Edward Hyde, Lord Clarendon History of the Great Rebellion

From Chard, Wells, Bath, Battles of Lansdown and Roundway Down, the capture of Bristol - June to August 1643

Clarendon was a Royalist and Chancellor. This is slightly abbreviated and spellings have been modernised. Headings in bold have been added by Alan Carter to aid reading.

E book at Google books Clarendon volume 4 ( this opens in a new window)

Page 100 the Cornish army under Sir Ralph Hopton meet up with the King’s army from Oxford under the Marquis of Hertford – there were tensions and differences in discipline

About the middle of June, 1643 Prince Maurice, and the Marquis, with sixteen or seventeen hundred horse, and about one thousand new levied foot, and seven or eight field-pieces, came to Chard, a fair town in Somerset, nearest the edge of Devon ; where, according to order, they were met by the Cornish army; which consisted of above three thousand excellent foot, five hundred horse, and three hundred dragoons, with four or five field-pieces; so that, officers and all, being joined, they might well pass for an army of seven thousand men; with an excellent train of artillery, and a very fair proportion of ammunition of all sorts. Yet if the extraordinary temper and virtue of the chief officers of the Cornish had not been much superior to that of their common soldiers, who valued themselves high, as the men whose courage had alone vindicated the King's cause in the west, there might have been greater disorder at their first joining, than could easily have been composed. For how small so ever the Marquis's party was in numbers, it was supplied with all the general officers of a royal army, a general, lieutenant general, general of the horse, general of the ordnance, a major general of horse, and another of foot, without keeping suitable commands for those who had done all that was past, and were to be principally relied on for what was to come. So that the chief officers of the Cornish army, by joining with a much less party than themselves, were at best in the condition of private colonels. Yet the same public thoughts still so absolutely prevailed with them, that they quieted all murmurings and emulations among inferior officers, and common soldiers; and were, with equal candour and estimation, valued by the Prince and Marquis, who bethought themselves of all expedients, which might prevent any misunderstanding.

Pages 102 to 106. Taunton and Bridgewater given Royalist Governors

Taunton was the first place they resolved to visit, being the fairest, largest, and richest town in Somerset but withal as eminently affected to the Parliament, where they had now a garrison; but they had not yet the same courage they recovered afterwards: for the army was no sooner drawn near the town, the head quarters being at Orchard, a house of the Portmans, two miles from the town, but the town sent two of their substantial inhabitants to treat; which, though nothing was concluded, struck that terror into the garrison, (the prisoners in the castle, whereof many were men of good fortunes, imprisoned there as malignants, at the same time raising some commotion there,) that the garrison fled out of the town to Bridgewater, being a less town, but of a much stronger situation; and, with the same panic fear, the next day, from thence ; so that the Marquis was possessed, in three days, of Taunton, Bridgewater, and castle, so much stronger than both the other, that it could not have been forced; yet by the dexterity of Francis Windham, who wrought upon the fears of the owner and master of it, Mr. Lutterel, was, with as little bloodshed as the other, delivered up to the king; into which the Marquis put him, that took it, as governor; as he well deserved.

The government of Taunton he committed to Sir John Stawell, a gentleman of a very great estate in those parts; and who, from the beginning, had heartily and personally engaged himself and his children for the king; and was in the first form of those who had made themselves obnoxious to the Parliament. The other government, of Bridgewater, was conferred upon Edmund Windham, High Sheriff of the county, being a gentleman of a fortune near the place, and of good personal 1643 courage, and unquestionable affection to the cause. The army stayed about Taunton seven or eight days, for the settling those garrisons, and to receive advertisements of the motion or station of the enemy; in which time they lost much of the credit and reputation they had with the country. For whereas the chief commanders of the Cornish army had restrained their soldiers from all manner of license, obliging them to solemn and frequent actions of devotion, insomuch as the fame of their religion and discipline was no less than of their courage, and thereupon Sir Ralph Hopton (who was generally considered as the General of that army, though it was governed by such a commission as is before remembered) was greedily expected in his own country, where his reputation was second to no man's; the horse, that came now with the Marquis, having lived under a looser discipline, and coming now into plentiful quarters, unvisited by an army, and yielding some excuse to this by the eminency of their disaffection, were disorderly enough to give the enemy credit in laying more to their charge than they deserved; and by their license hindered those orderly levies, which should have brought in a supply of money, for the regular payment of the army. And this extravagancy produced another mischief, some jealousy, or shadow of it, between the Lord Marquis and Prince Maurice ; the first, as being better versed in the policy of peace, than in the mysteries of war, desiring to regulate the soldier, and to restrain him from using any license upon the country; and the Prince being thought so wholly to incline to the soldier, that he neglected any consideration of the country, and not without some design of drawing the sole dependence of the soldier upon himself. But here were the seeds rather sown of dislike, than any visible disinclination produced; for after they had settled the garrisons before mentioned, they advanced, with unity and alacrity, eastward, to find out the enemy, which was gathered together in a considerable body, within less than twenty miles of them.

Whilst so much time was spent at Oxford, to prepare the supplies for the west, and in settling the manner of sending them; which might have been done much sooner, and with less noise; the Parliament foresaw, that if all the west were recovered from them, their quarters would by degrees be so straitened, that their other friends would quickly grow weary of them. They had still all the western ports at their devotion, those in Cornwall only excepted; and their fleets had always great benefit by it. And though most of the gentry were engaged against them, as they were in truth throughout the kingdom, yet the common people, especially in the clothing parts of Somersetshire, were generally too much inclined to them. So that they could not want men, if they sent a body of horse, and some arms, to countenance them; with the last of which they had stored the sea-towns, which were in their hands, sufficiently. And therefore they resolved, that, though they could not easily recruit their army, they would send some troops of horse, and dragoons, into the west, to keep up the spirits of their friends there. And for the conduct of this service, they made choice of Sir William Waller, a member of the House of Commons, and a gentleman of a family in Kent.

