A NARRATION OF THE EXPEDITION TO TAUNTON; The Raising the Siege before it, and the Condition of our Forces, and the Enemies, at this present in the WEST.  
Sent from a Commander in the Army, and dated at Chard, May 18. 1645.  
Published by Authority.  
LONDON, Printed for Samuel Gellibrand, May 23. 1645.   

A brief Narration of the relief of TAUNTON.  
GOOD Friend, would I could perform my promise, with as much profit to you, as delight to myself: But in brief, Since my Apology would but stigmatize as much your candid construction, as be a further declaration of my own weakness, you shall understand by these few lines our progress from Stanes, our first advance on the last of April, by several stages, until we came to our general Rendezvous at Newbery-Wash, May the 4. From whence, by twelve or one of the clock, we advanced toward Andover, and in the Villages adjacent, with seven Regiments of Foot, to the number, I suppose, of 10 or 12000. Foot; for the Horse most of them not then as yet come in: I would write no more than what I am able to testify, either by my own, or from the hands of good Authors.  
From Andover on May the fifth, we drew up our several Regiments a mile from the Town and stayed two or three hours, called a Council of War, where were cast five or six, one a Renegado, and four more, authors of the mutiny in Kent, who cast dice for their lives; one of them, and the Renegado a Parson's son, were executed in a Village on a Tree in the Highway, in Terrorem; the Parson's son, as was said, in the same Town where he was born, both of them died as they lived, like Sots: But how the great Judge past his sentence on them, I have not to say. Next day, May the sixth, was Proclamation made, That it should be death for any man to plunder, at which, our old Horse-Dragoons, somewhat guilty, made answer, If the Parliament would pay truly, let them hang duly: Which hath caused so much good order in our march, that to my best inquiry, I have not heard of any man to complain to lose an Ox, Sheep, Lamb, Hen, no, nor an Egg, save in our hard march, hot-dayes, vacancy of Towns, or Houses, over the Plain, made them inordinately desire drink, or covet for water in the Villages we passed. To give you the particular of our several Stages, would be as difficult, as needless: Since for the most part we took Barnes, and Hedges for our night's repose, after our hard and hot-dayes marches, until within the compass of eight days. We came on the second of this instant, within the sight of Taunton, where upon the Hills, when we came within ten miles of it, having the advantage of ground, we gave them a peal of our Artillery, ten of our pieces being discharged to give them notice of our approach, which yet did them no good, by reason, that on the Thursday before, which was the eighth of this instant Month, the enemy drew out a party of their Horse and Foot, with some pieces of Cannon, and skirmisht in sight of the Town, but only with Powder; in fine, they made the Town believe, that Fairfax who was coming to relieve them, was there beaten, hoping by this stratagem, to have drawn a party of them out, to their succour, and to have cut them off by an Ambuscado: But God withheld them, they kept close to their works, and when the enemy returned, they fell to firing of the Town, and told them, you Roundheaded Rogues, you look for relief, but we have relieved them, and Goring is coming on, and we will not leave one House standing, if you will not yield; then they played with their Granades and Mortar pieces so hot, and so long, that they fired the Town: So that, I believe, the one half of the Town, which was two long streets of the Suburbs, be both burnt down to the ground; and the mean while, they stormed most furiously, but they met with a Gallant Commander in chief, Colonel Blake, and his stout Soldiers, that gave them such showers of lead, that from good hands it is reported, 1200. at least, there sacrificed their filthy lives, and left their carcases: The Town in all, from the beginning, to the raising of the siege, hath lost 200. men. On Friday they had work enough to bury their dead, and bethink themselves of saving their living. Hopton sent a parley to resign the Town upon conditions, Blake returned him answer, he had four pair of Boots yet left, and he would eat three pair of them, before he should have it.  
