28 



As this letter makes no allusion to such a loss on the part either of the Parlia- 

 mentary, or of the Royal Forces, as would account for the number of bodies found 

 at Barber's Bridge, and, as the local tradition seemed to connect these bodies so 

 very directly with the battle at Highnam, information was sought from other 

 merely than local sources, and chiefly from pamphlets and newspapers of the 

 period, of which a large collection exists in the British Museum. It was the 

 more important to refer to these as even Sir William Waller's report, as printed 

 in the Journals of Parliament, cannot be fully relied upon. 



In " Mercurius Aulicus, or Court Journal," of 20th April, 164.3, from which 

 further quotation will be given, the following passage occurs : 



"It was advertised from London that a letter from Sir William Waller 

 (wherein he makes great mention of his victories, but none of his losses) was by the 

 House ordered to be put in print, but with such alterations and omissions as Sir 

 Thomas Barrington should think most expedient to advance the cause." 



It is clear therefore that we cannot rely either upon the statement of 

 Corbett, or of Sir William Waller himself. 



The chief newspapers of that day were the " Perfect Diurnal or 

 Parliamentary Organ," the "Mercurius Aulicus or Court Journal," the former 

 published in London, the latter in Oxford ; the " Kingdome's Weekly Intelligencer," 

 the " Continuation of Special and Remarkable Passages," and " Certaine Informa- 

 tions," with some others of lesser note. Copies of those were carefully examined in 

 the Library of the British Museum, and especially in the very remarkable collection 

 of newspapers and tracts, known as the " Thomason Collection," presented to the 

 Library by George III. These seem to have been most carefully got together 

 from day to day as they came out, and several of the extracts which follow are 

 taken from the volume sent by Thomason to Charles I., at Oxford, and which fell 

 from the hand of the King, when mounting his horse. This fact is duly recorded 

 by Thomason himself on the fly leaf and the cover, and many of the pages are 

 stained by the mud of the road. 



The two following extracts are from the " Perfect Diurnal " March 27th to 

 April 3rd, 1643 : 



" And so having intelligence that the Lord Herbert was gotten into 

 Gloucestershire with some considerable forces of Welchmen, and has come over 

 the River of Severne to a place called the Forest of Deane (where they began to 

 make worse havock than Skiinington did, not long since, in the same with a 

 tumultuous crew) ; the said Sir William, when they expected his coming to 

 Cicester, advanced with his forces towards Deane and fell ujion the Lord 

 Herbert's forces there, and Colonel Massey who is Governor of Gloucester, 

 coming also with two or three regiments from thence upon their arreare, it is 

 informed that about 600 of the Welchmen were slaine, and 1000 taken jjrisoners 

 and all their colours, arms, and ammunition taken. " 



" By letters from Gloucester it is for certain informed that Sir WUliam 

 Waller hath lately given the Welch forces before Gloucester a very great defeate, 

 which is said to be after this manner : Sir William with his forces coming neare 

 Cicester made show, the better to conceale his purpose, as if he intended to fall 



