[1]
In the meantime Waller had reduced Portsmouth,[b] while Essex concentrated
his force, amounting to fifteen thousand men, in the vicinity of
Northampton. He received orders from the houses to rescue, by force[c] if
it were necessary, the persons of the king, the prince, and the duke of
York, from the hands of those desperate men by whom they were surrounded,
to offer a free pardon to all who, within ten days, should return to their
duty, and to forward to the king a petition that he would separate himself
from his evil counsellors, and rely once more on the loyalty of his
parliament. From Northampton Essex hastened to[d] Worcester to oppose the
advance of the royal army.
At Nottingham the king could muster no more than six thousand men; he left
Shrewsbury at the head of[e] thrice that number. By a succession of skilful
manoeuvres
[Footnote 1: Clarendon, ii. 16. Rushworth, v. 20, 21. Journals, v.
376,418.]
[Sidenote b: A.D. 1642. Oct. 22.]
[Sidenote c: A.D. 1642. Sept. 9.]
[Sidenote d: A.D. 1642. Sept. 16.]
[Sidenote e: A.D. 1642. Sept. 23.]
[Sidenote f: A.D. 1642. Oct. 12.]
he contrived to elude the vigilance of the enemy; and had advanced two
days' march on the road to the metropolis before Essex became aware of his
object.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33