up with five hundred foot and two peeces of ordnance, fired his gunnes against the house, and engaged himselfe in an assault. The place was maintayned by them within, till a small party drew from Gloucester, the report of which (at three miles distance) caused Colonell Vavasour to draw off and return back to Tewkesbury, with the losse of eight or ten men before the house. Neither did Vavasour seem to act with that violence, which the out-side of the enemie's design did look for: whether retarded by the dulnesse of nature, or the notice of some close contrivance. However, the slownesse and ill successe of his actions rendred him obnoxious to the jealousies of his own party; which suspition was easily encreased by the intercourse of civility between him and Colonell Massie, when the known fidelity and constant indeavours of the one could inable him without offence to his own side to disport with an enemy in such complements, as the other had not the liberty to use. Such neglected passages have a great weight in the ballance of reputation and honour: since the minde is not revealed by it selfe, and wise men as well as fooles oft-times have only the event to guide their judgements.

On the other side of the town, we had continuall skirmishes with Colonell Veale, newly made governour of Berkly castle, and assisted with the Lord Inchequeen's regiment of horse. This enemy was no way formidable nor mischievous in any thing save the plunder of the countrey, by whom hee was oft-times beaten back and kept in awe by the assistance of Frampton garrison. The church at Newnham was againe fortified and defended by Sir John Winter with a sufficient strength of men, and foure pieces of ordnance, whence hee might runne up to the gates of Gloucester, rob the countrey and take men's persons at pleasure, only we kept a guard at Arlingham to hinder his passage over Seavern.

Colonell Min lay strong at Newent, Highleaden, and Tainton: the governour could doe little on that side, only he placed a garri

son at Hartpury court, both to preserve Cosselawne, and to endeavour the engagement of Colonell Min. Our garrison at Frampton was removed to Slimbridge within foure miles of Berkley; we had other guards likewise at Essington and Froster, to preserve and enable the people to contribution. Thus was the city pestered on every hand, and fetched its livelihood out of the fire, with continuall hazard, forcing the enemie's quarters, and defending its own; parties were daily drawn out by the governour, who then could not aime at victory, nor expect any great performance, though the common people repined that he did not alwayes conquer, when it was conquest enough to keep the enemy in action, and prevent their extravagances, to beare up the hearts of our friends, and signifie to the world that we were yet alive. Though the governour was not invited abroad, yet he strove to make opportunities according to the stock of ammunition that was left him; that councells might spring out of the midst of action. He drew out upon Tainton with two hundred musketiers, and with a hundred horse faced the house, only to keep in or amaze them, but when the horse marched off, some of their troopes fell on the reare-guard and charged the governour, who re-encountred and charged home some distance before the rest of the troop, and by the breaking of the curb, his horse carryed him amongst the enemie's troopes, with whom for a while he grappled, and was rescued by the gallantry of a common trooper, by which time our musketiers were brought up, and beat them back without losse to us.

The governour choosed rather to make work for the enemy, and to seek him in his own quarters, than lie at home to expect the challenge: yet did he play a wary game, and though zealous of honour, yet more true to the maine chance and tender of the lives of men: wherefore hee advanced againe with foure hundred musketiers and fifty horse, came before Tainton, and with a small party faced the house, having laid some ambuscados with a purpose to allure them

into the snare, and cut off their men as well to encourage the countrcy as weaken the enemy, but they did not adventure out. When we drew thence, our men beheld a faire body of horse at Highleaden, whereupon a forlorn hope of our musketiers with twenty horse advanced upon them, and found their horse and foot drawn out of Highleaden house: these were to joyn with Colonell Min, who at that instant was marched out of Newent, with a purpose to fall on Hartpury garrison. Here at the first some few of our horse gave the charge, hurried the enemy and beat up their ambuscadoes: then they drew out their whole garrison and fell on; their horse did not stand to it, but with their foot there was an hot skirmish almost an houre: and though our seconds were slow in coming up, yet did the forlorn hope drive them from hedge to hedge, and after awhile our body comming on beat them in, and pursued them up to the very house, took some few prisoners, and came off with the losse only of two men.

