596 The Battle of Roundway Down. 



(he had been " miserably burned of powder " by the explosion of 

 an ammunition waggon, at Lansdown)^ and wearied but indomitable, 

 was left with his Cornish and other infantry and his guns, but with 

 little or no ammunition, to defend himself against the siege that 

 was now certain. Hopton had to command the defence from his 

 sick bed. He used the hedgerows as field-trenches, " than which 

 there was no better workes," blocked up the roads and approaches 

 (" ad venues ") with " great trunkes and other ponderous material,^ so 

 that their horse could not charge in upon us, neither durst their 

 foot attempt us;" stripped the townfolks' beds of "rossel bed- 

 cords" for match and the church roofs for lead for bullets, but 

 was hard put to for powder, or his superior numbers and quality 

 might have told decisively.^ " Lord Orafford coming that Monday 

 night, 10th July, with ammunition from Oxford, four waynes of 

 powder and one of bullet and match," was captured with two 

 liundred men at Alton by a strong party sent out by Waller under 

 Major Dowell (Dowett ?) and Captain Saunderson.* Thereupon 

 Waller, apparently on Tuesday morning, " offered conditions " to 

 Sir Ralph Hopton, which, not being "honourable enough," were 

 refused.^ Waller then attacked, but was repulsed. Had Waller 

 on arriving attacked at once with all his force, it is almost certain 

 the whole Royalist force would have been annihilated. But Waller 

 was slow. In the afternoon (11th July) it seems Hopton obtained 

 delay by offering to treat.^ 



At 6 p.m. that day Waller at length " fel on but had not time to 

 gayne it. The Cornish defended bravely." ^ Possibly Waller was 

 in no state to attack decisively. So at least he himself says, 



1 W. and H. 



- The Kingdom's Weekly Intelligencer^ 11th July, to 18th July, 1643. 



^ " We being about twice their number and better foote." Hopton's 

 Narrative. 



^ Ih. and K. W. J. '" Hopton's Narrative. 



^ I take this to be a second negotiation. See A True Relation of the 

 late Fight between Sir W. Waller' s forces and those sent from Oxford, etc. 



' Waller and Haselrigge to Speaker Lenthall. The " Colonel " in " A True 

 Relation^ etc., says they " fel on coldly. '^ 



