which this country did seeme well disposed to comply with the parliament's grand designe: for there was no excessive number of powerfull gentry, who for the most part care not to render themselves the slaves of princes, that they also might rule over their neighbours as vassalls: but the inhabitants consisted chiefly of yeomen, farmers, petty free-holders, and such as use manufactures that enrich the country, and passe through the hands of a multitude, a generation of men truely laborious, jealous of their properties, whose principall ayme is liberty and plenty, and whilst in an equall ranke with their neighbours they desire only not to be oppressed, and account themselves extreamely bound to the world, if they may keepe their owne; such therefore continually thwart the intentions of tyrannie unto which they only are moulded, who detesting a close, hardy, and industrious way of living, doe eate their bread in the sweat of other men, and neglecting a secure estate, rejoyce rather in the height of fortune though inconstant and dangerous. Such is the predominant humour of gentlemen in a corrupted age. Besides, the countryman had of his owne, and did not live by the breath of his great landlord; neither were the poore and needy at the will of the gentry, but observed those men by whom those manufactures were maintained that kept them alive. By which meanes it came to passe that neither they of the middle rank, nor the needy were devoted to the examples of the gentlemen who turned back, betrayed their trust (and are alwaies more apt to be corrupted, or mistaken in judging of the common interest) but had learned to reverence their liberties, and to acknowledge their native happi

nesse.

But some higher cause had a greater influence on the endeavours of many for a well-bounded freedome, and regular priviledges; a knowledge of things pertaining to divine worship, according to the maine principles of the Christian profession. Which religion is not according to the will of man, but grounded upon an unchange

able and eternall truth, and doth indispensably binde every soule to one law perpetuall and constant. This therefore doth strongly implead the necessity of externall priviledges in her professors, and though it doth not destroy the kingdomes of the world, nor usurpe a greater liberty than humane lawes will easily grant, yet it will not give away its native right; and it hath moreover in its nature an irreconcileable enmity against arbitrary government, and will worke its selfe out of bondage when the felicity of the times shall give power and a lawfull call. And in this kinde of knowledge this city and county was more happy than many other parts of the kingdome by meanes of a practicall ministry, which hath not only its powerfull working in divine things, but doth also inable vulgar capacities more fitly to apply themselves to such things as concerne the life of a morall man; and although each person thus informed reacheth not the depth of the reason, yet he can comprehend the truth thereof, and jealousie makes him the more quick-sighted. Thus have we found that the common people addicted to the king's service have come out of blinde Wales, and other dark corners of the land; but the more knowing are apt to contradict and question, and will not easily be brought to the bent. For this cause the ambition of the times hath endeavoured the undermining of true religion, to promote a blind and irrationall worship, that might bring forth an ignorant and slavish generation of men, which kinde of bondage the meanest person that performes a reasonable service cannot but resent and feare.

Yet something there was that might debase and infeeble their spirits (the plague and mischiefe of the whole realme) a grosse ignorance, and supine neglect of military discipline, there being no ground for the study and exercise of armes that might keepe the body of the state in health and vigour. Nor is it unlikely that extreame vassalage was the end of that long sluggish peace, when the nation could not have been more happy, than in some just and

honourable warre with forraigne parts, though now none more miserable by reason of these civill broyles, that teare the bowels and eate up the strength of the kingdome. It is no shame in the progresse of time to looke backe upon the beginnings of action. The trained bands accounted the maine support of the realme, and bulworks against unexpected invasions, were effeminate in courage and uncapable of discipline, because their whole course of life was alienated from warlike imployment, insomuch that young and active spirits were more perfect by the experience of two daies service. Wherefore these men might easily repine at oppression, and have a will to preserve themselves; yet a small body of desperate cavalliers might over-runne and ruine them at their pleasure. Some professed souldiers were sent downe from the parliament to settle these and the militia bands, who had this only according to the rules of warre, to be gathered under severall captaines, and many of them into the forme of a regiment, which disposition might fit them for a suddaine service, and the very posture conferre something of a warlike spirit.

