Rupert, he fummoned a council of war, in which it was refolved (chiefly through the Prince's eagerness, the old commanders being much against it) to give the enemy battle; and fince Fairfax had been fo forward, they would no longer ftay for him, but feek him out. Accordingly, being come near Nafeby, there they found him; and both armies being drawn up in battalia, faced each other. The Princes Rupert and Maurice commanded the right wing of the royal army, Sir Marmaduke Langdale the left, and the King himself the main body; the Earl of Lindsay and Jacob Lord Aftley, the right hand referve, and the Lord Bard and Sir George Lifle, the left referve. The right wing of the parliament's army was held by Lieutenant-general Cromwell, the left by Colonel Ireton, the main body by General Fairfax and Major-general Skippon, who fought ftoutly, though feverely wounded in the beginning of the fight; and the referves were brought up by Rainfborough, Hammond, and Pride. The place of action was a large fallow field, on the north-weft fide of Nafeby, above a mile broad; which space of ground was wholly taken up by the two armies."

All things being difpofed, on the 14th of June, at ten in the morning, the battle began with more than civil rage; the royal word being, "God and Queen Mary," and the other, "God with us." Prince Rupert gave the first charge, and engaged the parliament's left wing with great refolution. Ireton made gallant refiftance, but was forced at laft to give ground, the horse being fhot under him, and himself run through the thigh with a pike, and into the face with a halbert, and taken prifoner, till upon the turn of the battle he regained his liberty. The Prince chafed the enemy to Nafeby town, and in his return fummoned the train, and vifited his carriages, where was good plunder. But here, as in the battle of Marftonmoor, his long ftay fo far from the main body, was no fmall prejudice to the King's army.

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For Cromwell, in the mean time, charged furiously on the King's left wing, and that with good fuccefs, forcing them from the body; and, profecuting the advantage, quite broke them, and their referve. After which, joining with Fairfax, he charged the King's foot, who had beaten the parliament's, and got poffeffion of their ordnance, and thought themselves fure of victory; but being now in confufion, and having no horfe to fupport them, they were eafily over-born by Fairfax and Cromwell. By this time the King was joined by Prince Rupert, returned from his fatal fuccefs; but the horfe could never be brought to rally themselves again in order, or to charge the enemy.

Upon this, Lord Clarendon fays, "that this difference was observed all along in the difcipline of the King's troops, and thofe commanded by Fairfax and Cromwell (it having never been remarkable under Effex and Waller, but only under them) though the King's troops prevailed in the charge, and routed thofe they charged, they feldom rallyed themselves again in order, nor could be brought to make a fecond charge the fame day; which was the reason they had not an entire victory at Edge-hill whereas the troops under Fairfax and Cromwell, if they prevailed, or though they were beaten and routed, prefently rallied again, and ftood in good order, till they received farther directions.

And the glory of all that happened under Fairfax, ought, according to moft writers, to be afcribed folely to Cromwell. Father Orleans fays, "Fairfax his birth, fervice, courage, and warlike temper, fufficiently qualified him to reprefent a prime actor: his mean capacity and want of forefight (which made him active without thought, though heavy and hypochondria) made him fit to receive the impreffions given him by another, and be guided by Cromwell. Thus Fairfax made the fhow, and Cromwell managed all. The former being as pliable as he was ambitious, the latter ruled by appearing fubmiffive." Agreeable to which we find the panegyrift before quoted expreffing himself

thus of Cromwell: "Whatever military honours he bore, he most religiously obeyed his fuperiors in them all; in atchieving the moft gallant acts, he gave the glory of all the conduct to their chief generals, and that with fuch a modefty, that he bound them moft ftrongly to himself, and obtained the admiration of all. Becaufe a conqueft of himself is ever reckoned more honourable in a foldier, than to triumph over the enemy. For this and his other virtues Fairfax valued him at fo high a rate, that he would take no cognizance of the greatest affairs, because he would leave them entirely to Cromwell and Cromwell, in thofe things which he himself only performed, and gave an account of to the parliament, ftill made Fairfax the author."

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In fine, with all that the King and Prince could do, they could not rally their broken troops, which ftood in fufficient numbers upon the place: fo that they were forced at laft to quit the field, leaving a compleat victory to the parliament's party, who purfued them within two miles of Leicefter; and the King finding the pursuit so hot, fled from thence to Afhby-de-laZouch, and thence to Litchfield, and for a safer retreat into Wales.

