ctory. The king coming in seasonably
to the relief of his men, routs Middleton, and at the same time sends
a party round, who clapped in between Sir William Waller's men and
their great guns, and secured the pass and the cannon too. The
king took three colonels, besides other officers, and about 300 men
prisoners, with eight great guns, nineteen carriages of ammunition,
and killed about 200 men.

Waller lost his reputation in this fight, and was exceedingly slighted
ever after, even by his own party; but especially by such as were
of General Essex's party, between whom and Waller there had been
jealousies and misunderstandings for some time.

The king, about 8000 strong, marched on to Bristol, where Sir William
Hopton joined him, and from thence he follows Essex into Cornwall.
Essex still following Grenvile, the king comes to Exeter, and joining
with Prince Maurice, resolves to pursue Essex; and now the Earl of
Essex began to see his mistake, being cooped up between two seas,
the king's army in his rear, the country his enemy, and Sir Richard
Grenvile in his van.

The king, who always took the best measures when he was left to his
own counsel, wisely refuses to engage, though superior in number, and
much stronger in horse. Essex often drew out to fight, but the king
fortifies, takes the passes and bridges, plants cannon, and secures
the country to keep off provisions, and continually straitens their
quarters, but would not fight.

Now Essex sends away to the Parliament for help, and they write to
Waller, and Middleton, and Manchester to follow, and come up with
the king in his rear; but some were too far off, and could not, as
Manchester and Fairfax; others made no haste, as having no mind to it,
as Waller and Middleton, and if they had, it had been too late.

At last the Earl of Essex, finding nothing to be done, and unwilling
to fall into the king's hands, takes shipping, and leaves his army to
shift for themselves. The horse, under Sir William Balfour, the
best horse officer, and, without comparison, the bravest in all the
Parliament army, advanced in small parties, as if to skirmish, but
following in with the whole body, being 3500 horse, broke through, and
got off. Though this was a loss to the king's victory, yet the foot
were now in a condition so much the worse. Brave old Skippon proposed
to fight through with the foot and die, as he called it, like
Englishmen, with sword in hand; but the rest of the offic