THe zeale of our duties at once unto His Majeſties Service, and the reliefe of our diſtreſſed Friends in Pontefract, being, by the bleſſing of God, ſeconded with ſucceſſes of happineſſe beyond our greateſt hopes, I was commanded by Sir Marmaduke Langdale, to give unto your Highneſſe at preſent a particular Accompt of each occuring circumſtance in this our Expedition.

On Sunday the 23d of February, we began our march from Banbury towards Daventry, where we had Intelligence of an uncertain number of Horſe and Foot that attended thereabouts with deſigne to affront Vs in our march, but Sir William Compton marching before Vs with his Horſe, was onely looked on by them at a good diſtance, and after the encounter of a little skitmiſhing, they perceiving the reſt of our Horſe advancing towards them, wheeled off in great diſorder, and Sir William Compton had the execution of them in their flight very neare Northampton Towne. Their particular loſſe in this defeat, I preſume your Highneſſe has already received account of at full from Banbury.

On Monday the 24th we continued our March to Harborough without any oppoſition or ſight of Enemy, but here we were certainly advertized of a conjunction made that night of all the Horſe of Leiceſter, Darby, Nottingham, Grantham, Stanford, Burleigh, and Rockingbam, aſſociated under the conduct of Colonell Roſſiter, (and then in preſent motion) drawn out, but upon what deſign, ſeverally reported▪ untill the next day being Tueſday the 25. marching from Harborough towards Melton-Mowbray, we were at full aſſured; for approaching neare the Towne, we diſcovered ſome Horſe and Dragooners in it, and upon another paſſe of the ſame water in a faire Meade, about halfe a mile from the Towne, their main ſtrength (as we judged them) being neare 2000 in all, were drawn up to oppoſe us (as Sir Marm. Langdale did conceive) at the paſſage, being a place of very great advantage, for which purpoſe he was inſtantly putting himſelfe into a poſture to endeavour to force the paſſe, but their eagerneſſe to fight ſaved us that labour; for by that time that we were well in order drawn up, and had gained the brow of the Hill on the South ſide of Melton, the Enemy was advanced through the Towne to meet us, and in a gallant fury gave us a bold charge upon the very ground choſen by our ſelves to fight upon; the encounter continued hot and ſharp a good while, with ſeverall various appearances of ſucceſſe on both ſides; but at length they were wholly routed, many of their Commanders ſlaine, many hurt, and all the body ſcattered unto their ſeverall Garriſons, the fatigue of our long March, and the night intervening, prevented our very farre purſuit of them in a ſtrange Country, but we ſlew upon the place neere 100, and took almoſt ſo many Priſoners and foure Colours of Horſe. The loſſe we ſuſtained was ſmall, only Sir Iohn Girlington and Captain Gaſcoign, two gallant Gentlemen, both ſlaine in the firſt charge, and ſome few wounded. One Captain Hacker held a Garriſon for the Rebels at Sir Eraſmus de la Fountains houſe in Kirby, within a mile of the place we fought upon, who being with his Horſe and Drogooners totally routed in this battaile, went back in deſpaire to his Garriſon and burnt it, and then fled with ſuch as would follow him, being but two in all, in the night to Leiceſter, a common Parliament practice, to ſet a Houſe on fire, and then to runne away by the light of it. The purſuit of the Enemy being done, and the pillage of the field gathered by our men, wherein was good ſtore both of Horſe-mens Armes and Muskets.

Sir Marm. Langdale rallying all his Troops together again in order, continued his March that night beyond Belvoir Caſtle, and the next day, being Wedneſday the 26, we advanced foure miles beyond Newark, at which time the Enemy with ſome Foot from Lincoln, Welbeck, and ſome other adjacent Garriſons, and with eight Regiments of Horſe, and one of Dragooners had beſiedged Norwell Houſe, a Garriſon holden by Newark Forces ſome miles from the Town. But having gained intelligence of our advance and ſucceſſe had againſt Roſſiter, (their admired Champion) they inſtantly deſerted the attempt, and retreated in great diſorder unto Retford, from whence the night following they fled in as much feare and diſtraction unto Doncaſter.