On Saturday we came to Chard, within eight miles of it; on the Lordsday, orders were given to beat our Drums by day light, and accordingly, drew up our whole Army, Horse and Foot; and although by command from the Parliament, our noble General Fairfax, General Major Skippon, and that Regiment which formerly was Barkeleys, were commanded back when we were at Blandford, which was a sad breakfast to most, both Officers and Soldiers, were after sad salutes, and watery eyes, like the parting of Husbands from their Wives, and dear friends, yet we were a thinking of nothing more than resolution to obey, and action to perform, that great work for the which we were sent, with four Regiments of Foot, to wit. Colonel Welden, who as eldest Colonel, a gallant, wise, and brave Gentleman, Commander in chief, Colonel Fortescu, Colonel Floyd, and Colonel Englesby Regiments; and as we passed, came in for our recrute, and met us about Dorchester, six Companies of the Skie-colour Regiment of Colonel Morrels; and on Saturday, as many Colours from Lime, those old, brave Blades, We had a fine Body of Horse, of some 1500. or 2000 and 4. or 5000 Foot, where I never beheld men of all sorts, of more promising courage, resolution, all as one man, sweetly combined against the common enemies of mankind, such love amongst themselves, Horse, and Foot. One passage I will relate, though I hate prolixity, a brave gallant Fellow, but a common Soldier, cries out to the Horse as they marched by: O brave Horse, go on, show them no more mercy, then to a Louse: Remember Cornwall; To whom a brave Captain of the Plymouth Troop replied, O Fellow Soldier, let us remember our God, and not fight in malice, but do his work, and leave the success to him, and you shall see, through God's mercy, we will stand close to you, O you gallant Foot; but I may not be tedious, yet surely, braver courage was never seen, then even then, when a party of the enemy's Horse, and ours, faced each other; our Forlorn Horses meet, and exchange some Pistols, put them quickly to the Trial of their heels; but after we were drawn up into Battalia, expecting when to be charged, and made choice of our ground, no enemy appeared, we went on to the very Brow of the Hill in Battalia, and saw betwixt that and Taunton, nothing but enclosures, not minding to adventure all our Horse into a pitfold; the Lanes in many places from thence, we could not march above four or six in breast: The Agitant of the Horse surely a gallant man, a Dutchman, and some eight or nine others, fall down to Pitmister, and without his Doublet, only in his Shirt, encountered a Troop of the enemy's Horse, being as is said, Hoptons' Lifeguard, for they were commanded by his own Cornet, one Brown an Irish man, who furiously charges them, and cries, why do you not fire you cowardly Rogues, spent one Pistol, charged them thorough, and killed three or four with his own hands, his Sword being all bloody up to the very Hilt; they all run as fast as they could, the Dutch Agitant wheels off, and retreats, lost not one man in the first Rout; the Cornet and some twelve more, faced about, and on them the Agitant charges a fresh, having killed two or three of them, took four of them prisoners, rides up to the Cornet, and cries quarter, he denies it, but sets Spurs to his Horse to run away, but he was soon overtaken by his Pistol, which ended his journey by a brace of Bullets in his back, fell from his Horse, he brought him of alive, but he soon died; and being demanded why he refused quarter, made answer, He could not in honour desire it, seeing so many to be beaten, and run away from so few: But questionless, the man thought of his Nation, and dreading a halter, chose a more honourable death. All this while, we have not one word from the Town; whereupon, we gave them two or three pieces of Cannon, but they were cautious, and persuaded we were the enemy, who endeavoured to draw them forth; for so the enemy suggested, that Goring was come to relieve them, and that their Rear might not be discovered: toward Evening, we sent a party of Horse, who approached to their very Works, the enemy having drawn off their Guns, and their Rear upon their march, the Town never before, having any notice of our Forces, that they could confide on as friends there, about six of the clock fell out upon their Rear, killed some, and took other prisoners. We marched with our whole Body to Pitmister, and then within two miles of the Town, took up our quarters in the Fields, and on Monday morning our Colonels go to Taunton, give order for our whole Army to retreat back to Chard, where we quartered on Saturday; and the fourteenth is the first day's rest, the Army hath had, from our first day's motion Westward; which if you consider of, is one of the greatest expeditions, and gallantest marches, that ever this unhappy War produced; if you do but weigh the length of the way, the encumbrances that attend an Army, with their Train, and Artillery; many new Soldiers, hard quarters, exceeding cold nights, and as hot days: Let God have the Glory, our Colonels and Officers the praise; who of my knowledge, have marched two or three days on Foot, and never took their Horse, but still in the head of their Regiments, gave good encouragement by their own examples, and then God so ordering, that not a man of us miscarried; for my own Company, I can say, not a man sick after we left Newberry, and few or none went from us, but all stick close, valiantly resolved to fight, and die, yet the Town was relieved without the loss of any man's blood, and a terror struck into the hearts of their enemies. We may say, God fought for us, and of him, we will make our boast all the day long; To whom be all the praise, who lives for ever and ever, Amen, Amen.  
