himself in a chair in a low room," till Rupert and the rest got on their clothes); and there, after debate,* determines on turning back to beat the Roundheads for this affront. Ireton lies at Naseby, therefore; "we" (Fairfax and the Army), at Guilsborough, all this night.

'Battle of Naseby. Saturday, 14th June, 1645. Starting at three in the morning, we arrive about five at Naseby. King "reported to be at Harborough," uncertain whitherward next: behold, “great bodies of his troops are seen coming over the Hill from Harborough towards us ;"-he has turned, and is for fighting us, then! We put our Army in order,-"large fallow field northwest of Naseby," "the brow of the Hill running east and west" "for something like a mile :" King has sunk out of sight in a hollow; but comes up again nearer us,† and now evidently drawn out for battle. We fall back, “about a hundred paces, from the brow of the Hill," to hide ourselves and our plans: he rushes on the faster, thinking we run ("much of his ordnance left behind"): the Battle joins on he very brow of the Hill. Their word, Queen Mary; ours, God is our Strength.

About Three hundred Musketeers of ours on the Left Wing, are advanced a little, as a forlorn, down the steep of the Hill; they retire firing, as Rupert charges up: Ireton and Skippon command in this quarter; "Lantford Hedges," a kind of thicket which runs right down the Hill, is lined with Colonel Okey and his dragoons,-all on foot at present, and firing lustily on Rupert as he gallops past.-Cromwell is on the extreme Right (easternmost part of the Hill): he, especially Whalley under him, dashes down before the Enemy's charge upwards (which is led by Langdale) can take effect;-scatters said charge to the winds; not without hard cutting a good deal impeded "by furze-bushes" and "a cony-warren." These Royalist Horse, Langdale's, fled all behind their own Foot, "a quarter of a mile from the Battle-ground,"-i. e., near to the present Farm of Dust Hill, or between that and Clipstow;-and never fought again. So that Cromwell had only to keep them in check; and aid his own Main battle to the left of him: which he diligently did.

'Our Right Wing, then, has beaten Langdale. But Rupert, on the other side of the field, beats back our Left :-over" Rutput Hill," "Fenny Hill" (Fanny Hill, as the Old Books call it); towards Naseby Hamlet; on to our Baggage-train (which stands on the northwest side of the Hamlet, eastward of said "Rutput” and “ Fenny," but northward of "Leane Leafe Hill,"-very sober "Hills," I perceive !). Our extreme Left was "hindered by pits and ditches" in charging: at any rate, it lost the charge; fled and Rupert now took to attacking the Baggage and its Guard, in vain, and with very wasteful delay. For our Main battle toc

* See Clarendon, &c

"At Sibbertoft' (Rushworth).

was in a critical state; and might have been overset, at this moment. Our Main battle, our Horse on the Left of it giving way; and the King's Foot "coming up into sight," over the brow of the Hill," with one terrible volley," and then with swords and musket-butts," mostly all fled." Mostly all except the Officers, who "snatched the colors," "fell into the Reserves with them," &c. And then, said Reserves now rushing on, and the others rallying to them; and Cromwell being victorious and diligent on the Right, and Rupert idle among the Baggage on the Left,-the whole business was ere long retrieved; and the King's Foot and other Force were all driven pell-mell down the Hill: towards Dust Hill (or eastward of the present Farm-house, I think). There the King still stood, -joined at last by Rupert, and struggling to rally his Horse for another brush; but the Foot would not halt, the Foot were all off: and the Horse too, seeing Cromwell with all our Horse and victorious Foot now again ready for a second charge, would not stand it; but broke; and dissipated, towards Harborough, Leicester, and Infinite Space.

The Fight began at ten o'clock;* lasted three hours † there were some Five thousand Prisoners; how many Slain I cannot tell.'

A couple of very small Letters, which have now (May, March, 1846) accidentally turned up, too late for insertion in the Text, may find their corner here.

1. The First, which is fully dated (just eight days before the Battle of Naseby), has lost its specific Address, may without much doubt be referred to Ely and the 'Fortifications' going on there.†

'To Captain Underwood, at Ely: These.'

CAPTAIN UNDERWOOD,

Huntingdon, 6th June, 1645.

I desire the guards may be very well strengthened and looked unto. Let a new breastwork be made about the gravel,◊ and a new work half-musket-shot behind the old work; all storm-ground§ stuff. Tell Colonel Fothergill to take care of keeping strong guards.— Not having more, I rest,

Yours,

OLIVER CROMWELL.

• Clarendon.

+ Cromwell's Letter.

+ Commons Journals, iv., 161, 5; Cromwelliana, p. 16.

§ Word uncertain to the Copyist.

Original now (May, 1846) in the Baptist College, Bristol.

2. Sir Dudley North,' Baronet, of Catlidge Hall near Newmarket, is Member for Cambridgeshire; sits too, there is small doubt, in the Ely Committee at London ;-is wanted now for a small County business.

