briskly from the head of his troops, to exchange a fingłe bullet with him, and was with equal bravery encountered by him, both sides forbearing to come in ; till their piftols being discharged, the cavalier, with a slanting back blow of a broad sword, chanced to cut the ribbon that lield Cromwell's murrion, and with a draw threw it off his head ; and now, just as he was going to repeat his stroke, Cromwell's party tame in and rescued him; and one of them alighting, threw up his head-piece into his faddle, which he haftily carching, clapped it on the wrong way, and fo bravely fought with it the rest of the day, which proved so very fortunate on his fide.

The king's loss in this battle was irreparable ; for besides that there were slain above a hundred and fifty officers, and gentlemen of quality, most of his foot were taken prisoners, with all his cannon and baggage, eight thousand arms, and other rich booty; among which was also his majesty's own cabinet, where were reposited his most secret papers, and letters between him and his queen, which thewed how contrary his counsels with her were to those he declared to the kingdom. Many of these, relating to the publick, were printed with observations, and kept upon record, by order of the two houses; who also made a publick' declaration of them, shewing what the nobility and gentry, who followed the king, were to expect, but of these letters, and his majesty's insincerity in other particulars, we shall have occafiön to take notice in a following chaptef.

$. 6. I have infertod a particular description of this battle, as I find it in the histories of those times, because it was in effect the decifive alion between the two parties. It is observed, that from this grand pe. riod, the king's affairs became desperate, and his whole party began to moulder away, and molt fonfibly to decline every where. The parliament's ariny had no sooner gained this wonderful advantage, but like a torrent they foon overflowed the whole king

dom,

C 3.

dom, bearing down all before them. Leicester, which the king had lately taken from them, was immediately regained. Taunton, which had been closely besieged by lord Goring, and defended by the valiant Blake, was relieved : lord Goring was beaten, and pursued almost to Bridgewater. In this latter action the prudence of Cromwell was very conspicuous : he would not suffer part of the horse to pursue the enemy,

till t'ey were all come up together, then putting himself at their head, he performed the work with such succefs, that he took almost all the enemy's foot, and their ordnance.

After this victory, the strong garrison of Bridgewater was taken by storm. This was of great advantage to the parliament ; for thereby a line of garrisons was drawn over the country, from the Severn to the fouth coasts; whereby Devonshire and Cornwall, still chiefly at the king's devotion, were cut off from any communication with the eastern parts.

$. 7. Cromwell's next expedition was against the club-men, a kind of third army, which started up fuddenly in several counties, on occasion of the rapines and violences pra&ised by the royalifts in the weit. Both parties endeavoured to gain them over, and they were formidable to both, till Cromwell's presence, and excellent conduct, put an end to the infurrection.

Immediately after we find him before Bristol, in company with Fairfax, whom he advised to storm that important city. Prince Rupert held it, with about 5000 horse and foot, for the king, and had declared he would never surrender it, unless a mutiny happened. But Cromwell's counsel prevailing, an attack was made with so much fury, that the prince thought not fit to run the hazard of a second assault, but delivered up the place, and with it most of the king's magazines and warlike provisions. His majesty hereupon discharged the prince, and wrote him a letter to retire out of the kingdom.

From

From Bristol, with a brigade of four regiments, Cromwell flew to the Devizes, and fummoned the castle. The place was so strong, that Sir. Charles Lloyd, the governor, returned no other answer but “ Win it and wear it." Yet, as if nothing was defensible against our victorious commander, he was foon master of this fortress. Thence hastening to Winchester, he by the way disarmed and dispersed the Hampshire rioters : and being come before the city, he fired the gate, and entered ; made a breach in the castle, which held out, and reduced it to the parliament's obedience. He did the same by Basing-house, which was held by the marquis of Winchester, its owner, and thought almost impregnable ; the colonels Norton and Harvey, and Sir William Waller, having affaulted it in vain. Seventy-two men were here lost on the king's fide, and about 200 taken, among which were the marquis himself, and several other persons of distinction, whom Cromwell sent up to the parliament, and received the thanks of the house for these impor. tant services.

