le for the rest; which they did, and
breaking open the doors, they killed all they found there, without
distinction; and I appeal to the world if they were to blame. If the
Parliament committee, or the Scots deputies were here, they ought to
have been quiet, since the town was taken; but they began with us,
and, I think, brought it upon themselves. This is the whole case, so
far as came within my knowledge, for which his Majesty was so much
abused.

We took here Colonel Gray and Captain Hacker, and about 300 prisoners,
and about 300 more were killed. This was the last day of May 1645.

His Majesty having given over Oxford for lost, continued here some
days, viewed the town, ordered the fortifications to be augmented,
and prepares to make it the seat of war. But the Parliament, roused at
this appearance of the king's army, orders their general to raise the
siege of Oxford, where the garrison had, in a sally, ruined some of
their works, and killed them 150 men, taking several prisoners, and
carrying them with them into the city; and orders him to march towards
Leicester, to observe the king.

The king had now a small, but gallant army, all brave tried soldiers,
and seemed eager to engage the new-modelled army; and his Majesty,
hearing that Sir Thomas Fairfax, having raised the siege of Oxford,
advanced towards him, fairly saves him the trouble of a long march,
and meets him half way.

The army lay at Daventry, and Fairfax at Towcester, about eight miles
off. Here the king sends away 600 horse, with 3000 head of cattle, to
relieve his people in Oxford; the cattle he might have spared better
than the men. The king having thus victualled Oxford, changes his
resolution of fighting Fairfax, to whom Cromwell was now joined with
4000 men, or was within a day's march, and marches northward. This
was unhappy counsel, because late given. Had we marched northward
at first, we had done it; but thus it was. Now we marched with a
triumphing enemy at our heels, and at Naseby their advanced parties
attacked our rear. The king, upon this, alters his resolution again,
and resolves to fight, and at midnight calls us up at Harborough to
come to a council of war. Fate and the king's opinion determined the
council of war; and 'twas resolved to fight. Accordingly the van, in
which was Prince Rupert's brigade of horse, of which my regiment was a
part, counter-marched early in the morning.

By five o'clock in the morning, the whole army, in