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It will now be necessary to advert to what was passing in London, the only quarter from which relief could be expected. Massey might have hope of it, but for a long time he had no positive assurance: the express assertion of Corbet, [178] the rare entries of messengers, expences in the accounts of the stewards of the city, the meagre information in the News-books, and the silence of the journals of both houses, may fairly be opposed to the assertion of Clarendon, that he found means to send many messengers out of the town, "to advertise the streights "he was in, and the time he should be able to hold out." [179] So strict was the investment that little or no official intelligence could be sent by the governor to the parliament; though they might from time to time obtain some straggling passages of news from scouts and from the country, and they knew that Gloucester sorely needed aid. Where would the king stop if he should gain possession of the city; [180] and how many might be ready to desert them if it was seen that in such a strait they were unwilling or unable to assist their friends! Whatever may have been said of the hesitation of mens' minds among them, a candid enquirer into the state of their affairs will perceive that this was a most perilous juncture with the parliament. First they thought of sending Sir William Waller: but he was a beaten general, and had no troops; nor could sufficient numbers be mustered for him in time. Essex had only the wreck of an army sickly and dispirited, " a very shattered "and broken body;" [181] and their leader, if not half inclined to turn from the service, was out of humour with the conductors of affairs. In the houses of lords and commons they talked of accommodation and propositions of peace. The women in a body petitioned for it: But these counsels were soon abandoned. The pulpits of London resounded with alarms of ruin and destruction if pacific measures should prevail. The commons courted Essex; frequent interviews took place between them and the lord general; they visited his camp at Hounslow, [182] ascertained what was needful and furnished it with supplies. By the exertions of the committees and ministers, all that adhered to them were awakened, and united under a common sense of danger; in three weeks they pressed and raised three regiments of auxiliary forces, which they

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clothed and armed; and to these were added three red and blue regiments of the London trained bands, in all about five thousand men. Towards

the end of these proceedings, the shops were shut up, and trade sus. pended by the following rigorous and alarming proclamation, originating with the committee for militia for the relief of Gloucester. It is dated August 21, 1643.

"Whereas the committee for the militia in the city of London, by "vertue of an ordinance of both houses of parliament, dated the "seventeenth of this instant moneth of August, have power to command "the shutting up of all shops within the lines of communication, to the "end the inhabitants thereof, may the better fit themselves for the "defence of the said city and parts adjacent, [183] and forasmuch as the "committee have been moved, as well by a committee of lords and commons "in parliament, as from his excellency the Earle of Essex to send forth "of this city some speedy aide for the relieving of the city of Gloucester, "now in great distresse, by reason of the enemies army, wherewith they "are besieged and the said committee conceiving that the city of "London and parts adjacent cannot be long in safety if that city be lost, "they have forthwith resolved to send out a force bot. of horse and "foote, for the reliefe of the said city of Gloucester, and for the better "furtherance of that service, the said committee of the militia doe "hereby require all persons inhabiting within the lines of commu"nication immediately to shut up their shops, and to continue them so "shut up untill Glocester be relieved, or untill further order be given by both houses of parliament, or this committee, and to apply them"selves to the furthering of this so necessary a service. And the "officers of the regiments of trayned bands and auxiliary forces, which by lot are appointed to goe in this expedition, are required to returne "to the said committee, as well the names of such persons of the said "regiments, as shall neither march with the rest, [184] nor appoint other "sufficient men to goe in their roome, and of such as shall in any sort "hinder this expedition, to the end such course may be taken with them, "as this discovery of their ill-affection to the safety of this kingdom, "city, and parts adjacent deserveth; as also the names of such volun

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"teers not listed in the said regiments, as shall go in this expedition: "To the end they may receive the like pay which the rest doe, and also "be taken notice of as persons well affected to the city, parliament, and "kingdom." [185]

