(1) THE History of the Rebellion, &c. BOOK VI. Ifa. XVIII. 2. Go, ye fwift Meffengers, to a Nation Scattered and peeled, to a People terrible from their beginning hitherto: a Nation meted out and troden down, whofe Land the Rivers have spoiled. Ifa. XIX. 13, 14. The Princes of Zoan are become fools. W ham. HEN the King fet up his Standard at The King's Nottingham, which was on the 25th of Au- condition as guft, as is before remember'd, he found Nottingthe place much emptier than he thought the fame of his Standard would have fuffer'd it to be; and receiv'd Intelligence the next day, that the Rebels Army, for fuch now he had declared them, was Horfe, Foot, and Cannon, at Northampton; befides that Party which, in the end of the Fifth Book, we left at Coventry; whereas His few Cannon and Ammunition were ftill at York, being neither yet in an Equipage to march, though Sr John Heydon, his Majesty's faithful Lieutenant of the Ordnance, ufed all poffible diligence to form and prepare it; neither were there Foot enough levy'd to guard it; and at Nottingham, besides fome few of the Train'd bands, which Sr John Digby, the active Sheriff of that County, drew into the old ruinous Caftle there, there were not of Foot levy'd for the Service yet three hundred Men. So that they who were not over much given Vol. II. Part. I. to Portf Forces. to fear, finding very many places in that great River, which was looked upon as the only ftrength and fecurity of the Town, to be eafily fordable, and nothing towards an Army for defence but the Standard fet up, begun fadly to apprehend the danger of the King's own Perfon. Infomuch that Sr Jacob Aftley, his Serjeant-Major-General of his intended Army, told him "that he could not give any affurance against his Ma"jefty's being taken out of his Bed, if the Rebels should make "a brisk attempt to that purpose. And it was evident, all the Strength he had to depend upon was his Horse, which were under the Command of Prince Rupert at Leicefter, and were not at that time in Number above eight hundred, few better arm'd than with Swords; whilft the Enemy had, within lefs than twenty Miles of that place, double the Number of Horfe excellenty arm'd and appointed, and a Body of five thousand Foot well train'd, and difciplin'd; fo that, no doubt, if they had advanced, they might at leaft have difperfed thofe few Troops of the King's, and driven his Majesty to a greater diftance, and exposed him to notable hazards and inconve niencies. WHEN Men were almoft confounded with this prospect, mouth be his Majefty receiv'd Intelligence, that Portsmouth was fo fieg'd by the Parliaments ftreightly befieg'd by Sea and Land, that it would be reduced in very few days, except it were reliev'd. For the truth is, Colonel Goring, though he had fufficient warning, and fufficient fupplies of Money to put that place into a posture, had rely'd too much upon probable and cafual affiftance, and neglected to do that Himfelf which a vigilant Officer would have done: and albeit his chief dependence was both for Money and Provifions from the Ifle of Wight, yet he was careless to fecure thofe fmall Caftles and Block-houfes, that guarded the paffage; which revolting to the Parliament affoon as he declared for the King, cut off all thofe dependences; so that he had neither Men enough to do ordinary Duty, nor Provifions enough for those few, for any confiderable time. And at the fame time with this news of Portsmouth, arriv'd certain Advertisements, that the Marquis of Hertford, and all his Forces in the Weft, from whom only the King hoped that Portsmouth fhould be reliev'd, was driven out of Somerset-fhire, where his Power and Intereft was believ'd unquestionable, into DorsetShire; and there befieged in Sherborne Castle. The Marquis ford's A THE Marquis, after he left the King at Beverley, by ordiof Hert nary Journies, and without making any long ftay by the way, tions in So- came to Bath, upon the very edge of Somerfet-fhire, at the merfer- time when the General Affizes were there held; where, meethire, sing all the confiderable Gentlemen of that great County, and finding them well affected to the King's Service, except very few few who were fufficiently known, he enter'd into confultation with them from whom he was to expect affiftance, in what place he should moft conveniently fix himself for the better difpofing the Affections of the People, and to raise a strength for the refiftance of any attempt which the Parliament might make, either against them, or to disturb the Peace of the Country by their Ordinance of the Militia, which was the first Power they were like to hear of. Some were of opinion, "that Bristol would be the fitteft place, being a great, rich, "and populous City; of which being once poffeffed, they "fhould be cafily able to give the Law to Somerset and Glo"cefter-fhire; and could not receive any