His Majesty continued in Wales from the battle at Naseby till the 5th
or 6th of August, and till he had an account from all parts of the
progress of his enemies, and the posture of his own affairs.
Here we found, that the enemy being hard pressed in Somersetshire by
the Lord Goring, and Lord Hopton's forces, who had taken Bridgewater,
and distressed Taunton, which was now at the point of surrender,
they had ordered Fairfax and Cromwell, and the whole army, to march
westward to relieve the town; which they did, and Goring's troops were
worsted, and himself wounded at the fight at Langport.
The Scots, who were always the dead weight upon the king's affairs,
having no more work to do in the north, were, at the Parliament's
desire, advanced southward, and then ordered away towards South Wales,
and were set down to the siege of Hereford. Here this famous Scotch
army spent several months in a fruitless siege, ill provided of
ammunition, and worse with money; and having sat near three months
before the town, and done little but eaten up the country round them,
upon the repeated accounts of the progress of the Marquis of Montrose
in that kingdom, and pressing instances of their countrymen, they
resolved to raise their siege, and go home to relieve their friends.
Pages:
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411