HISTORY OF HARTING. 75 



King's forces on the way to Arundel had been sig- 

 nalled back, and were coming down the hill behind in 

 overpowering numbers. 



The local tradition that there was once a fight in the 

 Culvers, South Harting, is thus remarkably verified. 



The Court Mercury of Sunday, December 10, 1643, 

 p. 707, says : 



" This day I was certainly informed by an eyewitness 

 of credit of one of the noblest pieces of cowardice that 

 ever attended a bad cause and conscience. It happened 

 on Thursday, the 23rd of November last, that in the 

 dead of night about six score of the Earle of Craford's 

 Regiment came into a village in Sussex called South 

 Harting (a place sufficiently knowne by reason it is the 

 constant seat of the noble Knight and brave house- 

 keeper, Sir John Carell) : They entered the village 

 very farre spent with travell, want of sleepe and food, 

 and extremely weather beaten with a rainie stormy 

 night. These their sufferings and indispositions caused 

 them presently to quarter themselves in the severall 

 houses of the towne ; onely six of the chiefe officers 

 and one boy lay in the knight's house. Within lesse 

 then an houre after (when all of them were now taking 

 their rest) the famous Colonell Norton of Hampshire 

 enters the village, not knowing (til he was in the 

 towne) that any of the King's souldiers were there, but 

 having notice thereof, and of the assurance (by taking 

 them utterly unprovided for defence) that he might 

 safely show a brave proofe of his valour, he caused his 

 men to rank themselves ten and ten, and so to make 

 good every door and house of the Towne that none 

 might escape ; which being done the rebels cry ' Horse, 

 Horse,' in the street, which the King's eouldiers mis- 

 taking to be the call of their owne commanders offered 

 in diverse places to come forth, but were presently 

 shot or killed, so that seeing no possibility of bringing 

 forth themselves or their horses into the streete, almost 

 all of them fled by backways on foote to save them- 

 selves, leaving the Rcbells outragiously domineering 



