HAving had you often in my thoughts since I came downe, and remembring my promise to write, I therefore wai­ted an opportunitie to give you an account of the proceedings here, so nigh as I can exactly gather from the best intelli­gencers. The siege you heard was close laid to the wals of the City of Yorke, and bravely maintain'd by the three Generals my Lord of Manchester, my Lord Fairfax, and Generall Lasley, that all provisi­on was intercepted and cut off from the Citie; and [Page 2]none could goe in or come out without the privitie of our Forces, who lay close to the wals; which gave us great hopes that they could not continue; but ere long would yeeld; yet the report of Prince Ruperts comming into Lancashire and overcoming and taking many Forts therein, made them in the Citie refuse very faire propositions condescended to by us, and still to stand out, and make great resi­stance by severall times issuing forth of the Citie, but alwayes to their cost, for many of them fell, and never returned to tell who got the better; The Prince as soon as he had wrought his Power and skill in Lancashire thinking to act his pleasure in Yorkeshire advanced with a great Army both of Horse and Foote to Skipton in Craven, where he hovered a while; and after ma [...]ched as farre as Leedes; the noise of whose comming made ma­ny of the Countrey thereabouts fly as farre as this Towne with bag and baggage for safetie; and his Army being so nigh the Generalls thought it was best to raise the siege and gather all into a body, and give the Prince a meeting, which was done upon Munday last; at which the Citizens much rejoyced and sallyed forth and hunted about, and got in Provision; but many of the Countrey people tooke it very heavily; yet pri­vate respects must not bee named before pub­lique and great concernements. Upon Tuesday the two great Armies met at a place called Hessey Moore about some five miles from the City, facing one another all the morning; and in the afternoone the [Page 3]Prince and his Troopes came desperately riding up to the Scotts, and my Lord Fairfax his Forces, and charged them so hotly that he put them to a disorder; and then (having given a watch-word before) he and all his Souldiers cried aloud, They runne in the Reere; which those that were in the Front thinking it to be true, retreated, and so dis­ordered their own men; and thereupon the Prince fiercely pursued them, made them flye, and tooke some of their carriages, and so promised themselves the victory, and were taking the spoile, which they thought to have enjoyed; But the Lord of Hosts did so stirre up the hearts of the three Noble Gene­rals, eying the dealings of God, that oftentimes in mans extremity He takes His own opportunity; that notwithstanding all that losse of Men and Armes, took boldnesse and courage unto them, gathering up those Horse Forces that were left into a body to assist those English and Scotts that stood to it, and set upon them, as David with his small Army upon the numerous company of the Ama­lekites, while they were rejoycing over their spoiles, and smote them untill the evening; and recovered not only all their owne that they had formerly lost; but also took all their Carriages, and eighteene peece of Ordnance, (some say more,) tooke two thousand Prisoners, and aboundance of Armes, and some say much Treasure; totally routed the Foot, and scat­tered all the Horse, save that the Prince and some five hundred Horse fled to the walls of Yorke, where they were received for halfe an houre, and present­ly [Page 4]the Prince, and my Lord of Newcastle, and those Horse that escaped, with what others they could rallie, marched forth, some say to Scarbrough, others to Pomsret, but its uncertaine yet where he is; The Generals have determined, nay (I heare) have laid siege againe to the City, and sent it a summons, but no answer is returned as yet; they think the Citie would yeeld but for the multitude of Papists that are therein; we are still upon the guard for feare the Prince gather head againe; the Lord save us, and deliver us from the tyrannie of them, for they are mightily enraged; but he that is able to deliver us is also willing to deliverus, and hath saved us hi­therto: These are such newes and occurrents as are with us. Thus with my love to you desiring to heare from you, I rest,