n, and crowd, that cluttered
away to be out of harm's way, looked little better than a rout. And I
was persuaded a good home charge from our horse would have sent their
whole army after them. But so it was, that this crowd of an army was
to triumph over us, and they did it, for all the kingdom was carefully
informed how their dreadful looks had frightened us away.

Upon our retreat, the Parliament resent this attack, which they call
treacherous, and vote no accommodation; but they considered of it
afterwards, and sent six commissioners to the king with propositions.
But the change of the scene of action changed the terms of peace, and
now they made terms like conquerors, petition him to desert his army,
and return to the Parliament, and the like. Had his Majesty, at the
head of his army, with the full reputation they had before, and in the
ebb of their affairs, rested at Windsor, and commenced a treaty, they
had certainly made more reasonable proposals; but now the scabbard
seemed to be thrown away on both sides.

The rest of the winter was spent in strengthening parties and places,
also in fruitless treaties of peace, messages, remonstrances, and
paper war on both sides, and no action remarkable happened anywhere
that I remember. Yet the king gained ground everywhere, and his forces
in the north increased under the Earl of Newcastle; also my Lord
Goring, then only called Colonel Goring, arrived from Holland,
bringing three ships laden with arms and ammunition, and notice that
the queen was following with more. Goring brought 4000 barrels of
gunpowder, and 20,000 small arms; all which came very seasonably, for
the king was in great want of them, especially the powder. Upon this
recruit the Earl of Newcastle draws down to York, and being above
16,000 strong, made Sir Thomas Fairfax give ground, and retreat to
Hull.

Whoever lay still, Prince Rupert was always abroad, and I chose to go
out with his Highness as often as I had opportunity, for hitherto he
was always successful. About this time the prince being at Oxford, I
gave him intelligence of a party of the enemy who lived a little at
large, too much for good soldiers, about Cirencester. The prince, glad
of the news, resolved to attack them, and though it was a wet season,
and the ways exceeding bad, being in February, yet we marched all
night in the dark, which occasioned the loss of some horses and
men too, in sloughs and holes, which the darkness of the night had