The 30th of March,' as we know, is but the fifth day of the then New Year: Oliver,-I find after some staggering, for his date will not suit with other things,-takes the cipher of the Old Year, as one is apt to do, and for 1647 still writes 1646.' As this Entry, abridged from the Commons Journals,* will irrefragably prove, to readers of his Letter: John Hobart, Esq., dismissed from being Sheriff of Cambridge and Huntingdon Shires, and Tristram Dyamond, Esq., appointed in his place, 1st January, 1646,' which, for us, and for Cromwell too on the 30th of March following, means 1647.

SIR,

For the Honorable Sir Dudley North: These.

'London,' 30th March, 1646 [error for 1647].

It being desired to have the Commission of the Peace renewed in the Isle of Ely, with some addition, as you may perceive; none left out; only Mr. Diamond, now High Sheriff of the County, and my Brother Desborow, added, there being great want of one in that part of the Isle where I live,-I desire you to join with me in a Certificate; and rest,

Your humble servant,

OLIVER CROMWELL.†

No. VII.

ARMY TROUBLES IN 1647.

[Vol. i., p. 211.]

THE Vote that Field-Marshal Skippon, Lieutenant-General Cromwell, Commissary-General Ireton, and Colonel Fleetwood,' all Members of this House, 'shall proceed to their charges in the Army,' and endeavor to quiet all distempers there, was passed on the 30th of April: day of the Three Troopers and Army Letter,

v., 36 (1 Jan., 1646-7).

+ Original in the possession of the Rev. W. S. Spring Casborne, of Pak enham, Suffolk; a descendant of the North Family.

They went accord

and directly on the back of that occurrence. ingly, perhaps on the morrow, and proceeded to business; but as nothing specific came of them, or could come, till the 8th of May, that day is taken as the date of the Deputation. Here are Three Letters from them; one prior and one posterior; which, copied from the Tanner мss., have got into print, but cannot throw much light on the affair.

1. To the Honorable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons House: These.'

"Saffron Walden,' 3d May, 1647.

"SIR, "We have sent out orders to summon the Officers of the several Regiments to appear before us on Thursday next; to the end we may understand from them the true condition and temper of the Soldiers in relation to the Discontents lately represented; and the better to prepare and enable them,-by speaking with them, and acquainting them with your Votes,f-to allay any Discontents that may be among the Soldiers. "We judged this way most likely to be effectual to your service; though it ask some time, by reason of the distance of the quarters. When we shall have anything worthy of your knowledge, we shall represent it;and in the meantime study to approve ourselves

Your most humble servants,

2. To the Honorable William Lenthall, Esquire, Speaker of the Commons

"SIR,

House: These.'

"Saffron Walden, 8th May, 1647.

"According to our orders sent out to the Officers of the Army, many of them appeared at the time appointed. The greatest failing was of Horse Officers; who, by reason of the great distance of their quarters

* Commons Journals, v., 158: see antea, vol. i., p. 209.

t Votes passed that same 30th of April: That the Soldiers shall have Indemnity; that they shall have Pay,—and in short, Justice (Commons Jour nals, v., 158). 'Thursday next' is the 6th of May.

'A Letter from Major-General' (elsewhere called Field Marshal) 'Skip pon, Lieutenant-General Cromwell, and Commissary-General Ireton, was this day read' ( Commons Journals, 4 May, 1647).

from this place (being, some of them, above three-score miles off), could not be here yet there were, accidentally, some of every Regiment except Colonel Whalley's present at our Meeting;—which was upon Friday morning,* about ten of the clock.

"After some discourse offered unto them, About the occasion of the Meeting, together with the deep sense the Parliament had of some Discontents which were in the Army, and of our great trouble also that it should be so,-we told them, We were sent down to communicate the House of Commons' Vote unto them; whereby their, 'the Parliament's,' care of giving the Army satisfaction might appear: desiring them 'furthermore' To use their utmost diligence with all good conscience and ef fect, by improving their interests in the Soldiers, for their satisfaction; and that they would communicate to their Soldiers the Votes, together with such informations as they received then from us, to the end their distemper might be allayed. After this had been said, and a Copy of the Votes delivered to the Chief Officer of every respective Regiment, to be communicated as aforesaid,-we desired them To give us a speedy account of the success of their endeavors; and if in anything they needed our advice or assistance for furthering the work, we should be ready here at Saffron Walden to give it them, upon notice from them.

"We cannot give you a full and punctual account of the particular distempers, with the grounds of them: because the Officers were desirous to be spared therein by us, until they might make a further inquiry among the Soldiers, and see what effect your Votes and their endeavors might have with them. We desire as speedy an account of this business as might well be; but, upon the desire of the Officers, thought it necessary for the service to give them until Saturday next† to bring us an account of their business, by reason the Regiments were so far distant.

"As anything falls out worthy of your knowledge, we shall represent it; and in the meantime study to approve ourselves

"Your most humble servants,

"PH. SKIPPON,

"OLIVER CROMWELL,

"H. IRETON,

"CHARLES FLEETWOOD."

Friday, yesterday; not Thursday,' as at first proposed.

+ This day week; the 15th.

'Letter from the General Officers,' 'from Walden, of 8 Maii, 1647, was this day read' (Commons Journals, Tuesday, 11 May, 1647). The Letter seems to be of Cromwell's writing.

25*