horse nor foot to maintain what was gotten, considering the strivings of the enemy to repossesse themselves of Monmouth. For which end the whole power of South Wales that is fit for the march under the command of Collonel Gerrard are come as far as Abergenny, Uske, and Ragland. Sir John Winter must bring forth his masterpeece to the world, and once more assisted with four hundred from Bristoll, purchased at a high rate, and added to a hundred of his own men, with all the aid Prince Rupert can send, undertakes to fortifie Beachly. The noised strength of the enemy round about did contribute to the designe with all fiercenesse, since the want of a guard upon this passage did render all South Wales of little value. And it highly concerned us to indeavour the preventing this project, which threatned the ruine of the forrest, the intercepting of the passage between Gloucester aud Monmouth, and to render that garrison in great part useless. The governor had a hard game to play, alwayes put upon desperate hazards without a sufficiencie to accomplish or make good. For the case was questionable whether to desert Monmouth, or seek to maintain it, having no competent number for a town yet unfortified, generally malignant, in an enemies' countrey, at a great distance, and with a difficult passe : but that the wonderfull successe of Beachly twice fortunate determined the doubt. The businesse was not capable of deliberation, nothing but a quick dispatch had the shew of safety. Gerrard was to be kept from joyning his forces with these in the forrest, who when once fortified were not to be beaten out having all the advantages of sea and land. And although his forces hovered about the countrey, pretending to fall upon Monmouth, yet about midnight, October 13, one hundred muskettiers were drawn thence with eight troops of our poore horse unto Clurewall, expecting there to meet the Newnham foot drawn off for this designe, the garrison supplyed in the interim by the countrey voluntiers. In the close of the next evening they approached neer the enemy, where no good presage

did favour the busines. The horse failed six houres of the time appointed, whom the constant want of pay, and hands bound up from plunder, made irregular, and disabled the commander in chief to reward or punish. Himself must manage the designe not by advice only, but personall action, and act a part in the duty of each inferior officer. That night we beat up their ambuscades, forced them within their works, and by frequent alarms kept them waking, yet as much as possible from working. The next morning at break of day was the time reserved for a storme: but the foot were all Stragling, and could not be gathered up, insomuch that the governor's own troop with no more than fourscore muskettiers made the onset, and by God's help performed gallantly. They found the enemy well prepared, the works followed with dexterity and diligence, with much art and cost on pallisadoes, and breast-works, and the most defective places from Wye to Seaverne defended with a tall quick-set hedge, and a ditch within, the pinnaces riding in each river with ordnance to play upon us, and the line so strongly guarded with hammer guns, and murtherers placed on the flanks at either end, that it seemed impossible to storme the same by day without apparent great losse; yet was the governour to wait for lowe water, that the guns from the ships might not reach us, which happily fell out at the opening of the day; yet were we in the reach of the ordnance planted on the Welch shore, and equall to our height. He laid hold on the instant of season, with a small party in a silent march came close to the works; whereupon after the taking of the alarme, when the enemy had spent many shot, our men forced two or three pallisadoes, that some of the foot and the forlorn hope of horse brake in: but finding themselves at a stand between the pallisadoes and the quick-set hedge lined with muskettiers, began to face about when there was no looking back, nor passing forwards, by reason of the continuall shot. In this party was the governor engaged, who now became the leader of the

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forlorn-hope, and with not a little difficulty forced his own horse over the hedge, fell in among them, was recharged furiously, his head-peece knocked off with the but-end of a musket, and strangely preserved, till three or foure foot and some horse brake over the hedge after him, then there came up a full body of horse and foot, and by maine force bore down before them a resolved and prepared enemie, slew thirty, and tooke prisoners a lieutenant colonell, one major, two captaines, three lieutenants, three ensignes, with other officers, and common souldiers, to the number of two hundred and twenty. They forced Sir John Winter downe the clift into the river, where a little boate lay to receive him, and convey him thence into the ships, riding within musket shot of the shore, with many musqueteers and great shot. Many tooke the water, some whereof were drowned, and others saved themselves by recovering the boates. Prince Rupert the patron of this designe, was expected there the next high water, being then upon the river, but extreamely prevented and crossed in the height of his desire and confidence.

