Thus far having attended the noble Lord Derby to his principality of Man, and related his transactions there, with the great confusion, disorder, and sedition, he found the people in on his first coming thither; and also observed his great prudence, judgment, and temper, in calming their passions, healing their seditions, and reconciling them in duty to their king, in obedience to himself, and in friendship and unity with one another; let us therefore for a while leave him in peace, and the good esteem of his subjects, and return to the great and noble Lady Derby, and her children, at Latham house, and inquire of their welfare during his absence, whom he had left upon the very brink of danger, and for ought he knew utter destruction.

We have already informed the reader, that before his lordship left England, he had been advertised that the rebels had got a commission from the parliament to reduce Latham house, by treaty or force, which induced him to make all possible provision of men, money, and ammunition, for the support and defence of his noble family and their friends, who had kindly offered their best assistance; of which the great Lady Derby being informed, and also of the malicious designs and evil intentions of the enemy against her, used all diligence to get into the house more men, arms, and provisions, and to keep it at least so long as to procure honourable terms to quit it; but this was done by her with all possible speed, privacy, and caution, that the enemy might not allege her gathering forces as an act of public hostility, and therefore hasten their approach before her levies were got in readiness.

A true and genuine account of the famous and memorable

Siege of

LATHAM HOUSE,

Begun the 28th of February, and carried on by the parliament army till the 27th of May, 1644.

COLONEL Ashton of Middleton, Colonel Egerton of Shaw, Colonel Holcroft of Holcroft, and Colonel Rigby, with their regiments, and Sir Thomas Fairfax from Yorkshire with his troops, were called to their assistance, to besiege or take by storm (for aught they knew) an unarmed lady in her own house. But that which the heroic lady most feared was, that they intended a sudden assault, which she conjectured from the multitude of their forces then in view; and that her own men, being but raw and unexperienced, would be therefore terrified, and not make a worthy resistance.

She therefore caused her men to be listed under six сарtains, whom for their courage and integrity she chose out of the gentlemen that were in the house, viz. Capt. Farrington of Werden, Capt. Charnock of Charnock, Capt. Chissenhall of Chissenhall, Capt. Rosthern of New Hall, Capt. Ogle of Prescot, and Capt. Molineux Radcliffe. These she desired to train, instruct, and encourage her men, being yet unskilful and unfit for service.

These captains received all their orders from Captain Farmer, whom her ladyship had made major of the house; and he received his orders from her ladyship. He was by nation a Scotchman, very skilful in the art of war, having been long in the school of Mars in the Low Countries; a man of true courage, and approved conduct. This worthy gentleman, had the misfortune to be afterwards slain in the battle of Marston Moor, serving there under Colonel Chissenhall.

This martial and heroic lady commanded all the affairs of the house to be managed with the greatest privacy, and permitted none to go out of the gates, but those she could trust and rely upon both for prudence and loyalty; the rest were so concealed that when the enemy drew near to Latham house, they dreamed of no other resistance but from her own servants.

In the interim, the officers of the enemy being advanced to Ormskirk, two miles from Latham, Sir Thomas Fairfax, as commander in chief, sent on the twenty-eighth of February, 1644, a trumpet and a gentleman of quality with him to demand a friendly conference with the Lady Derby, to prevent, if it might be, all the mischief that would ensue by a misunderstanding and breach betwixt her ladyship and him. To this her ladyship consented: whereupon Sir Thomas Fairfax, and some gentlemen with him, immediately came from Ormskirk to Latham, and were admitted to her ladyship; but in the mean time, by the advice of Major Farmer, to prevent a surprise and sudden assault, her ladyship caused all her soldiers to be placed in very good order, under their respective officers, from the main guard in the first court, down to the great hall, where her lady ship had ordered Sir Thomas Fairfax to be received; and had placed all the rest of her men in open sight upon the walls and the tops of the towers, in such manner that they might appear to be both numerous and well disciplined; in hopes that this unexpected appearance of so much strength within, might give some terror to the enemy without, as she feared their great number might somewhat discouragé her new-raised soldiers.

Sir Thomas Fairfax and the gentlemen with him being arrived at the house, were admitted and received by her ladyship with the greatest civility; when, after a short respite, Sir Thomas acquainted her ladyship, that they were commanded by the parliament to reduce that house to their obedience; and that they were commissioned to offer

to her ladyship an honourable and safe removal with her; children, servants, and all her goods, (arms and cannon. only excepted) to her lord's house at Knowsley; and that she should enjoy one moiety of her lord's estate in all places in England, for the support of herself and children.

To this her ladyship answered, that she was there left under a double trust, one of loyalty and faith to her hus-: band, the other of allegiance and duty to her sovereign; that till she had obtained their consent, she could not give up that house without manifest disloyalty and breach of trust to them both, therefore desired only one month's time. to know their pleasure therein; and then, if she obtained their consent, she would quietly yield up the house; if not, she hoped they would excuse her if she endeavoured to preserve her honour and obedience, though in her own ruiu.

To this Sir Thomas Fairfax replied, that it exceeded their commission to give her ladyship any further respite for consideration than one day, and so departed, observing in his recess from the house the situation and strength of it, and the order and regular disposal of the soldiers; as perhaps either conceiving the number of her soldiers to be greater than they were, or suspecting the resolution and courage of the common soldiers of his own party; or else, as being a person of greater honour and generosity than his confederates, judged it ignoble and unmanly to assault a lady of her high birth and quality in her own house, without any other provocation than keeping her lord's house, by his command; a lady that had left her country and kindred for the enjoyment of the protestant religion.

And agreeably thereto, at the first council of war after their return from the said conference, he declared himself against a present storm, (urged by some) and advised a regular siege, which advice was greatly advanced by a circumstance that occurred during the time of the conference or treaty with the lady. A captain of the parliament party

then before the house observing one of her ladyship's chaplains,* (whom the earl had left with her as a person well able to assist her with his counsel, and would be faithful to her in all her concerns,) who had received their education together, and were not only well acquainted, but intimate and familiar with each other; at the close of the before-mentioned parley with the lady, the captain getting an opportu nity of free discourse with the said chaplain, attempted by direction from the commander of that party to gain from him the secrets of that counsel by which the lady had resolved to keep the house, and conjured him by virtue of their ancient friendship to tell him truly upon what confidence she proceeded to reject the offers made her by the parliament, and think to defend her house against so great a strength as was then before it encamped in the park.

To this the chaplain deriving on the same design with lis lady, to avert a sudden assault, answered, that upon a firm promise of secrecy he would acquaint the captain with the truth and mystery of that counsel, viz. "That the lady had but little provision of victuals in the house; that she was oppressed with the number of her soldiers; that she would not be able to subsist above fourteen days, for want of bread to supply them; that she hoped they would give a sudden onset to the house, not from the multitude and courage of her soldiers to give them a repulse, nor upon her own strength to discourage the enemy to raise the siege; but in case they should continue a siege, she must. inevitably be forced to surrender the place."

The captain, as the chaplain conjectured he would, as soon as he came to the council, imparted the conference with the chaplain as the grand secret of the lady and her captains; to which Sir Thomas Fairfax and the colonels with him giving credit, laid aside all thoughts of a sudden force, and resolved on a close and formal siege.

The Rev. Mr. Rutter, afterwards Bishop.