied, had been stretched too far in the beginning of this king's +reign, and several things done illegally, which his Majesty had been +sensible of, and was willing to rectify; but they having obtained the +power by victory, resolved so to secure themselves, as that, whenever +they laid down their arms, the king should not be able to do the like +again. And thus far they were not to be so much blamed, and we did +not on our own part blame them, when they had obtained the power, for +parting with it on good terms. + +But when I have thus far advocated for the enemies, I must be very +free to state the crimes of this bloody war by the events of it. 'Tis +manifest there were among them from the beginning a party who aimed +at the very root of the government, and at the very thing which they +brought to pass, viz., the deposing and murdering of their sovereign; +and, as the devil is always master where mischief is the work, this +party prevailed, turned the other out of doors, and overturned all +that little honesty that might be in the first beginning of this +unhappy strife. + +The consequence of this was, the Presbyterians saw their error when +it was too late, and then would gladly have joined the royal party to +have suppressed this new leaven which had infected the lump; and this +is very remarkable, that most of the first champions of this war who +bore the brunt of it, when the king was powerful and prosperous, and +when there was nothing to be got by it but blows, first or last, were +so ill used by this independent, powerful party, who tripped up +the heels of all their honesty, that they were either forced by ill +treatment to take up arms on our side, or suppressed and reduced by +them. In this the justice of Providence seemed very conspicuous, that +these having pushed all things by violence against the king, and by +arms and force brought him to their will, were at once both robbed +of the end, their Church government, and punished for drawing their +swords against their masters, by their own servants drawing the sword +against them; and God, in His due time, punished the others too. And +what was yet farther strange, the punishment of this crime of making +war against their king, singled out those very men, both in the +army and in the Parliament, who were the greatest champions of the +Presbyterian cause in the council and in the field. Some minutes, too, +of circumstances I cannot forbear observing, though they are not very +material, as to the fatality and revolutions of days and times. A +Roman Catholic gentleman of Lancashire, a very religious man in his +way, who had kept a calculate of times, and had observed mightily the +fatality of times, places, and actions, being at my father's house, +was discoursing once upon the just judgment of God in dating His +providences, so as to signify to us His displeasure at particular +circumstances; and, among an infinite number of collections he had +made, these were some which I took particular notice of, and from +whence I began to observe the like:-- + +1. That King Edward VI. died the very same day of the same month +in which he caused the altar to be taken down, and the image of the +Blessed Virgin in the Cathedral of St Paul's. + +2. That Cranmer was burnt at Oxford the same day and month that he +gave King Henry VIII. advice to divorce his Queen Catherine. + +3. That Queen Elizabeth died the same day and month that she resolved, +in her Privy Council, to behead the Queen of Scots. + +4. That King James died the same day that he published his book +against Bellarmine. + +5. That King Charles's long Parliament, which ruined him, began the +very same day and month which that Parliament began, that at the +request of his predecessor robbed the Roman Church of all her +revenues, and suppressed abbeys and monasteries. + +How just his calculations were, or how true the matter of fact, +I cannot tell, but it put me upon the same in several actions and +successes of this war. And I found a great many circumstances, as to +time or action, which befell both his Majesty and his parties first; + +Then others which befell the Parliament and Presbyterian faction, +which raised the war; + +Then the Independent tyranny which succeeded and supplanted the first +party; + +Then the Scots who acted on both sides; + +Lastly, the restoration and re-establishment of the loyalty and +religion of our ancestors. + +1. For King Charles I.; 'tis observable, that the charge against the +Earl of