By tJte lUv. E. J. Boding ton. GOl 



1 might quarter in that place; in regard of the convenient situation 

 of itt, betweene my horse and my foot) came into the house and 

 enquired and made a search and if I had staicd there as at first 

 1 intended in all probability tliey might have suddainly dispatcht.'d 

 me and retired in tlie darknsss of tlie night in safety enough." 



" Some days after, while I lay before the town 1 rode with a 

 small party al)Out the quarters, particulai ly U) see Ikav the dragoc^ns 

 were laid, on the further side of the town; and i)eing to return 

 back, itt pleased God to putt itt suddainly into my mind to go l>y 

 another way than that L came, which some of the party and some 

 • of my own servants who staid a little l)ehiiid n(jt (jl)serving but 

 taking the former way they were almost all taken (;f the enemy. 

 1 came back safely/^ 



TorOGKAPHlCAL NOTE. 

 I have found it very diOicult to locate exactly the incidents of 

 tliese days. Perhaps the road from Chippenham through llowde 

 to Devizes did not in 1643 follow exactly the lines of the present 

 road, but may have passed to the back, that is to the east, of the 

 l)reseiit liowdeford House. Thus the " ll'oord ^'' where they foui^bl 

 so subbornly and without cover would be higher u}) " the brookc " 

 than where it now crosses the present road, possibly either between 

 the present house and the wood which the stream [)asses through 

 higher u[) its course, or even ch^se by the present bouse, or />o.S6'iVV/y 

 higher up sLilL [lei ba[)s somewhere near the juiietinii of ihi; tfo 

 brooks, of which the one comes from I he spur of Koundway Down 

 known as Castle Hill, the oLluu- from K'oundway Park', in llie tit-Ids 

 nearer the bills. There is still just a trace of an old road in 'bi- 

 poyilion. Still I ineline on ibe whole to the tirst m second sup- 

 position. \'et any of \\w, three hypotheses woui'l ajipear to l»e easy 

 to square with the facts of ground, direction, .^liat("gy. ami con- 

 I tenqtorary narratives, as also with llic inimc<lialcly subsequml 

 uiovtMnents of both forces, llnpton niakni'.: stiai'^dit f.-r (Ih' hill "f 

 De\i/.rs, which be bad iiccii liN'Miu- to co\-(*i-, Walh-r not (hiring lo 

 ) folh.w hini, after ni-litfall sheering olf lo the h'ft. pushing hi.s 

 I cavalry up the sk.pe to the left (jf Koundway village, till 



