THis perplexed businesse, I am now ingaged in, hath given me so much trouble, that I have not had so much recreation as to write to my friends, and in particular unto your Lordship, who I account to be the chiefest of that number. To give your Lord­ship a relation of all our proceedings since our com­ming into these parts, were too long; but in short my Lord, It is my misfortune to be ingaged in a busi­nesse that the world thinks so easie to be effected, [Page]but indeed is the most difficultest that is now upon the Stage. The Castle of Sherborne, your Lordship knowes very well, was thought to be (at London) a place of no strength, a ruinate thing, and upon the shot of the least peece of Ordnance, it would be rendered. Truly my Lord, it is so farre from that, that when we came thither, we found it to be a place of as much strength, as is in England; and that those Ordnance we brought were no more able to better it then a phillip. The men we brought with us were all Trained-bands, so unskilfull, from the Collonell to the lowest Officer, and with­all so astonished, when they heard the Bullets whistle about their eares, that we were forced to hazzard our selves very much to make them stand, and all to little purpose; and when the Cannon began to play upon them, they runne as if the di­vell had been in them; that, and the hardnesse of lying in the Field two nights made them goe a­way so fast, that of three thousand I brought with me, there was left not above foureteene hundred, which if I had stayed but two nights longer, would have beene gone likewise; I was forced to set Horse round about the Quarter to keepe them from running away which were left; and if I had stayed longer, our men running away so fast, I should have runne the hazzard to have been beaten out of our Quarters, the enemy being a thousand Horse and Foot in the Castle, which would not only have bin a dishonour to us, but a losse, nay more a destruction to the cause: therefore upon these and [Page]many other reasons, we by the unanimous con­sent of all the Company, did thinke it fit to march to some place hard by, and to stay there untill we had received (from London) some Regiments of Horse and Foot, with Cannon and other things which we have writ for, and of necessity must be had, and then by Gods as­sistance, I hope to doe the worke, or else to pe­rish in it.

On Tuesday last being the sixth of September I marched away to Eivell, foure miles from Sherborne, intending to stay a day there to refresh my Troopes. The next day being Wednesday about two of the clocke, word was brought me, that forty Cavalleers were on the top of the Hill, whereupon I sent out Scouts to see-what num­ber of them was there, who immediately brought me word that there was about a thousand Horse and Foot comming to assault the Town; straight thereupon I made all the hast I could to get those Troopes I had there in readinesse, which were very few, (many of those foureteene hun­dred left with me, being now gone away) Collo­nell Essex, Master Hollis, and my selfe, went to stop the severall passages, which were very many, and indeed the most that ever I saw in any Town, all which wee stopped with Carts, Waggons, and Ordnance, what we could not guard with men, expecting the Enemy to give an assault upon divers quarters; This was scarce done, but the Enemy came downe the Hill; the Town [Page]being in a great bottome, where we had placed a troope of Horse and some Musqueteers; They gave fire upon one another, for an hower and more very warmely, their Horse standing still upon the Hill. Captaine Ascough most gallantly charged up against them, and broke cleane thorow their first troops, and disordered them, so that he charged againe their other Troopes, killing many, and put them in such confusion, that they begun to shog a good pace backe, Then ano­ther Troope of Horse commanded by Captaine Thompson came up to them, whereupon the Cavaleers began to run away in much disorder, these two Troopes pursuing them so long as they could see, doing execution upon them; and if we had but two houres of day light more, we had cut off all those five Troopes (All the con­siderable men of quality being there, save on­ly my Lord Marquesse, and my Lord Seymore) In the meane time, our other Horse fought so bravely with their Foote below the Hill, that they broke in upon them, and killed them like Doggs, they leaving their Armes and running into Furres to hide themselves. Serjeant major Banfield who commanded their foote, was taken prisoner, Lievtenant Collonell Lunsford was for­ced to runne for it, some say he is hurt, but I am s [...] he did not come into Sherborne untill the nex [...] day, having hid himselfe with Coll. Sandes in the [...]rres all night, some 40 or 50 of their men were slaine upon the place, and 16 taken [Page]prisoners, and of three or 400 Foote that they brought with them, we scattered them so much, that there returned not ten men home to the Castle that night. We found them next morning in every Bush. We thinke there were some persons of condition slaine, because I was assured, that night with Lanthornes, they tooke away many dead dodies. Captaine Hussy, and Captaine Hawes are slaine for certaine, they keepe it very close and say there is none killed; if it had not been a very darke night, we had done very great execution upon them, so desiring to hasten the worke that I may have the happinesse to wait upon you, I rest