Strafford, a thing which his Majesty blamed himself for all +the days of his life, and at the moment of his last suffering, was +first read in the Lords' House on the 30th of January, the same day of +the month six years that the king himself was brought to the block. + +2. That the king was carried away prisoner from Newark, by the Scots, +May 10, the same day six years that, against his conscience and +promise, he passed the bill of attainder against the loyal, noble Earl +of Strafford. + +3. The same day seven years that the king entered the House of Commons +for the five members, which all his friends blamed him for, the same +day the Rump voted bringing his Majesty to trial, after they had set +by the Lords for not agreeing to it, which was the 3rd of January +1648. + +4. The 12th of May 1646, being the surrender of Newark, the Parliament +held a day of thanksgiving and rejoicing, for the reduction of the +king and his party, and finishing the war, which was the same day five +years that the Earl of Strafford was beheaded. + +5. The battle at Naseby, which ruined the king's affairs, and where +his secretary and his office was taken, was the 14th of June, the same +day and month the first commission was given out by his Majesty to +raise forces. + +6. The queen voted a traitor by the Parliament the 3rd of May, the +same day and month she carried the jewels into France. + +7. The same day the king defeated Essex in the west, his son, King +Charles II., was defeated at Worcester. + +8. Archbishop Laud's house at Lambeth assaulted by the mob, the same +day of the same month that he advised the king to make war upon the +Scots. + +9. Impeached the 15th of December 1640, the same day twelvemonth that +he ordered the Common Prayer-book of Scotland to be printed, in order +to be imposed upon the Scots, from which all our troubles began. + +But many more, and more strange, are the critical junctures of affairs +in the case of the enemy, or at least more observed by me:-- + +1. Sir John Hotham, who repulsed his Majesty and refused him +admittance into Hull before the war, was seized at Hull by the same +Parliament for whom he had done it, the same 10th day of August two +years that he drew the first blood in that war. + +2. Hampden of Buckinghamshire killed the same day one year that the +mob petition from Bucks was presented to the king about him, as one of +the five members. + +3. Young Captain Hotham executed the 1st of January, the same day that +he assisted Sir Thomas Fairfax in the first skirmish with the king's +forces at Bramham Moor. + +4. The same day and month, being the 6th of August 1641, that the +Parliament voted to raise an army against the king, the same day and +month, _anno_ 1648, the Parliament were assaulted and turned out of +doors by that very army, and none left to sit but who the soldiers +pleased, which were therefore called the Rump. + +5. The Earl of Holland deserted the king, who had made him general of +the horse, and went over to the Parliament, and the 9th of March +1641, carried the Commons' reproaching declaration to the king; and +afterwards taking up arms for the king against the Parliament, was +beheaded by them the 9th of March 1648, just seven years after. + +6. The Earl of Holland was sent by the king to come to his assistance +and refused, the 11th of July 1641, and that very day seven years +after was taken by the Parliament at St Neots. + +7. Colonel Massey defended Gloucester against the king, and beat +him off the 5th of September 1643; was taken after by Cromwell's men +fighting for the king, on the 5th of September 1651, two or three days +after the fight at Worcester. + +8. Richard Cromwell resigning, because he could not help it, the +Parliament voted a free Commonwealth, without a single person or House +of Lords. This was the 25th of May 1658; the 25th of May 1660, the +king landed at Dover, and restored the government of a single person +and House of Lords. + +9. Lambert was proclaimed a traitor by the Parliament April the 20th, +being the same day he proposed to Oliver Cromwell to take upon him the +title of king. + +10. Monk being taken prisoner at Nantwich by Sir Thomas Fairfax, +revolted to the Parliament the same day nineteen years he declared for +the king, and thereby restored the royal authority. + +11. The Parliament voted to approve of Sir John Hotham's repulsing +the king at Hull, the 28th of April 1642; the 28th of April 1660, the +Parliament first debated in the House