Page 105 Sir William Waller

Sir William Waller had been well bred; having spent some years abroad, and some time in the armies there, returned with a good reputation home ; and shortly after, having married a young lady, who was to inherit a good fortune in the west, he had a quarrel with a gentleman of the same family, who had the honour to be a menial servant to the king in a place near his person ; which, in that time, was attended with privilege and respect from all men. These two gentlemen discoursing with some warmth together, Sir William Waller received such provocation from the other, that he struck him a blow over the face, so near the gate of Westminster-hall, that he got witnesses to swear  that it was in the hall itself, the courts being then sitting ; which, according to the rigour of law, makes it very penal; and the credit the other had in the court made the prosecution to be very severe ; insomuch as he was at last compelled to redeem himself at a dear ransom; the benefit whereof was conferred on his adversary, which made the sense of it the more grievous : and this produced in him so eager a spirit against the court, that he was very open to any temptation, that might engage him against it; and so concurring in the house of commons with all those counsels which were most violent, he was employed in their first military action, for the reducing of Portsmouth; which he effected with great ease, as is remembered before : and when the Earl of Essex had put the army into winter quarters, he had with some troops made a cavalcade or two into the west, so fortunately, that he had not only beat up some loose quarters, but had surprised a fixed and fortified quarter, made by the Lord Herbert of Raglan near Gloucester; in which he took above twelve hundred prisoners, with all the officers; being a number very little inferior to his own party; which is likewise particularly remembered before. So that he got great reputation with the Parliament and the city; and was called William the Conqueror. And it is very true, that they who looked upon the Earl of Essex as a man that would not keep them company to the end of their journey, had their eyes upon Sir William Waller, as a man more for their turn; and were desirous to extol him the more, that he might eclipse the other. And therefore they prepared all things for his march with so great expedition and secrecy, that the Marquis of Hertford was no sooner joined to the Cornish troops, (in which time Bridgewater, and Dunster, and some other places, were reduced from the Parliament,) before he was informed that Sir William Waller was within two days' march of him, and was more like to draw supplies to him from Bristol, and the parts adjacent, which were all under the Parliament, than the Marquis could from the open country; and therefore it was held most counsellable to advance, and engage him, whilst he was not yet too strong; and by this means they should continue still their march towards Oxford; which they were now inclined to do.

Pages 107 to 111 Skirmishes from Somerton to Wells and the Mendips

Sir William Waller himself continued still at Bath. The remainder of the Parliamentary horse and dragoons in the west gathered together near Somerton, near the headquarters of the Marquis of Hertford and his combined Oxford and Cornish armies. These Parliamentary forces were made up of those that escaped out of Cornwall, after the battle of Stratton, and other as were sent out of Exeter when they apprehended a siege, and those soldiers who fled out of Taunton and Bridgewater. Other Parliament regiments of the country were led by Colonel Alexander Popham, Colonel Strode, and the other deputy lieutenants of the militia for Somerset, rallied and with the trained bands and volunteer regiments of the country. The Marquis had taken up his head quarters at Somerton, the enemy, before break of day, fell upon a regiment of dragoons, quartered a mile eastward from the town ; and gave so brisk an alarm to the king's army, that it was immediately drawn out, and advanced upon the enemy, (being the first they had seen make any stand before them, since the battle of Stratton,) who making stands upon the places of advantage, and maintaining little skirmishes in the rear, retired in no ill order to Wells; and the king's forces still pursuing, they chose to quit that city likewise ; and drew their whole body, appearing in number as considerable as their pursuers, to the top of a bill, called Mendip Hill, overlooking the city of Wells, which they had left. The day being far spent, and the march having been long, the Marquis, with all the foot, and train, stayed at Wells ; but Prince Maurice, and the Earl of Carnarvon, with Sir Ralph Hopton, and Sir John Berkley, and two regiments of horse, resolved to look upon the enemy on the top of the hill; who suffered them, without interruption, to gain the top of the hill level with them, and then, in a very orderly manner, facing with a large front of their horse, to give their foot and baggage leisure and security, retired together as the Prince advanced. This, and the natural contempt the King's horse yet had of the enemy, which in all skirmishes and charges had been hitherto beaten by them, made the Prince judge this to be but a more graceful running away; and therefore followed them over those large hills farther than before; till the enemy, who were anon to pass through a lane, and a village called Chewton, were compelled, before their entrance into the lane, to leave their reserve; which faced about much thinner than it was over the hill: which opportunity and advantage was no sooner discerned, as it had been foreseen, but the Earl of Carnarvon (who always charged home) with incomparable gallantry charged the enemy, and pressed them so hard, that he entered the lane with them, and routed the whole body of their horse, and followed the execution of them above two miles.

But this was like to have been a dear success; for Sir William Waller, who lay with his new army at Bath, and had drawn to him a good supply out of the garrison at Bristol, had directed this body which was in Somerset, to retire before the king's forces till they should join with him, who had sent a fresh, strong party of horse and dragoons, to assist their retreat; which, by the advantage of a fog, had marched without being discovered: so that the Earl of Carnarvon, being a stranger in the country and the ways, pursued the flying enemy into Sir William Waller's quarters, and till himself was pressed by a fresh body of horse and dragoons ; when he was necessitated to retire in as good order as he could; and sent the Prince, who followed him, word of the danger which attended them. His highness hereupon, with what haste he could, drew back through the village ; choosing rather, with very good reason, to attend the enemy in the plain heath, than to be engaged in a narrow passage: thither the Earl of Carnarvon with his regiment came to him, broken and chased by the enemy ; who immediately drew up a large front of horse and dragoons, much stronger than the Prince's party, who had only his own, and the Earl of Carnarvon's regiments, with some gentlemen volunteers. The strait, and necessity he was in, was very great; for as he might seem much too weak to charge them, so the danger might probably be much greater to retire over these fair hills, being pursued with a fresh party much superior in number. Therefore he took a gallant resolution, to give the enemy a brisk charge with his own regiment upon their advance, whilst the Earl rallied his, and prepared to second him, as there should be occasion. This was as soon and fortunately executed as resolved ; the Prince in the head of his regiment charging so vigorously, that he utterly broke and routed that part of the front that received the impression. But almost half the enemy's horse, that, being extended larger than his front, were not charged, wheeled about, and charged the Prince in the rear ; and at the same time the Earl of Carnarvon, with his rallied regiment, charged their rear; and all this so thoroughly performed, that they were mingled pall mall one among the other, and the good sword [was] to decide the controversy, their pistols being spent in the close. The Prince himself received two shrewd hurts in his head, and was beaten off his horse; but he was presently relieved, and carried off; and the enemy totally routed, and pursued again.

