The First Book 35 



The next day after, the Scots army, finding ill harbour in 

 those quarters, marched from hill to hill into another part 

 of the bishopric of Durham, near the sea coast, to a town called 

 Sunderland ; and thereupon my Lord thought fit to march 

 to Durham to stop their further progress, where he had con- 

 trived the business so, that they were either forced to fight 

 or starve within a little time. The first was offered to them 

 twice, that is to say, at Pensher hills one day, and at Bowden 

 hills another day, in the bishopric of Durham. But my Lord 

 found them at both times drawn up in such places, as he could 

 not possibly charge them x ; wherefore he retired again to 

 Durham, with an intention to straiten their quarters, and to 

 wait upon them, if ever they left their holds and inaccessible 

 places. In the meantime it happened that the Earl of Mon- 

 trose came to the same place, and having some design for his 

 Majesty's service in Scotland, desired my Lord to give him 

 the assistance of some of his forces ; and although my Lord 

 stood then in present need of them, and could not conveniently 

 spare any, having so great an army to oppose, yet out of a 

 desire to advance his Majesty's service as much as lay in his 

 power, he was willing to part with 200 horse and dragoons 

 to the said earl 2 . 



The Scots perceiving my Lord's vigilancy and care, con- 

 tented themselves with their own quarters, which could not 

 have served them long, but that a great misfortune befell my 

 Lord's forces in Yorkshire ; for the Governor whom he had 

 left behind with sufficient forces for the defence of that country, 

 although he had orders not to encounter the enemy, but to 

 keep himself in a defensive posture ; yet he being a man of 



four hours' provision beforehand ' (Rushworth, p. 615.) Nevertheless, owing to the 

 severity of the season, Newcastle's army, and especially his cavalry, was greatly dimin- 

 ished in numbers and efficiency. 



1 The Marquis offered battle on the 7th and 8th of March at Bowden hills, near Sun- 

 derland, and again on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th of the same month at Hilton. An account 

 of the proceedings of these days from Mercurius Aulicus is given in the Appendix. The 

 Marquis began his march back to York on April 13. 



2 Montrose writes to Sir R. Spottiswood from York on March 13, 1644 : ' At our 

 arrival here, being uncertain of all business, I directed Cornet Cochrane to my Lord 

 Newcastle to learn the condition of affairs, and inform him particularly of what we 

 had to expect ; which necessarily occasioned our stay here for some days. His return 

 to us was, that for supplies he would dispense none for the present ; for monies he had 

 none, neither was he owing to the Lord Jermyn any; for arms and ammunition he 

 had not to the two parts of his own, but had been so long expecting them beyond sea, 

 as he was now out of hopes.' Finally, Montrose followed Newcastle to Durham, and 

 obtained from him, according to Wishart, ' an hundred horse, and those very lean and 

 ill appointed, and two small brass field-pieces.' — Napier's Memorials of Montrose, ii, 

 124. 