the restoring the king to the +crown. + +12. The agitators of the army formed themselves into a cabal, and held +their first meeting to seize on the king's person, and take him into +their custody from Holmby, the 28th of April 1647; the same day, +1660, the Parliament voted the agitators to be taken into custody, and +committed as many of them as could be found. + +13. The Parliament voted the queen a traitor for assisting her +husband, the king, May the 3rd, 1643; her son, King Charles II., was +presented with the votes of Parliament to restore him, and the present +of L50,000, the 3rd of May 1660. + +14. The same day the Parliament passed the Act for recognition of +Oliver Cromwell, October 13th, 1654, Lambert broke up the Parliament +and set up the army, 1659, October the 13th. + +Some other observations I have made, which, as not so pertinent, I +forbear to publish, among which I have noted the fatality of some days +to parties, as-- + +The 2nd of September: The fight at Dunbar; the fight at Worcester; the +oath against a single person passed; Oliver's first Parliament called. +For the enemy. + +The 2nd of September: Essex defeated in Cornwall; Oliver died; city +works demolished. For the king. + +The 29th of May: Prince Charles born; Leicester taken by storm; King +Charles II. restored. Ditto. + +Fatality of circumstances in this unhappy war, as-- + +1. The English Parliament call in the Scots, to invade their king, and +are invaded themselves by the same Scots, in defence of the king whose +case, and the design of the Parliament, the Scots had mistaken. + +2. The Scots, who unjustly assisted the Parliament to conquer their +lawful sovereign, contrary to their oath of allegiance, and without +any pretence on the king's part, are afterwards absolutely conquered +and subdued by the same Parliament they assisted. + +3. The Parliament, who raised an army to depose their king, deposed by +the very army they had raised. + +4. The army broke three Parliaments, and are at last broke by a free +Parliament; and all they had done by the military power, undone at +once by the civil. + +5. Abundance of the chief men, who by their fiery spirits involved the +nation in a civil war, and took up arms against their prince, first or +last met with ruin or disgrace from their own party. + +(1.) Sir John Hotham and his son, who struck the first stroke, both +beheaded or hanged by the Parliament. + +(2.) Major-General Massey three times taken prisoner by them, and once +wounded at Worcester. + +(3.) Major-General Langhorn, (4.) Colonel Poyer, and (5.) Colonel +Powell, changed sides, and at last taken, could obtain no other favour +than to draw lots for their lives; Colonel Poyer drew the dead lot, +and was shot to death. + +(6.) Earl of Holland: who, when the House voted who should be +reprieved, Lord Goring, who had been their worst enemy, or the Earl of +Holland, who excepting one offence, had been their constant servant, +voted Goring to be spared, and the Earl to die. + +(7.) The Earl of Essex, their first general; + +(8.) Sir William Waller; + +(9.) Lieutenant-General Ludlow; + +(10.) The Earl of Manchester; + +--all disgusted and voted out of the army, though they had stood the +first shock of the war, to make way for the new model of the army, and +introduce a party. + + * * * * * + +In all these confusions I have observed two great errors, one of the +king, and one of his friends. + +Of the king, that when he was in their custody, and at their mercy, +he did not comply with their propositions of peace, before their army, +for want of employment, fell into heats and mutinies; that he did not +at first grant the Scots their own conditions, which, if he had done, +he had gone into Scotland; and then, if the English would have fought +the Scots for him, he had a reserve of his loyal friends, who would +have had room to have fallen in with the Scots to his assistance, +who were after dispersed and destroyed in small parties attempting to +serve him. + +While his Majesty remained at Newcastle, the queen wrote to him, +persuading him to make peace upon any terms; and in politics her +Majesty's advice was certainly the best. For, however low he was +brought by a peace, it must have been better than the condition he was +then in. + +The error I mention of the king's friends was this, that after they +saw all was lost, they could not be content to sit still, and reserve +themselves for better fortunes, and wait the happy time when the +divisions