The Preface 1 1 



rubbing old sores, and renewing old quarrels, that 

 would otherwise have been forgotten. The last is 

 the most secure; because it goes not out of its own 

 circle, but turns on its own axis, and for the most 

 part, keeps within the circumference of truth. 

 The first is mechanical, the second political, and 

 the third heroical. The first should onely be written 

 by travellers and navigators; the second by states- 

 men ; the third by the prime actors, or the spectators 

 of those affairs and actions of which they write, as 

 Caesar's Commentaries are, which no pen but of such 

 an author, who was also actor in the particular 

 occurrences, private intrigues, secret counsels, close 

 designs, and rare exploits of war he relates, could ever 

 have brought to so high perfection. 



This History is of the third sort, as that is; and 

 being of the Hfe and actions of My Noble Lord and 

 husband, who hath informed me of all the particular 

 passages I have recorded, I cannot, though neither 

 actor, nor spectator, be thought ignorant of the truth 

 of what I write ; nor is it inconsistent with my being 

 a woman, to write of wars, that was neither between 

 Medes and Persians, Greeks and Trojans, Christians 

 and Turks ; but among my own countreymen, whose 

 customs and inchnations, and most of the persons 

 that held any considerable place in the armies, was 

 well known to me; and besides all that (which is 

 above all) my noble and loyal Lord did act a chief 

 part in that fatal tragedy, to have defended (if 

 humane power could have done it) his most Gracious 

 Soveraign, from the fury of his rebellious subjects. 



This History being (as I have said) of a particular 

 person, his actions, and fortunes; it cannot be 

 expected, that I should here preach of the beginning 

 of the world; nor seem to express understanding in 



