THat I may give you and others satis­faction touching the siege of Ban­bury castle, I must tell you that though we have for about a mo­neths space straytned their quar­ters, and hindred their forcing the Tax on the Countrey; which grew so heavy a pressure, that they had forborn the payment for divers weeks in many Towns, though threatned to be plundered of all for their neglect. This Castle is of more concernement to Oxford then any other, for be­sides the provisions of victuals by droves of Sheep and beast weekely, it is upon good ground aver'd that for a long time this Garrison hath payd 18000 per weeke to Oxford, divers Towns being taxed to more then the yeerely revenue of them; so that the taking of this Den of Theeves would much conduce to the straitning of Oxon. and give liberty of Trade to London from many parts.

On Thursday Aug. 22. they came out of the Castle with about 80 horse and fell on a guard of ours who retreating a mile to Workworth to their body, as many as took the Alarm followed them, beat them downe the hill, killed their grand rob-Carrier Lieutenant Midleton by a Carbine shot thorow the braine, and tooke his Cornet one Smith a stout plunderer, slew two others, and took two, and wounded 4 or 5 desperately, and beate the rest into the Castle.

On Sabbath day Aug. 25 two Companies of our foot that lay for a guard to the horse advanced into the Town of Banbury and tooke possession of the Church about break of day, the enemy not taking any Alarm, untill some of our souldiers by knocking at divers doores in the Towne to looke for Cavaliers that lay in houses neere the Castle, awakned them. Our foot all this while were un­loding their Ammunition, and planting their Drakes and Musketeers in the Church; and our Troops were all entered the Town, and stood to assist the foot neere the Church, if need should be. About an houre after day the enemy came out of the Castle with about 100 Musketeers, and all the horse they had; their Musketeers got into gar­dens and houses many of them, and shot at our [Page 4]horse, and slew a horse or two, which made our horse to remove to the Towns end; and by this time we had drawn out three small parties of foot to encounter theirs, who made divers waies to the Church; and having slain three of them we did by degrees get them into the streets; and so drove them into the Castle againe, but still they came out in parties, untill about noone they saw a sup­ply comming toward us from Northampton, and then they betooke themselves to their strength, and never stirred out since.

On the same day came two great Guns with some more foot and Ammunition from Northamp­ton, and with them Col. Whetham the Governour there, Commander in chiefe of this service; on Munday and Tuesday the enemy playd at us from the Castle where ever we appeared, to hinder us in our making brest-workes for our Ordnance or men: they played fiercely at the Church, where we had some with long Guns which did much an­noy them in the Castle, and kild divers of their Cattell: on Wednesday we playd one of our Can­nons at the wall and made about six shot, but they with their Cannon brake the Carriage of our piece, so that for that night we could do no more, but first we battered the wall so on the outside [Page 5]that we much weakned it, and beat a hole foure or five yards square. The same day Wednesday Aug. 28. there came to our assistance Colonel Purefoys Regiment of horse, and Col. Boswels Regiment of foot, and with them three great Guns, one carry­ing 36 pound Bullet, the other two somewhat lesse, 3 Morter-pieces for Granadoes. On Thurs­day Aug. 29. they playd with their Cannon from the Castle to prevent our planting our great pieces. On Friday Aug. 30. the enemy fired divers houses stood neere the Castle, as they had done the day before, the fire burning fiercely both the daies, about 30 houses burnt, and the enemy still endeavouring to fire more; All this day they playd fiercely both with Cannon and Muskets from the castle at any house or place where they saw any man appeare, and we likewise playd at them; we about noone got our great piece plan­ted, and playd 8 or 9 times that afternoone, and had our Cannoneere slaine with a Drake-bullet at night, and another piece we plaid with at the same time, but the enemy with a bullet of twelve pound weight brake one of the wheeles, and sleightly hurt the cannoneer. The enemy made about 40 cannon-shot that day, and some thou­sands of musket-shot, yet killed but that one man, [Page 6]and hurt another in the thumbe, we not seasing to ply them with small shot as oft as they appea­red, and with cannon all the afternoone; about noone we plaid the great morter-piece five times with a Granado of above 100 pound waight, twice it fell amongst them, and tore up the earth and brake as we could desire it, but what effect it wrought we know not, not having any intelli­gence from them. On Friday night we wrought to plant the rest of the pieces, the enemy preven­ting us the opportunity of doing it by day; We keep them in continuall worke, that so they may spend their Ammunition, which yet they do free­ly, as if they hoped we should not lie there long, they pleasing themselves with Pr. Ruperts com­ming to their ayd. I have been the more particu­lar, that you may know we have need of your prayers, and that God may have the praises in our great preservation, so many shot being made and so few slaine, or hurt, and that we may account it a mercy worth praising God for if ever we be master of it, which though we must not looke for suddenly, yet we need not doubt of if we may have time (though undoubtedly there are not many stronger holds in England,) our souldiers, through Gods mercy being supported with courage, as ever I saw them in any service.

Saturday Aug. 31. we tooke two poore tatered rogues without hose or shooe put over the castle-wall early in the morning with intelligence to Pr. Rupert, Col. Greene the valiant Taylor Gover­nour of the castle having writ a Letter in a shred of Paper close written and cut in the middest, that if but one of them had been taken we had not known what to have made of it, but having both the pieces I shall acquaint you with the substance of the Letter, which was, that our strength was not above 800 horse and 700 foot that did be­leaguer them: that we had drayned three garrisons for them, and that the Towns-men were now left to keepe our garrisons, he therefore desired the Prince to come with, or send 1500 Horse and 500 Dragoones betweene Northampton and Ban­bury, and bids him not doubt of taking our Guns, and routing our Foot, and then he might be re­venged on Northampton for the other designe he missed on before. By these two messengers being examined a part we finde that their chiefe Can­noneere was slaine on Friday, and another of theirs wounded in the eye with a musket-bullet, not like to live; that one of our Granadoes did fire in the castle, but did not much hurt.

On Sabbath day Septemb. 1. we planted our [Page 8]three great Guns, having wrought all the night before, we plaid two of them all the morning on the meddow-side, the third the great Demi-cannon not being ready untill toward night, we shot thorow the Castle but made but a small breach yet, but such as it was, and another Gra­nadoe firing in the Castle made them lamentably skreeke out, and some vvomen vvould have come forth but vve vvould not suffer them; they shot from the Castle fiercely at our Worke, but yet have done us no hurt, we hope in time we shall coole their courage, though vve heare the Gen­tlemen and Officers have taken the Sacrament not to give or take quarter, and some bitter ma­lignant Papists are there that will doe their ut­most to keepe it. The good Lord give us courage; and patience to waight his leasure, and be content to stay for it untill he will give it us in mercy; Which is the desire of yours, &c.

Banbury, 2. Septemb. 1644.

What's materiall you shall have as I can send it,

Vale.