of the enemy would bring them to certain ruin; but must +hasten their own miseries by frequent fruitless risings, in the face +of a victorious enemy, in small parties; and I always found these +effects from it:-- + +1. The enemy, who were always together by the ears, when they were let +alone, were united and reconciled when we gave them any interruption; +as particularly, in the case of the first assault the army made upon +them, when Colonel Pride, with his regiment, garbled the House, as +they called it. At that time a fair opportunity offered; but it was +omitted till it was too late. That insult upon the House had been +attempted the year before, but was hindered by the little insurrection +of the royal party, and the sooner they had fallen out, the better. + +2. These risings being desperate, with vast disadvantages, and always +suppressed, ruined all our friends; the remnants of the Cavaliers were +lessened, the stoutest and most daring were cut off, and the king's +interest exceedingly weakened, there not being less than 30,000 of +his best friends cut off in the several attempts made at Maidstone, +Colchester, Lancashire, Pembroke, Pontefract, Kingston, Preston, +Warrington, Worcester, and other places. Had these men all reserved +their fortunes to a conjunction with the Scots, at either of the +invasions they made into this kingdom, and acted with the conduct and +courage they were known masters of, perhaps neither of those Scots +armies had been defeated. + +But the impatience of our friends ruined all; for my part, I had as +good a mind to put my hand to the ruin of the enemy as any of them, +but I never saw any tolerable appearance of a force able to match the +enemy, and I had no mind to be beaten and then hanged. Had we let them +alone, they would have fallen into so many parties and factions, and +so effectually have torn one another to pieces, that whichsoever party +had come to us, we should, with them, have been too hard for all the +rest. + +This was plain by the course of things afterwards; when the +Independent army had ruffled the Presbyterian Parliament, the soldiery +of that party made no scruple to join us, and would have restored the +king with all their hearts, and many of them did join us at last. + +And the consequence, though late, ended so; for they fell out so +many times, army and Parliament, Parliament and army, and alternately +pulled one another down so often till at last the Presbyterians who +began the war, ended it, and, to be rid of their enemies, rather than +for any love to the monarchy, restored King Charles the Second, and +brought him in on the very day that they themselves had formerly +resolved the ruin of his father's government, being the 29th of May, +the same day twenty years that the private cabal in London concluded +their secret league with the Scots, to embroil his father King Charles +the First. + + +[Footnote 1: General Ludlow, in his Memoirs, p. 52, says their men +returned from Warwick to London, not like men who had obtained a +victory, but like men that had been beaten.] + + + + +NOTES. + + +p. 1. The preface to the first edition, which appeared in 1720, was +written by Defoe as "Editor" of the manuscript. The second edition +appeared between 1740 and 1750, after the death of Defoe. (He was +probably born in 1671 and he died in 1731.) In the preface to that +edition it was argued that the Cavalier was certainly a real person. + +p. 2, l. 35. "Nicely" is here used in the stricter and more uncommon +sense of "minutely." This use of words in a slightly different sense +from their common modern significance will be noticed frequently; +cf. p. 8, l. 17 "passionately," p. 18, l. 40 "refined," p. 31, l. 18 +"particular." + +p. 3, l. 3. Charles XII the famous soldier king of Sweden died in 1718. + +p. 3, l. 31. Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, was one of the staunchest +supporters of Charles I, and Chancellor under Charles II. His _History +of the Rebellion_ is naturally written from the Royalist standpoint. +This statement concerning "the editors" can only be intended by Defoe +to give colour of truth to his story of the manuscript. + +p. 10, l. 17. England had been nominally at war with Spain since the +beginning of the reign of Charles I. Peace was actually made in 1630. + +p. 12, l. 3. A pistole was a gold coin used chiefly in France and +Spain. Its value varied but it was generally worth about fifteen or +sixteen shillings. + +p. 14, l. 5. Cardinal Richelieu, one of the greatest statesmen of +the seventeenth century, was practically supreme in France during the +reign of Louis XIII. + +p. 14, l. 16. The cause of the war with Savoy is told at length on +page 23. Savoy being the frontier province between France and Italy it +was important that France should maintain her influence there. + +p. 14, l. 18. Pinerolo was a frontier fortress. + +p. 14, l. 36. The queen-mother was Mary de Medicis who had been regent +during the minority of Louis XIII. + +p. 15, l. 3. The Protestants or Huguenots of Southern France had been +tolerated since 1598 but Richelieu deprived them of many of their +privileges. + +p. 15, l. 21. In 1625 when England was in alliance with France English +ships had been joined with the French fleet to reduce la Rochelle, the +great stronghold of Protestantism in Southern France. + +p. 16, l. 7. The Louvre, now famous as a picture gallery and museum, +was formerly one of the palaces of the French Kings. + +p. 17, l. 16. The Bastille was the famous prison destroyed in 1789 at +the outbreak of the French Revolution. + +p. 18, l. 13. In the seventeenth century Italy was still divided into +several states each with its own prince. + +p. 18, l. 22. Susa was another Savoyard fortress. + +p. 19, l. 17. A halberd was a weapon consisting of a long wooden shaft +surmounted by an axe-like head. + +p. 21, l. 30. The Cantons were the political divisions of Switzerland. + +p. 23, l. 7. Casale, a strong town on the Po. + +p. 25, l. 14. A dragoon was a cavalry soldier armed with an infantry +firearm and trained to fight on foot as well as on horseback. + +p. 27, l. 25. Saluzzo a town S.E. of Pinerolo. + +p. 29, l. 12. This truce prepared for the definite "Peace of +Cherasco," April 1631, which confirmed the Duchy of Mantua to the Duke +of Nevers but left only Pinerolo in the hands of the French. + +p. 31, l. 12. This refers to the Treaty of Baerwalde, 1631, by which +Gustavus Adolphus promised to consider the interests of the French +(who were the natural enemies of the Empire). + +p. 31, l. 16. In 1628 the Duke of Pomerania had been obliged to put +his coast line under the care of the imperial troops. In attacking it +therefore in 1639 Gustavus Adolphus was aiming a blow at the Emperor +and obtaining a good basis for further conquests. + +p. 31, l. 25. _Gazette_ is the old name for _newspaper_. + +p. 33, l. 12. Bavaria was the chief Catholic State not under the +direct government of the Emperor. Maximilian, its elector, was +appointed head of the Catholic League which was formed in 1609 in +opposition to the Protestant Union which had been formed in 1608. + +p. 33, l. 20. By the end of the sixteenth century the Turks had +advanced far into Europe, had detached half of Hungary from the +Emperor's dominions and made him pay tribute for the other half. +During the seventeenth century, however, they were slowly driven back. + +p. 33, l. 37. In 1628 the two Dukes of Mecklenburg had been "put to +the ban" by the Emperor for having given help to Christian of Denmark +who had taken up the cause of the Protestants. + +p. 34, l. 10. Gustavus Adolphus had been at war with Poland from 1617 +to 1629. + +p. 34, l. 30. This was not a treaty of active alliance. Both John +George of Saxony and George William of Brandenburg were Protestant +princes but they were at first anxious to maintain neutrality between +Sweden and the Emperor. The impolitic action of Ferdinand drove them +to join Gustavus Adolphus in 1631. + +p. 34, l. 33. The German Diet was the meeting of the German princes +to consult on imperial matters. Ratisbon is one of the chief towns of +Bavaria. + +p. 35, l. 17. The story of Magdeburg is told on p. 42. + +p. 36, l. 1. Count Tilly was a Bavarian General of genius who had been +put at the head of the forces of the Catholic League in 1609. + +p. 36, l. 31. The Protestant Union formed in 1608 had been forced to +dissolve itself in 1621. + +p. 37, l. 5. Wallenstein is one of the greatest generals and the most +interesting figure in seventeenth century history. A Bohemian by birth +he fought for the Emperor with an army raised by himself. + +p. 37, l. 16. The Conclusions of Leipsic are described on p. 39. + +p. 38, l. 29. The King of Hungary was Ferdinand (afterwards Ferdinand +III) son of Ferdinand II. The "King of the Romans" was a title +bestowed on the person who was destined to become Emperor. (The Empire +was elective but tended to become hereditary.) + +p. 39, l. 39. The