The First Book 15 



Thus my Lord marched into the town with great joy, and 

 to the general satisfaction both of the nobility and gentry, 

 and most of the citizens ; and immediately without any delay, 

 in the later end of December 1642, fell upon consultations 

 how he might best proceed to serve his King and country ; 

 and particularly, how his army should be maintained and paid 

 (as he did also afterwards in every country wheresoever he 

 marched), well knowing, that no army can be governed with- 

 out being constantly and regularly supported by provision 

 and pay. Whereupon it was agreed, that the nobility and 

 gentry of the several counties, should select a certain number 

 of themselves to raise money by a regular tax, for the making 

 provisions for the support and maintenance of the army, 

 rather than to leave them to free-quarter, and to carve for 

 themselves ; and if any of the soldiers were exorbitant and 

 disorderly, and that it did appear so to those that were autho- 

 rized to examine their deportment, that presently order 

 should be given to repair those injuries out of the moneys 

 levied for the soldiery ; by which means the country was 

 preserved from many inconveniences, which otherwise would 

 doubtless have followed. 



And though the seasons of the year might well have invited 

 my Lord to take up his winter quarters, it being about Christ- 

 mas ; yet after he had put a good garrison into the city of 

 York, and fortified it, upon intelligence that the enemy was 

 still at Tadcaster, and had fortified that place, he resolved to 

 march thither. The greatest part of the town stands on the 

 west side of a river not fordable in any place near thereabout, 

 nor allowing any passage into the town from York, but over 

 a stone-bridge, which the enemy had made impassable by 

 breaking down part of the bridge and planting their ordnance 

 upon it, and b}?- raising a very large and strong fort upon the 

 top of a hill, leading eastward from that bridge towards York, 

 upon design of commanding the bridge and all other places 

 fit to draw up an army in, or to plant cannon against them *. 



with his troops, as soon as he had received his commission to be general, and in the 

 depth of winter, redeemed or rescued the city of York from the rebels, when they looked 

 upon it as their own, and had it even within their grasp.' — Rebellion, viii, 84. 



1 Lord Fairfax mentions merely ' some breastworks for our musketeers '. Sir Thomas, 

 in his Short Memorial, says : ' In a council of war the town was judged untenable, and 

 that we should draw out to an advantageous piece of ground by the town ; but, before 

 we could all march out, the enemy advanced so fast that we were necessitated to leave 

 some foot in a slight work above the bridge to secure our retreat ; but, the enemy pres- 

 sing'on us, forced us to draw back, to maintain that ground.' — Short Memorial, Maseres' 

 Tracts, i, 417. 



