Singular escape of Balfour by night through the Royal quarters. Skippon capitulates.

to Polkerris, and threatened all communications w Lostwithiel.

Essex, having received tidings, on the 30th Augu of the check sustained at Bridgwater by Middlet who was coming up to his relief with a force from t side of London, and finding himself greatly straiter both for provisions and forage, resolved on making attempt to cut his way through to the coast, and ev to abandon the army, rather than adopt the alternati of falling into the King's hands. On the night of t 30th, which was dark and misty, he ordered Sir Willia Balfour, with the whole of his horse, 2500 in numb to endeavour to get unobserved through the King quarters his orders were, that if necessary, he shou demand a parley. But Balfour heard that Gorin who commanded the Royal horse, was in the midst a debauch with his boon companions, and he we boldly forward. The carousers treated the informati of his advance with ridicule, and Balfour was soon e abled to report to Essex that he was through the line On this the Parliament General sent and demanded parley, and at once, before the answer arrived, tod boat and dropped down the river to the sea-shor He embarked in a small sailing vessel, and reache Plymouth in safety on the 2nd. Major-General Skip pon, who was left in command of the infantry, marche away from Lostwithiel to Fowey, fighting all the wa with the Royal troops, which marched in pursuit; an then, finding escape impossible, he availed himself the parley that had been granted to Essex's reques and concluded terms with his adversary to yield up a their artillery and arms, excepting the swords of th officers; and that they should be conveyed to Poole, o an understanding not to serve against the King for

summons a

s summoned. But as it was well known that His against Plymouth: ajesty was not in a condition to undertake the siege, ord Roberts, the Governor, rejected the cartel; and Parliament Royal army broke up from before the place, and at Oxford. arched to Exeter, where it arrived on the 17th ugust. The King, strongly possessed with the beef that his great success against Essex would make powerful impression in his favour in the minds of is people, resolved again to march towards London; ut his army, instead of gaining strength on the arch, became thinned by desertions, so that on rriving at Chard, on the 30th September, his muster nly reached 5500 foot and 4000 horse. Waller, who ad joined the army under Middleton, as well as Balfour and his cavalry, fell back before the King without fighting; and thus on the 15th October the King reached Salisbury. He had summoned his Oxford Parliament to meet him on the 9th November, and therefore continued his march in that direction on the 22nd October. At this juncture Essex again effected a junction with the Parliamentary army, which the King vainly endeavoured to prevent. His Majesty was content therefore to detach the Earl of Northampton with three regiments to relieve Banbury Castle, which had been blockaded since July, and was nearly reduced to extremity; and in this he succeeded.

illness, re

At the critical moment when the close neighbour- Essex, dishood of the armies induced an expectation of a decisive abled by action Essex was compelled by serious indisposition to tires to quit the command, and retire to Reading. The King Reading. Charles, in the meantime advanced as far as Newbury, with a after taking view to besiege Donnington Castle. With this design Donning

ton Castle,

negotia

tions at

Spearhill, or Bucklebury Heath; and Skippon with Uxbridge. infantry fell on the King's outposts at three or four the afternoon. The contest was hotly disputed, a towards night the assailants succeeded in enteri and taking some guns, but were unable to h them; and night put an end to the struggle, whi cost 5000 killed and wounded on either side. Ne morning Manchester declined to renew the engag ment; and the King boldly ordered an assault Donnington, and succeeded in attaining possession it. Here, therefore, having placed Sir John Boys Governor, he ordered his heavy cannon and baggage protect themselves, and marched at the head of h army by Wallingford, to Oxford, where, some days late he was joined by Prince Rupert, with 3000 horse an 2000 foot. As it was known that there were at this tim considerable dissensions among the Parliamentaria leaders, the King, on the 2nd November, again sallie forth with a force of 11,000 horse and foot, to protect hi recent acquisition of Donnington Castle, before which his enemies had sat down with a force nearly double in number. But nevertheless they permitted the Castle to be relieved, and the Royalists' baggage and artillery to be removed before their eyes, when the campaign came to an end by the army taking up their winter quarters at Oxford. At this period commissioners on both sides met at Uxbridge; but as there was no serious intention on the part of the Parliamentary leaders to make peace, it is needless to say that the time expired without any such result having been obtained.

The command of

the Parlia

The King's adversaries took advantage of the same interval to remodel their army, the command of which mentary was now taken away from Essex, and committed to Fairfax, whose first resolve was to besiege the King in

army is

The King's army, when reviewed, consisted of 5000 foot and about 6000 horse; and if it had been kept together the campaign might have been crowned with better success. But the intrigues of Goring, and the representations he made to the King, that if, by the positive command of Prince Rupert, his forces had not been taken from him, he should have totally ruined Waller's army, (which, upon the late good fortune His Majesty too easily believed,) obtained so much credit from the King, that Goring was sent back into the West with directions that he should be admitted to all consultations and debates, as one of the Prince's Council. This reduced the King's army to 8000 at a time when Goring's presence would have been of the greatest use and benefit to His Majesty; which it never was after, for about the beginning of the following July he was surprised by Sir Thomas Fairfax near Lamport, and driven in such disorder to the walls of Bridgwater, that, leaving behind all his cannon, ammunition, and carriages, he fled away to Devonshire and Cornwall, and in November procured a passage into France.

his mission

There appears a little confusion in Clarendon as to Reduction the Gorings' (father and son) share in the transactions of the King's of the war. One of the name surrendered Portsmouth to army the King, the government of which had been entrusted through to him by the Parliament. "His incomparable dexte- of Goring rity and sagacity," and "his repeated treachery," are into the noted by the historian; and at the last he escapes with ring is dehis head by the casting vote of the Speaker. The name feated by Fairfax, of Goring, both as General Goring, and as Lord Goring, is more prominently connected with an unprincipled roystering character, who deserted the King's cause,

West. Go

July.

ture of his affairs on

the Battle

of Naseby.

the highest attempt of wickedness as any man i age he lived in or before." This man had a desig get appointed Lieutenant-General of the West, an his debauches had declared that if he was disappoi in this design he should be very discontented.

The King After the King had separated from Goring he takes ceeded to Evesham, and by slow and easy mar Leicester, May 31, prosecuted his way to Chester. But in Staffords 1645: pos- he was met by Lord Byron, the Governor of that who apprised him that the enemy had raised the s the eve of on information of the approach of the Royal army. was accordingly counselled to lay siege to Leices then under the command of Sir Robert Pye, wl town, however, resisted the summons of the King, on the 31st May commanded a battery to be ra against the walls, and in the space of four hours m such a breach, that a general assault was orde Twice, however, were the Royalists repulsed, unt reinforcement of horse, that happened to arrive un Colonel Page, dismounted, and armed only with th swords and pistols, got admission withinside; on wh the Governor and garrison, to the number of 12 threw down their arms and became prisoners war. The whole town, without any distinction persons, was, in an evil hour, and to the exceedi regret of the King, given over to the licence a plunder which commonly attends an assault. The ca ture of such a place, and in so short a time, add great reputation to the Royal army, insomuch th Fairfax, who had sat down to the siege of Oxford the 2nd, received orders to raise it. Before, howev the King heard of this resolve, knowing only that t young Duke of York, who remained at head-quarter "was in distress," His Majesty broke up from Leice