Peace of Augsburg, 1555, had been intended to settle +the differences between the Lutherans and Catholics but it had left +many problems unsolved. + +p. 42, l. 21. The Protestant bishopric of Magdeburg had been forcibly +restored to the Catholics in 1629. In 1631 the citizens of their own +accord, relying on Swedish help, declared against the Emperor. + +p. 47, l. 40. Torgau, a strongly fortified town in Saxony. + +p. 57, l. 37. The Prince of Orange at this time was William II who +married Mary, daughter of Charles I. + +p. 59, l. 3. Except for the date, which should be 17th of September, +and the numbers on both sides which he exaggerates, the Cavalier's +account of the battle of Leipsic is fairly accurate. + +p. 61, l. 39. Cuirassiers were heavy cavalry wearing helmet and +cuirass (two plates fastened together for the protection of the breast +and back). + +p. 65, l. 10. _Crabats_ is an old form of _Croats_ the name of the +inhabitants of Croatia. + +p. 66, l. 38. _Rix dollar_ is the English form of _Reichsthaler_ or +imperial dollar. + +p. 67, l. 6. "Husband" is here used in the sense of "thrifty person." + +p. 69, l. 18. A ducat was a gold coin generally worth about nine +shillings. + +p. 70, l. 29. This passage describes the conquest of the string of +ecclesiastical territories known as the "Priest's Lane." + +p. 71, l. 23. A partisan was a military weapon used by footmen in the +sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and not unlike the halberd in +form. + +p. 73, l. 10. "Bastion" is the name given to certain projecting +portions of a fortified building. + +p. 78, l. 23. The Palatinate (divided into Upper and Lower) was a +Protestant state whose elector, the son-in-law of James I, had been +driven out by the Emperor in 1620. + +p. 79, l. 11. _Reformado_: A military term borrowed from the Spanish, +signifying an officer who, for some disgrace is deprived of his +command but retains his rank. Defoe uses it to describe an officer not +having a regular command. + +p. 81, l. 15. Frederick, Elector Palatine, had been elected King by +the Protestants of Bohemia in opposition to the Emperor Ferdinand. It +was his acceptance of this position which led to the confiscation of +his Palatinate together with his new kingdom. + +p. 81, l. 24. James I had, after much hesitation, sent in 1625 an +expedition to the aid of the Elector, but it had miscarried. Charles I +was too much occupied at home to prosecute an active foreign policy. + +p. 81, l. 35. The Elector died in the same year as Gustavus Adolphus. +His son Charles Lewis was restored to the Lower Palatinate only, which +was confirmed to him at the end of the war in 1648. + +p. 82, l. 3. The battle of Nieuport, one of the great battles between +Holland and Spain, was fought in 1600 near the Flemish town of that +name. Prince Maurice won a brilliant victory under very difficult +conditions. + +p. 82, l. 30. A ravelin is an outwork of a fortified building. + +p. 86, l. 16. It was the attempt in 1607 to force Catholicism on the +Protestants of the free city of Donauwoerth which led to the formation +of the Protestant Union in 1608. + +p. 87, l. 9. The Duringer Wald.--Thuringia Wald. + +p. 97, l. 29. Camisado (fr. Latin Camisia=a shirt) is generally used +to denote a night attack. + +p. 98, l. 4. Note the inconsistency between this statement of the +Cavaliers interest in the curiosities at Munich and his indifference +in Italy where he had "no gust to antiquities." + +p. 99, l. 7. Gustavus Adolphus had entered Nuremberg March 1631. +Wallenstein was now bent on re-taking it. + +p. 100, l. 29. The Cavalier's enthusiasm for Gustavus Adolphus leads +to misrepresentation. The Swedish king has sometimes been blamed for +failing to succour Magdeburg. + +p. 101, l. 23. Redoubts are the most strongly fortified points in the +temporary fortification of a large space. + +p. 107, l. 13. The Cavalier glosses over the fact that Gustavus +Adolphus really retreated from his camp at Nuremberg, being +practically starved out, as Wallenstein refused to come to an +engagement. + +p. 110, l. 38. Though the honours of war in the battle of Luetzen went +to the Swedes it is probable that they lost more men than did the +Imperialists. + +p. 113, l. 37. The battle of Noerdlingen was one of the decisive +battles of the war. It restored to the Catholics the bishoprics of the +South which Gustavus Adolphus had taken. + +p. 114, l. 39. The title "Infant" or "Infante" belongs to all princes +of the