Page 110 Royalist forces rest at Wells

The royal forces rested at Wells; who had a fair execution upon them, as long as the light countenanced his chase, and then he returned to the head quarters at Wells; there having been in these skirmishes threescore or fourscore men lost on the Prince's party, and three times that number by the enemy; the action being too quick to take many prisoners. At Wells the army rested many days, as well to recover the Prince's wounds, being only cuts with swords, as to consult what/was next to be done for they were now within distance of an enemy that they knew would fight with them. For Sir William Waller was at Bath with his whole army, much increased by those who were chased out of the west; and resolved not to advance, having all advantages of provisions, and passes, till a new supply, he every day expected from London, were arrived with him. On the other side, the Marquis was not only to provide to meet with so vigilant an enemy, but to secure himself at his rear, that the disaffection of the people behind him, who were only subdued, not converted, upon the advance of Sir William Waller, might not take fresh courage. Though Cornwall was reasonably secured, to keep off any impression upon itself from Plymouth, yet Devonshire was left in a very unsafe posture: there being only a small party at Columb-John, a house of Sir John Ackland's, three miles off Exeter, to control the power of that city, where the Earl of Stamford was; and to dispute not only with any commotion that might happen in the country, but with any power that might arrive by sea. Upon these considerations, and the intelligence, that the Parliament had sent directions to the Earl of War1643.] from whence they advance towards Bathwick their admiral,  to attend the Devonshire  coast with his fleet, and take any advantage he  could, the Marquis, by the advice of the council of war, sent Sir John Berkley back into Devonshire, with colonel Howard's regiment of horse, to command the forces which were then there, and to raise what numbers more he could possibly, for the blocking up that city, and reducing the county; and upon his arrival there, to send up to the army Sir James Hamilton's regiment of horse and dragoons ; which had been left in Devonshire ; and, by the license they took, weakened the king's party; so that, by sending this relief thither, he did not lessen at all his own numbers, yet gave great strength to the reducing those parts, as appeared afterwards by the success.

After this disposition, and eight or ten days' rest at Wells, the army generally expressing a handsome impatience to meet with the enemy, of which, at that time, they had a greater contempt, than in reason they should have ; the Prince and Marquis advanced to Frome, and thence to Bradford, within four miles of Bath. And now no day passed without action, and very sharp skirmishes; Sir William Waller having received from London a fresh regiment of five hundred horse, under the command of Sir Arthur Haselrigge: which were so prodigiously armed, that they were called by the other side the regiment of lobsters, because of their bright iron shells, with which they were covered, being perfect cuirassiers; and were the first seen so armed on either side, and the first that made any impression upon the king's horse; who, being unarmed, were not able to bear a shock with them ; besides that they were secure from hurts of the sword, which were almost the only weapons the other were furnished with.

Page 112 The approach to the battle of Lnasdown on July 5^th 1643

The contention was hitherto with parties; in which the successes were various, and almost with equal losses : for as Sir William Waller, upon the first advance from Wells, beat up a regiment of horse and dragoons of Sir James Hamilton's, and dispersed them; so, within two days, the king's forces beat a party of his from a pass near Bath, where the enemy lost two field-pieces, and near an hundred men. But Sir William Waller had the advantage in his ground, having a good city, well furnished with provisions, to quarter his army together in ; and so in his choice not to fight, but upon extraordinary advantage. Whereas the king's forces must either disperse themselves, and so give the enemy advantage upon their quarters, or, keeping near together, lodge in the field, and endure great distress of provision; the country being so disaffected, that only force could bring in any supply or relief. Hereupon, after several attempts to engage the enemy to a battle upon equal terms, which, having the advantage, he wisely avoided; the Marquis and Prince Maurice advanced with their whole body to Marshfield, five miles beyond Bath towards Oxford; presuming, that, by this means, they should draw the enemy from their place of advantage, their chief business being to hinder them from joining with the king. And if they had been able to preserve that temper, and had neglected the enemy, till they had quitted their advantages, it is probable they might have fought upon as good terms as they desired. But the unreasonable contempt they had of the enemy, and confidence they should prevail in any ground, with the straits they endured for want of provisions, and their want of ammunition, which was spent as much in the daily hedge-skirmishes, and upon their guards, being so near as could have been in battle, would not admit that patience ; for Sir William Waller, who was not to suffer that body to join with the king, no sooner drew out his whole army to Lansdown, which looked towards Marshfield, but they suffered themselves to be engaged upon great disadvantage.

