Sir William Waller and Malmesbwry, 179" 



The superscription is : — 



•• A Letter from Sir William Waller to K* Hon*" Robert Earl of Essex of a 

 great victory be obtained at Malmesbury 23 Martii in the County of Wilts," 



And at the end of it :— 



" Ordered by the Commons in Parliamen't that this letter be printed and pub- 

 lished. H. Elsynge CI. Pari. D. Com., London, printed for Edw. Husbands, and 

 to be sold at big shop in the Middle Templei March 28th, 1643." 



There is sufficient mention made of the Westport and its neigh- 

 bourhood in this letter to enable us very fairly to picture to ourselves 

 to-day the assault, the defence, the surrender. If Rushworth is 

 correct, and only one piece of ordnance (doubtless placed so as to 

 sweep the approach to the Westport) was taken, and Captain Hine's 

 account of the want of arms amongst the garrison supports this 

 view, it does not appear that the Royalists had given Malmesbury 

 much power of resistance ; and so it fell by drum and trumpet into 

 the hands of exhausted foes who were ail-but beaten off. Hard fate ! 



Cirencester was alarmed, as we gather from another letter ' from 

 Hines to Prince Rupert :— 



" S'^-Yesterday S'. Will. Waler sett upon Malmesbury and play'd very hard 

 upon it with his great and small shott, about 2 of the clocke this mominge I sent 

 exit such force of horse and dragoons as I could rayse for to aide them but they 

 came tow bowers to late for the towae was delivred up, but upon what tearms I 

 doe not as yeat sertainly heare, the enemy hath taken all the comanders and 

 officers prisoners with most of the souldiers, only some few excepted, which made 

 escape, wee expect them with us every hower, I thought fitt to advertise your 

 Highness hereof that hapely in time your Highness might afforde some reliefe to 

 them or ayde to ns. Soe with my humble service I take leave and rest. — ^Yoiir 

 Highness servant to comande, Jo. Hikes, Cirencester, March 22th, 1642." 



But " Sir William the Conqueror," as the newspapers began to call 

 him, stayed not for so small a quarry, and passing that place made 

 his famous " night-march." He crossed the Severn in boats not 

 far from Gloucester with a small force and fell suddenly upon the 

 rear of Lord Herbert's army, which consisted chiefly of recent Welsh 

 levies. The latter were completely routed, with a loss of five hundred 

 killed and thirteen hundred foot and three troops of horse taken 



* The original of this is in the possession of Dr. Jennings, who has kindly 

 permitted its use for this paper. 



