but I, pressinge onn, forced them downe a hill, havinge good cxccution of them, and belowe the hill drove the generall wth some of his souldiers into a quagmire, where my Capt Leuietenant slew him with a thrust under his short ribbs: the rest of the body was wholly routed, not one man stayinge upon the place. Wee then, after this defeat, weh was soe totall, relieved the towne wth such powder and provisions as wee brought, wch donn, wee had notice that there were 6 troupes of horse and 300 foote on the other side of the towne, about a mile off us: we desired some foote of my Lord Willoghby, about 400, and with our horse, and theise foote, marched towards them: when wee came towards the place where theire horse stood, wee beate backe with my troupes about 2 or 3 troupes of the enimie, whoe retyred into a small village att the bottom of the hill. When wee recovered the hill wee sawe in the bottom, about a quarter of a mile from us, a regiment of foote; after that, another; after that Newcastle's owne regiment, consistinge in all of about 50 foote colours, and a great body of horse, wch indeed was Newcastle's armie, wch cominge soe unexpectedlye putt us to new consultations: my Lord Willoghby and I, beinge in the towne, agreed to call off our foote: I went to bringe them off, but before I returned diverse of the foote were engaged: the enimie advancinge with his whole body, our foote retraited in some disorder, and with some losse gott the towne, where now they are. Our horse also came off wth some trouble, beinge wearied wth this longe fight and theire horses tyred, yett faced the enimies fresh horses, and by severall removes gott off, without the losse of one man; the enimie followinge in the reere with a great body. The honor of this retrait is due to God, as alsoe all the rest: maior Whaley did in this carry himselfe with all gallantrie becominge a gentleman and a Christian. Thus have you this new relation, as short as I could: what you are to doe upon it is next to bee considered. If I could speake words to peirce your harts with the sense of our and your condition I would; if you will raise 2000 foote, att the present, to encounter this armie of Newcastle's, to raise the seige, and to inable us to fight him, wee doubt not by the grace of God but that wee shalbe able to releive the town, and beate the enemie on the other side Trent: whereas, if somewhat bee not donn in this, you will see Newcastle's armie march up into your bowells; beinge now, as it is, on this side Trent. I know it will be difficult to raise thus many in soe short tyme; but let mee assure you its necessarie, and therfore to bee donn: att least, doe what you may, with all possible expedition: I would I had the happiness to speake wth one of you: truly I cannott come over, but must attend my charge: our enimie is vigilant: the Lord direct you what to doe. Gentlemen, I am, July 31, 1643. Your faythfull servant, OLIVER CROMWELL. Huntingdon. P. S. Give this gentleman credence; hee is worthy to bee trusted; hee knowes the urgency of our affaires better than myselfe: if hee give you intelligence in point of tyme of hast to be made, believe him : hee will advise for your good. It will be observed that, in the subjoined and following letter, Cromwell only addresses Sir W. Springe and Mr. Barrowe. His reasons for so doing must, perhaps, always remain in obscurity. There can be little doubt but that these gentlemen were a committee, or a part of a committee, of some kind or other; but when or where, with what object, and with what powers, no books that I have access to in so out-of-the-way a . place as Yarmouth enable me to say. It is extremely to be regretted that the writers who profess to furnish us with lists of the high offices and officers of state, usually pass over the time of the Commonwealth, where information is peculiarly needed, sub silentio; as do the churchwardens and clergy in their town-books and parish-registers, apparently fearing lest their loyalty to Church and State, or, in plain English, to Episcopacy and Monarchy, should otherwise be called in question. Rushworth is very brief in his account of what was passing in the Eastern Counties at this period, except as regards the sieges of Hull and Lynn; and Mr. Carlyle, after a short letter of Cromwell's, dated from Boston, Sep. 11, 1643, has met with no other till Jan. 10, 1643-4. The latter, which consists of but a few lines, is written at Ely, and addressed to a clergyman there, desiring him to discontinue the choirservice, "as unedifying and offensive," and advising him to read and expound the Scriptures to the people, and to make his sermons more frequent. It touches on no other topic whatever. The following letter is therefore the more interesting. It is