Battle of Lansdown

It was upon the fifth of July when Sir William Waller, as soon as it was light, possessed himself of that hill; and after he had, upon the brow of the hill over the high way, raised breast-works with fagots and earth, and planted cannon there, he sent a strong party of horse towards Marshfield, which quickly alarmed the other army, and was shortly driven back to their body. As great a mind as the king's forces had to cope with the enemy, when they had drawn into battalia, and found the enemy fixed on the top of the hill, they resolved not to attack them upon so great disadvantage ; and so retired again towards their old quarters : which Sir William Waller perceiving, sent his whole body of horse and dragoons down the hill, to charge the rear and flank of the king's forces ; which they did thoroughly, the regiment of cuirassiers so amazing the horse they charged, that they totally routed them; and, standing firm and unshaken themselves, gave so great terror to the king's horse, who had never before turned from an enemy, that no example of their officers, who did their parts with invincible courage, could make them charge with same confidence, and in the same manner they had usually done. However, in the end, after Sir Nicholas Slanning, with three hundred musketeers, had fallen upon and beaten their reserve of dragooners, Prince Maurice and the Earl of Carnarvon, rallying their horse, and winging them with the Cornish musketeers, charged the enemy's horse again, and totally routed them; and in the same manner received two bodies more, and routed and chased them to the hill; where they stood in a place almost inaccessible.

On the brow of the hill there were breast-works, on which were pretty bodies of small shot, and some cannon ; on either flank grew a pretty thick wood towards the declining of the hill, in which strong parties of musketeers were placed; at the rear was a very fair plain, where the reserves of horse and foot stood ranged; yet the Cornish foot were so far from being appalled at this disadvantage, that they desired to fall on, and cried out,  that they might  have leave to fetch off those cannon. In the end, order was given to attempt the hill with horse and foot. Two strong parties of musketeers were sent into the woods, which flanked the enemy ; and the horse and musketeers up the road way, which were charged by the enemy's horse, and routed; then Sir Bevil Grenville advanced with a party of horse, on his right hand, that ground being best for them; and his musketeers on the left; himself leading up his pikes in the middle; and in the face of their cannon, and small-shot from the breast-works, gained the brow of the hill, having sustained two full charges of the enemy's horse; but in the third charge his horse failing, and giving ground, he received, after other wounds, a blow on the head with a pole axe, with which he fell, and many of his officers about him ; yet the musketeers fired so fast upon the horse, that they quitted their ground, and the two wings, who were sent to clear the woods, having done their work, and gained those parts of the hill, at the same time they beat off their foot, and became possessed of the breastworks ; and so made way for their whole body of horse, foot, and cannon, to ascend the hill; which they quickly did, and planted themselves on the ground they had won; the enemy retiring about demi-culverin shot behind a stone wall upon the same level, and standing in reasonable good order.

Either party was sufficiently tired, and battered, to be contented to stand still. The King's horse was so shaken, that of two thousand which were upon the field in the morning, there were not above six hundred on the top of the hill. The enemy was exceedingly scattered too, and had no mind to venture on plain ground with those who had beaten them from the hill; so that, exchanging only some shot from their ordnance, they looked one upon another till the night interposed. About twelve of the clock, it being very dark, the enemy made a show of moving towards the ground they had lost; but giving a smart volley of small-shot, and finding themselves answered with the like, they made no more noise : which the Prince observing, he sent a common soldier to hearken as near the place, where they were, as he could ; who brought word,  that  the enemy had left lighted matches in the wall  behind which they had lain, and were drawn off  the field ; which was true; so that, as soon as it was day, the King's army found themselves possessed entirely of the field, and the dead, and all other ensigns of victory.

Page 116

Sir William Waller marched to Bath, in so much disorder and apprehension, that he left great store of arms, and ten barrels of powder, behind him; which was a very seasonable supply to the other side, who had spent in that day's service no less than fourscore barrels, and had not a safe proportion left.

Royalist deaths and injuries at Lansdown

In this battle, on the King's part, there were more officers and gentlemen of quality slain, than common men; and more hurt than slain. That which would have clouded any victory, and made the loss of others less spoken of, was the death of Sir Bevil Grenville; who was indeed an excellent person, whose activity, interest, and reputation, was the foundation of what had been done in Cornwall; and his temper and affections so public, that no accident which happened could make any impressions in him; and his example kept others from taking any thing ill, or at least seeming to do so. In a word, a brighter courage, and a gentler disposition, were never married together to make the most cheerful and innocent conversation.

Very many officers and persons of quality were hurt; as the Lord Arundel of Wardour, shot in the thigh with a brace of pistol bullets; Sir Ralph Hopton, shot through the arm with a musket; Sir George Vaughan, and many others, hurt in the head of their troops with swords and poleaxes; of which none of name died. But the morning added much to the melancholy of their victory, when the field was entirely their own. For Sir Ralph Hopton riding up and down the field to visit the hurt men, and to put the soldiers in order, and readiness for motion, sitting on his horse, with other officers and soldiers about him, near a wagon of ammunition, in which were eight barrels of powder; whether by treachery, or mere accident, is uncertain, the powder was blown up ; and many, who stood nearest, killed; and many more maimed; among [whom] Sir Ralph Hopton and Sergeant Major Sheldon were miserably hurt; of which, Major Sheldon, who was thought to be in less danger than the other, died the next day, to the general grief of the army, where he was wonderfully beloved, as a man of an undaunted courage, and as great gentleness of nature. Sir Ralph Hopton, having hardly so much life, as not to be numbered with the dead, was put into a litter, and then the army marched to their old quarters to Marshfield; exceedingly cast down with their morning's misfortune, (Sir Ralph Hopton being indeed the soldiers' darling,) where they reposed themselves the next day, principally in care of Sir Ralph Hopton, who, though there were hope of his recovery, was not fit to travel. In this time many of the horse, which had been routed in the morning, before the hill was won, found the way to Oxford; and. according to the custom of those who run away, reported all to be lost, with many particular accidents, which they fancied very like to happen when they left the field; but the next day brought a punctual advertisement from the Marquis, but, with all, a desire of a regiment or two of fresh horse, and a supply of ammunition; whereupon the Earl of Crawford with his regiment of horse, consisting of near five hundred, was directed to advance that way, with such a proportion of ammunition as was desired.

