AFter the Battell of Keynton, Prince Robert with part of His Majesties Forces, being the most bloudy and mischievous of all his Cavallers, drew towards Windsor, in his thoughts aspiring to the taking in that Royall Castle, the ancient Seat of our English Kings, the place where the celebration of the most Noble Order of the Garter, has been solemnized ever since it's first institution: so with some six thousand, most horse, passing through the fruitfull County of Buckingham, which he plundred with all hostility and rapine possible, he passed over the Thames, and came upon the Towne, which being utterly indefen­sible he was without resistance Master of, and from thence made his approaches towards the Castle, which comman­ding the River, he and his malignants considered as a place of much importance, intending if they could surprise it, to put into it an able Carrison, and so cut off all trafficke out of the West to London, by stopping their Barges from passing further; but thinking to finde as easie admittance into the Castle as they had into the Towne, they were de­ceived [Page 4]in their expectation, and saluted with a lusty volley of Musket-shot from the wals and works, the City of Lon­don having sent thither before to secure the place, a strong Garrison of able souldiers, Prince Robert galloped with this unexpected resistance, sent one with a Trumpet to treate with them within for the surrendring the Castle, promising them faire quarter; but if they resisted, threat­ning them with all the terrours of death and destruction: The Commander within answered, That he was to de­fend that fortresse for the King and Parliament, and so would doe against him and all the world, being neither to be mollified by his faire promises, nor terrified with his threatenings, that for any other he should expect none, but what came to him out of the mouth of the Cannon.

Prince Robert and his souldiers much enraged at this stout re [...]ly, resolved to beleaguer the Castle; for that cause intrenching themselves as near as they could possible to the wals, intending to watch all occasions to take it by as­sault, disturbing the Garrison as much as was possible with their Musket and Carabine shot, and continuall Ala­rums, the Garrison in the meane time being not idle, nor uncarefull of their safeties playd upon them with their Ordnance, cutting them off by scores, their Muskets pow­ring their dreadfull Bullets into their bosomes, so that the Cavaliers (glad to shelter their Coxecombes) retired into the Houses, telling Prince Robert they would willingly at­tend him to fight against men but not against stone-wals, rocks and inaccessible places, where a hundred men might keep out ten thousand, all valour being uselesse; and there­fore desired the Prince that he would rise thence, and de­part into other places where they might doe the Cause better service. Prince Robert told them he would not stirre thence to dishonour the glory of his former actions, with­out taking that Fort from those Round-heads, and so cheered them on to a new assault, which was performed very faintly on their side, and answered on ours with much [Page 5]courage, some of the Garrison souldiers sallying out and beating those Devils away at handy-blowes, they tumbled some twelve score of them dead upon the place, which made Prince Robert hearken to the former advice, and so trusting up his trinkets, and bidding adieu to his Host atthe quarter where he lodged (very courteously not paying him a penny for his entertainment) with his company of Rake-shames, he strucke up to Stanes ward, killing, de­stroying all before him, and so made up as near as he could to Kingston ward upon Thames, intending if he had pos­sessed himselfe once of that Towne, to have built a Fort there to impeach all Navigation that way to the City; but being assured, both the Trained Bands of Barkeshire and Surrey were up, and joyned in one Body, with some of his Exceslencies Forces, sent for the security of those Coun­tries, he was resolved not to advance too hastily till he had understood the safety of the passage: Master Cary therefore the Keeper of Mary-bone Parke, a strong malignant, being well acquainted with all the by-wayes thereabouts, under­tooke to goe to Kingston for intelligence, and so in the ha­bit of a Miller disguising his face to make him further out of knowledge, he trudged on towards Kingston, and in the way within a mile of the Towne some of our Horse met him, and not suspecting him by his habit, let him passe, till one that came behind knowing him, made a stop of him; and hallowing in the rest of his fellowes, told them that Miller was Master Cary, and so searching him found good clothes under his Millers case, and money in his Pockets, which making prize of, they carried him to Kingston, and there put him in safe custody. Prince Robert in the meane­time hovering privately about Oatlands, in expectation of Master Cary's returne; but finding his hopes fiustare, he guest at his successe, and so with an undaunted courage he set forward with his Cavaliers. Our forces having notice of the motions of the Prince, resolved to give him an en­counter, being in all, of the train'd-bands and auxiliary souldiers, some three thousand five hundred, of which three [Page 6]hundred were horse, who with good courage went on; and about two of clocke in the afternoone on Friday, the eleventh of November, they got a sight of Prince Robert and his desperate malignants, being most of them horse­men, who at the view of our forces, came on in the forme of a crescent, the two hornes extendent to a great length, leaving a large intervall in the middle, the right wing, in which Prince Robers was comming on with much fury, the way lying between two hedges, but at least forty foot broad, being the Scene where this tragedy was acted; our foot-men were amongst our horse-men, and dischar­ged their Musquets with good aime, but their forces com­ming on the spur, Prince Robert with his owne troope charged into our body; our horsemen scarce well able to stand the stroke of those blood thinsty Tygers, when be­ing ingag'd among our forces, and encompassed, some ten of good quallity of his Cavaliers fell, till Sir Lewis Dives his troop seconding the Prince, charged us with much fury, so that some of the train'd souldiers (uninur'd to such deadly salutes) could have found in their hearts to have beene further off; but those that came thither from his Excellency, being men of resolve, and accustomed to such greetings, stood their ground firmly, and with their stiffe pikes kept back the fury of the horse, while the Musque­tiers had leisure to charge and discharge their peeces; and some Companies being behind of ours, that had never come into the skirmish, got over unseene by the enemy, those hedges on either side the broad highway and run­ning nimbly under the couert of the quicksets, they got cleane behind the Princes forces; having also some forty Musquetiers on each side in ambush against the body of his army, who thinking to make dispatch of the businesse, crying out courage to his accomplices, in they went pell mell, into the heart of our souldiers, where at one instant the Musquetiers giuing fire in the middle, and the other with cheerfull outcryes, charging upon their rere, it made [Page 7]the Prince turne about to regard the matter, little drea­ming to be incompast by so many enemies; our men that were before almost in rout, pulling up their hearts, and couragiously charging them, who b [...]fore esteemed them­selves conquerours; so that the Prince and his fo [...]ces were now faces about to the rere, where the fight was hottest, the Musquetiers from either side the hedge, playing on the stanks of the enemies troope, and killing them without mercy; Prince Robert, Sir Lewis Dives, and the rest, ral­lying together their distracted troops, resolved to make their way through those who had so unexpectedly char­ged them in the backs, deeming them, as indeed they were, farre the lesser number, on the spur therefore they gallop'd in among them, who gave them a bloody wel­come, but their number being treble to ours, their horse, and ours foot, at last they got passage, driving our foot­men up to the hedge, whom, when they had past, as fast as ever they could gallop, away they went, giving them to a thousand divels; leaving behind them on ths ground, at least three hundred foot, and as many horsemen; few prisoners there were taken, by reason we were most foot­men, and could not pursue them: of our part some hun­dred persons of all sorts were lost, so that it was evident, God did fight for us. Prince Robert, as 'tis reported, in­tends to wheele about, and get, if possibly, into Kent, where he hopes to have a sufficient supply to his so often beaten Cavaliers, out of those malignants which are there; For our parts, we are no wayes exalted with our victory, but ascribe it to the most High, resolving with couragi­ous hearts and willing minds to offer our lives and estates for the defence of the Common-wealth, and that sacred assembly, the high Court of Parliament, whom God blesse with all happinesse.