rge with fresh men, and then they
were rather cut in pieces than beaten; for they stood with their pikes
charged every way to the last extremity.

In this condition, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, we saw the
king rallying his horse, and preparing to renew the fight; and our wing
of horse coming up to him, gave him opportunity to draw up a large body
of horse; so large, that all the enemy's horse facing us, stood still
and looked on, but did not think fit to charge us, till their foot, who
had entirely broken our main battle, were put into order again, and
brought up to us.

The officers about the king advised his majesty rather to draw off; for,
since our foot were lost, it would be too much odds to expose the horse
to the fury of their whole army, and would be but sacrificing his best
troops, without any hopes of success.

The king, though with great regret at the loss of his foot, yet seeing
there was no other hope, took this advice, and retreated in good order
to Harborough, and from thence to Leicester.

This was the occasion of the enemy having so great a number of
prisoners; for the horse being thus gone off, the foot had no means
to make their retreat, and were obliged to yield themselves.
Commissary-General Ireton being taken by a captain of foot, makes the
captain his prisoner, to save his life, and gives him his liberty for
his courtesy before.

Cromwell and Roseter, with all the enemy's horse, followed us as far as
Leicester, and killed all that they could lay hold on straggling from
the body, but durst not attempt to charge us in a body. The
king expecting the enemy would come to Leicester, removes to
Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where we had some time to recollect ourselves.

This was the most fatal action of the whole war; not so much for the
loss of our cannon, ammunition, and baggage, of which the enemy boasted
so much, but as it was impossible for the king ever to retrieve it. The
foot, the best that he was ever master of, could never be supplied; his
army in the west was exposed to certain ruin; the north overrun with the
Scots; in short, the case grew desperate, and the king was once upon the
point of bidding us all disband, and shift for ourselves.

We lost in this fight not above two thousand slain, and the parliament
near as many, but the prisoners were a great number; the whole body of
foot being, as I have said, dispersed, there were four thousand five
hundred prisoners, besides four hundr