^{page 1 note b} “my” cancelled.

^{page 2 note a} [This was in the beginning of March; and therefore 1642 in contemporaneous, 1643 in modern reckoning: a discrepancy requiring careful attention in the study of the times. The date is underlined in the original.]

^{page 2 note b} “that word” cancelled.

^{page 2 note c} “viz^t” cancelled.

^{page 2 note d} castle.

^{page 2 note e} haue.

^{page 2 note f} time.

^{page 2 note g} “at his” cancelled, with a blank space following.

^{page 2 note h} Underlined, orig.

^{page 2 note i} the Prince.

^{page 3 note a} Inserted in a space left purposely blank.

^{page 3 note b} Inserted in a space left purposely blank; “then” cancelled.

^{page 3 note c} that storme.

^{page 3 note d} Underlined, orig.—[Seyer says (Memoirs, ii. 404) that the line was entered by Colonel Washington, making a breach in it near a barn, at or before sunrising; and that he had heard old persons/call the place Washington's bridge, i.e. breach.]

^{page 3 note e} The writer obviously means “inveigh,” and the allusion is to Fiennes [and, perhaps, also to Major Langrish, who failed to charge the storming party on their entering the line].

^{page 3 note f} “that honerd preserver of his country,” orig. cancelled by Birch. This serves to show that the MS. had been revised some time after it was written. How much soever Colonel Birch and his secretary might originally have admired Sir A. H. there can be no doubt that the latter, who acted under Cromwell's usurpation, and Birch, who retired and was set aside, were not at last upon terms. [The cancelled word appears to have been “patron,” or more probably “patroit” (sic).]

^{page 4 note a} were draweing in.

^{page 4 note b} did not then.

^{page 4 note c} Inserted in a space left purposely blank.

^{page 4 note d} evening.

^{page 4 note e} thought.

^{page 4 note f} gon.

^{page 4 note g} prisoners. God gave.

^{page 5 note a} [aisles? See Historical Notices, N. Wellington, i. 44, 70.]

^{page 5 note b} th.

^{page 5 note c} 42.

^{page 5 note d} seaven.

^{page 5 note e} 700.

^{page 5 note f} towne.

^{page 5 note g} “of” cancelled.

^{page 5 note h} in the towne.

^{page 5 note i} did.

^{page 6 note a} storcne.

^{page 6 note b} muscateers.

^{page 6 note c} against.

^{page 6 note d} This may have been the Cotsforth who had been a captain in Lord Brook's regiment. Lord Brook was slain at Lichfield March 2, 1642. Peacock, Parliamentary Army List, 33.

^{page 6 note e} three or at the most 400.

^{page 6 note f} evening.

^{page 7 note a} the.

^{page 7 note b} received) out.

^{page 7 note c} vnder there inner line.

^{page 7 note d} forced.

^{page 7 note e} first line.

^{page 7 note f} an.

^{page 7 note g} captaine.

^{page 7 note h} his.

^{page 7 note i} “of Mariegate” cancelled.

^{page 7 note j} alsoe.

^{page 7 note k} but not without danger of shott.

^{page 8 note a} faceing about the maine volley of shott which you poured on them.

^{page 8 note b} wound.

^{page 8 note c} and.

^{page 8 note d} “you lay” cancelled.

^{page 9 note a} Inserted in a space purposely left blank.

^{page 9 note b} eight hundred.

^{page 9 note c} Alford.

^{page 9 note d} for the King. About 5,000 foot and 3,000 horse.—Clarendon, ii.

^{page 9 note e} publiquely.

^{page 10 note a} hearts.

^{page 10 note b} retreat, altered by Koe.

^{page 10 note c} The cheerful allusion to bowls tells us that Roundheads as well as Cavaliers amused themselves with this favourite game. The King himself indulged in it while he was in his confinement at Carisbrooke Castle; and his son during his escape was nearly detected by a party that were playing at it when he arrived among them at Bristol.—J.W.

^{page 11 note a} 29th, Symonds, Rushworth, Dugdale, Clarendon; who calls it “a very doleful entering into the beginning of the year 1644.”

^{page 12 note a} at.

^{page 12 note b} [Roe has here, as in a subsequent passage, mistaken the points of the compass. For N. and S. we must read E. and W.]

^{page 12 note c} “him” cancelled.