Royalist move to Marshfield, Chippenham and on to Devizes

After a day's rest at Marshfield, it being understood that Sir William Waller was still at Bath, (his army having been rather surprised and discomforted with the incredible boldness of the Cornish foot, than much weakened by the number slain, which was not greater than on the king's part,) and that he had sent for fresh supply from Bristol; it was concluded, rather to march to Oxford, and so to join with the king's army, than to stay and attend the enemy, who was so near his supplies: and so they marched towards Chippenham. But when Sir William Waller had intelligence of the blowing up of the powder, of which he well knew there was scarcely enough before, and of the hurt it had done, he infused new spirit into his men; and verily believed that they had no ammunition, and that the loss of Sir Ralph Hopton (whom the people took to be the soul of that army, the other names, being not so much spoken of, or so well known, and at this time believed to be dead) would be found in the spirits of the soldiers; and having gotten some fresh men from Bristol, and more from the inclinations of the three counties of Wilts, Gloucester, and Somerset, which joined about Bath, in the most absolute disaffected parts of all three, he followed the Marquis towards Chippenham ; to which he was as near from Bath, as the other from Marshfield.

The next day, Early in the morning, upon notice that the enemy was in distance, the Prince and the Marquis drew back the army through Chippenham, and presented themselves in battalia to the enemy. Some sharp skirmishing takes place, we being very well contented to fight in such a place, where the success was to depend more on their foot, who were unquestionably excellent, than on their horse, which were at best weary, though their officers were, to envy, forward and resolute. But Sir William Waller, who was a right good chooser of advantages, liked not that ground; relying as much upon his horse, who had gotten credit and courage, and as little upon his foot, who were only well armed, and well bodied, very vulgarly spirited, and officered : so that having stood all night in battalia, and the enemy not coming on, the Prince and Marquis, the next day, advanced towards the Devizes.

Sir Nicholas Slanning, with great spirit and prudence, securing the rear with strong parties of musketeers; with which he gave the enemy, who pressed upon them very smartly, so much interruption, that Sir William Waller, despairing of overtaking, sent a trumpet to the Marquis, with a letter, offering a pitched field at a place of his own choosing, out of the way. The which being easily understood to be only a stratagem to beget a delay in the march, the Marquis carried the trumpet three or four miles with him, and then sent him back with such an answer as was fit. There were, all this day, perpetual and sharp skirmishes in the rear; the enemy pressing very hard, and being always with loss repulsed, till the army safely reached the Devizes.

Siege of Devizes and Royalist horse break out to Oxford to get reinforcements

Then the case was altered for their retreat to Oxford, the enemy being upon them with improvement of courage, and improvement of numbers; Sir William Waller having dispersed his warrants over the country, signifying  that he had beaten  the Marquis, and requiring the people  to rise  in all places for the apprehension of his scattered  and dispersed troops; which confidence, men conceived, could not proceed from less than a manifest victory; and so they flocked to him as the master of the field. The foot were no more now to make the retreat, the situation of the place they were now in, being such as they could move no way towards Oxford, but over a campaign of many miles, where the stronger in horse (ie Parliament at this stage)  must needs prevail.

Hereupon, it was unanimously advised, and consented to, that the Lord Marquis and Prince Maurice should that night break through, with all the horse, to Oxford; and that Sir Ralph Hopton (who, by this, was supposed past danger of death, and could hear and speak well enough, though he could not see or stir) with the Earl of Marlborough, who was general of the artillery, the Lord Mohun, and other good officers of foot, should stay there with their foot and cannon, where it was hoped they might defend themselves, for a few days, till the General might return with relief from Oxford ; which was not above thirty miles off. This resolution was pursued; and, the same night, all the horse got safe away into the king's quarters, and the Prince and Marquis, in the morning, came to Oxford.

By which time Sir William Waller had drawn all his forces about the Devizes. The town was open, without the least fortification or defence, but small ditches and hedges; upon which the foot were placed, and some pieces of cannon conveniently planted. The avenues, which were many, were quickly barricaded to hinder the entrance of the horse, which was principally apprehended. Sir William Waller had soon notice of the remove of the horse; and therefore, intending that pursuit no farther, he brought his whole force close to the town, and beleaguered it round; and having raised a battery upon a hill near the town, he poured in his shot upon it without intermission, and attempted to enter in several other places with horse, foot, and cannon; but was in all places more resolutely resisted, and repulsed.

At the same time, having intelligence (as his intelligence was always most exact in whatsoever concerned him) of the Earl of Crawford's marching with a supply of powder, according to order, after the first notice of the battle of Lansdown, he sent a strong party of horse and dragoons to intercept him; who, before he knew of the alterations which had happened, and of the remove of the horse towards Oxford, was so far engaged, that he hardly escaped with the loss of his ammunition, and a troop or two of his horse.

Upon this improvement of his success, Sir William Waller reckoned his victory out of question; and thereupon sent a trumpet into the town to summon the besieged, to let them know,  that he  had cut off their relief, and that their state was  now desperate; and therefore advised them to  submit themselves to the Parliament, with whom  he would mediate on their behalf. They in the town were not sorry for the overture; not that they apprehended it would produce any conditions they should accept, but that they might gain some time of rest by it: for the straits they were in were too great for any minds not prepared to preserve their honour at any rates.

When the enemy came first before the town, and the guards were supplied with ammunition for their duty, there was but one hundred and fifty weight of match left in the store; whereupon diligent officers were directed to search every house in the town, and to take all the bed cords they could find, and to cause them to be speedily beaten, and boiled. By this sudden expedient, there was, by the next morning, provided fifteen hundred weight of such serviceable match, as very well endured that sharp service. Then the compass of the ground they were to keep was so large, and the enemy pressed so hard upon all places, that their whole body were upon perpetual duty together, neither officer or soldier having any time for rest; and the activity of the chief officers was most necessary to keep up the courage of the common men, who well enough understood the danger they were in, and therefore they were very glad of this message ; and returned,  that they would  send an officer to treat, if a cessation were agreed  to during the time of the treaty ; which was consented to, if it were suddenly expedited.

