134 Records of the Rising in the West, A.D, 1655. 



ass ul ting them should be worsted, yet, my Lord, I hope your highness will 

 easily pardon me, being (seeing ?) I shall freely adventure myselfe upon the 

 good providence of the Lord, who I know will owne us ; and I am perswaded, 

 succeed us in this business. And indeed, my Lord, I cannot with any confidence 

 stay here, nor looke the Country in the face, and let them alone. I doubt not 

 but to give your highness a speedy good account of this matter. I shall be this 

 night at Shaftsberry, and then send to your highnesse againe. The Judges I 

 have set at liberty here, and they were like men that dreamt to see us so sudainly 

 here. I shall take care of their safe passage to London, whether they desire to 

 come. Colonel Dove saies that Mack that Lieutenant Heely sent up, is come off 

 but as a spye, and desires me to inform so much, 1 am, my Lord, 

 From Salisbury upon my Your highness most dutifull servant 



march towards Shaftsberry, "W. Boteleb. 



14 March 9 a clock in the morning. 



If I heare any of our friends coming towards us, I shall delay falling upon 

 them, unless I see a very probable opportunity." 



And so Colonel Boteler went his way westwards and at Shaftes- 

 bury fell in with a messenger from Taunton bearing the following 

 letter to Mr. Malyn, one of Crom well's Secretaries. He opened and 

 read it as appears by an endorsement. The letter gives a complete 

 picture of a portion of the stage including some of the actors, and 

 enables us more nearly to realize the whole affair. 



u Much Honoured Sir 1 



I shall make bold to communicate unto you what hath lately happened 

 in these partes — On tuesday last, about 2 o'clock in the morninge Capt. Pike 

 post master of Crewkerne gave us an allarm at Ilminster, assureinge us that M. 

 G. "Wagstaffe, C Penruddock, and neer a thousand more of the late king s party, 

 were inbodied at Sarum, where they tooke the judges and did much mischief, 

 and where then come to Sherburne ; whereupon I hasted to this towne, where I 

 mett t^Col Pine, Col Ceely, Sir Thomas Wroth, C Gorges, Major Sampson, C 

 Barker and divers Gentlemen more, with a considerable* Company of such as were 

 formerly of the Militia; and indeed, for ought I could discerne, they came with 

 very cheerfull resolutions to engage their all against this upstart crew, and had 

 the Lord seen it good our strength in reason had been more than sufficient to 

 have accomplisht their utter downfall ; but I had not been long here, before 

 I saw my hopes of their ruine quite frustrated, which I must very much impute 

 to the unhandsome carriage of C Gorges towards Col Pyne and some others, 

 refuseinge to joyne with Col Pyne in any thinge relating to this present 

 business. C Gorge takeinge upon him the charge of the towne commissioned 

 thereunto by the magistrates thereof (as he is pleased to say) whereupon arose this 

 great inconvenience ; C Ceely with divers officers and soldiers to the number 

 of 40 or thereabouts, being resolved to alarum the enemy, who then lay at Chard 

 (or at least more perfectly to learne their number and condition) cominge to the 



1 3Th., 237. 



