pton at Torrington, and drove him
to such extremities, that he was forced up into the farthest corner of
Cornwall. The Lord Hopton had a gallant body of horse with him of nine
brigades, but no foot; Fairfax, a great army.

Heartless, and tired out with continual ill news, and ill success,
I had frequent meetings with some gentlemen who had escaped from
the rout of Sir William Vaughan, and we agreed upon a meeting at
Worcester, of all the friends we could get, to see if we could raise
a body fit to do any service; or, if not, to consider what was to be
done. At this meeting we had almost as many opinions as people; our
strength appeared too weak to make any attempt, the game was too far
gone in our parts to be retrieved; all we could make up did not amount
to above 800 horse.

'Twas unanimously agreed not to go into the Parliament as long as our
royal master did not give up the cause; but in all places, and by all
possible methods, to do him all the service we could. Some proposed
one thing, some another; at last we proposed getting vessels to carry
us to the Isle of Man to the Earl of Derby, as Sir Marmaduke Langdale,
Lord Digby, and others had done. I did not foresee any service
it would be to the king's affairs, but I started a proposal that,
marching to Pembroke in a body, we should there seize upon all the
vessels we could, and embarking ourselves, horses, and what foot
we could get, cross the Severn Sea, and land in Cornwall to the
assistance of Prince Charles, who was in the army of the Lord Hopton,
and where only there seemed to be any possibility of a chance for the
remaining part of our cause.

This proposal was not without its difficulties, as how to get to the
seaside, and, when there, what assurance of shipping. The enemy, under
Major-General Langhorn, had overrun Wales, and 'twould be next to
impossible to effect it.

We could never carry our proposal with the whole assembly; but,
however, about 200 of us resolved to attempt it, and [the] meeting
being broken up without coming to any conclusion, we had a private
meeting among ourselves to effect it.

We despatched private messengers to Swansea and Pembroke, and other
places; but they all discouraged us from the attempt that way, and
advised us to go higher towards North Wales, where the king's interest
had more friends, and the Parliament no forces. Upon this we met, and
resolved, and having sent several messengers that way, one of my men
provided us