“New Castell
“You need not doute of the care I have of the North and in particular of your assistance against the Scots invasion, but you must consider that wee, lyke you, cannot doe alwais what we would; besydes our taske is not litle that we strugle with, in which if we faile, all you can doe will be to little purpose; wherfor You may be asseured of all assistance from hence that may be, without laing our selfes open to eminent danger, the particulars of which I refer you to my L. Digby and rest.
“Your most asseured reall
“constant frend
“Charles R.
“Oxford 11. Ap:
“1644.”
Meanwhile, general interest was concentrated on the war in the South. Essex and Waller, each with a large force, were endeavouring either to enclose the army of the King, or to besiege him in Oxford. Knowing his inferiority in numbers, Charles avoided a battle, and partly by manœuvring, and partly owing to the mutual jealousy of Essex and Waller which prevented them from acting in concert, the King managed to escape them, after fighting one or two unimportant and indecisive actions. His position was now one of great jeopardy, and it was just then that he received the disheartening news of the defeat at Selby and Newcastle’s enforced retreat to York, with his request to be relieved of his command.
At York Newcastle soon found himself closely invested. Our female War Correspondent shall tell us what she knew about it.
“My Lord being now at York, and finding three Armies against him, viz. the Army of the Scots, the Army of the English that gave the defeat to the Governour of York, and an Army that was raised out of associate Counties,”—this is a little premature; as the army of the Associated Counties did not arrive for several weeks—“and but little Ammunition and Provision in the Town; was forced to send his Horse away to quarter in several Counties, viz. Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, for their subsistence, under the Conduct of his Lieutenant-General of the Horse, My dear Brother, Sir Charles Lucas, himself remaining at York, with his Foot and Train for the defence of that City.” Clarendon, however, says that Newcastle’s object in sending his Lieutenant-General of the Horse (Goring, of course), with a large body of cavalry, was “to remain in those places he should find most convenient, and from whence he might best infest the enemy.” In carrying out these instructions, Goring, at first, not only met with some success, but at the same time raised additional forces on his marches, and money also, as we learn from the following State Paper.[90]
[90] S. P. Charles I, Dom., May 25, 1644, vol. DI. 141 A.