ed to
raise the siege by Sir Thomas Fairfax; and the foot having yielded,
the horse made good their retreat to Chester, being about 2000, of
whom three regiments now joined us. We received also 2000 foot from
West Chester, and 2000 more out of Wales, and with this strength we
entered Lancashire. We had not much time to spend, and a great deal of
work to do.

Bolton and Liverpool felt the first fury of our prince; at Bolton,
indeed, he had some provocation, for here we were like to be beaten
off. When first the prince came to the town, he sent a summons to
demand the town for the king, but received no answer but from their
guns, commanding the messenger to keep off at his peril. They had
raised some works about the town, and having by their intelligence
learnt that we had no artillery, and were only a flying party (so they
called us), they contemned the summons, and showed themselves upon
their ramparts, ready for us. The prince was resolved to humble them,
if possible, and takes up his quarters close to the town. In the
evening he orders me to advance with one regiment of dragoons and my
horse, to bring them off, if occasion was, and to post myself as near
as possible I could to the lines, yet so as not to be discovered;
and at the same time, having concluded what part of the works to fall
upon, he draws up his men on two other sides, as if he would storm
them there; and, on a signal, I was to begin the real assault on my
side with my dragoons.

I had got so near the town with my dragoons, making them creep upon
their bellies a great way, that we could hear the soldiers talk on the
walls, when the prince, believing one regiment would be too few, sends
me word that he had ordered a regiment of foot to help, and that I
should not discover myself till they were come up to me. This broke
our measures, for the march of this regiment was discovered by the
enemy, and they took the alarm. Upon this I sent to the prince, to
desire he would put off the storm for that night, and I would answer
for it the next day; but the prince was impatient, and sent orders we
should fall on as soon as the foot came up to us. The foot marched out
of the way, missed us, and fell in with a road that leads to another
part of the town; and being not able to find us, make an attack
upon the town themselves; but the defendants, being ready for them,
received them very warmly, and beat them off with great loss.

I was at a loss now what to do; for