THE BATTLE ON HOPTON-HEATH IN STAFFORDSHIRE, Between His MAJESTY'S Forces under the Right Honourable the Earl of NORTHAMPTON, and those of the Rebels, March 19  
Together with A Letter from the Lord COMPTON now Earl of NORTHAMPTON.  
Printed by H. Hall. M.DCXLIII.   

THE BATTLE ON HOPTON-HEATH.  
IT is too manifest what poor shifts the Authors of this re●llion have used to bring about their designs: among whom none have been more busy than Sir William Brereton and Sir John Gell, two that (one would think) have conspired together to be beaten as often as they unite their mutual forces. Witness Ashby de-la-zouch and other places where they shamefully have been worsted by that noble courageous Colonel Hastings. Though I must tell you both Brereton and Gell for their personal valour are as notorious Cowards as any in the saw-pit. I confess indeed, Gell dare fight, provided his enemy have been seven years dead; his valour having lately showed itself against the Coffins and Monuments of some dead men, whose living fac●s he durst not look upon, as if his business lay (like that devil's in the Gospel's) among the Tombs and Sepulchers. And Brereton is as valiant as he, if lying down in a ditch, standing behind a hayricke, or riding a full mile from the field, may go for valour, of which three performances his own Soldiers confess him guilty. And yet these two Champions (to show they are perfect Cowards) are always raising quarrels, and seducing His Majesty's subjects to kill one another; As in many other, so in this battle on Hopton Heath, an impartial Relation whereof you here have by an express from fare better hands.  
From Stafford March 21. 1642.  
Upon Friday last having intelligence of the Enemy's intentions to approach hither, we marched towards the way we conceived they would come, and having notice of about two hundred of them quartered in a Town called Heywood in Staffordshire near to our pass, we fell upon them, and after a short skirmish beat them from their hold, took and killed above the one half of them, the rest escaping by byways so that we could not follow them, only quartered there that night Sunday being at Stafford, about twelve of the clock we had intelligence of Sr W. Brereton and Sr John Gells being met with all their forces, being about 3000 Horse and Foot, placed upon a Heath called Hopton Heath near a Town called Weston some two miles from Stafford. We drew out our Horse and Dragooners being about 900. And the Heath seeming fair resolved to charge them, the breadth of it being more than Musket-shot from enclosure on each side. As we advanced we discovered Musketeers placed within a walled Close, and some Musketeers and drakes in hedges on our right wing. Against which we sent some of our Musketeers but those being too few to beat them, by order of counsel we advanced with our whole body of Horse (leaving only a Reserve) towards their body, and upon our advancing their Musketeers ran from the hedges, we chargeing their body their Horse presently ran, and we forced them to quit their Cannon. But our men following the Execution beyond command, and our Musketeers not coming up, they got some of their Cannon again, yet we brought off 8 pieces. And then rallying up our horse again as soon as we could, we charged some other Horse which they had near their Foot, which presently retreated and ran, and then Sir Thomas Byron at the head of the Prince's Regiment chargeing their Foot broke in among them, but they having some Troops of Horse near their Foot, fell upon him, and then he received his hurts, bleeding so that he was not able to stay in the field. But by reason of the night and our Horses being weary we stood about a Musket-shot from them, and after a time our men being weary, we drew somewhat further off, keeping strong parties nearer them. The next morning by break of day we made ready to fall on again, but finding no Enemy, we then understood that they had marched away in the night about an hour after our parting with them, there we found carriages, with Ammunition and other things, & the fore carriages of their Cannon, which makes us believe they have thrown the rest of their Cannon into some pools thereabouts. In this fight (and in that former skirmish on Friday) we took and killed above 300, and wounded at the least 500 more (for our Horse charged their Foot which occasioned so many wounded) as their own men confess whom since we took prisoners. We have taken above 300 of their Horse, 8 pieces of Cannon, with a great deal of other Ammunition. Gell is certainly hurt but not killed, yet they say he was hurt by chance by one of their own soldiers as they went away in the night, and we are apt enough to believe it, for he is not too forward to come into danger.  
But now we must from the sadness of our souls acquaint you with the great loss both His Majesty and the whole kingdom have sustained in this action by the death of a most Loyal and hardly to be equalled Subject, the most noble and most valiant Earl of Northampton, who upon the first charge with out horse, being engaged upon Execution near their foot, his horse was shot, so that he was constrained to alight, and being encompassed with enemies he fought on foot a long time, killing (as they themselves confess) a Colonel of foot, and striking another Captain into the breast with his Poleax, besides other common soldiers whom he wounded and slew, until such time as he was overborne by multitudes, and then being knocked down with a musket and grievously wounded, and his head-piece taken off, was offered quarter (as they say) but he answered that he scorned to take quarter from such base rogues & Rebels as they were; and so fought it out a long while after, till such time as he was shine by a blow with a halberd, on the hinder part of his head, receiving at the same time another deep wound in his face. Which done, they hurried him away so as we all thought he had been taken prisoner▪ for we could not find his body.  