^{page 12 note d} Wemies.

^{page 13 note a} “but nowe when the King was in the van, they” cancelled.

^{page 13 note b} “such pollicie was vsed” cancelled.

^{page 13 note c} “called Croperdy” cancelled.

^{page 13 note d} “just” cancelled.

^{page 13 note e} “there” cancelled.

^{page 13 note f} 250 ?

^{page 13 note g} “else” cancelled.

^{page 13 note h} “kept by vs” cancelled.

^{page 13 note i} Clarendon gives the date June 29; Dugdale, June 30,1644.

^{page 14 note a} and from thence were.

^{page 15 note a} 40.

^{page 15 note b} [A sally in which he took many prisoners is mentioned in “Perfect Occurrences,” Jan. 15, 1644.]

^{page 15 note c} tooke.

^{page 15 note d} their army.

^{page 16 note a} Reading.

^{page 16 note b} enimy were seen.

^{page 16 note c} “vnto Hungerford, and 4 or 5 miles beyond,” cancelled.

^{page 16 note d} This looks as though Roe might afterwards have been his quartermaster.—J.W.

^{page 16 note e} “the comeing downe” cancelled.

^{page 16 note f} 10.

^{page 17 note a} Underlined, orig.

^{page 18 note a} their.

^{page 18 note b} standing by.

^{page 18 note c} another (?)

^{page 19 note a} 40 paces.

^{page 19 note b} [Interlined a prima mann, or by some one who may be thought to have mistaken Roe's meaning.]

^{page 19 note c} drew out.

^{page 19 note d} for a forlorne; and.

^{page 19 note e} towne.

^{page 20 note a} “and a partie with them” cancelled.

^{page 20 note b} i.e. the flag attached to the trumpet.

^{page 20 note c} 20.

^{page 20 note d} “and a partie with them” cancelled.

^{page 20 note e} “part of them” cancelled.

^{page 20 note f} sadles (corrected à primâ manu).

^{page 21 note a} [Considerably more, no doubt, according to modern computation; probably-nearer 30. Skippon's dispatch gives seven or eight miles.]

^{page 21 note b} By putting red-hott bullets rapt in leather into the mouths of their inusketts, and then firing upon the thatched houses.—Bird's MS.

^{page 21 note c} broaken armies.

^{page 22 note a} as it then seemed.—Bird's MS.

^{page 22 note b} with an huzza.'Bird's MS.

^{page 22 note c} [this ? sight ? qu. originally “light”?]

^{page 22 note d} the light of whose fire at the beginning of the attack was so great.—Bird's MS.

^{page 22 note e} The storm on Prior's Hill Eort began before break of day. Sprigge's account of it (107) is striking.

^{page 23 note a} A space with two asterisks in orig.

^{page 24 note a} [MS. “returne vp, on this.” This punctuation seems to show that it was copied by a transcriber, who mistook Roe's meaning, as in other places.]

^{page 24 note b} Cissells [or Cirels ?]

^{page 24 note c} Bunnington.—Bird's MS.

^{page 24 note d} 500.

^{page 24 note e} city Mayor.—Bird's MS.; but, query, might it not be the Town Major, who visited and set the guard?

^{page 25 note a} another.

^{page 25 note b} with Sir William Wallers horse-gaurds without the. (The writer must hare undoubtedly meant Sir William Vaughan, who was much in Herefordshire.)

^{page 25 note c} that.

^{page 25 note d} sent.—Bird's MS.

^{page 26 note a} Beiroe.

^{page 26 note b} countenance.—Bird—s MS.

^{page 26 note c} [Monday, Dec. 15, according to Vicars, Burning Bush, 330; from Morgan and Birch's Letters ta the Speaker, &c]

^{page 26 note d} 4 or 5; [three, Birch and Morgan's Letter, Lords' Journals, Dec. 22, 1646.]

^{page 26 note e} whoe.

^{page 26 note f} knew.

^{page 27 note a} day.

^{page 27 note b} and the enimy comeing. [Qu. evening in Roe's autograph copy?]

^{page 27 note c} 8.

^{page 27 note d} within five miles.

^{page 28 note a} on sixe.

^{page 28 note b} [Fifteen of modern measure.]

^{page 28 note c} [Nine of modern measure.]

^{page 28 note d} [Interlined, like some other corrections, by an unknown hand.]