Essex broke up from Colnbrook on Saturday, the twenty-sixth of August, and moved towards Beaconsfield and Aylesbury. At Brackley heath the auxiliaries and trained bands joined him. The general with his hat off rode through the ranks, and the city brigade received him with loud acclamations. He mustered at the rendezvous at least fifteen thousand men. Though the attempt seemed incredible to the royalists they had received such intelligence, [186] that the king despatched Wilmot with a body of horse to advance to Banbury, watch their movements, and harass them on their march; [187] while prince Rupert, with the greater part of the cavalry, was to wait on the Gloucestershire hills, and proceed to his assistance if necessity should so require. Wilmot skirmished with them near Aynhoe, Bicester, and Banbury; without making any impression he continued to harass and retire. They passed through Chippingnorton, and at Adlestrop entered the county of Gloucester; between which place and Stow on the Wold they faced Prince Rupert. As he had neither foot nor artillery he could not bring them to action; but he attempted to surround and cut off a regiment, in which he failed. Onward they pressed in close order; six deep, and eight hundred or a thousand a breast; the king's horse still retreating over the Cotswolds before them. On the fifth of September they reached the hill above Presbury, where they commanded a view of the valley of the Severn, and saw the quarters of the royalists at Gloucester on fire. From the brow of this eminence Essex discharged a warning piece to give notice to Massey of his approach; but probably the South wind, that brought up rain on that evening, prevented the report from being heard in the city. Part of the army descended to Presbury, Southam, and the adjoining villages; but the rear-guard with some ordnance and ammunition were obliged to halt on the hill top. Night drew on. The soldiers, already half famished for three days, remained there without bread or water, hedge or tree for shelter, straw, or fire. Many of the Londoners had never before had

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such a sample of the military life; hard marching, hard fare, the wet earth for their bed, and "the high canopy," as the soldiers of that day termed it," for their curtain." As the gloom increased, their situation became less enviable. It was a dreadful night, the wind blew a hurricane, the storm descended in torrents, some of the waggons were overthrown in the deep and craggy roads. During the darkness and tempest, at midnight the cavaliers gave them two alarms: in their confusion the soldiers were ready to turn upon each other; one man was accidentally shot, and several horses perished with the wet and cold.

From two spies that had been sent out to Warwick, (apparently when the king's horse had drawn off to watch Essex,) the governor had news that the general was coming. They stole out again on the third of September, and on the next night the garrison perceived two fires on Wainlode hill, concerted signals that relief was at hand; they answered them by lights from the College Tower. The fifth, appointed for a fast, was a joyful day to the town; in the internal between the sermons, they noticed an unusual bustle among the besiegers; the horses had all been taken up; cannons and waggons were drawing off in haste; but they hardly believed the evidence of their senses till the rear guard fired their huts, and the men withdrew from the trenches. Though they had reason to calculate upon this, they considered it a return to their prayers. The siege had lasted a month and three days. [188] Thousands of the royalist army marched in the rain up Painswick hill, on the summit of which they encamped in the ancient entrenchment of the part called Sponebed hill. As Charles was sitting on a stone near the camp, one of the young princes, weary of their present life, asked him "when they should go home?"—" I have no home to go to," replied the disconsolate king. [189] He went on to Painswick and passed the night there. The carriages of the army were left in the vale till the morning.

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Essex did not at once lead his men into Gloucester. On Wednesday and Thursday they were distributed in Cheltenham and Winchcomb, and so far as Norton between Tewkesbury and Gloucester, where the cavaliers continued to beat up their quarters and occasioned them some loss. On Thursday he made his triumphant entry. The city was crowded to

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excess with horse and foot. The earl's own regiment, and the Londoners, especially, were quartered within the walls. Great were the congratulations on all sides; the governor and citizens thanking and applauding the general; and he on his part commending the conduct and perseverance of the governor and city. [190] The mayor and corporation entertained him as hospitably as their circumstances would allow; and they presented him with a hogshead of claret and half a hogshead of sack during his stay. [191] But that stay must of necessity be short; he refreshed his weary men, gathered in some provisions from the Herefordshire side of Severn, and pillaged the estates of the royalists; then leaving in Gloucester three culverins and forty barrels of Sept. 10. powder with a corresponding quantity of match and ball, on Sunday morning he marched to Tewkesbury, summoned, and entered it, and demanded the twentieth part of the property of the royalists for the relief of Gloucester. [192]

The king had in the mean time brought a great part of his forces to Winchcomb and Sudley. His majesty lodged in the castle. One account informs us that conceiving Essex stayed at Gloucester "rather "out of despair than election," he opened a way for his retreat by removing to Evesham. Another states, that Essex made the first movement; and that the king in consequence of it pushed forward to the north: [193] subsequent events shew that Charles acted under an impression that Essex would not fail to return by the way that he came; and that he intended to keep near enough either to starve or force him to fight and this design, not injudiciously conceived, was for a while successful. The consumption in Gloucester had been great during three days that the relieving army had remained there; and the general, having two points to attend to, was in a strait between completing the provision of the city, and supplying his own troops; besides the contemplated necessity of having afterwards to retreat in the face of an enemy, through a country that had long been wasted and ransacked, and could furnish no more. Accordingly he found his quarters at Tewkesbury hardly tenable; and in his distress, and still in no good humour with the parliament, [194] he immediately addressed a letter, or rather re

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