royal house in Spain. The Cardinal Infant really brought 15000 +men to the help of the Emperor. + +p. 116, l. 37. The King of Hungary had succeeded to the command of the +imperial army after the murder of Wallenstein in 1634. + +p. 119, l. 34. The treaty of Westphalia in 1648 ended the Thirty +Years' War by a compromise. The Emperor recognised that he could have +no real authority in matters of religion over the states governed +by Protestant princes, North Germany remained Protestant, the South, +Catholic. + +p. 120, l. 11. This statement is an anachronism. Prince Maurice of +Nassau the famous son of William the Silent died in 1625. + +p. 120, l. 39. The Netherlands belonged to Spain in the seventeenth +century but revolted. The Northern provinces which were Protestant won +their independence, the Southern provinces which were Catholic (modern +Belgium) submitted to Spain on conditions. + +p. 121, l. 19. The siege of Ostend, then in the hands of the Dutch, +was begun in July 1601 and came to an end in September 1604, when the +garrison surrendered with the honours of war. + +p. 122, l. 31. In 1637 Laud had tried to force a new liturgy on +Scotland but this had been forcibly resisted. In 1638 the National +Covenant against "papistry" was signed by all classes in Scotland. +In the same year episcopacy was abolished there and Charles thereupon +resolved to subdue the Scots by arms. This led to the first "Bishops' +War" of 1639 which the Cavalier proceeds to describe. + +p. 126, l. 4. Mercenaries (soldiers who fought in any army for the +mere pay) were chiefly drawn from Switzerland in the seventeenth +century. + +p. 127, l. 38. By the Treaty of Berwick signed in June 1638 Charles +consented to allow the Scotch to settle their own ecclesiastical +affairs. When they again resolved to abolish episcopacy he broke his +word and in 1640 the Second "Bishops' War" took place. It was the +expenses of these wars which forced Charles to call parliament again. + +p. 135, l. 34. It was the English Prayer Book with some slight changes +that Laud had attempted to impose on the Scotch. + +p. 137, l. 31. Charles had in fact called the "Short Parliament" to +meet between these two expeditions but had quarrelled with it and +dissolved it. + +p. 138, l. 7. The Scotch had no real part in the death of the King. +The Presbyterians indeed upheld monarchy though not as Charles +understood it. + +p. 140, l. 26. The Long Parliament of 1640 passed an act by which it +could not be dissolved without its own consent. + +p. 143, l. 4. The Treaty of Ripon (October 1640) left Northumberland +and Durham in the hands of the Scotch until the King should be able +to pay the L850 a day during their stay in England which he promised +them. + +p. 143, l. 9. The permanent treaty signed in 1641 gave consent to +all the demands of the Scotch, including their freedom to abolish +episcopacy. + +p. 143, l. 29. The Earl of Stafford had been the chief supporter of +Charles' method of government without parliament. He was executed in +1641 and Laud suffered the same fate in 1645. + +p. 144, l. 21. By the "Grand Remonstrance" the parliament tried to +seize on the royal power. + +p. 146, l. 13. The "gentry" of England were not, of course, all on the +Royalist side. Many of them, and some of the nobility, fought for the +parliament, though it is true that the majority were for the King. + +p. 151, l. 27. In 1643 by the Solemn League and Covenant the Scotch +consented to help parliament against the King on condition that +Presbyterianism should be adopted as the English state religion. + +p. 159, l. 33. The left wing was under the command of Lord Wilmot. + +p. 170, l. 36. Leicester was taken by the King in 1645. + +p. 180, l. 28. The Cavalier ascribes to himself the part taken by +Prince Maurice (the brother of Prince Rupert) and Lord Wilmot in +bringing aid to Hopton. + +p. 187, l. 29. It was the King rather than the parliamentarians who +was anxious to give battle. The Royalists barred the way to London. + +p. 189, l. 32. See note to p. 61, l. 39. + +p. 192, l. 29. The parliamentarians certainly won a victory at the +second battle of Newbury. + +p. 194, l. 2. The Scotch nobles, alarmed at the violence of the +parliamentarians, supported Charles in the second civil war (1648), +and after his death Scotland recognised Charles II as King. Cromwell +however conquered their country. + +p. 194, l. 27. In 1641 a great Irish rebellion had followed the recall +of Strafford who had been Lord