On Thurſday the 27th, the Governour of Newark aſſiſted us with 400 Foot and about 400 Horſe under the Conduct of his Lievtenant-Governour, which joyned to us, we marched that night beyond Tuxford, not diſturbed either in march or Quarters by any Enemy, and the next day being Friday the 28th, we advanced towards Doncaſter; about Roſſinton-Bridge ſome three miles from the Towne, our Forlorne Parties diſcover'd ſome appearance of an Enemy, but ſtill as we approached with our body they retreated, this night we expected they would have diſputed our paſſage over the River Dun, but they onely made a bon-mine there, and left us the Towne of Doncaſter to Quarter in that night.

The next morning, being Saturday the firſt of March, we drew early into the field, where immediately Sir Marmaduke Langdale put the Army into the poſture of Battaile he did intend to fight in, and prepared the Souldier with a knowledge of ſuch difficulties as they ſhould expect this day to encounter with, and therefore to goe armed with the conſtancy of undaunted reſolutions, it being a buſineſſe that was at firſt no leſſe dangerous to undertake, then it was now deſperate to decline; The newes was entertained by a welcome from the Souldiers that eccho'd out aloud their joyfull acclamations. This prophetick Omen preſaging clearly the happy conſequence of their enſuing Victory.

We marched without ſight of Enemy, till we came neare Wentbrigge, above three miles ſhort of Pontefract, where about 1000 Horſe, and 500 Dragooners of the Enemies, attended that place, as much as poſſibly they could, to impede the ſpeed of our courſe that way, but without much danger in the diſpute, we forc'd the Paſſe, but yet they ſo retarded our march, as the beſiegers had gain'd time to be all drawne together both Horſe and Foot in order, being in number about 2500 Foot, and neare 4000 Horſe and Dragoones, all the ſtrength of Engliſh that poſſibly the Lord Fairfax could draw together in the North, excepting the Forces that Meldrum lay withall before Scarborough, and Sir John Savile before Sandal, which he himſelfe in Perſon came this morning unto them, with two Regiments of Horſe, and 500 Commanded Muſqueteers.

Betwixt foure and five in the afternoone, we gained the Top of the Hill over againſt the Caſtle, their Army ſtanding all drawne up in the bottome, and now me thought we view'd them with the fancy of that great Captaine when he firſt encountered Elephants, Tandem par animis periculum video, a good advantage was it to us, that our Forlorne Parties, ſeconded with ſeverall Diviſions of our Horſe, had beaten in that great Body of their Van-currier • in ſuch diſorder into their Main Battaile, as taking that opportunity with a continued charge, this had not time to recover themſelves into any ſetled order, and though the ſuddaineſſe of the Action gave not leave for each Diviſion of our Horſe to obſerve its proper time and place of their ſeverall orders to Charge in, yet in the whole it was ſo fully done, a • that there was not one Body of them all, but did foure or five ſeverall times that day act their parts with very gallant Execution.

