a regiment, I joined the prince, and after
having done all we could on that side, the Scots being returned from
York, the prince returned through Lancashire to Chester.

The enemy often appeared and alarmed us, and once fell on one of our
parties, and killed us about a hundred men; but we were too many for
them to pretend to fight us, so we came to Bolton, beat the troops
of the enemy near Warrington, where I got a cut with a halberd in my
face, and arrived at Chester the beginning of August.

The Parliament, upon their great success in the north, thinking the
king's forces quite unbroken, had sent their General Essex into the
west, where the king's army was commanded by Prince Maurice, Prince
Rupert's elder brother, but not very strong; and the king being, as
they supposed, by the absence of Prince Rupert, weakened so much as
that he might be checked by Sir William Waller, who, with 4500 foot,
and 1500 horse, was at that time about Winchester, having lately
beaten Sir Ralph Hopton;--upon all these considerations, the Earl of
Essex marches westward.

The forces in the west being too weak to oppose him, everything gave
way to him, and all people expected he would besiege Exeter, where
the queen was newly lying-in, and sent a trumpet to desire he would
forbear the city, while she could be removed, which he did, and passed
on westward, took Tiverton, Bideford, Barnstaple, Launceston, relieved
Plymouth, drove Sir Richard Grenvile up into Cornwall, and followed
him thither, but left Prince Maurice behind him with 4000 men about
Barnstaple and Exeter. The king, in the meantime, marches from Oxford
into Worcester, with Waller at his heels. At Edgehill his Majesty
turns upon Waller, and gave him a brush, to put him in mind of the
place. The king goes on to Worcester, sends 300 horse to relieve
Durley Castle, besieged by the Earl of Denby, and sending part of his
forces to Bristol, returns to Oxford.

His Majesty had now firmly resolved to march into the west, not having
yet any account of our misfortunes in the north. Waller and Middleton
waylay the king at Cropredy Bridge. The king assaults Middleton at the
bridge.

Waller's men were posted with some cannon to guard a pass. Middleton's
men put a regiment of the king's foot to the rout, and pursued them.
Waller's men, willing to come in for the plunder, a thing their
general had often used them to, quit their post at the pass, and their
great guns, to have part in the vi