s body of infantry, now abandoned by the horse, that he wrote
to the parliament that their work was done, and that by the next post
he would inform them of the number and quality of the prisoners. But the
king, even before Hertford's arrival, hearing of the great difficulties
to which his western army was reduced, had prepared a considerable body
of cavalry, which he immediately despatched to their succor under the
command of Lord Wilmot. Waller drew up on Roundway Down, about two miles
from the Devizes, and advancing with his cavalry to fight Wilmot, and
prevent his conjunction with the Cornish infantry, was received with
equal valor by the royalists. After a sharp action, he was totally
routed, and flying with a few horse, escaped to Bristol. Wilmot, seizing
the enemy's cannon, and having joined his friends whom he came to
relieve, attacked Waller's infantry with redoubled courage, drove them
off the field, and routed and dispersed the whole army.[*]

* Rush. vol. vi. p. 285. Clarendoo. vol. iii. p. 29l.

This important victory, following so quick after many other successes,
struck great dismay into the parliament, and gave an alarm to their
principal army, commanded by Essex. Waller exclaimed loudly against
that general, for allowing Wilmot to pass him, and proceed without any
interruption to the succor of the distressed infantry at the Devizes.
But Essex, finding that his army fell continually to decay after the
siege of Reading, was resolved to remain upon the defensive; and the
weakness of the king, and his want of all military stores, had also
restrained the activity of the royal army. No action had happened in
that part of England, except one skirmish, which of itself was of no
great consequence, and was rendered memorable by the death alone of the
famous Hambden.

Colonel Urrey, a Scotchman, who served in the parliamentary army, having
received some disgust, came to Oxford and offered his services to the
king. In order to prove the sincerity of his conversion, he informed
Prince Rupert of the loose disposition of the enemy's quarters, and
exhorted him to form some attempt upon them. The prince, who was
entirely fitted for that kind of service, falling suddenly upon the
dispersed bodies of Essex's army, routed two regiments of cavalry
and one of infantry, and carried his ravages within two miles of
the general's quarters. The alarm being given, every one mounted on
horseback, in order to pursue the prince