Lieutenant of that country. + +p. 195, l. 12. It was not until 1645, when his cause was declining in +England, that Charles determined to seek direct help from the Irish. +This he did in the Glamorgan Treaty of that year by which he agreed +to the legal restoration of Catholicism in Ireland. But the Treaty was +discovered by the Parliament and Charles denied any knowledge of it. + +p. 196, l. 11. The "Grand Seignior" was the name generally given to the +Sultan of Turkey. + +p. 197, l. 5. William Prynne was the famous Puritan lawyer whose +imprisonment by the Star Chamber had made him one of the heroes of +Puritanism. George Buchanan was the famous Scotch scholar from whom +James I had derived much of his learning. + +p. 197, l. 28. The dates are given both according to our present +mode of reckoning and according to the old system by which the year +commenced on 25th March. + +p. 198, l. 6. The Scots besieged Newcastle for nine months, not merely +a few days as the Cavalier relates. + +p. 202, l. 39. The great Spanish general, the Duke of Parma, went to +the relief of Paris which was in the hands of the Catholics and was +being besieged by the then Protestant Henry of Navarre in 1590. + +p. 204, l. 9. As pointed out in the introduction the Cavalier's +account of the disposition of forces in this battle is inaccurate. + +p. 205, l. 27. It was really Rupert's hitherto unconquered cavalry +which was thus borne down by Cromwell's horse. + +p. 216, l. 4. A posset was a drink of milk curdled with an acid +liquid. + +p. 219, l. 40. The Grisons are the people of one of the Swiss Cantons. + +p. 222, l. 36. Newcastle was not retaken by Rupert. + +p. 230, l. 8. By the Self-Denying Ordinance of 1645 all members of +Parliament were compelled to resign their commands. This rid the +parliamentarians of some of their most incapable commanders. Exception +was made in favour of Cromwell who was soon appointed Lieutenant +General. + +p. 230, l. 17. On the "New Model" the armies of the parliamentary side +were reorganized as a whole, made permanent, and given a uniform and +regular pay. + +p. 231, l. 15. It was not only the ecclesiastical conditions laid down +by the parliamentarians at the Treaty of Uxbridge which determined the +King's refusal. He was asked besides taking the Covenant to surrender +the militia. + +p. 243, l. 26. The estates of many of the Cavalier gentlemen were +forfeited. Some were allowed to "compound," i.e. to keep part of their +estates on payment of a sum of money. + +p. 253, l. 32. Montrose had created a Royalist party in Scotland and +was fighting there for the King. + +p. 258, l. 1. The "forlorn" was a body of men sent in advance of an +expedition. + +p. 272, l. 21. After the defeat of the Royalists dissension arose +between the parliament and the army and naturally the army was able to +coerce the parliament. + +p. 274, l. 2. Cornet Joyce secured the person of the King by the order +of Cromwell, the idol of the army. + +p. 274, l. 26. The Cavalier exaggerates the likelihood of an +understanding between the King and the parliament. In reality Charles +was merely playing off one party against the other. + +p. 275, l. 7. In January 1648 parliament had passed a vote of "No +Addresses," renouncing any further negotiation with the King, but +after the second civil war of that year (in which the Presbyterians +joined the King) they resumed them again in the Treaty of Newport. +The army however became more violent, and the result was the forcible +exclusion of all moderate members of parliament in "Pride's Purge," +December 1648. The trial and execution of the King followed. + +p. 275, l. 35. The Cavalier refers to the acts of retaliation which +followed the Restoration of Charles II. + +p. 276, l. 27. There were many republicans among the "Independents" +or "Sectaries" in the army, but the policy actually carried out can +hardly have been planned before the war. + +p. 278, l. 5. Cardinal Bellarmine was one of the great +Controversialists of the Counter-Reformation. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Memoirs of a Cavalier, by Daniel Defoe + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMOIRS OF A CAVALIER *** + +***** This file should be named 12259.txt or 12259.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/2/2/5/12259/ + +Produced by Audrey Longhurst, Audrey Longhurst, Leah Moser and the +Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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