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On the party of the besieged were proposed such terms, as might take up most time in the debate, and might imply courage and resolution to hold out. Sir William Waller, on the other hand, offered only quarter, and civil usage to the officers, and leave to the common soldiers to return to their houses without their arms, except they would voluntarily choose to serve the Parliament. These being terms many of the officers would not have submitted to in the latest extreme, the treaty ended; after those in the town had gained what they only looked for, seven or eight hours' sleep, and so long time sparing of ammunition. The truth is, Sir William Waller was so confident that they were at his mercy, that he had written to the Parliament,  that their work was done, and  that, by the next post, he would send the number  and quality of his prisoners ; neither did he imagine it possible that any relief could have been sent from Oxford; the Earl of Essex, to whom he had signified his success, and the posture he was in, lying with his whole army at Thame, within ten miles of it.

The King sends Lord Wilmot from Oxford to relive Devizes and the Battle of Roundway Down

But the importance was too well understood by the King to omit any thing, that might, with the utmost hazard, be attempted for the redeeming those men, who had wrought such wonders for him. And therefore, as soon as the Marquis and Prince arrived at Oxford, with the sad and unexpected news, and relation of the distress of their friends, though the queen was then on her march towards Oxford, and the King had appointed to meet her two days' journey for her security, his Majesty resolved to take only his own guards of horse, and Prince Rupert's regiment, for that expedition; and sent the Lord Wilmot with all the rest of the horse, to march that very day, in which the advertisement came to him, towards the Devizes ; so that the Marquis and the Prince coming to Oxford on the Monday morning, the Lord Wilmot, that night, moved towards the work ; and Prince Maurice returning with him as a volunteer, but the Lord Wilmot commanding in chief, appeared, on the Wednesday about noon, upon the plain within two miles of the town. The Lord Wilmot had with him fifteen hundred horse, and no more, and two small field-pieces, which he shot off, to give the town notice of his coming ; having it in his hopes, that, it being a fair campaign about the town, when the enemy should rise from before it, he should be able in spite of them to join with the foot, and so to have a fair field for it; which would be still disadvantageous enough, the enemy being superior by much in horse, very few of those who had broken away from the Devizes (except the Prince himself, the Earl of Carnarvon, and some other officers) being come up with them, partly because they were tired, and dispersed; and partly because it was not desired to have many of those who might have their old terror still upon them.(i.e. Earl of Crawford’s men, who were there but kept in reserve AC).

The Battle of Roundway Down

The enemy, careful to prevent the joining of this party of horse with the foot, and fully advertised of their coming, drew off, on all parts, from the town; and put themselves in battalia upon the top of a fair hill, called Roundway-down ; over which the king's forces were necessarily to march, being full two miles off the town. They within (Devizes) conceived it hardly possible, that the relief, they expected from Oxford, could so soon arrive; all the messengers, who were sent to give notice of it, having miscarried by the closeness of the siege; and therefore suspected the warning pieces from the plain, and the drawing off the town by the enemy, to be a stratagem to cozen the foot from those posts they defended, into the open field. And so, very reasonably, being in readiness to march, [they] waited a surer evidence, that their friends were at hand; which shortly arrived ; and assured them,  that the Prince was by, and expected them.

It will be easily conceived, with what alacrity they advanced; but Sir William Waller had purposely chose that ground to hinder that conjunction, and advanced so fast on the Lord Wilmot, that without such shifts and traverses, as might give his men some apprehension, he could not expect the foot from the town; and therefore he put his troops in order upon that ground to expect the enemy's charge, who were somewhat more than musketcshot off in order of battle.

Sir William Waller, out of pure gaiety, departed from an advantage he could not again recover. For being in excellent order of battle, with strong wings of horse to his foot, and a good reserve placed, and his cannon usefully planted, apprehending still the conjunction between the horse and the foot in the town, and gratifying his enemy with the same contempt, which had so often brought inconveniences upon them, and discerning their number inferior to that he had before (as he thought) mastered, he marched, with his whole body of horse, from his foot, to charge the enemy. He appointed Sir Arthur Haselrigge with his cuirassiers apart, to make the first impression; who was encountered by Sir John Byron, in whose regiment the Earl of Carnarvon charged as a volunteer; and after a sharp conflict, in which Sir Arthur Haselrigge received many wounds, that impenetrable regiment was routed, and, in a full career, chased upon their other horse. And at the same time, the Lord Wilmot charging them from division to division, as they were ranged, in half an hour, so sudden alterations the accidents of war introduce, the whole entire body of the triumphant horse were so totally routed and dispersed, that there was not one of them to be seen upon that large spacious down; every man shifting for himself with greater danger by the precipices of that hill, than he could have undergone by opposing his pursuer. But as it was an unhappy ground to fly, so it was as ill for the pursuer. After the rout more perished by falls and bruises from their horses, down the precipices than by the sword.

The (Parliamentary) foot stood still firm, making show of a gallant resistance. But the Lord Wilmot quickly seized their cannon, and turned them upon them. At the same time that the Cornish foot, who were by this come from the town, were ready likewise to charge them; upon which their hearts failed; and so they were charged on all sides, and either killed, or taken prisoners, very few escaping. The Cornish foot retaining too fresh a memory of their late distresses and revenging themselves of those who had contributed the least thereunto. Sir William Waller himself, with a small train, fled into Bristol, which had sacrificed a great part of their garrison in his defeat; and so were even ready to expire at his entry into the town, himself bringing the first news of his disaster.

