BEing come to a point about the taking in of Reading, we con­ceived it convenient to give you a brief account of our short siege:

After ten miles march on Satur­day the fifteenth of April, we made our approaches that night, taking some advantages from hedges and ditches unslighted by the enemy. On Sunday we sate down before the Town, batter'd with our Ord­nance, and plaid it with our small [Page 4] shot all that day, in which the Go­vernour received a hurt upon the head, which rendred him unfit for further service: we had very warm worke, and hot returnes from the Town. On Munday we advanced our approaches as they could. On Tuesday in the night the King sent in a relief of men and Ammunition, which we could not prevent by rea­son of the scituation of the Towne, and their advantages of Barges which we could not command, be­ing wholly engaged on Berkeshire side. On Munday last at night we sent out a party of Horse and Dra­gooners as far as Dorchester, which did beat up the enemies quarters, routed their Horse and Foot, killed [Page 5] and took many prisoners: On Tu­esday morning last the Enemy did beat a Parley, and accordingly came out to Treat, and in the interim while the businesse was depending, the Kings Army appeared for their relief, and fell on with their Artil­lery foot & horse, upon our guards on Oxfordshire side, but being roundly received after above an hours fight, the enemy was routed with the losse of above a hundred men, and three hundred Armes. The King, Prince Charls, Prince Rupert, Prince Maurice, and the Generall being all in the field, that night our Capitulation was conclu­ded; and now his Excellency being very tender of the Town that they [Page 6] should not bee plundered, and as carefull that the souldiers might re­ceive due incouragement; hath ap­pointed twelve shillings per man for an extraordinary, and so we are ad­vancing to take possession, for the consequence of which successe I doubt not but the wiser and well­minded will see reason to think and thanke God, the businesse having a blessing in it of a great, and growing constitution; if a short survey be but taken of the considerable Circum­stances, being rendred with so little losse of bloud in so short a time, and the King resolved to relieve it: Not to mention the ten peices of Canon they relinquish'd, nor the restitution of the VVestern-cloaths taken from [Page 7] our friends, nor their being forced upon this to quit Cirencester and Brill, so that had the enemy such a foundation, they would advanta­giously relate all passages to their honors; which we chose rather to point at then insist upon, leaving the reallity of the service to report it self, being fewer words and more blows is our businesse.

We have here a true Narrative of the businesse since wee came before Reading, and do thinke fit to adde the number of the Enemies Forces and ours, that you may see the blessing of God upon us at the late encounter at Caversham: The Enemy had forty five Troops of Horse, and nine Re­giments [Page 8] of Foot, besides Dragooners. We had there to encounter them, Colo­nell Barclays and the Lord Roberts Regiments onely.