with the army. These to the amount of about a thousand and sixty were lost during the battle. 66 [206.] "We made such haste in pursuit of Essex's army, that there was "an account given of fifteen hundred foot, quite tired and spent, not possi"ble to come up to their colours before we engaged the enemy; and a night "or two before, we lost two regiments of horse, (Kentish men, and new "raised regiments,) which were surprised and taken prisoners in their quarters; "and what was worse, in most men's opinion, we were like to drop down every step we made with want of sleepe; yet, notwithstanding, we marcht on still, until the evening we overtook the enemy at Newberry town's ende. Gwynne. Memoirs. Pt. I. c. 5." The reader who compares this statement of Gwynne with the evidence of the Iter Carolinum in the next page, may, after all, be struck with the seeming tardiness of the king's pursuit. It may therefore be observed in explanation, that the troops at first might have been scattered too widely in quarters, and drawn together with difficulty. Moreover he had to climb very steep hills with his artillery and waggon train; and though the greatest distance that he made in these forced marches from Evesham to Newbury did not exceed twelve miles a day, it will be recollected that these were computed miles, through bad roads. Essex, after the taking of Cirencester, made still slower progress, and Rupert with the cavalry retarded him: but the exertions of Charles were so highly thought of that Clarendon mentions it as "matchless industry," to lead up the foot and "by expedition and diligence, to recover the advantage, which the supine negligence of those he "trusted had robbed him of." There is something which can be less satisfactorily accounted for in the previous want of energy on the part of the king and his military advisers, that with so superior a force he should not at once have broken up from Gloucester to meet Essex when he was on the advance to raise the siege. He might be conscious that his men were too dispirited at that time. But taking the proceedings of the campaign altogether, I adopt most readily the judicious suggestion of a friend, that, in the case of any other commander, had Charles been absent, the whole of his conduct would have looked like treachery, and been followed by enquiry. Among the multitude of blunders committed on all sides in the course of the war, this campaign on the part of the royalists seems a series of the greatest: they were as great, as the disasters that followed them were never to be repaired. A military writer might offer a better elucidation of them; but to an unprofessional apprehension the matter seems totally inexplicable. " [207] The pamphlet entitled, " A True Relation, &c." Tracts, p. 233, is supposed to contain one of the best accounts of this battle, and is remarkable for the clear, candid, and soldierly manner in which it is composed. May says of it, "There was a punctual Narrative published by some colonels of the parliament-army, gentlemen of great and unstained reputation, concerning this "battel, which narrative I have heard some of the enemies confesse to be full, not onely of modesty but truth in the general, or for the most part ;"—and he has accordingly incorporated it into his history. B. III. c. 6. A Latin translation of this Tract was also published, probably designed for circulation abroad. The title is, "Descriptio Rerum Gestarum in Expeditione, quam suscepit Illustrissimus Heros Robertus Comes Essexiæ, Supremus Impera"tor Exercituum Conscriptorum pro servanda regia dignitaté, et vindicanda "patria, Religione, et Libertate, ad Liberationem Gloucestriæ obsidione clausæ. "Una cum narratione prælii ad Numberiam commissi." 1643. And this, ver sion is pehaps from the pen of May, who translated into Latin his own abridgment of his history of the parliament. [208.] Warrant of the Earl of Essex. To Mr. Fulk, Minister, and the Constables of the parish of Enburn. These are to will and require you forthwith upon sight to bury all the dead bodies lying in and about Enburn and Newbury-wash, upon your peril of disobeying. The one and twentieth of September, 1643. The King's warrant. ESSEX. Our will and command is, that you forthwith send into the towns and villages adjacent, and bring thence all the sick and hurt souldiers of the Earl of Essex's army, and though they be rebells and deserve the punishment of traytors, yet out of our tender compassion upon them as being our subjects, our will and pleasure is that ye carefully provide for their recovery as well as for those of our own army, and then to send them to Oxford. The one and twentieth of September, 1643. To the Mayor of Newbery. Sanderson, p. 648. [209.] The king's course from his setting out on this expedition to his return, comprising every march, halt, and quarter, is given in the "Iter Caro"linum, collected by a daily attendant upon his sacred majesty." It may be premised that he had not left Oxford with his army since November, 1642. "A List of his Majesty's marches from Oxford to Bristol, Gloucester 1. From Oxford to Farringdon, dinner, to Malmsbury, Miles. Nights. 1 12 16 Bristol taken by the king. 2. To Bristol. 8. To Tedbury, dinner, to Cirencester, supper and bed, 10. To Matson, Mr. Selwin's, near Gloucester. 5. To Pansweek. 6. To Bantley Hill, dinner, to Coverley, supper and bed. The Earle of Essex approaching with his army, the 14. To Evisham. 16. To Snowshill. 17. To Norlich, dinner, Alscot, supper. 