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Within the city of Gloucester one company of volunteers was added to the trayned band, and some peeces of ordinance obtained from London and Bristoll, which were then received with universall amazement by an inland people, though not long after they grew familiar with their terrible executions; meane while the city was open on three parts at least, and had no considerable defence, only capable thereof by advantage of situation: the citizens did mainely shew their care and affection in fortifying the towne, a worke both expensive and tedious; being of great compasse, and raised from the ground: during these things the enemy came not neere our dwellings, we heard of them a farre off, but little thought that the cloud of blood should be blowne from the north and settle over us, upon whom it afterwards brake into so many showres; that this place should become the seate of warre, and the stage of action;

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that then lying open to a free commerce with the world, it should be shut up sometimes in strict custody, but still under a larger confinement, and beleagured at a distance in the midst of the king's head garrisons.

At that time the rumours of warre and first acts of hostility quickly filled the eares and tongues of people, alarms were then taken at a greater distance, and the first was given from the neighbour city of Worcester, by five hundred of the king's horse, which entred the towne, and at that season were not the least part of his majestie's forces: his whole strength could not amount to the number of a just army, according to the slender proportion of those times, neither could they march like a set and perfect body, but flasht through the land as the lightning that strikes from one quarter of the heaven to the other. The noyse of a nearer enemy raised the volunteers of the country, who marched under the conduct of some gentlemen towards Worcester, expecting to meete Colonell Nathaniel Fiennes with a strength of horse, but Colonell Fiennes had faced the towne and drawne off before the advance of our foote, and they also retreated having done nothing, but so meanely prepared for the service, that they were much bound to the enemy that they fell not out of the city and cut them in peeces. The same volunteers came on the second time, and were to joyne once more with Colonell Fiennes, who returned with a greater strength of horse and dragoones under the command of Colonell Sands, and now also prevented our foot; they attempted the onset, and approached the towne with much speed and confidence on the Welch side of Seaverne, supposing the Earle of Essex at hand to assault the other side; but were meerely deluded by a false message from the enemy with a signall accordingly given, at which instant of time Prince Rupert arrived at Worcester. By meanes of this deceit the horse rush upon an ambuscado, when through the straightnesse of the passage first over a bridge, then through a narrow lane,

neither the reare could be brought up, nor the van make a retreat. It was an hot skirmish, and performed with sufficient gallantry on our part by them that came up, where persons of value were slaine and taken, the rest wholly routed and fled in confusion farre beyond the reach of a persuite. This victory was of great consequence to the enemy, because the omen and first fruits of the warre. Upon this the king's forces hearing of the approach of the parliament army immediately quitted the towne: so they shifted from place to place since their inconsiderable number would scarce allow them to erect any garrison; yet they encreased by their motion and quick dispatch, gathered the strength of the countries as they passed along, and withall overcame the contempt of their small numbers, and by frequent execution gained the repute of a party not easily to be vanquished. This they acted while the parliament army lay still, or marched according to the slow paces of a greater body. The day after the skirmish the Earle of Essex entred Worcester with his whole power, and there continued a month's space, sent forth severall parties, as the Lord Stanford to Hereford to prevent the forces of South-Wales, whilst the king lay about Shrewsbury, and raised to himselfe such an army as was able to deale with and endanger that maine power raised by the parliament.

After the famous battaile at Edge-hill, the first large field of bloud in these civill warres, though the king's army was there much broken, yet his strength increased, and multitudes began to looke towards him, as one at least-wise possible not to be overcome, and in this strange confluence of men his army seemed like that fabulous generation that sprung out of the teeth of the Cadmean serpent buried in the earth. The neglected enemy becomes formidable, and the parliament forces may desire their first advantage, but have sufficiently learned that to give the first blow is not against the law of a defensive warre; the hopes of a subitaneous service are lost and the kingdome is made sensible, that their peace and liberty