ANTIQUITIES. 



901 



their horses, and then returning to 

 the foote, I marched with them from 

 the Church yard towards V/igmor's 

 gate (Widemarsh) thinkeing that 

 their moving would be the only way 

 to draw on the horse to follow. 

 Coming to the market-place, I went 

 to the lieutenant colonel's lodgings, 

 "who was still abroad upon the same 

 businesse; but such was the indis- 

 position of men and liorsc, that 

 in the space of an houre and a 

 half, we could not bringe above 

 twenty horse together, soe tliat 

 wanting hors« to do the main in- 

 tended businesse, which was to find 

 or meet the enemy, my opinion was 

 to divide those few horse, to be em- 

 ployed upon discovery ; one hajfe 

 of them one way, and anotber halfe 

 of them an other way ; and special 

 order was given, that the foote, re- 

 turning to their severall posts, should 

 stay by thcire amies, and the horse 

 should be ready upon any occasion. 

 It was not halfe an houre before 

 one of the parties of horse return 

 cd, and brought word that some of 

 the enemies musketeers were placed 

 in the hedges very nearc the townc. 

 "Whereupon, upon Tuesday morn- 

 ing the 23th, I went immediately 

 into the castle (being the best place 

 to make discoveryj where, after a 

 little stay, it begiiining to be light, 

 the enemies whole forces were dis- 

 covered to be within less than a mile 

 of the townc. But the foote, to 

 who'ii orders were given to stay by 

 theirearmes, were mostof them gone 

 to their lodgings, notwithstanding 

 my earnest desire, having noe com- 

 raand over them, that they should 

 stay by their amies; so that, con- 

 sidering the present condition «e 

 were iti, I thought it the best way 

 to ge*^ the soldiers together at their 

 siwerall posts, which was done bolii 



by drum and trumpet ; and whUst 

 they were drawing together, I 

 went from guard to guard to dis- 

 pose of them to the best advan- 

 tage of the town's defence, forbid, 

 ding all wast of powder, becalise the 

 enemy approaching nearer and 

 nearer, both in the ditches and un- 

 der the hedges, and in the suburbes 

 about the towne, beganne to shoote 

 on all jiarts. 



Thus were lost three several] oc- 

 casions, for all which it cannot be 

 denied but that order was given. In 

 the first place, to take advantage of 

 the jiassages ; secondly, either to 

 find the enemy in his quarters, or 

 stop him and light him by the way ; 

 thirdly, at the least to draw out be- 

 fore he should enter the suburbs; 

 none of which it was possible to be 

 dune, forthe reasons aforesaid. This, 

 1 am sure, besides these designs of 

 my owne, there was never any mo- 

 tion made by any other for a sallie, 

 either before or after the enemy 

 came to the towne, which I si id not 

 most readily embrace and consent 

 to. 



My eye was much upon Wig- 

 nior's gate, because I perceaved a 

 body of horse so placed, as plainly 

 told theire intentions to enter t.iat 

 way ; but, heareing news that the 

 eneniie were busie about their 

 boafes, 1 went prjsently to Wye- 

 bridge, where it was told me they 

 Averecarryiiig over nnisketeor:; to the 

 other side of the river. Whereupon 

 1 sent some of the musketeers from 

 the bridge, an 1 a troopi- of horse to 

 se(t upon them, which bnissnesse, 

 alter some time of dispute, v/as end- 

 ed in theire being beaten back to 

 (heir boates. In the pio^ei iilion of 

 this litlle worke, .ny lord Scuda- 

 inore, and the other gentlemen pre- 

 sent ill the action, cuu tell how fast 

 3 M 3 powder 