The sadness of this accident would not have left our greatest Victory without misery, but yet the grearnesse of his example cannot but make all those that are desirous of honour to follow him in his steps; though none can come nearer him than his brave sons, and especially the Lord Compton: In whom we find much gallantry and valour in this last action (wherein he received a shot in the leg, but no ways dangerous, and his horse also shot under him.) So that should we not say, that there is none more fitting, or deserving to serve HIS MAJESTY and the Kingdom in those Commands, and Honourable employments which his Father enjoyed, than this young Lord, we should both wrong his Lordship, and our own judgements. We are assured he will be found to be the inheritor of his Father's Loyalty and Virtues, and endeavour by serving His Majesty, to revenge his father's death, and equal him in glorious actions. In which we shall be ready to follow him, and are preparing for that purpose. We had 25 slain, the chief whereof were Captain Harvy of my Lords own Regiment, Captain Baker lately a scholar in Oxford, Ensign Bowyer, Captain Middleton of Colonel Hastings Regiment, Lieutenant Greene, Coronet Billing and Coronet Hall, who all carried themselves as gallantly as men could do. There were about some twenty hurt, the most whereof were Officers; as Sir Thomas Byron, Colonel Stanhope, Colonel Wagstaffe, Captain Knotsford, Captain Richard Bagot, Captain Harvey Bagot, Captain John Clarke, Captain Thomas Harwood, Master Spencer Lucy, Lieutenant Leving, Coronet Mettham, Coronet Washington, and Master Lancaster, besides my Lord Compton's shot in the leg, not a man of these but expressed admirable valour, the service for the time being very hot, and the enemies being above three times our number, etc.  
There can be little added to this express Relation, wherein though it pleased God so to defeat the Rebels, yet our loss is invaluable in the death of this noble Earl; who as he was early up (being one of the first defenders of this righteous cause) so he continued at such a height of courage and magnanimity, as drew all good men's eyes on his honourable actions. Whether the Rebels offered him quarter, or whether he refused it when it was offered, is not certain, for we have it only from themselves, who no doubt will make their best excuse for murdering so incomparable a Lord. Nor is it improbable that he scorned their quarter, preferring a present honourable death before that vile, wretched, unprofitable captivity, whereof he was assured, were he once their prisoner. For as he spent his noble endeavours in defence of his King and Country while he lived, so he valued not his life when it would be serviceable to none but Rebels. He hath been often heard to say, that, If he outlived these Wars, he was certain never to have so noble a death. And had we wholly lost him, it would have filled us with too much sorrow, but that we have such excellent Copies of him in his rare sons, and chief in the gallant young Earl himself, who hath so much of the father in him, that he only wants time and opportunity to make him more like him. And this you will partly gather by this ensuing Letter which my Lord writ with his own hand to the noble Countess his Mother, two days after his Father's death.  
Dear Mother,  
ON Sunday last we got the day of the Rebels, but our loss (especially your Honours and mine) is not to be expressed. For though it be a general loss to the Kingdom, yet it toucheth us nearest. But Madam, Casualties in this world will happen, & in such a cause who would not have ventured both life and fortune? pray Madam, let this be your comfort, that it was impossible for any to do braver than he did, as appears by their own Relation. I sent a Trumpeter to know what was become of my Father, he brought me a Letter from Sir john Gell and Sir William Brereton, assuring me of my Father's death, making strange demand for his body, such as were never before heard of in any war, as all their Ammunition, Prisoners, and Cannon which we had taken. I sent them word bacl, that their demands were unreasonable, and against the Laws of Arms, but desired them to give free passage to some Surgeons to embalm him, or to let their Surgeons do it, and I would satisfy them for their pains. their last Answer I have sent in Philip Willoughby's Letter which is, that they will neither send the body nor suffer our Surgeons to come to embalm it, but will see their own Surgeons do it. Their Relation was, that He was assaulted by many together, and with his own hand killed the Colonel and others also, but was unhorsed by the multitude, his horse being shot: But his Armour was so good that they could not hurt him, till he was down, and had undone his head-piece.  
‛ pray Madam, be comforted, and think no man could more honourably have ended this life (fight for his Religion, his King, and his Country) to be partaker of heavenly joys. We must certainly follow him, but can hardly hope for so brave a death. Thus humbly craving your blessing, I shall remain till death  
STAFFORD March, 22. 1642. Your obedient Son NORTHAMPTON.  
Let the Reader now judge, if the genius and spirit of the Father be not eminent in the son, and whether that hand that wrote this Letter doth not promise as great hopes for the good of this Kingdom as any whomsoever of his age and quality. Next you may see the Barbarousness of these Rebels towards the Corpse of the dead, who as they have made sale of their Allegiance and Loyalty, so now have shaken hands with all common honesty, practising those inhumanities' the very Turks scorn to descend to; For the Mahometans if they kills Commander that is an Enemy, do not only embalm the corpse, but give it safe convoy to the enemy's quarters, that the friends of the dead may give it burial, as the noble Earl of Craford and others that have been in the wars betwixt the Polonian and the Turk, can testify to be true. And doubtless if the Turks knew what breach of faith given, what robbing, stripping naked, nay murder (after Arms delivered up by composition) hath been committed on His Majesty's soldiers, it would further harden them against Christianity; unless they consider that these things were done not as they are Christians, but as the worst of Rebels. And let them not for shame object, that we lose men of eminency, but they do not, lest we tell the world the reason. For as the Commanders of these rebellious Forces are made up of all Religions and Trades, so those few men of quality that are on their side, are driven by their guilt into ditches, and saw-pits, any whither out of the reach of danger, as not daring to leave the world with all their sins about them. Therefore were it any cause under Heaven but this, that is, were not Religion, Honour, Learning, Laws, Nobility, Gentry, Honesty, and all at stake, these Noble Lords and Gentlemen would not make their blood so cheap, as to spend it on such unworthy enemies, who as they have endeavoured to murder both King and Queen, so labour the ruin of every English Gentleman.  
FINIS.