180 



A Contribution to the History of 



prisoners. Lord Herbert with difficulty escaped to Oxford. Tewkes- 

 bury soon heard the tramp of Waller's victorious troopers. Thence he 

 returned to Gloucester, where, scarce resting-, he hurried once more 

 across the river to Chepstow and Monmouth, which he reduced. 

 Soon after (April 25th), on a brisk cannonade, Hereford opened her 

 gates to him, and many cavaliers — amongst them Lord Scudamore's 

 son, Sir R. Cave, Sir Walter Price, Sir William Crofts, and others 

 —surrendered " on terms of quarter to officers and soldiers, plundering 

 to be prohibited, the ladies to be civilly treated/* 



Some weeks later we find him opposed to his old companion in 

 arms, Sir Ralph, afterwards Lord Hopton, the gallant commander of 

 the Western Army, who, flushed with his successes in the West, 

 had arrived at Lansdown. Just previous to the battle between 

 their armies which occurred at that place, on the 5th of July, 1643, 

 Sir William Waller wrote the following answer 1 to a letter received 

 from Hopton: — 



"Sir 



" The experience which I have had of your worth, and the happiness which I 

 have enjoyed in your friendship, are wounding considerations to me, when I look 

 upon this present distance between us ; certainly, Sir, my affections to you are so 

 unchangeable, that hostility itself cannot violate my friendship to your person ; 

 hut I must be true to the cause wherein I serve. The old limitation of usque ad 

 aras holdeth still : and where my conscience is interested, all other obligations 

 are swallowed up. I should wait on you according to your desire, but that I 

 look on you as engaged in that party beyond the possibility of retreat, and 

 consequently incapable of being wrought upon by ante persuasion, and I know 

 the conference could never be so close betwixt us, but that it would take wind, 

 and receive a construction to my dishonour That Great God who is the searcher 

 of all hearts knows with what a sad fear I go upon this service, and with what 

 a perfect hate I detest a war without an enemy, but I look upon it as opus 

 domini, which is enough to silence all passion in me. The God of peace send us 

 in his good time, the blessing of peace, and in the mean time fit us to receive it. 

 We are both on the stage and must act those parts that are assigned to us in 

 this tragedy, but let us do it in the way of honour, and without personal ani- 

 mosity, whatsoever the issue of it be, I shall never resign that dear title of 

 " Your most affectionate friend 



" and faithful Servant 



"William Walleb." 



There speaks " the man " Waller — the friend, soldier, and patriot. 



1 This is taken from the introduction to Waller's " Vindication." 