The Fight continued without a cleare Victory, at the leaſt three houres, untill there was not left on our Party ſtanding in order to Charge withall, more then three ſmall Bodies, conſiſting of above 120 in each Body, which with ſome Officers and Gentlemen together rally'd, gave a ſeaſonable Charge to the laſt of the Enemies ſtrength, the Caſtle at the ſame inſtant making a gallant Sally of 200 Muſqueteers, who fell in the Reare of the Enemies Foot, our owne Foot firing upon them at the ſame time in their Flanck, and this totally cleared the Field. We followed the Execution ſixe or ſeven miles three ſeverall wayes, as the Enemy fled; A ſhort time (with a Reſerve of Foot, and Morgans Dragooners, and one peece of Cannon) they endeavoured to defend the Paſſe at Ferrybrigge, but were ſoon beaten off, loſt their Cannon, and in the purſuit their Carriages, with 34 double Barrells of Powder, and a proportionable quantity of Match and Bullet, and much other ſpoyle. There were ſlaine about 300 upon the place, and many drowned in the River, which water they took as nimbly as if it had been their naturall Element, as yet we have not had time to fiſh for them: betwixt 7 and 800 Priſoners, of which 44 Officers of quality, 22 Colours of Foot, being all they had there, and not one eſcaped with their Armes, and 26 Standarts of Horſe, many of their chiefe Officers both of Horſe and Foot ſlain, as Colonel Armyn, Colonel Thornton, Colonel Malevary, and many more, whoſe names I have not, all the Foot Armes we took, to the number of 2500 at the leaſt, and many Horſe Armes. Te Deum Laudamus. Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, &c.

One remarkable circumſtance I cannot omit to acquaint your Highneſſe with; They had ſome few dayes before given out, that they would take the Caſtle with a Stratagem, which ſhould be thus: They would make as if reliefe were comming to it, and ſo they would ſeem to draw all off, as to fight the Reliefe, (leaving onely an Ambuſcada in the Towne) and then they would skirmiſh together, and ſeem defeated by the Releevers, and ſo retreat diſorderly as beaten, in expectation the Caſtle ſhould make a Sally, and then their Ambuſcada ſhould ſurpriſe it; But I hope they were now taught the danger of jeſting with edg'd Tooles, and will hereafter leave ſuch mocking. At our firſt advance into the Country, it was generally reported, that your Highneſſe was come in Perſon, which ſtruck a great terrour into the Enemy and Courage into our Souldiers, as had your Highneſſe tranſmitted ſome of your Royall Spirit into their hearts, and your active ſtrength into their Armes, ſcorning to be guilty of any Act that they ſhould have had cauſe to have bluſht, had your Highneſſe looked on.

About two of the clock in the morning, all parties that had been in purſuit of the Enemy being returned, we drew into Quarters to refreſh, and about eight of the clock in the morning, on Sunday the ſecond of March, Sir Marm. Langdale ſent parties out into the Country, which brought in plenty of all ſorts of proviſions for the Caſtle, and then appoynted a Rendezvous the next morning. In the interim he was advertiſed that Roſſiter with all his broken Troops rallyed, and others joyned to them, and 300 Dragooners, was come to Doncaſter with intention to joyne with Fairfax, whereupon we immediatly Marched towards them, but they having ſecured the Bridge, Sir Marm. Langdale diverted his courſe over a ford at Oldwark neare Rotheram, and thence we continued out March (only halting ſome few howers by the way to refreſh) without any loſſe at all, to Newark whereabouts we are at preſent Quarter'd. I can aſſure Your Highneſſe that the preſent effects of this Expedition are theſe.

Beſides that our comming was highly ſeaſonable, it being almoſt the very Criticall minute of the Caſtles neceſſity, Scarborough Bolton, and Skipton were all beſiedged, and they were forced to draw off upon this occaſion, and are now ſo ſhaken, as that they cannot ſuddenly be in any probable condition to begin new ſiedges haſtily, beſides the Country is ſo diſcouraged from their party, that whereas the Lord Fairfax had undertaken to have raiſed an Army of 20000 Horſe and Foot for his Sonne to move into the South withall▪ and had prepared his buſineſſe in great forwardneſſe, he will by this buſineſſe doubtleſſe receive a good diverſion, the Countreys generally declining him, and whenſoever your Highneſſe ſhall be pleaſed to take this Countrey into your particular care, he hath▪ chalked out unto Your Highneſſe a ready track for to raiſe the ſame leavy in their own way, which that Your Highneſſe may have a ſpeedy opportunity to undertake, next the continuance of your Highneſſe happineſſe and honour, ſhall be the daily Praier of