CHAPTER XVII. LIFE OF ROBERT, THIRD EARL OF ESSEX- continued. GOOD CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE OF ESSEX'S ARMY COMPARED WITH OTHERS. THE QUEEN LEAVES EXETER. - LETTERS REPORTING THE COUNCIL OF WAR DE THE ADVANCE INTO DEVONSHIRE. TERMINES TO GO INTO CORNWALL. ESSEX IS PURSUED BY THE MOVEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF ESSEX. -THE KING WRITES BLOCKADE OF THE REBEL ARMY IN LESTWITHIEL KING. ONE of the causes of complaint which Lord Essex had against Sir William Waller, was, what he termed, raising contributions from the country, in other words, plundering. We have already seen how careful Essex was to mitigate the horrors and miseries of war in this respect, even to the occasional discontenting of his troops; and we have it on the authority of Lord Clarendon, that by "his great civility and affability towards all men, and the very good discipline in his army, he wrought 66 very much upon the people, insomuch that his "forces rather increased than diminished. It can "hardly be imagined how great a difference there "was in the humor, disposition, and manner of the army under Essex, and the other under Waller, in "their behaviour and humanity towards the people, "and, consequently, in the reception they found among them." It is not at all improbable that, แ among his other reasons for undertaking the Western service himself, Essex may have been influenced by a desire to spare the inhabitants of that part of the country, as yet comparatively untouched, from the tender mercies of Waller and his "ungentlemanly "and barbarous " troops. The Queen had some time previously been sent to Exeter for security, where, on the 16th June, she gave birth to a Princess.1 On hearing of the advance of Essex, she sent to him for a safe-conduct to Bath or Bristol; to which he replied, that if Her Majesty pleased, he would not only give her a safe-conduct, but accompany her himself to London, where she might have the best advice for her health, but as for the other places, without directions from the Parliament, he could not comply with Her Majesty's desires. Henrietta declined to avail herself of the Earl's obliging offer, and shortly afterwards proceeded to Falmouth, and embarked for France. The letters of Lord Essex will best relate his proceedings during his advance towards Exeter. No. LXXI.2 Essex to the Committee of both Kingdoms. My Lords and Gentlemen, -Part of the enemy's forces having been against Barnstaple, the success whereof your Lordships will see by the enclosed, hath caused me to send a party of horse and foot for their relief, and I am advancing with the rest of the body myself to Tiverton, and so to steer my course according to the intelligence I have from them. 1 Afterwards Duchess of Orleans. 2 S. P. O. Her Majesty has left Exeter, and, as my intelligence is, bends for Pendennis Castle, and Prince Maurice has left Kerton, and goes farther towards Cornwall. Unless necessity compels me, I shall be forced to stay some short time hereabouts, to raise the country, and to furnish the army with what your Lordships have said is coming down; wherein I intend to expect their love, rather than use much exaction, knowing that it is much more for the service of the Parliament to gain their affection, than using any compulsory way. I find a great affection in the country to the Parliament, and to free themselves from their Egyptian slavery; but there is a great want of arms, and the gentlemen being not yet come down from London, which would be a great encouragement to them. Here is yet but few of the gentlemen of power, but Col. Were, whom I find both very ready and well beloved in the county. In a short time I shall be ready to give you a more exact account of our affairs than now I can. Your humble servant, Collumpton, 3rd July, 1644. No. LXXII.1 Essex to the Committee of both Kingdoms. ESSEX. My Lords and Gentlemen,-Although the counties of Somerset and Devon shew great affection for the Parliament, and to be rid of the Egyptian slavery, yet there are two things great hindrances to the aid we should have of the country. The first is their desire to serve under their own countrymen, and not to be listed in my army, and those few country gentlemen that are here wanting arms to arm them; so that although there be multitudes of bodies of men appear, yet little use can be made of them for the present, till arms and the gentlemen who have the power over them be come 1 S. P. O. down. The second is, the garrisons of the enemy keep the country greatly in awe, both for hindering of contribution, and their rising in Somersetshire, Bristol, Bridgewater, Castle of Taunton, and Castle of Dunster. For the preventing of these inconveniences I have taken the best care I can, my army being much divided; the Lord Roberts being still with three regiments of foot and two of horse at Barnstaple; a regiment of foot and a troop of horse at Weymouth; Sir Robt. Pye with three troops of horse at Taunton, to secure Lieut. Col. Blake in raising of Col. Popham's regiment, and to prevent mischief by the castle. Sir Robt. Pye, with his great care and industry, hath reduced the Castle of Taunton. I shall forbear to write any particulars of it to you, herein being enclosed the articles of surrender, and what was found in the castle; it being so well provided, that, next to the blessing of God, nothing but their own panic fears could have made us masters of it, which is of great concernment to us, it being the only strength we have in these two counties. As soon as the convoy is returned which is sent to Lyme for the money, I hope we shall give a good account of our forwardness to serve the Parliament, and not to neglect any care or hazard that may reduce these parts to the full subjection of the Parliament. Until of late, that necessity hath pressed the army for want of pay, I am confident never people suffered less by an army whilst I could make any shift for their subsistence; but I must confess this country hath suffered somewhat of late for want of the soldiers' pay; but now money is coming down, I doubt not but the countries will find it rather an ease than a burthen by the army. When the convoy brought those few to Bridgewater which were left, the commanders there sent out this scandalous relation concerning the armies in the North, by which you may see they have no way to keep their plundering army on foot, but by raising those lying reports; and yet that part which concerns Cols. Popham and Ludlow, though the strength they are said to have was false, yet the want was too true: the design I was ignorant of, I never having heard from them since Sir Will. Waller's brigade and I parted. My Lords, I must crave pardon for my tediousness, and rest your humble servant, Tiverton, 10th July, 1644. ESSEX. 2 No. LXXIII.1 Essex to the Committee of both Kingdoms. My Lords and Gentlemen,-I must take it as a great favor from you the importing to me the news of the great victory obtained in the North, which is a great comfort to all honest men, and a terror to the malignant. And yet they have the impudence to make triumphs in all their quarters, especially at Exeter, and give it out that the triumph which I made here was only to deceive the country. Whereupon I sent them the information that came from his Excy. the Earl of Leven and the rest of the commanders-in-chief there, with this offer to Sir John Berkeley and the rest of the Council of War at Exeter, that if their news proved true of the routing of our forces the 2nd of this month, I would pass my honor to deliver up Weymouth and Melcombe Regis into their hands, so that the chief commanders in the West would engage themselves, upon their honors, that if Prince Rupert were routed the same day, they would deliver into my hands, for the Parliament's use, Exeter; which I sent yesterday by a trumpeter, being our public day of thanksgiving, who is not yet returned—I being unwilling to 1 S. P. O. 2 The great victory was that of Marston Moor, fought on the 2nd July, in which Prince Rupert was defeated with immense loss by the English and Scots armies under Manchester, Fairfax, and Leven. |