the only account we have of Sir Thomas Fairfax's escape from Hull; and it brings down the narrative of events, under Cromwell's own hand, to within a fortnight of the Winceby fight. What he says regarding the seizing of horses I am not aware is to be found elsewhere. To his honoured friends S Willm Springe & Mr Gentlemen, these prsent. It hath pleased God to bring of St Thomas ffairfax his horse over the river from Hull, being about one and twenty troopes of horse and dragoones: the Lincolneshire horse laboured to hinder this worke, being about thirty foure coullours of horse and dragoones: we marched up to their : landing place, and the Lincolneshire horse retreated after they were come over, we all marched towards Holland; and when we came to or last quarter upon the edge of Holland, the enemy quartered wthin foure miles of us, and kept the field all night with his whole body: his intendment, as we conceive, was to fight us, or hopeing to interpose betwixt us and our retreate; haveing received to his 34 coulours of horse twenty fresh troopes, ten companies of * ** and about a thousand foote, being Generall King's own regiment. Wth these he attempted our guards and our quarters, and, if God had not beene mercifull, had ruined us before we had knowne of it, the five troopes we set to keepe the watch faileing much of their duty: but we got to horse and retreated in good order wth the safety of all or horse of the Association, not looseing foure of them that I heare of, and we got five of theirs; and for this we are exceedingly bound to the goodnes of God, who brought or troopes of wth soe little losse. I write unto you to acquaint you wth this; the rather that God may be acknowledged, and that you may help forward in sending such force away unto us as lye unprofittably in yo* countrey, and especially that troope of Capt Margerie's, wch surely would not be wantinge now we soe much neede it: the enemy may teach us that wisedome, who is not wanting to himselfe in makeing up his best strength for the accomplishm of his designes. I heare there hath beene much exception taken to Capt Margery and his officers for taking of horses. I - am sorry you should discountenaunce those, who (not to make benefitt to themselves but to serve their countrey) are willing to venture their lives and to purchase to themselves the displeasure of bad men that they may doe a publique benefitt. I undertake not to justify all Captaine Margerie's actions; but his owne conscience knowes whether he hath taken the horses of any but malignants; and it were somewhat too hard to put it upon the consciences of yor fellow deputy-lieftñnts whether they have not freed the horses of knowne malignants, a fault not lesse, considering the sad estate of this kingdome, then to take a horse from a knowne honest man; the offence being against the publique, wch is a considerable aggravation. I know not the measure every one takes of malignants. I thinke it is not fitt Capt Margery should be the judge; but if he in this takeing of horses hath observed the plain character of a malignant, and cannot be charged for one horse otherwise taken, it had been better that some of the bitternes wherewith he and his have been followed had been spared. The horses that his coronett, Boallry, tooke, he will put himselfe upon that issue for them all: if these men be accounted troublesome to the countrey, I shalbe glad you would send them all to me. Ile bid them welcome, and, when they have fought for you, and indured some other difficulties of warre wch yor honester men will hardly beare, I prayou then let them goe for honest men. I pteste unto you many of those men we are of yo' countrey's chooseinge under Capt Johnson, are so farre from serving you, that, were it not that I have honest troopes to maister them, although they be well payd, yet they are soe mutinous that I may justly feare they would cut my throate. Gentlemen, it may be it provokes some spiritts to see such plaine men made captaines of horse: it had beene well that men of honour and birth had entred into those imployments, but why doe they not appeare? who would have hindered them? but, seeing it was necessary the worke must goe on, better plaine men then none; but best to have men patient of wants, faithfull, and conscientious in the imploymt; and such I hope these will approve themselves to be. Let them therefore, if I be thought worthy of any favoure, leave yo1 countrey with yo good wishes and a blessing. I am confident they wilbe well bestowed; and I believe before it be longe you wilbe in their debte; and then it will not be hard to quit scores. What armes you can furnish them whall, I beseech you doe it. I have hitherto found yo1 kindnes great to me. I know not what I have done |