18. To Faringdon, dinner to Wantage, Sir George Wil- 19. Dinner in the field, Newbury, to supper and bed, 23. To Oxford during pleasure. Nights- Miles. 0 20 Gutch. Collect. Curiosa. II. No. XIII. p. 430 et seq. It will be seen that the incorrect orthography of places is retained, and that there is a dislocation in the paragraph which mentions the raising of the siege instead of placing it between the 12th and 14th of September, the writer should have inserted it between the 10th of August and the 5th of September. [210.] Hist. of the Parliament. B. III. c. 6. [211.] Clarendon. II. 360. [212.] C. R. MS. Y 4. p. 43. The subscription of the Speaker is rather a departure from the stiff official style of the letter. The reason of this is, that Lenthall was Recorder of Gloucester, and always professed great friendship and obligation towards them. [213.] Rudder. p. 87. In the conclusion of this sentence it is said, by inference from this writer, that the inscription was destroyed at the restoration. But Mr. Counsel states from his own recollection, that the part of it, at least, which contained the date, was in existence when the gate was pulled down some years ago. [214.] This is a royalist statement, but its accuracy is unquestionable. Merc. Aulic. Sept. 19. [215.] Brett had been absent at the Oxford parliament, and was afterwards expelled from the London house of commons: he was succeeded by Thomas Pury the younger. [216.] C.J. Sept. 19. 22. Oct. 9. Sir Richard Ducie, had been taken prisoner by Sir William Waller. Rudder. 776. [217.] Perfect Diurnall. Oct. 9-16. [218.] C. J. Oct. 16. Forty cases of pistols and one hundred and forty carbines were added by order of Oct. 30. The principal magazine of the parliament was in the Tower of London. [219.] Tracts 58. 59. et seq. [220.] A specimen of the style adopted by the lord-general in these instruments, is furnished in the annexed document communicated by Mr. Counsel. Robert Earle of Essex and Ewe, Viscount Hereford, Lord Ferrers of Chartley, Bourchier and Lovaine, nominated and appointed captaine generall of the army employed for the defence of the protestant religion, the safetie of his mats person, and of the parliament, the preservation of the laws, liberties and peace of the kingdom, and protection of his mats subjects from violence and oppression, To John Barrough, Colonell. By virtue of the power and authoritie given me by an ordinance of the lords and commons in parliament, I doe constitute and appoint you colonell of a regiment of ffoote to be raysed in the fforest of Deane, in the county of Glocester, and alsoe captain of a company in the same regiinent to serve for the defence of the king, parliament, and kingdome as above-mentioned; These are therefore to will and require you to take the same into your charge, and diligently to exercise your officers and souldyers in armes. Commanding all inferior officers and souldiers of the said regiment to obey you as their colonell for the service above-menconed according to this commission given you; and you likewise to obey and follow such orders and directions as you shall receive from me, Colonell Massie, and ye superior officers of the army, according to the discipline of warr. Given under my Hand and Seale this twentieth day of September, 1644. [221.] Commons' Journals. Oct. 7. ESSEX. [222] Id. Oct. 23. Nov. 3. Dec. 15. William Cooke made his peace afterwards with the parliament: and this is he, of whose bannerol a representation is given in one of the plates of this volume, from an original drawing in the possession of Sir Berkeley William Guise; it accords with the account by Prestwich (Vert; on a mount of rock, &c. a man in front, armed in steel; his thighs with greaves, of the same; his breeches crimson, large boots of brown leather; over his right shoulder a yellow sash, his helmet at top adorned with a yellow and sable feather; over his left shoulder a red string pendant, to which a little bag, formed like a long purse, brown; in his left hand a cocked hat, or French chapeau; in his right a sword, with which he seems chopping it, as two pieces are seen as if falling to the ground; over his head, in form of a large arch, a scroll argent, shaded crimson, lined or, with these words, in Roman sable letters, MUTO QUADRATA ROTUNDIS; fringed or, gules, or, and azure. Respublica. 67. 68.) the date assigned to it in the engraving, though faithfully copied, is probably inaccurate; since, at the time of the siege of Gloucester, he seems to have been a royalist; but we cannot exactly shew the period at which he hewed his square into a round. Edward Cooke served in Massey's regiment in the west, and was shot through both cheeks just before the battle of Langport. [223.] The Irish consisted of one thousand foot, and one hundred horse. They advanced to Thornbury with eight pieces of cannon. Baker. 549. Sir William Saint Leger fortified the town. Rudder. 753. This officer was killed at the second battle of Newbury. Heath 66. [224.] The hundred of Whitstone, and the county of the city were at one time, the only parts altogether free from their presence. Tracts. 87. The following entry in the records alludes to Whitstone, when a visit was expected from them. "Paid to Richard Crompe, for raising up the country by the} 0 2 0 S. A. MS. 1643-4. See Tracts, 307. Mayor's order" [225.] Some of the Irish deserted to Massey. Tracts. 68. Perfect Diurnall Nov. 6-13. They were very drunken and disorderly in their quarters at Bristol. Military Scribe. March 5-12. The parliament held them in such abhorrence, that in the course of the war, orders were issued to grant them no |