Langford-house, near Salisbury, upon his coming before it, was surrendered at the first fummons. Then marching beyond Exeter, at Bovy-Tracy he fought the lord Wentworth, taking 400 horse, and about 100 foot, prisoners, with fix standards, one of which was the king's. Then joining with Fairfax, they in conjunction took Dartmouth by form, defeated the lord Hopton at Torrington, and pursued the only remains of a royal army into Cornwall, where prince Charles had a body of about sooo horse, and a 1000 foot : but unable to make head against the victors, he embarked with several noble persons and fled to the isles of Scilly. Lord Horton, who was left to command the forces, was obliged to disband them : soon after which Exeter surrendered, and Cromwell came up to London, where he took his place in parliament, and received the hearty thanks of the house, for his great and many services.

C4

$. 8. $. 8. The king's affairs were now entirely ruined, and an end was pat to the first and longest civil war. The few places that held out for him were surren. dered, and his majesty threw himself into the 'hands of the Scots, then lying before Newark. The Scots foon after delivered him to the English parliament, who secured him in Holmby-house, where he was feized the next year by the army, and after some in. effeétaal treating, which we shall take notice of ellewhere, made his escape from Hampton-court to the ifle of Wight, remaining there fill he was brought up to London in order to his trial. During all this time Cromweil was managing the parliament and the army, who were both jealous of him in their turns, and both of them, in their turns, outwitted by him. It was now perceived, that though Fairfax was general in name, Cromwell commanded in fact, the other dos ing nothing without his concurrence.

But the whole time between the end of the first war and the death of the king, was not- {pent in intriguing, and circumventing of parties. In the year 3648 the difcontented part of the nation had again recourse to

The first that appeared in a hostile manner were the Welsh, under major-general Langhorn, colonel Poyer, and colonel Powell. These men, though formerly a&ive parliamentarians, being to be difbanded by order of the council of war, refused to submit; and the better to secure themselves, declared for the king, acting, by commiffion under the prince of Wales. Others joining them, they foon had a formidable body, and got poffeffion of several caftles. There was also a considerable rising in Kent, under the earl of Norwich; and another in the north, under Sir Marmaduke Langdale. The duke of Buckingham and his brother, the earl of Holland, and the earl of Peterborough, appeared in arms fo near as Kingston ; and part of the feet, under captain Batten, revolted. to the prince. In a word, there was scarce a county in England, where there was not fome affociation, forming, in favour of the king. This put the parlia

ment upon vigorous measures ; which proving faccessful, several of the insurrections were immediately quelled, and a powerful body of the royalists were fhut up in the town of Colchester where being obliged, after a long fiege to surrender, Sir George Lisle, and Sir Charles Lucas, two of their heads, were hot to death by order of a council of war.

$. 9. Cromwell's part in this second war was very considerable. Being sent into Wales, colonel Horton, whom he dispatched before him, defeated Langhorn's army, flew 1500, and took 3000 prisoners. Cromwell himself besieged Chepstow, which was taken by colonel Ewer, whom he left behind him for that purpose. Proceeding in the mean time into Pem-'. brokeshire, he took Tenby by storm. 'Then advancing to Pembroke, where Langhorn, Poyer, and Powel had ftrongly fortified themselves, he reduced both the town and castle by famine. The three chiefs furrendered at mercy, and being condemned by a court-martial, were ordered to be shot to death ; but. having the favour given them of casting lots, Poyer was the only one who suffered. The other prisoners: were used with more lenity, and none of the town's people plundered.

The Scots, about this time, invaded England under duke Hamilton, who had carried the commandi from the marquis of Argyle, and was for restoring the king without conditions. Cromwell was ordered to advance against there, and fight them. Accordingly, having compleated the reduction of Wales, he marched towards the north with all his forces ; sending to major-general Lambert, who was already in those parts, to avoid engaging 'till the whole army came together. While Cromwell was on this march, a charge of high-treason was drawn up against him by major Huntingdon, which proved ineffectual in the house of commons. At last, having joined Lambert, he met the Scots on the 17th of Auguft, near Preston in Lancashire. The English ander Lang-

dale,

C5