Number of dead, prisoners and goods captured

This glorious day, for it was a day of triumph, redeemed the king's whole affairs, so that all clouds that shadowed them seemed to be dispelled, and a bright light of success to shine over the whole kingdom. There were in this battle slain, on the enemy's part, above six hundred on the place; nine hundred prisoners taken, besides two or three hundred retaken and redeemed, whom they had gathered up in the skirmishes and pursuit;

with all their cannon, being eight pieces of brass ordnance; all their arms, ammunition, wagons, baggage., and victual; eight and twenty foot ensigns, and nine cornets.

And all this by a party of fifteen hundred horse, with two small field-pieces. For the victory was perfect, upon the matter, before the Cornish foot came up (from Devizes); though the foot were suffered to stand in a body uncharged, out of ceremony, till they came; that they might be refreshed with a share in the conquest. Against a body of full two thousand horse, five hundred dragoons, and near three thousand foot, with an excellent train of artillery. So that the Cornish had great reason to think their deliverance, and victory at Roundway, more signal and wonderful than the other at Stratton, save that the first might be thought the parent of the latter, and the loss on the king's party was less; for in this there were slain very few; and, of name, none but Dudley Smith, an honest and valiant young gentleman; who was always a volunteer with the Lord Wilmot, and among the first upon any action of danger.

The defeat caused enmity between Essex and Waller

Besides the present fruit of this victory, the king received an advantage from the jealousy, that, from thence, grew among the officers of the Parliament armies. For Sir William Waller believed himself to be absolutely betrayed, and sacrificed by the Earl of Essex, out of envy at the great things he had done, which seemed to eclipse his glories ; and complained,  that he, lying with his  whole army within ten miles of Oxford, should  suffer the whole strength of that place to march  thirty miles to destroy him, without so much as  sending out a party to follow them, or to alarm  Oxford, by which they would have been probably  recalled. On the other hand, the Earl, disdaining to be thought his rival, reproached the other with unsoldierly neglects, and want of courage, to be beaten by a handful of men, and to have deserted his foot and cannon, without engaging  his own person in one charge against the enemy. Wherever the fault was, it was never forgiven ; but, from the enmity that proceeded from thence, the king often afterwards reaped very notable and seasonable advantages; which will be remembered in their places.

This blessed defeat happened to be upon the same day, and upon the same time of the day, when the king met the queen upon the field near Keinton, under Edgehill, where the battle had been fought in October before; and before their Majesties came to Oxford, they received the happy news of it. It is easy to imagine the joy with which it was received, all men raising their fallen spirits to a height too proportional, as though they should now go through all the work without farther opposition; and this transportation to either extremes was too natural upon all the vicissitudes of the war; and it was some allay to the welcome news of the victory to some men, that it had been obtained under the command and conduct of Wilmot; who was very much in Prince Rupert's disesteem, and not in any notable degree of favour with the King, but much beloved in all the good fellowship of the army; which was too great a body.

It was now time for the King's army, victorious in so many encounters, to take the field; upon what enterprise, was the question. This overthrow of Waller had infinitely surprised, and increased the distractions at London. They had seen the copy of his warrants, which his vanity had caused to be dispersed, after the action at Lansdown; in which he declared,  that he had  routed the Marquis's army, and was in pursuit of  them ; and therefore commanded the justices of  peace, and constables, to give order for the  apprehension of them, as they fled dispersed; and expected every day, that the Marquis would be sent up prisoner: and now to hear that his whole invincible army was defeated, and himself fled, upon the matter, alone, (for ill news is for the most part made worse, as the best is reported to be better than it is,) brought them to their wits end; [so] that they could little advance the recruiting the Earl of Essex's army; who in his person likewise grew more sullen towards them, and resented their little regard of him, and grew every day more conversant with the Earls of Northumberland and Holland, and others who were most weary of the war, and would be glad of peace upon easy terms.

The King's army received a fair addition, by the conjuncture with those forces which attended the Queen; for her Majesty brought with her above two thousand foot, well armed, and one thousand horse, with six pieces of cannon, and two mortars, and about one hundred wagons. So that as soon as their majesties came to Oxford, the Earl of Essex, who had spent his time about Thame and Aylesbury, without any action after that skirmish in which Mr. Hambden was slain, save by small parties, of which there was none of name or note, but one handsome smart conflict between a party of five hundred horse and dragoons, commanded by Colonel Middleton, a Scotchman, on the Parliament party, and a regiment of horse, commanded by Sir Charles Lucas, on the king's; where, after a very soldierly contest, and more blood drawn than was usual upon such actions, the king's party prevailed, returning with some prisoners of name, and the slaughter of one hundred of their enemy, not without some loss of their own: [the Earl, I say,] retired with his army broken, and disheartened, to Uxbridge, giving over any thought of fighting with the king, till he should be recruited with horse, men, and money; and suffering no less in the talk of the people, (who began to assume a great freedom in discourse,) for not interposing to hinder the queen's march to Oxford, and joining with the king, than for sitting still so near Oxford, whilst the Lord Wilmot went from thence to the ruin of Sir William Waller.

Bristol to be taken by Royalists

After which defeat, the Lord Wilmot retired to Oxford to attend his Majesty; and the Cornish army (for that name it deservedly kept still, though it received so good an increase by the Marquis and Prince's joining with them) drew back, and possessed themselves of Bath, which was quitted, upon the overthrow of Waller; that garrison being withdrawn to reinforce Bristol. At Bath they rested, and refreshed themselves, till they might receive new orders from the king; who, upon full advice, and consideration of the state he was in, and the broken condition of the enemy, resolved to make an attempt upon the city of Bristol; to which Prince Rupert was most inclined, for being disappointed in a former design; and where there were many well affected to the King's service from the beginning, and more since the execution of those two eminent citizens. And the disesteem generally of the courage of Nathaniel Fiennes, the governor, made the design to be thought the more reasonable; and so the Marquis and Prince Maurice returned to Bath, upon agreement to appear, on such a day, with their whole strength, before Bristol, on the Somersetshire side, when Prince Rupert with the Oxford forces would appear before it, on the Gloucestershire side.

