l 11.]
[Sidenote g: A.D. 1644. April 23.]

to York. He was quickly followed by the Scots; they were joined by Fairfax,
and the combined army sat down before the city. Newcastle at first despised
their attempts; but the arrival[a] of fourteen thousand parliamentarians,
under the earl of Manchester, convinced him of his danger, and he earnestly
solicited[b] succour from the king.[1]

But, instead of proceeding with the military transactions in the north, it
will here be necessary to advert to those which had taken place in other
parts of the kingdom. In the counties on the southern coast several
actions had been fought, of which, the success was various, and the result
unimportant. Every eye fixed itself on the two grand armies in the vicinity
of Oxford and London. The parliament had professed a resolution to stake
the fortune of the cause on one great and decisive battle; and, with this
view, every effort had been made to raise the forces of Essex and Waller to
the amount of twenty thousand men. These generals marched in two separate
corps, with the hope of enclosing the king, or of besieging him in
Oxford.[2] Aware of his inferiority, Charles, by a skilful manoeuvre,

[Footnote 1: Rushworth, v. 222. Baillie, ii. 1, 6, 10, 28, 32. Journals,
522.]

[Footnote 2: When Essex left London he requested the assembly of divines to
keep a fast for his success. The reader may learn from Baillie how it was
celebrated. "We spent from nine to five graciously. After Dr. Twisse had
begun with a brief prayer, Mr. Marshall prayed large two hours, most
divinely confessing the sins of the members of the assembly in a wonderful,
pathetick, and prudent way. After Mr. Arrowsmith preached an hour, then a
psalm; thereafter Mr. Vines prayed near two hours, and Mr. Palmer preached
an hour, and Mr. Seaman prayed near two hours, then a psalm; after Mr.
Henderson brought them to a sweet conference of the heat confessed in the
assembly, and other seen faults to be remedied, and the conveniency to
preach against all sects, especially Anabaptists and Antinomians. Dr.
Twisse closed with a short prayer and blessing. God was so evidently in all
this exercise, that we expect certainly a blessing."--Baillie, ii. 18, 19.]

[Sidenote a: A.D. 1644. April 20.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1644. June 3.]

passed with seven thousand men between the hostile divisions, and arrived
in safety at Worcester.[a] The jealousy of the commanders did not allow
them to act in conc