Thus ended the famous battle of Nafeby, in which the wonderful fuccefs of the parliament's party was chiefly owing to Cromwell's valour and good conduct, who flew like lightening from one part of the army to the other, and broke through the enemy's fquadrons with fuch rapidity, that nothing either could or durft ftop him. 'Tis faid, that in this action a commander of the King's knowing Cromwell, advanced briskly from the head of his troops, to exchange a fingle bullet with him, and was with equal bravery encountered by him, both fides forbearing to come in; till their piftols being difcharged, the cavalier, with a flanting back blow of a broad fword, chanced to cut the ribbon that held Cromwell's murrion, and, with a draw, threw it off his head; and now, juft as he was going to repeat his ftroke, Cromwell's party came in and refcued him

and one of them alighting, threw up his head-piece into his faddle, which he haftily catching, clapped it on the wrong way, and fo bravely fought with it the reft of the day, which proved so very fortunate on his fide.

The King's lofs in this battle was irreparable; for befides that there were flain above a hundred and fifty officers, and gentlemen of quality, most of his foot were taken prifoners, with all his cannon and baggage, eight thoufand arms, and other rich booty; among which was alfo his Majesty's own cabinet, where were repofited his moft fecret papers and letters between him and his Queen, which fhewed how contrary his counfels with her were to thofe he declared to the kingdom. Many of thefe, relating to the public, were printed with obfervations, and kept upon record, by order of the two houfes; who alfo made a public declaration of them, fhewing what the nobility and gentry, who followed the King, were to expect; but of thefe letters, and his Majefty's infincerity in other particulars, we fhall have occafion to take notice in a following chapter.

I have inferted a particular description of this battle, as I find it in the hiftories of those times, because it was in effect the decifive action between the two parties. It is obferved, that, from this grand period, the King's affairs became defperate, and his whole party began to moulder away, and moft fenfibly to decline every where. The parliament's army had no fooner gained this wonderful advantage, but like a torrent they foon overflowed the whole kingdom, bearing down all before them. Leicester, which the King had lately taken from them, was immediately regained. Taunton, which had been closely befieged by Lord Goring, and defended by the vailant Blake, was relieved: Lord Goring was beaten, and purfued almoft to Bridgewater. In this latter action the prudence of Cromwell was very confpicuous: he would not suffer part of the horfe to purfue the enemy, till they were all come up

together; then putting himself at their head, he performed the work with fuch fuccefs, that he took almoft all the enemy's foot, and their ordnance.

After this victory, the ftrong garrifon of Bridgewater was taken by ftorm. This was of great advantage to the parliament; for thereby a line of garrifons was drawn over the country, from the Severn to the fouth coafts; whereby Devonshire and Cornwall, ftill chiefly at the King's devotion, were cut off from any communication with the eastern parts.

Cromwell's next expedition was against the clubmen, a kind of third army, which started up fuddenly in feveral counties, on occafion of the rapines and violences practifed by the royalists in the weft. Both parties endeavoured to gain them over, and they were formidable to both, till Cromwell's prefence, and ex cellent conduct, put an end to the infurrection.

Immediately after we find him before Bristol, in, company with Fairfax, whom he advised to florm that important city. Prince Rupert held it, with about 5000 horfe and foot, for the King, and he declared he would never furrender it, unlefs a mutiny happened. But Cromwell's counfel prevailing, an attack was made with fo much fury, that the Prince thought not fit to run the hazard of a fecond affault, but delivered up the place, and with it molt of the King's magazines and warlike provifions. His Majefty hereupon difcharged the Prince, and wrote him a letter to retire out of the kingdom.

From Bristol, with a brigade of four regiments, Cromwell flew to the Devizes, and fummoned the castle. The place was fo ftrong, that Sir Charles Lloyd, the governor, returned no other anfwer but Win it and wear it." Yet, as if nothing was defenfible again't our victorious commander, he was foon mafter of this fortrefs. Thence haftening to Winchefter, he by the way difarmed and difperfed the Hampshire rioters and being come before the city, he fired the gate, and en tered; made a breach in the caftle, which held out,

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