Chap. JU. The HIS T 0 RY of the PuRITANs. 77 the mofl: execrable o.1 ths, and all kinds of impiety. " Lord Goring's K. Charles I1 "horfe (fays the noble hifiorian) committed horrid outrag~s and barba- ~..__;.~ ' ' rites in Hampjbire, and infefl:t>d the borders of Do1jetjhtre, Somerflt- clar. p. 63r. "jl irr, anrl De·von, with unheard of rapines, [Q th~t the people who " were well devoted to the king, wifhed for the acce!hon of any torces to « redeem them.'' They raifed va!l: contributions in feveral counties, without any other pretence but the king's fovereign pleafure. In C?rn- Clar. p. 643; wall they levied (even hundred pounds a week; in Devonjhire two thoufand two hundred pounds a week, and proportionable in other partE. As the army marched along the country, they feized the farmers horfes, and carried them away without any conGderation. At Barnftable they plundered the town, and hanged the mayor, though it was furrendered upon articles. At Evejbmn the king fent the mayor and aldermen prifoners to Oxford. At Woodhoufe in Devonjbire, they feized fourteen fubfiantial weft-country clothiers, who were not in arms, and hanged them, by way of repri(qJ for fome irifh rebels, that had been executed accord ing to the ordinance of parliament. In fhort, whereever they came they !.ived at free-quarter, and took but every thing they could, and therefor-e no wonder the Club Men united in their own defence; The king thought to have reached London before the parliament could Batt!i ifr recruit their army, but the two houfes fent immediately fi}ll thoufand Ncwbu.ry•. arms, and a train of artillery to Por(fmouth, with new clothing for the Cornijb foldiers. They ordered Sir William Wailer and the earl of Mancbejter to-join them, and difpatched thither five thoufand of the city tmin-bands, . under the command of Sir James Harrington, by which acceffion they were enabled to face his maje!l:y's army at Newhury O!Joher 27, and having forced the town,, which the king had fortified, after a fmart en-– gagement they took nine of hi& canon and feveral colours, but under covert of the night, his maje!l:y fecured the re!l:·of his artillery in Dennington-Ca.f tie, and retreated with his broken, army to Oxford; the parliament gene-- rals left a body of troops to block up the ca!l:Ie, being aifured it mufl furrender in the winter for want of provilion ; when on a fudden a party of the king's horfe raifed the blockade, and carried off the artillery to Ox"' ford. This occafioned great murmurings at London, and quarrels among _ the generals, EJTex, f.1ancbejter, and Crom~IJel, which ended in the new modelling of the army, as will be feen under the next year•. v;:hile the royal army was little better than a company of banditti, or Character of ' pubhc robbers; the parliament's were kept under the firicte!l: difcipline, tbepar/ia– and grew up, for the mofl: part, into great diligence and fobriety, which vc~t 'irtY· (lays Lord Clare~1don) begot courage and refolution in them, and notable 3 8',4. · P· - dextenty 111 atchrevements and exercifes. Mo!l: of their officers were men of religion; th~ir folcliers poifeifed .with a belief, that their caufe was the caufl
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