Affront by a fuddain "or tumultuary Infurrection of the People. And if this Advice had been follow'd, it would, probably, have proved very profperous. But on the contrary, it was objected, “that it was not evident, that his Lordship's reception into the City "would be fuch as was expected; Mr Hollis being Lieutenant "thereof, and having exercised the Militia there; and there "being vifibly many difaffected People in it, and fome of Emiતર nent Quality; and if he fhould attempt to go thither and be "difappointed, it would break the whole Defign: Then that "it was out of the County of Somerset, and therefore that they "could not Legally draw that People thither, befides, that it "would look like fear and fufpicion of their own power, to put themselves into a walled Town, as if they fear'd the power of the other Party would be able to opprefs them. "Whereas, except Popham and Horner, all the Gentlemen of "Eminent Quality and Fortune of Somerfet fhire, were either "prefent with the Marquis, or prefumed not to be inclin'd to "the Parliament. And therefore they propos'd, "that Wells, "being a pleasant City, in the heart and near the center of "that County, might be chofen for his Lordship's refidence. Which was accordingly agreed on, and thither the Marquis and his Train went, fending for the nearest Train'd-bands to appear before him; and prefuming that in little time, by the industry of the Gentlemen prefent, and his Lordship's Reputation, which was very great, the affections of the People would be fo much wrought upon, and their understandings fo well inform'd, that it would not be in the Power of the Parliament to pervert them, or to make ill impreffions on them towards his Majesty's Service. WHILST his Lordfhip in this gentle way endeavour'd to compofe the fears and apprehenfions of the People, and by doing all things in a peaceable way, and according to the Rules of the known Laws, to convince all Men of the Justice and Integrity of his Majesty's proceedings and Royal intentions; the other Party, according to their ufual confidence and, 2 activity, activity, wrought under-hand to perfwade the People that the Marquis was come down to put the Commiffion of Array in execution, by which Commiffion a great part of the Estate of every Farmer or substantial Yeoman fhould be taken from them; alledging, that fome Lords had faid, "that twenty "pounds by the year was enough for every Peasant to live on; and fo, taking advantage of the Commiffion's being in Latin, tranflated it into what English they pleased; perfwading the fubftantial Yeomen and Freeholders, that, at leaft, two parts of their Eftates would, by that Commiffion, be taken from them; and the meaner and poorer fort of People, that they were to pay a Tax for one days labour in the week to the King; and that all fhould be, upon the matter, no better than Slaves to the Lords, and that there was no way to free and preserve themselves from this infupportable Tyranny, but by adhering to the Parliament, and fubmitting to the Ordinance for the Militia; which was purpofely prepar'd to enable them to refift these horrid Invafions of their Liberties. IT cannot easily be believ'd, how these grofs Infufions generally prevail'd. For though the Gentlemen of Ancient Families and Eftates in that County were, for the most part, well affected to the King, and eafily difcern'd by what Faction the Parliament was govern'd; yet there were a People of an inferior degree, who, by good Husbandry, Clothing, and other thriving Arts, had gotten very great Fortunes; and, by degrees, getting themselves into the Gentlemen's Eftates, were angry that they found not themselves in the fame efteem and reputation with those whose Estates they had; and therefore, with more induftry than the other, ftudied all ways to make themselves confiderable. Thefe, from the beginning, were faft Friends to the Parliament; and many of them were now entrusted by them as Deputy Lieutenants in their new Ordinance of the Militia, and having found when the People were ripe, gather'd them together, with a purpose on a fuddain, before there fhould be any fufpicion, to furround and surprise the Marquis at Wells. For they had always this advantage of the King's Party and his Counfels, that their Resolutions were no fooner publifh'd, than they were ready to be executed, there being an abfolute implicite Obedience in the inferior fort to those who were to Command them; and their private Agents, with admirable induftry and fecrecy, preparing all Perfons and Things ready against a call: Whereas all the King's Counfels were, with great formality deliberated, before concluded: and then, with equal formality, and precise caution of the Law, executed; there being no other way to weigh down the prejudice, that was contracted against the Court, but by the most barefaced publishing all conclufions, and fitting |