202 Appendix VII 



ance with hunger, that we seemed so far to become friends as in providing 

 against those common enemies. The next morning both the armies drew 

 up again into batalia, when with the continual snow that fell all that clay, 

 and by reason of the great fatigation of the horse it being the third day they 

 had received little or no sustenance, it was thought by the consent of all 

 the general officers not expedient that the army should suffer such extremity 

 or for that time seek any further occasion to engage an enemy whom we 

 found so hard to be provoked, who found from us I believe, contrary to 

 their expectations, so much forwardness as they might plainly perceive 

 we endeavoured what we could to fight with them, and were confident 

 enough of our own strength could we have come unto them upon any 

 indifferent terms of equality. And truly the forwardness of the soldiers 

 was such as we would have been contented to have given them some advan- 

 tages to boot rather than to have deferred it. But upon such disadvantages 

 we had no manner of reason, being the ground would not permit us to 

 draw up the fourth part of the army, by which we had been defeated of the 

 advantage we had over them with our horse, and besides we should have 

 been forced to have fought for that ground which afterwards we should 

 have stood upon. We being now resolved to march off, and they having 

 been so niggardly to afford us occasion to try what mettle each other was 

 made of, in some measure to satisfy the great forwardness we found in our 

 people, and also to give the enemy warning that they should not be too 

 bold upon our retreat. For these reasons we sent off 120 horses to enter- 

 tain them near their own leaguer, Sir Charles Lucas his major commanding 

 them, where meeting with 200 of the enemy's, the first that charged them 

 not passing 60 of this one regiment, notwithstanding the enemy was so 

 placed before a hedge, where they had some dragooners as it seems, they 

 were confident ours would not have come up unto them ; but when they 

 saw that their muskets could not prevent the courage of our men, they 

 turned their backs and leaped over their dragooners, affording our men 

 the execution of them to a great body of theirs, in which chase our men 

 killed some 40 of them, and had taken near 100 men, but they advanced 

 so suddenly that we could bring off but 20 of them, of whom there were 

 three English — one of them were handed (was hanged ?) immediately, 

 having formerly served in our army : their lancers did seem to follow eagerly 

 upon' our men in their retreat in great numbers, but we had not passing six 

 men hurt, whereof one died, and not any of the rest miscarried or are 

 missing. In the meantime, we were drawing back our army, and the 

 enemy, when they saw the greatest of our number to be marching, made 

 a show as if they would have followed us : theytherefore sent down about 

 600 horse and as many musketeers to try, as I suppose, our behaviour 

 in our retreat, as also to requite us if they could, sending three bodies of 

 horse into the field next the moor, by the side of which we passed, but still 

 under the favour of their musketeers, which lined the hedges ; but we, 

 being content to play with them at their own game, whilst we amused 

 them by presenting some horse before them, our musketeers, which in the 

 meantime stole down upon their flank towards their passage, gave them 

 such a peal, that it made the passage which they retired over seem I believe 

 a great deal straiter, and the time much longer than at their coming over, 

 after which they were a great deal better satisfied with our retreat, and 

 this was all we could do with the enemy. I must confess we brought our 



