n absolutely master of Scotland
in a fortnight's time; but Montrose was too confident, and defied them
all, till at last they got their forces together, and Leslie with his
horse out of England, and worsted him in two or three encounters, and
then never left him till they drove him out of Scotland.

While his Majesty stayed at Worcester, several messengers came to him
from Cheshire for relief, being exceedingly straitened by the forces
of the Parliament; in order to which the king marched, but Shrewsbury
being in the enemy's hands, he was obliged to go round by Ludlow,
where he was joined by some foot out of Wales. I took this opportunity
to ask his Majesty's leave to go by Shrewsbury to my father's,
and, taking only two servants, I left the army two days before they
marched.

This was the most unsoldier-like action that ever I was guilty of, to
go out of the army to pay a visit when a time of action was just at
hand; and, though I protest I had not the least intimation, no, not
from my own thoughts, that the army would engage, at least before they
came to Chester, before which I intended to meet them, yet it looked
so ill, so like an excuse or a sham of cowardice, or disaffection to
the cause and to my master's interest, or something I know not what,
that I could not bear to think of it, nor never had the heart to see
the king's face after it.

From Ludlow the king marched to relieve Chester. Poyntz, who commanded
the Parliament's forces, follows the king, with design to join with
the forces before Chester, under Colonel Jones, before the king could
come up. To that end Poyntz passes through Shrewsbury the day that the
king marched from Ludlow; yet the king's forces got the start of him,
and forced him to engage. Had the king engaged him but three hours
sooner, and consequently farther off from Chester, he had ruined him,
for Poyntz's men, not able to stand the shock of the king's horse,
gave ground, and would in half-an-hour more have been beaten out of
the field; but Colonel Jones, with a strong party from the camp, which
was within two miles; comes up in the heat of the action, falls on in
the king's rear, and turned the scale of the day. The body was, after
an obstinate fight, defeated, and a great many gentlemen of quality
killed and taken prisoners. The Earl of Lichfield was of the number of
the former, and sixty-seven officers of the latter, with 1000 others.
The king, with about 500 horse, got into Chester,