It was a brave exployte and true victory upon such an eminent disadvantage over a formidable enemy. They were stronger within the fortifications than sixe times the same number in the open field. The storme that hovered was blowne over, and we calme, and secure in the possession of Monmouth. But as for this necke of land so fortunate and famous to the government of Gloucester for two remarkable victories: though Sir John Winter and the Welch forces had their eye continually upon it, yet the neglect of the place was no oversight in our garrison, but caused by the incapacity of the place itselfe, it being impossible to be held by us till we were masters at sea, because at every floud the ships on the Seaverne lay levell with the highest ground. Wherefore it was resolved by a councell of warre that the buildings should be demolished, and all trees and hedges cut downe. The taking and securing of Monmouth was a faire beginning, and almost the possession

of halfe Wales. But as yet the county became unserviceable to us, and we made loosers by enlarging our bounds.

The substance of Gloucestershire was expended in maintaining the garrison foote, and the horse left wholly unfurnished, yet bounde up from plunder and rapine; neither did we finde that assistance in the county as was expected and promised: considering which, with our meane forces and slender pay, no progresse could be made in gaining the countrey, but the time was spent in light skirmishes, and surprizals betweene petty parties on both sides; and we sustained some losse by Colonel Broughton's captaine lieutenant who with fifty souldiers undertooke to garrison a house neare Godridge castle, neither obvious to releife, nor caring to fortify or store the place with victualls. This was done in the governour's absence without order, disavowed by all, and owned only by the captaine himselfe : whose plea was, that he had no support for his men, and was enforced to get his living there. But within a few dayes his house was fired upon him, and he and all his carried prisoners to Hereford before releife could reach them..

Notwithstanding our necessitous condition, the parliament were informed of great multitudes, and a burden of supernumerary officers and souldiers, and seemed to require out of the superfluity of those parts an assistance more ample than the maine strength of the place. It was hard to take a just and full view at such a distance; and peradventure perpetuall action and the great things effected here, might multiply the numbers of the garrison, and represent things in the largest forme. But the voyce of the people gave out that we were kept low by the malice of misinformations : and that the souldiers' cry could not be heard, because they were apt to be thought ever craving and querulous. Wherefore at that season there came some particular commands from the powers above, which did not correspond with the state of our affaires, or the ground of the enjoyned service. November the tenth Colonell

Massie received instructions from the committee of both kingdomes to march with all the strength he could make, into the borders of Oxfordshire to prevent the joyning of the Welsh forces under the conduct of Colonell Gerrard with the rest of the king's army, or to take advantage of the enemy, or joyne with the parliament's army as occasion did offer. This command found him overwhelmed with manifold imployments, and in that instant of time some Monmouthshire gentlemen tendred their assistance to the taking in of Chepstow castle, which the governour was ready to embrace, (that Wales might fall under the power of the parliament) but with much warinesse, having many irons in the fire. Neverthelesse lying under a greater weight of envie, he resolved to obey the former orders against the progresse and reason of his affaires; wherefore he called off his owne regiment of horse from about Monmouth, where the enemie's vigilancie was not little, and the malignity of the towne wondrous great; with the regiment of horse, he hasted towards Evesham, where the enemy had arrived before, whose march he could not interrupt or retard since they were eight for one. But before this march having drawne a small party out of Monmouth, he commanded from Gloucester his own company, and another company of the same regiment to the security of that garrison, and committed the charge of the towne in his absence to Major Throgmorton, then serjeant major to Colonell Harley, who by order of parliament was designed to that government, but with no power to command out a partye upon any designe, having no thought that the forces left there were fit to be imployed upon any service, more than the defence of that place: besides, he had waved the offers of Chepstow till he might gaine an assurance of making good so much ground in an enemies' country: for it was alwayes his desire in ingaging any people to those masters whom he served, to foresee a possibility of continuing that engagement, lest hee might doe them a greater disservice by dashing the