On the four and twentieth of July, both armies sat down before it; quartering their horse in that manner, that none could go out or in to the city, without great hazard of being taken ; and the same day, with the assistance of some seamen, who were prepared before, they seized all the ships that were in King-road; which were not only laden with things of great value, as plate, money, and the best sort of all commodities, which those who suspected the worst had sent aboard, but with many persons of quality; who, being unwilling to run the hazard of a siege, thought that way to have secured themselves, and to have escaped to London; and so were all taken prisoners. The next day, Prince Rupert came to his brother, and the Marquis, and a general council of all the principal officers of both armies being assembled, it was debated, in what manner they should proceed, by assault or approach.

There were in the town five and twenty hundred foot, and a regiment of horse and dragoons; the line about the town was finished; yet in some places the grass was wider and deeper than in others. The castle within the town was very well prepared, and supplied with great store of provisions to endure a siege. The opinions were several : the officers of the Cornish were of opinion,  that it was best to proceed by way of approach ;  because, the ground being very good, it would  in a very short time be done; and since there  was no army of the enemy in a possibility to  relieve it, the securest way would be the best;  whereas the works were so good, that they must  expect to lose very many men ; and, if they  were beaten off, all their summer hopes would  be destroyed; it not being easy, again to make  up the spirit of the army for a new action. Be sides, they alleged, the well affected party in  the city, which was believed to be very great,  would, after they had been closely besieged  three or four days, have a greater influence upon  the soldier, and be able to do more towards the  surrender, than they could upon a storm; when  they would be equally sensible of the disorder of  the soldier, and their own damage by plunder, as  the other; and the too late example of the executed citizens would keep men from offering at  any insurrection in the city.

On the other hand, Prince Rupert, and all the officers of his army, very earnestly desired to assault it; alleged  the work to be easy, and the  soldiers fitter for any brisk attempt, than a dull  patient design; and that the army would be  more weakened by the latter than the former  that the city, not having yet recovered the consternation of Sir William Waller's defeat, was so  full of horror, that it would make a very weak  defence : that there was no soldier of experience  in the town, and the governor himself not like  to endure the terror of a storm: whereas, if they  gave them time to consider, and to look long  upon them with a wall between, they would grow  confirmed and resolute, and courage would sup ply the place of skill; and having plenty of all  kinds of provisions within the town, they would  grow strong and peremptory, whilst the besiegers  grew less vigorous, and disheartened. These reasons, and the Prince's importunity, with some insinuations of knowing more than was fit to be spoken, as if somewhat would be done within the town, that must not be mentioned, and a glorious contempt of danger, prevailed so far, that it was consented to, on all parts, to assault the town the next morning at three places on the Somersetshire side, and at three places on the Gloucestershire side, at the break of day. The truth is, both opinions, without any circumstances, were in themselves reasonable. For the Gloucestershire side, where Prince Rupert was, might be stormed, the grass being shallow, and the wall, in some places, low and weak; which could not be easily approached, by reason the ground was rocky, and the redoubts high and very strong, which overlooked the ground; on the other side the ground was very easy to approach, and as inconvenient and dangerous to storm, by reason of a plain level before the line, and a broad and deep grasss the line throughout better flanked than the other.

The next morning, with no other provisions fit for such a work, but the courage of the assailants, both armies fell on. On the west side, where the Cornish were, they assaulted the line in three places ; one division led by Sir Nicholas Slanning, assisted with colonel John Trevannion, Lieutenant Colonel Slingsby, and three more field officers; too great a number of such officers to conduct so small a party as five hundred men, if there had not been an immoderate disdain of danger, and appetite of glory : another division, on the right hand, was led by colonel Buck, assisted by Colonel Wagstaffe, Colonel Bernard Ashley, who commanded the regiment of the Lord Marquis Hertford, with other officers of the field : and the third division, on the left hand, led by Sir Thomas Basset, who was Major General of the Cornish. These three divisions fell on together with that courage and resolution, as nothing but death could control; and though the middle division got into the grass, and so near filled it, that some mounted the wall, yet by the prodigious disadvantage of the ground, and the full defence the besieged made within, they were driven back with a great slaughter; the common soldiers, after their chief officers were killed, or desperately wounded, finding it a bootless attempt.

On Prince Rupert's side, it was assaulted with equal courage, and almost equal loss, but with better success; for though that division, led on by the Lord Grandison, colonel general of the foot, was beaten off, the Lord Grandison himself being hurt; and the other, led by Colonel Bellasis, likewise had no better fortune ; yet Colonel Washington, with a less party, finding a place in the curtain (between the places assaulted by the other two) weaker than the rest, entered, and quickly made room for the horse to follow. The enemy, as soon as they saw the line entered in one place, either out of fear, or by command of their officers, quit their posts; so that the Prince entered with his foot and horse into the suburbs; sending for one thousand of the Cornish foot, which were presently sent to second him ; and marched up to Frome gate, losing many men, and some very good officers, by shot from the walls and windows ; insomuch as all men were much cast down to see so little gotten with so great a loss; for they had a more difficult entrance into the town than they had yet passed, and where their horse could be of no use to them; when, to the exceeding comfort of generals and soldiers, the city beat a parley; which the Prince willingly embracing, and getting their hostages into his hands, sent colonel Gerrard and another officer to the governor to treat.

The Treaty of Surrender at Bristol

The treaty began about two of the clock in the afternoon, and, before ten at night, these articles were agreed on, and signed by all parties;