troops of horse on every
side upon us like hounds started at a fresh stag. Leslie, with the
Scots, and a strong body followed in our rear, Major-General Poyntz,
Sir John Gell, Colonel Rossiter, and others in our way; they pretended
to be 10,000 horse, and yet never durst face us. The Scots made one
attempt upon a troop which stayed a little behind, and took some
prisoners; but when a regiment of our horse faced them they retired.
At a village near Lichfield another party of about 1000 horse attacked
my regiment. We were on the left of the army, and at a little too
far a distance. I happened to be with the king at that time, and
my lieutenant-colonel with me, so that the major had charge of the
regiment. He made a very handsome defence, but sent messengers for
speedy relief. We were on a march, and therefore all ready, and the
king orders me a regiment of dragoons and 300 horse, and the body
halted to bring us off, not knowing how strong the enemy might be.
When I came to the place I found my major hard laid to, but fighting
like a lion. The enemy had broke in upon him in two places, and had
routed one troop, cutting them off from the body, and had made them
all prisoners. Upon this I fell in with the 300 horse, and cleared
my major from a party who charged him in the flank; the dragoons
immediately lighting, one party of them comes up on my wing, and
saluting the enemy with their muskets, put them to a stand, the other
party of dragoons wheeling to the left endeavouring to get behind
them. The enemy, perceiving they should be overpowered, retreated in
as good order as they could, but left us most of our prisoners, and
about thirty of their own. We lost about fifteen of our men, and
the enemy about forty, chiefly by the fire of our dragoons in their
retreat.

In this posture we continued our march; and though the king halted
at Lichfield--which was a dangerous article, having so many of the
enemy's troops upon his hands, and this time gave them opportunity to
get into a body--yet the Scots, with their General Leslie, resolving
for the north, the rest of the troops were not able to face us, till,
having ravaged the enemy's country through Staffordshire, Warwick,
Leicester, and Nottinghamshire, we came to the leaguer before Newark.

The king was once more in the mind to have gone into Scotland, and
called a council of war to that purpose; but then it was resolved by
all hands that it would be too late to attempt it, for