'Twas plain Manchester
and Cromwell must return to the associated counties, who would not
suffer them to stay, for fear the king should attempt them. That he
could subsist well enough, having York city and river at his back;
but the Scots would eat up the country, make themselves odious, and
dwindle away to nothing, if he would but hold them at bay a little.
Other general officers were of the same mind; but all I could say, or
they either, to a man deaf to anything but his own courage, signified
nothing. He would draw out and fight; there was no persuading him to
the contrary, unless a man would run the risk of being upbraided with
being a coward, and afraid of the work. The enemy's army lay on a
large common, called Marston Moor, doubtful what to do. Some were for
fighting the prince, the Scots were against it, being uneasy at having
the garrison of Newcastle at their backs; but the prince brought their
councils of war to a result, for he let them know they must fight him,
whether they would or no; for the prince being, as before, 18,000 men,
and the Earl of Newcastle having joined him with 8000 foot out of the
city, were marched in quest of the enemy, had entered the moor in view
of their army, and began to draw up in order of battle; but the night
coming on, the armies only viewed each other at a distance for that
time.
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