Thus far have I brought you to our own Army's expedition; but now for the enemy one word, and I have done, though neither this, nor future ages will believe, nor should I myself, who have formerly known these parts, had not my own eyes beheld it: To see one or two Houses ruined in a place, had been no great matter, but all the way we marched from Okingham to Taunton; no place especially, where Religion was most eminent, but you might tract the devil by his cloven Foot: Such devastation of Houses, nay, depopulations in many places; and those Fields, Pastures, Plains, formerly beautified, and enriched with Flocks, and Herds: You may pass ten miles, and scarce discern any thing; rich Pastures, but no Cattle left to eat them. You would suppose the great Turk, his Janissaries and Armies, rather than their Native Prince his Soldiers had been there: Who would think a King, who was so tender hearted, as to charge Hotham so deeply in his Answer to the Parliament, declared 1642. for drowning the Meadows about Hull, and was formerly so careful for the good of the Subjects disabusing by the several Manafactures of Soap, Cards, Dice, Pinnes, etc. should now lay all desolate where he hath any footing. O that those Counties of Kent, Essex, etc. which complain of heavy Taxes, would compare their Estates with the forlorn West: His Majesty complains, that the Flowers of his Crown, the Prerogative Royal, should be infringed; and yet the Jewels of the ancient Crown fold to buy us such an unheard off misery, by Walloons, Irish, French, Dutch, etc. If all this will not please the Queen, the Papists, Jesuits, yea, the devil himself; I know not how they can study more to grieve man, and provoke God. Let them palliate the Prince, and tell him, he is to give an account to none but God; yet sure that will be found an hard reckoning at last: A sad maxim, that no way so sure to settle the King in his Throne, as to Pave its way thorough the blood, and ruin of his people and Kingdom. We have heard of three or four Kings, in four or five years, and yet the Kingdom to flourish; but we never heard, that one King should destroy two or three Kingdoms, rather than suffer the least affront, or the least twing of the Toothack; and cursed be those Counsels of the Rabbis in Oxford, and devils of Rome, who so persuade. If this be Regal Government, I know not what to call Tyranny; yet King James, though none of the best Princes, nor worst Politician, hath written Basilicon Doron, and shrewdly descanted on this Theme. How ever Solomon could judge of the true mother by her affection, rather to save her child's life, though she lost her child formerly: Good Princes have been the shields and saviours, not destroyers of their Countries. If the King should miscarry (which we abhor to think or desire) yet we may have many Kings hereafter; But if three Kingdoms perish, what is Monarchy without Majesty; and what Majesty can be upheld with beggary, misery, and slavery. If this be the Protestant Religion, it's a strange one: yet so it must be called, yea, Hopton when he saw he could not take, yet cruelly burnt that distressed Town; and when it was all in flames, called, and pulled out by the ears, those distressed people adjacent, to look and behold the flames, with execration and scorn; yet after he had two preachments, no doubt, but to give God thanks, like the Duke de Alva, who before Dinner, gave a good Grace to his meat, thanking God for his buchery of so many thousands in a few years: This is that Hopton, formerly accounted Religious, Honest, Noble, so degenerate by the Council of Tobi Matthews, and old Cottington, and his Uncle, Sir Arthur Hopton, Spanish compliance, and all grounded upon his own beggarly estate, so pitifully torn, and out at heels, that he is become the monster of mankind. In brief, the poor people come from all parts, rejoicing, praising God, and thanking us for delivering them from those Beasts of prey, who before this time, had no Trade, Market, Commerce, or society with each others. Now their faces begin to shut out the former wrinkles, and smilingly tell us, we have shrewdly galled the Cabballers, shower and shower, they be all ago: The Lord keep them as safe, as we have left them; for we have orders to march away Eastward this day, having had not one day's rest this fourteen days, before this time: And now our men are cheerfully marching, and we hope you are praying, that you may never taste that in London, which we have seen in the West. O if Kent did know their happiness, they would not be so mad to purchase such misery, at so dear a rate; however, they bless themselves with hopes of their King, these poor souls have found they have King enough. Sir, I have no more to say, but desire three or four words, how things go at Scarborough, and in the North.  
Chard, 18. of May, 1645.  
FINIS.