article which was deemed so ignominious and so prejudicial to the king's interests, that the governor was tried by a council of war and condemned to death. His sentence was afterwards remitted by the king.

In the north, lord Fairfax commanded for the parliament, and the earl of Newcastle for the king. The latter began those associations which were afterwards so much practised in other parts of the kingdom. He engaged several counties to unite in a league for the king; and finding that Fairfax, assisted by Hotham and the garrison of Hull, was making progress in the southern parts of Yorkshire, he advanced with a body of four thousand men, and took possession of York. At Tadcaster he attacked and dislodged the forces of the parliament, but his victory was not decisive. In other rencounters he obtained some inconsiderable advantages, which, however, had an important result, as they established the king's authority in all the northern provinces.

About this time sir William Waller began to signalize himself among the best generals of the parliament. After taking Winchester and Chichester, he defeated lord Herbert, who, with a considerable body of Welch troops had laid siege to Gloucester. But the most glorious achievements were performed in the west. In Cornwall, sir Bevil Granville, the man most beloved in that county, sir Ralph Hopton, sir Nicholas Stanning, Arundel, and Trevannion, raised at their own expense an army for the king. The parliament, alarmed at this intelligence, ordered Ruthven, governor of Plymouth, to march with all the forces of Dorset, Somerset, and Devon, and make an entire conquest -of Cornwall. The earl of Stamford followed him at some distance with a considerable supply. Before their junction, the royalists hastened to Bradocdown, where they met Ruthven, and though in

ferior in number, gave a complete defeat to the enemy. However, the extreme want of money and ammunition, under which the Cornish royalists laboured, obliged them to enter into a convention of neutrality with the parliamentary party in Devonshire. This convention held all the winter. In the spring it was broken by an order of the two houses, and war recommenced with great appearance of disadvantage to the king's party. Stamford having assembled a strong body of nearly seven thousand men, well supplied with money, provisions, and ammunition, advanced upon the royalists who were not half his number, and were oppressed by every kind of necessity. But despair, joined to the natural gallantry of these troops, made them resolve to overcome all these disadvantages. Stamford being encamped on the top of a high hill near Stratton, they attacked him in four divisions, at five in the morning (16th May), after having lain all night under arms. They pressed with vigour those four ways up to the hill, and the enemy obstinately defended themselves. The fight continued with doubtful success, till word was brought to the Cornish chief officers, that all their ammunition was spent except four barrels of powder. This defect, which they concealed from the soldiers, was soon supplied by their valour. They commanded their troops to advance without firing till they should reach the top of the hill, and their courage was so well seconded by the soldiers that the royalists began on all sides to gain ground. The enemy began to fall back, and their general being taken prisoner, they gave ground apace, insomuch that the four columns of the royalists at length met together upon the plain at the top, where they embraced with great joy and signalized their victory with loud shouts and mutual congratulations.

After this success, the attention both of king and

parliament was turned towards the west. The marquis of Hertford and prince Maurice having joined the Cornish army with a reinforcement of cavalry, over ran the county of Devon and began to reduce that of Somerset to obedience, when sir William Waller with a complete army was dispatched westward, in order to check the progress of the royalists. The two armies met at Lansdown, near Bath, and fought a pitched battle (July 5th) with great loss on both sides, but without any decisive result. The royalists next attempted to march eastwards, and join the king's forces at Oxford; but Waller hung on their rear and annoyed their march till they reached the Devizes. Reinforced by additional troops which flocked to him from all quarters, his army was so superior to that of the royalists that they durst no longer continue their march, or risk an engagement. It was resolved that Hertford and prince Maurice should proceed with the cavalry; and having procured reinforcements from the king, should hasten back to the relief of the brave Cornish. Waller was so confident of taking this body of infantry, now abandoned by the horse, that he wrote to the parliament that their work was done, and that by the next post he would inform them of the number and quality of the prisoners. But the king, even before Hertford's arrival, hearing of the great difficulties to which his western army was reduced, had prepared a considerable body of cavalry, which he immediately dispatched to their succour, under the command of lord Wilmot. Waller advancing with his cavalry to fight Wilmot and prevent his junction with the Cornish army, was vigorously received by the royalists. After a sharp action he was totally routed, and flying with a few horse, escaped to Bristol (July 13). Wilmot, seizing the enemy's cannon, and having joined the Cornish,

attacked Waller's infantry with redoubled courage, and routed and dispersed the whole army.

This important victory struck the parliament with great dismay, which soon after was increased by the issue of a skirmish in which fell the celebrated Hambden, an eminent personage of the most distinguished talents and valour, and whose virtue and integrity in all the duties of private life are allowed to have been beyond exception; happy if his generous zeal for liberty had not degenerated into so violent a democratical fanaticism, as to impel him to seek, through all the horrors of civil war, the abolition of monarchy and subversion of the constitution; an end which, had it been attainable even by peaceful measures, ought carefully to have been avoided by every true lover of his country. It must not be omitted that Charles himself, to whom Hambden was one of the most dangerous enemies, so highly valued him, that either from policy, or rather from an impulse of that magnanimous generosity, not uncommon among princes whose characters are really suitable to their rank, as soon as he heard that Hambden was dangerously wounded, intended to have sent his own surgeon to assist at his cure.

Essex, dismayed by the total rout of Waller, was farther informed that the queen, who landed in Burlington bay, had arrived at Oxford, and had brought from the north a reinforcement of three. thousand foot, and fifteen hundred horse. On this intelligence he thought it prudent to retreat nearer to London. The king, freed from this enemy, sent, his army westward under prince Rupert, who resolved to lay siege to Bristol, the second town in England for riches and population. They carried the sub urbs, though with considerable loss, and the town so 'n after surrendered. This important success sprea d such an alarm among the rebels, that several of t he royalists proposed to march to the

capital. But this enterprise was laid aside on account of the force of the militia. Gloucester lying within twenty miles, presented an easier yet a very important conquest. It was the only remaining garrison possessed by parliament in those parts. Could that city be reduced, the king held the whole course of the Severn under his command; an open communication with Wales could be preserved; and half of the kingdom thus united in one. firm body, might be employed in re-establishing the king's authority throughout the remainder. These were the reasons upon which the siege of Gloucester, fatal as it was ever esteemed to the king's party, was undertaken.

The governor of that place was one Massey, a soldier of fortune, who before he engaged with the parliament had offered his service to the king: it was therefore presumed that he would lend an ear to proposals for accommodation. Summons to surrender was accordingly sent to him, and two hours only allowed for an answer. But before that time was expired, two citizens of the meanest and most ridiculous appearance, came before the king, and said in a pert, shrill, and undismayed accent, that they brought an answer from the godly city of Gloucester, and that they were determined to keep the city for the parliament. The siege was immediately commenced, and both parties displayed the greatest vigour and obstinacy.

In the beginning of the summer, Edmund Waller, the first reformer of English poetry, and a mem→ ber of the lower house, had formed a combination to oblige the parliament to accept of reasonable terms and restore peace to the nation. For the execution of this project he principally depended on his influence in the city, where great numbers had already engaged to forward his scheme, when it was betrayed to Pym. Waller and two of his associates