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that of the King's army, and, encouraged by the news of the accident that had befallen his enemies by the blowing up of the powder, and reinforced with fresh troops, he determined on following Lord Hertford to Chippenham. No battle, however, took place, and Lord Hertford advanced towards Devizes.' Sir William Waller, despairing of overtaking him, "sent a trumpet to the Marquis, with a letter offering a pitched field at a place of his own choosing out of the way." Lord Hertford considered this only as a stratagem to delay their march; "he therefore carried the trumpet three "or four miles with him, and then sent him back with "such an answer as was fit." Detached parties continued to attack the rear of Lord Hertford's army, though always repulsed with loss: the skirmishes continued till he reached Devizes in safety.

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A difficulty now arose from their position in effecting the retreat of the army to Oxford. Sir William Waller had dispersed his warrants over" the country, signifying "that he had beaten the Marquis, and requiring the people to rise in all places for the apprehension of his "scattered and dispersed troops.' This produced great effect-it was thought he had obtained a victory, and people flocked again to his standard, and his army was considerably strengthened. The situation of Devizes was such that Lord Hertford's army could only proceed to Oxford over an open country where the strongest in horse would prevail. His cavalry had suffered much in the engagement on Lansdown, and the

Then called "The Devizes."

Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. iv. p. 128.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

assistance of fresh troops was felt to be absolutely necessary to effect a retreat to the King's quarters: "Here"upon," says Lord Clarendon, "it was unanimously "advised and consented to that the Lord Marquis and "Prince Maurice should that night break through with "all the horse to Oxford," in order to return with fresh relief to Devizes. Devizes was an open town, its only defence consisting of hedges and small ditches; but by judicious arrangement of their forces and barricading the avenues to prevent the entrance of Sir William Waller's horse, it was thought it might hold out till the succours from Oxford could arrive.

Sir Ralph Hopton remained at Devizes; he was now sufficiently recovered to hear and speak, but he could neither yet see nor stir from the house. The loss of his presence was severely felt, for the Cornish soldiers were ill inclined to be led by any but their own officers, though all had willingly joined in obeying him. Sir William Waller surrounded the town, and, a common danger having united the officers in their own common defence, they succeeded in restoring discipline, and repulsed his attacks. When forced to treat they proposed such terms as should at least cause delay, and thus increase their chance of relief before they might be obliged to surrender.

Though the course pursued by Lord Hertford and Prince Maurice in quitting Devizes appears to have

'Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. iv. p. 129.

Lord Clarendon says that "The marks of that ill accident were never "worn out, and deprived him of that gracefulness and lustre in his person "and countenance which he formerly had."-Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. iv. Appendix B, p. 607.

been agreed to and adopted by the general consent of those whose safety it most concerned, yet at Oxford it was cavilled at, as if they had abandoned their army in having come themselves to call for relief. Without a knowledge of the reasons that guided their determination, no fair judgment of its fitness or wisdom can be formed; but it is impossible to suppose that much individual blame could be justly attached to Lord Hertford or to Prince Maurice for a movement that had been unanimously advised and consented to by competent judges of the circumstances in which they were placed, and whose own lives and honour depended on making a right decision. Their arrival at Oxford created a panic of alarm; and censure but too readily follows disappointment or misfortune. The news from Lansdown had animated the hopes of the Royalists with the belief that the tide of fortune had now turned in their favour. The sudden appearance of Lord Hertford and Prince Maurice at break of day at once. reversed these hopes. The rumour ran through the town that the army was totally lost, and, in the dismay or irritation at such a catastrophe, the first impulse was to throw blame on the commanders, according to the prejudices or opinions of those who upheld the Marquis or the Prince. "The old jealousies," says Lord Clarendon, "were presently revived, the friends of either "making all the disadvantageous reports they could of "the other, whilst most men thought neither had done honourably in abandoning the army and coming them"selves to call for help.""

Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. iv. Appendix B, p. C07.

It might have been thought at Devizes unsafe to trust the mission for relief to any of less authority or influence than the commanders themselves, and the result goes far to justify the course they took.' The King was impressed with the urgency of the case and the necessity of sending effective relief. Lord Wilmot was despatched with 1200 horse and some dragoons the very afternoon of their arrival at Oxford (on Monday), and by the following Wednesday, at noon, they appeared upon a plain within two miles of Devizes. Prince Maurice returned with Lord Wilmot to the scene of action, but Lord Hertford, unused to such rapid and rough exercise as riding post from Devizes to Oxford, was so fatigued that he was unable to return with Lord Wilmot and the Prince, and, remaining a few days at Oxford to recruit his strength, he was deprived of the honour of sharing in the triumph that awaited the gallant efforts of Lord Wilmot and the Cornish army at the battle of Roundway Down.

2

Sir Arthur Haslerig's impenetrable regiment was

A curious account is given in the Parliament Scout' of a female spy :-"The Lord Marquis Hertford, not very well liking his condition, is "said to be come in person to Oxford: those foot that he had of the "country people and brought from Oxford with him molter away apace. "He hath a gallant scout in his army, one Mistress Passoway; she rides "like a country woman when she is in the Parliament army, and some"time sells rabbits and other things, but when she is in the Marquis's "army she is a colonel of horse. She was formerly with Captain Howard, "and called herself Captain Leigh. She is a Papist under the Lord "Carnarvon's command."-The Parliament Scout, No. 2, p. 11, 1643. 2 The battle of Roundway Down was fought 66 upon the same day and upon the same time of the day when the King met the Queen upon the "field near Keinton, under Edge Hill, where the battle had been fought "in October before."-Hist. of the Rebellion, vol. iv. p. 138.

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discomfited, and in time the whole body of horse was so routed and dispersed that there was not one of them to be seen on the Down. The foot soon followed, and Sir William Waller fled with a small train into Bristol.1 Bristol had already sacrificed a large part of its garrison for his assistance in this battle, and on his re-appearance, the sad messenger of his own entire discomfiture, a blow was struck upon the hopes and spirits of its inhabitants that seemed to warn them of the fate that speedily awaited their own town.

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The following accounts given by Whitelock and by May show that the Parliamentary writers fully admitted the importance of the victory at Roundway Down :-" Waller follows the King's forces, to whom Wilmot was sent with fifteen hundred horse; they both met at Roundway Down, near the Devizes, in Wiltshire, where Waller's horse, upon a panic fear, "fled and left their foot to the mercy of the enemy, who slew a great "number of them and took many prisoners, four brass guns, ammunition, “and baggage. This caused a diminution of the former fame of Waller, "which was raised up near to a competition or emulation with Essex himself, and caused some slackening of mutual succours and assistance, to "the prejudice of their common cause."-Whitelock's Memorials,' p. 67. "So great at this time were the successes which, in all parts, crowned "the King's armies, that they seemed to possess an absolute victory, and "the Parliament to be in danger of being quite ruined. On one side, the "Lord-General's army mouldered away by long sickness and other wants; "the long successful Sir William Waller quite broken in the west." May's Hist. of the Parliament of England,' p. 193.