The HISTORY of the PuRITANS, VoL. If. K. Charles I m1nd of Sir William Balfour, bravely forced their way through the royal 1 644. quarters by nigh t; but the foot !Ynder the command of m3jor ge.neral• ~J Skippon, were. obliged to furrencier thei r arms, artillery, ammunition and baggage, con fi lling of forty brafs cannon, two hundred barrels of powder, match and ball proport ionable, (even hundred carri<Jges, and betweerr eight and nine hundred arms, and to fwear not to bear arms againfl: the king, till they came into Hampfbire. This was the greatefl: difgrace the parliament's forces under went in the courfe of the war, the foot being forceci to travel in a naked and fl:arving condition to l?ortjmouth, wher:l they were fupplied with new cloaths and arm&. And· now again, the king made offers of fuch a peace, as he fays, he had been labouring for; that is, to be refiored to his prerogatives as before the war; but the houfeJ would not fuhmit. R i(ufthe Upon the defeat of the earl of Elfex, his majelly refolved to march ditlub ,w,. reclly for London, and upon the road iifued a proclamation, September Rapin, 30. requiring all his l0vi ng fubj ects to appear in. arms, and accompany p. 2 39· him in h~s prefent expedition. This gave rile to a combination of men ·, di(\inguifhed by the name of Club-Men, who afiociated in Worcejierfhire. and Dorjet/bire, agreeing to defend themfelves againft the orders both of king and parliament. Their increafe was owing to the prodigious ravages Cha..aller of of the king's f.orces in their march. Prince Rvpert was a fiery youth, tb, king'sOf- and with his flying fquadrons of horfe, burnt towr:1s and. villages, deftroy– ficcrr. ing the countries where he came, and indulging his foldiers in plunder and Wb,cl.p.S7. olood. lil Wales he drove away the people's cattle, rifled their houfes, and fpoiled their /landing corn. Aged and unarmed people were llript naked, fome murdered in cool blood, and others half hanged and burnt, Clar. Vol. and yet fuffered to live. " Lord Goring the king's general of the horfe, Il. p. 555· " was one of the mofl: finifhed debauchees of the age, and wanted no– " thing but indullry to HJ.ake him as eminent and fuccefsful in the highefl: .... p. 537· " attempts of wickednefs as ever any man was. Wilmot the lieutenant– " general, was as great a debauchee as the other, and had no more re– " gard to his promifes, or any rules of honour or integrity." Sir Richard Greenvil!e, who commanded the army before Plymouth, is reprefented by th:: noble niftorian, _as having been e:x<ceeding barbarous and cruel in Ireland, hanging up old men and women of quality, even though they were bed-rid, if he did not find the plunder he expected; when he came into the Wefl, he exe~cifed all kind s of cruelty, and would, fometimes Ib.p. 534· I h make one of the company hang a I t e reft, contrary to the law of arms. Ami foldim. The licentioufnefs of the king's f9ldiers, was not inferior to that of their officers, for having no regular pay, they committed rapines and plunders, without difl:inction of friends or foes; and were infamous for the
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