north, as far as York, and driven the scattered adherents of the parliament to take refuge in the strong fortress of Hull. By placing a garrison at Newark, the earl had cut off the communication between Fairfax and the parliamentary forces which were overrunning Lincolnshire. He had already penetrated into the latter county. A light army of horse and dragoons, levied by General Charles Cavendish, younger brother of the Earl of Devonshire, had bravely assaulted and taken the parliament's garrison at Grantham, with above 300 prisoners, all their officers, arms, and ammunition. Early in June, the perils of a southward march being now lessened, the queen set out from York to join her husband at Oxford, escorted by a large body of horse and foot, under the command of Cavendish. That gallant young nobleman attended her as far as Burton-upon-Trent; through which town he opened a passage for her by storming it across the river, which he swam, at the head of his troops. Here the queen and Cavendish parted; to their mutual regret, if we may judge from the language of Henrietta, in her letter, written at the time, to the king. That lively despatch thus describes the amount and arrangements of her convoy. "I carry with me," she writes, "3000 foot, 30 companies of horse and dragoons, six pieces of cannon, and two mortars. Harry Jermyn commands the forces which go with me, as colonel of my guard; Sir Alexander Lesly, the foot under him; Gerard, the horse; and Robin Legge, the artillery : her she-majesty generallissimo, and an extremely |