men as I had brought them word. A
few of them fired their pistols, when they came to the road, which was
enough to make the right wing double forward to support them without
orders. In a minute about a thousand of us were running fast after our
officers, while the Duke's aides charged down to stop us. He had decided
not to fight, probably thinking that it would do his cause no good by
killing a lot of his subjects so early in his reign. We know now that
had he made one bold attack that morning, the whole of Albemarle's
force, with the exception of a few officers, would have declared for
him. In other words we should have added to our army about a thousand
drilled armed men who knew the country through which we were to pass.
By not fighting, we discouraged our own army, who grumbled bitterly when
they found their second battle as ineffectual as the fight at Bridport.

I remember next that I saw the whole of Albemarle's troops flying for
their lives along the Chard road, flinging away their weapons as they
ran. They had the start of us; but a resolute captain could have brought
them to a stand, by pushing forward his cavalry. However "a bridge of
gold to a flying foe" is a good saying. We let them go. When our cavalry
advanced (to keep them on the move, not to fight with them) they passed
the time in collecting what the militia had flung away; about four
thousand pounds' worth of soldiers' stores, chiefly uniforms. I went
forward with the horse on that occasion. I picked up altogether about a
dozen muskets, which I gave to some of our men who were armed only with
clubs. Then I rode back to report myself ready for service to my master,
who was getting ready for camp, thinking that his men had done enough
for one day.

It was a sad waste of time. A rough camp was formed. We went no further
for that time. About half a precious day was wasted, which might have
brought us nearly to Taunton under a resolute man, sworn to conquer.
Some of our men went out to forage, which they did pretty roughly. It
was theft with violence, coloured over by some little touch of law.
The farmers who were unpopular thereabouts had their cattle driven off;
their ricks carted off; their horses stolen; their hen-roosts destroyed.
We were like an army of locusts, eating up everything as we passed. Our
promises to pay, when the King came to his own, were really additional
insult; for the people robbed knew only too well how Stuart kings kept
their pro