h 1655, by the Royalist party in various parts of
England,--Yorkshire, Shropshire, Nottinghamshire, Devon and Wilts,' and
also in North Wales. 'Wilmot, about this time created Earl of Rochester,
came over to England' to head the enterprise, 'accompanied by Sir J.
Wagstaff. Charles II., who had spent the winter at Cologne, now came
privately to Middleburg in Holland, that he might be ready to pass over
to England, if the condition of affairs authorized such a measure. The
activity of Cromwell and his assistants speedily defeated these
multiplied intrigues. It does not appear that hostilities anywhere were
actually commenced, except in Yorkshire and the West of England.'

As historians persist that on Marston Moor, the scene of the
'hostilities' in Yorkshire, an actual affray occurred,--Carlyle throws
in 'a few shots fired';--we must turn to the 'Perfect Proceedings' News
Letter, of March 1655, for a truer description of that event:--

'York. The 8th of March instant, there was a meeting
appointed by the Malignants in Yorkshire to surprise York
City. To that end a party was to come on the west side of
the City, where Sir Richard Malliverer, with divers others,
was on their March. About 100 horse came with a cart load of
arms and ammunition to Hessey (i. e. Marston) Moor. And at
the wynd-mill upon the Moor there came some intelligence,
that a party, that sh'd' have come on the other side of the
City, was not ready that night. And more company failing,
which they expected to meet them that night upon the Moor
they suddenly and disorderly retreated; some Pistols was
scattered and found next morning, and a led horse, with a
velvet saddle, left in Skipbrig Lane, which was found next
day.'

In Wiltshire, however, the Royalists effected a brief revolt, an
incident which the following quotation from Carlyle will readily recall
to mind:--

'Sunday, March 11th, 1655, in the City of Salisbury, about
midnight, there occurs a thing worth noting. Salisbury was
awakened from its slumbers by a real advent of Cavaliers.
Sir John Wagstaff, "a jolly knight" of those parts, once a
Royalist Colonel: he, with Squire, or Major Penruddock, "a
gentleman of fair fortune," Squire, or Major Grove, and
about two hundred others, did actually rendezvous in arms
about the Big Steeple, that Sunday night, and ring a loud
alarm in those