A full and true RELATION Of the great Battle fought between the King's Army, and his Excellency, the Earl of ESSEX, upon the 23. of October last passed (being the same day twelvemonth that the Rebellion broke out in IRELAND:)  
Sent in a Letter from Captain Edward Kightley, now in the Army, to his friend Mr. Charles Lathum in  London.  
WHEREIN MAY BEE CLEARLY Seen what reason the Cavaliers have to give thanks for the Victory which they had over the Parliaments Forces.  Judges 5.31. 
So let all thine enemies perish O Lord, but let them that love him, be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might.  
LONDON, Printed, November the 4. 1642.   

LOving Cousin,  
I shall make so near us I can a true, though long relation of the battle sought between the King's Army and our Army, under the conduct and command of my Lord General: on Saturday October 22. our Forces were quartered very late, and did lie remote one from the other, and my Lord General did quarter in a small Village where this Battle was fought, in the field called great King's field, taking the name from a Battle there fought by King John as they say: on Sunday the 23. of October about one of the Clock in the after noon, the Battle did begin, and it continued until it was very dark, the field was very great and large, and the King's Forces came down a great and long hill, he had the advantage of the ground and wind, and they did give a brave charge, and: did fight very valiantly; they were 15. Regiments of Foot, and 60. Regiments of Horse, our Horse were under 40. Regiments, and our Foot 11. Regiments: my Lord General did give the first charge, presenting them with 2. pieces of Ordnance, which killed many of their men, and then the enemy did shoot one to us, which fell 20. yards short in ploughed Land and did no harm, our soldiers did many of them run away, to wit, blue Coats, and grey Coats, being two Regiments, and there did run away, 600. horse, I was quartered five miles from this place, and heard not any thing of it, until one of the clock in the afternoon, I hasted thither with Sergeant Major Duglis troop, and overtook one other troop, and when I was entering into the field, I think 200. horse came by me with all the speed they could out from the battle, saying, that the King had the victory, and that every man cried for God and King Charles. I entreated, prayed, and persuaded them to stay, and draw up in a body with our Troops, for we saw them fight, and the Field was not lost, but no persuasions would serve, and then I turning to our three troops, two of them were run away, and of my Troop I had not six and thirty men left, but they were likewise run away, I stayed with those men I had, being in a little field, and there was a way through, and divers of the enemy did run that way, both horse and foot, I took away about ten or twelve horse, swords, and armour, I could have killed 40. of the enemy, I let them pass disarming them, and giving the spoil to my Troopers; the Armies were both in a confusion, and I could not fall to them without apparent loss of myself and those few which were with me, the powder which the Enemy had was blown up in the field, the Enemy ran away as well as our men, God did give the victory to us, there are but three men of note slain of ours, namely my Lord Saint John, Colonel Essex, and one other Captain, whose name I have forgot; Captain Fleming is either slain or taken prisoner, and his Cornet, he had not one Officer which was a soldier, his Wagon and money is lost, and divers of the Captain's money and Wagons are lost, to great value, our foot and Dragooneers were the greatest Pillagers, we had the King's Standard one hour and a half, and after lost it again: We did lose not above three hundred men, the enemy killed the Waggoners, women, and little boys of twelve years of age, we took seventeen Colours, and five pieces of Ordnance, I believe there were not less than three thousand of the enemy slain, for they lay on their own ground, twenty, and thirty of heaps together, the King did lose Lords, and a very great many of Gentlemen, but the certain number of the slain cannot be known, we did take my Lord of Lindsey, General of the Foot, being shot in the thigh, who died the Tuesday morning following, and his body is sent away to be buried, the Lo: Willoughby his son was taken, Lunsford, Vavasour, and others, being prisoners in Warwick Castle; on Monday there did run from the King's Army 3000. foot, in 40. 50. and 60. in Companies, we kept the field all Sunday night, and all Monday, and then marched to our quarters, and on Monday the enemy would have given us another charge, but they could not get the foot to fight, notwithstanding they did beat them like dogs, this last Relation of the enemy I received from one which was a prisoner and got away.  
Banbury is taken by the King, there was 1000 Foot in it, the Captains did run away, and the soldiers did deliver the Town up without discharging one Musket. It was Gods wonderful work that we had the victory, we expect to march after the King. The day after the Battle all our Forces, horse and foot were marched up, and other Forces from remote parts, to the number of 5000. horse and foot, more than were at the Battle, now at my writing, my Lord General is at Warwick, upon our next marching we do expect another Battle, we here think that the King cannot strengthen himself, for the soldiers do still run daily from him, and I believe if we come to fight, a great part of them will never come up to charge. The King's guard were Gentlemen of good quality, and I have heard it, that there were not above 40. of them which returned out of the field, this is all I shall trouble you with, what is more, you will receive it from a better hand than mine: Let us pray one for another, God I hope will open the King's eyes, and send peace to our Kingdom. I pray remember my love to all my friends, if I could write to them all I would, but for such news I writ you, impart it to them, my Lieutenant and I drink to you all daily, all my runaways, I stop their pay, some of them for two days, some three days, and some four days, which time they were gone from me, and give their pay to the rest of the soldiers, two of my soldiers are run away with their Horse and Arms: I rest, and commit you to God,  
Your loving Cousin, Edward Kightley.  
The Rebellion in Ireland, and our Battle were both the 23. of October.