during the Great Rebellion. 



295 



by Wraxhall and Giddy Hall, and had just reached Chippenham, 

 when the skirmishers came galloping in with intelligence that 

 Waller had come up by Box and Pickwick, and was threatening 

 their rear with an overwhelming force. The royal generals at 

 once drew the Cornish foot back out of the town, and offered him 

 immediate battle on the flat country, then but little enclosed, 

 between Chippenham and Biddestone. But "Waller, who as the 

 noble historian again remarks, was a right good chooser of advant- 

 ages, and whose strength lay chiefly in cavalry, dreading so soon 

 to meet again those stern Cornish battalions on a fair field, declined 

 the challenge, and the two contending powers stood to arms all 

 night, in and around the town of Chippenham. 



The river Avon entirely encloses the town of Chippenham on 

 the north and west, and there were no bridges, then as now, nearer 

 than Lacock and Kellaways; Waller therefore could not accomplish 

 his earnest aim of turning their flank and thus preventing their 

 junction with the King, but was compelled to wait till the royal 

 forces should themselves move. 



That night was a night of trembling for the people of Chippen- 

 ham. None but children slept ; none could tell whether the 

 Parliamentary army might not force the river at some of the fords, 

 and attempt to carry the town by storm. All night the streets 

 rang with the clash of arms, the tramp of steeds, and the heavy 

 tread of the mailed soldiery. These were those stern warriors of 

 Cornwall, who had left their homes in the far west, and sacrificing 

 everything which the world holds dearest, at the call of duty and 

 honour, had held their triumphant way through Cornwall, Devon, 

 and Somerset, routed every general the Parliament sent against 

 them, scattered army after army, took fortress after fortress, and 

 at last returned unconquered to their native county. Amongst 

 those great Cornishmen who quartered in Chippenham that night, 

 were men of the different families of Grenville, Arundel, Bassett, 

 Molesworth, Godolphin, Trevelyan, Trevanion, St. Aubyn, Yyvyan, 

 Rashleigh, Trelawny, either as officers in their several companies, 

 or serving as privates in the ranks — names famous in their gener- 

 ation through a long succession of years. Sir Ralph Hopton had 