^{page 28 note e} browe (corrected à primâ manu).

^{page 28 note f} [“labourers, Indeed thus.” A punctuation showing probably the hand of a copyist.]

^{page 29 note a} highway goeing by the Priory. (The Priory of St. Guthlac, in ruins, founded by Hugh de Lacy in 1101, lying without the walls of the city. The gaol is built on the site of it.)

^{page 29 note b} “a ditch neere” cancelled.

^{page 29 note c} [Captain Alderne was with the reserve of foot.—Vicars, 332.]

^{page 29 note d} “[Upon the first letting-downe of the draw-bridge, three men came out of the city, not discerning anybody.”—Vicars, 332.]

^{page 30 note a} [Morgan commanded the horse.—Vicars, 332.]

^{page 30 note b} [Thirty of modern measure.]

^{page 30 note c} alwaise.

^{page 31 note a} [About sixteen of modern measure.]

^{page 32 note a} [According to Birch's Letter to the Speaker, published by Vicars (Burning Bush, 396, 397), this out-guard was in the boat-house by the river-side. It “held out two houres nntill it was digged thorow.”]

^{page 33 note a} March 16, 1645. We had likewise by letters from Hereford, that a party of Colonell Birches from Hereford and Colonell Kirles from Monmouth went against Gotheridge Castle in Munmouthshire, surprized 60 horse in the stables, and other provisions, fired downe the stables, and have close besieged the castle. Colonell Kirle besides this snapt another party of the enemy from Eagland, and took a lieutenant, a quarter-master, 12 firelocks, and six case of pistols.—Perfect Diurnall, No. 138, 1104.

^{page 33 note b} [Qu. Is Roe to be included in this enumeration ? if so, in what capacity ?]

^{page 33 note c} Eight of modern measure.

^{page 33 note d} If we can believe Colonel Birch to have been sufficiently collected at the moment, he might have alluded mentally to the passage in Judges, vii. 17.

^{page 35 note a} We shall conclude this weeke with the further welcome newes of the routing of Sir Jacob (or the new made Lord) Ashley's forces, the only remaining party the King had left him to make a new army, and to carry the King from Oxford; whic h ront was on Satterday the 21, upon the edge of Glocestershire, and the newes brought here to the Speaker of the House of Commons by Major Temple on the Lord's Day early in the morning, the said Major having been in the fight. And after him came another messenger to the Speaker with a letter of the perticulers so far as could on the sudden be gathered, and is to the effect as followeth:—

SIR,—

This morning, Saterday, 21 of March, Colonel Morgan, governour of Glouster, and the forces under him, having also the forces of Sir William Brereton the night before joyned with him, did fall upon Sir Jacob Ashley and all his forces intending for Oxford, to joine with the King and to disturbe the siege at Banbury Castle, at Stow-in-the-(W)old upon the edge of Glocestershiere, and, after a sore conflict on both sides, Sir Jacob Ashley was totally routed, himself taken prisoner, and 1100 more horse and men at the least taken, and all their cariages, great store of armes, bag and baggage taken. Our word given to Col. Morgan was “God be our guide;” the word of the enemy was “Patrick and George.”—Perfect Diurnall, No. 138, 1110.

^{page 36 note a} [This resembles a transcriber's error. It might possibly have originally stood “it was done,” or “won.”]

^{page 36 note b} [It carried a 2001b. shell, according to Birch's own account when he requested 80 barrels of powder from the Houses for the bombardment. (Perfect Diurnall, June 22,1646.) An ancient mortar, called “Roaring Meg,” and measuring 15 inches across the muzzle, which at one time was set up as a post in Bridge Street, Hereford, but has since been removed to the Castle Green, may be the piece in question, notwithstanding the local tradition that “it saved the Cathedral.” Nothing of the kind is mentioned in the accounts of the defence against the Scots; and it seems very probable that Birch would preserve and remove to his own residence the instrument of the reduction of Goodrich Castle. His “mortar pieces” were transferred to Raglan. (Cary's Memorials, i. 142.) “Roaring Megs” were sent for from London to the siege of Reading.]

^{page 37 note a} nowe.

^{page 37 note b} “there” cancelled.

^{page 37 note c} Colonel Birch was chosen a Member of Parliament for the borough of Leominster in the year 1646.