Such multitudes of the king's forces lay upon us to oppresse the countrey and intercept our reliefe, that they were extremely straitned of quarter, and enforced to look forth for livelihood. Whereupon two thousand horse and foot marched from Tewkesbury to Painsewick to gather contribution, and rob the countrey about Stroudwater: the governour drew out two hundred musketiers with an hundred horse, and marched to the top of Bruckthrop hill expecting the enemy, whom he found divided into three bodies and himselfe born down by their multitude, for whilst two parties faced him, the third stole down an hollow lane, and had almost surrounded him unawares by the negligence of the scouts, so that our whole body was brought into great danger, driven to a sudden and confused retreat, and the governour himselfe left deeply engaged; yet most of our men got off, being preserved only by the gallantry of a few resolved men that stood in the breach; and of them Captaine George Massie striving to retard the pursuit,

grappled with three together hand to hand, received a sore wound in the head, and was happily rescued by a serjeant of the company; of ours, two lieutenants and sixteen private souldiers were taken prisoners, the rest in disorder ran down the steep through a rough and narrow lane, and recovered an house at the foot of the hill, where a party was left to make good the retreat, and the enemy durst not pursue, by which meanes all the bottome was preserved from spoyle; next day they retreated to Tewkesbury laden with plunder.

Suddenly after this repulse, we lost two small garrisons at Westbury and Huntly, by the treachery of Captaine Thomas Davis, who sold them at a rate to Sir John Winter. This Davis commanded the guard at Huntly, where himselfe by night some distance from the house attended the enemies' comming, went in before them as friends from Gloucester, gave them possession, and having accomplisht that peece of treason, immediately marched to Wesbury where he was received for a friend, and led in his traine of cavaleers, that both places were surprized in two houres, and above eighty men and armes lost in that great exigence. This villaine was posted on the gallowes in Gloucester, and the lord generall was desired that his name might stand upon the gibbet in all the parliament garrisons.

!

During these things, a treason of higher nature was plotted by the enemy, to a self-delusion in the close, a greater birth requiring more time to bring forth. It was first conceived the nineteenth of November, and for near ten weeks had the prime influence on their whole course in these parts; and is now ripe for action. All the force they can make from Oxford, and the Irish are drawn together. The Lord Herbert, Colonell Vavasour, and Sir John Winter lie upon us, and Prince Rupert himselfe lying at Newent, hoping to effect this great design. Fifteen colours of horse arrived at Cirencester, and five hundred horse and foot advanced to Saperton and

M

Musarden, within ten miles of this garrison. There were of the enemies' forces round about, near six or seven thousand.

The failing of their endeavours and hopes in the late siege, brought forth a despaire of reducing the city by storme, and put them upon the wayes of treachery, who therein illuded themselves, and were over-acted in their own councels. One Edward Stanford an esquire, and a grand papist, assaulted the fidelity of Captain Backhouse once his friend and acquaintance. He presumed that former friendship might make way to admit the plot, and Backhouse's power and interest in the governour made it (in his conception) very feasible. Wherefore in a private letter he tendred the renewing of ancient love, not only to the procuring of the king's pardon, but a greater advancement and fortune than the condition of those whom he served, could rayse him to. This might be purchased by the delivering of Gloucester into their hands, which was not hard for him to perform considering the nature of his employment. And the honesty of the enterprize was grounded on the old proverb, fallere fallentem non est fraus. An hasty and abrupt temptation and the tempter's irrationall confidence did befool him in the first onset, who knew not either to propose or expect such grounds of assurance as the thing did require; but set upon a knowing man, without the knowledge of any imbred inclination to treason or present provocation. Except a strange levity, a minde set on mischief, the conscience of delinquency, or desire of revenge, vain glory, or riches, are the sole aimes of a traytor, and the hopes of either must appear large and certain; but here an attempt is made on such a one who neither by feare was compel'd to provide for himselfe, nor enraged against his own party, but acknowledged a present felicity in the work in hand: as though it were possible to perswade a man wittingly to contrive his own overthrow.

The letters were no sooner received, but communicated to the governour, who advised to embrace the businesse, and hold a cor