ticulars of the story so preserved, so nicely, and so agreeably described; and will confess what we allege, that the story is inimitably told; and even the great actions of the glorious King Gustavus Adolphus receive a lustre from this man's relations, which the world was never made sensible of before, and which the present age has much wanted of late, in order to give their affections a turn in favour of his late glorious successor.

In the story of our own country's unnatural wars, he carries on the same spirit. How effectually does he record the virtues and glorious actions of King Charles I., at the same time that he frequently enters upon the mistakes of his majesty's conduct, and of his friends, which gave his enemies all those fatal advantages against him; which ended in the overthrow of his armies, the loss of his crown and life, and the ruin of the constitution.

In all his accounts he does justice to his enemies, and honours the merits of those whose cause he fought against; and many accounts recorded in his story, are not to be found even in the best histories of those times.

What applause does he give to the gallantry of Sir Thomas Fairfax, to his modesty, to his conduct, under which he himself was subdued, and to the justice he did the king's troops when they laid down their arms.

His description of the Scots' troops in the beginning of the war, and the behaviour of the party under the Earl of Holland, who went over against them, are admirable; and his censure of their conduct, who pushed the king upon the quarrel, and then would not let him fight, is no more than what many of the king's friends (though less knowing as soldiers) have often complained of.

In a word, this work is a confutation of many errors in all

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.

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the writers upon the subject of our wars in England, and even in that extraordinary history written by the Earl of Clarendon; but the editors were so just, that, when near twenty years ago, a person who had written a whole volume in folio, by way of answer to, and confutation of, Clarendon's history of the rebellion, would have borrowed the clauses in this account, which clash with that history, and confront it; we say, the editors were so just as to refuse them.

There can be nothing objected against the general credit of this work, seeing its truth is established upon universal history; and almost all the facts, especially those of moment, are confirmed for their general part by all the writers of those times. If they are here embellished with particulars, which are nowhere else to be found, that is the beauty we boast of; and that it is that must recommend this work to all the men of sense and judgment that read it.

The only objection we find possible to make against this work is, that it is not carried on farther; or, as we may say, finished, with the finishing the war of the time: and this we complain of also. But then we complain of it as a misfortune to the world, not as a fault in the author; for how do we know but that this author might carry it on, and have another part finished which might not fall into the same hands, or may still remain with some of his family, and which they cannot indeed publish, to make it seem anything perfect, for want of the other parts which we have, and which we have now made public. Nor is it very improbable, but that if any such farther part is in being, the publishing these two parts may occasion the proprietors of the third to let the world see it; and that, by such a discovery, the name of the person may also come to be known, which would, no doubt, be a great satisfaction to the reader as well as to us.

This, however, must be said, that if the same author should have written another part of this work, and carried it on to the end of those times; yet, as the residue of those melancholy days, to the restoration, were filled with the intrigues of government, the political management of illegal power, and the dissensions and factions of a people, who were then even in themselves but a faction, and that there was very little action in the field; it is more than probable, that our author, who was a man of arms, had little share in those things, and might not care to trouble himself with looking at them.

But, besides all this, it might happen, that he might go abroad again, at that time, as most of the gentlemen of quality, and who had an abhorrence for the power that then governed here, did. Nor are we certain, that he might live to the end of that time, so we can give no account whether he had any share in the subsequent actions of that time.

It is enough, that we have the authorities above to recommend this part to us that is now published; the relation, we are persuaded, will recommend itself, and nothing more can be needful, because nothing more can invite than the story itself, which, when the reader enters into, he will find it very hard to get out of, until he has gone through it.

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THE PUBLISHER OF THE SECOND EDITION TO THE READER.*

THE following historical memoirs are writ with so much spirit and good sense, that there is no doubt of their pleasing all such as can form any just pretensions to either. However, as, upon reading of a book, it is a question that naturally occurs, "Who is the author?" and as it is too much the custom in these days, to form our sentiments of a performance, not from its intrinsic merit, but from the sentiments we form of the writer, the present republication of these memoirs will renew an inquiry which has been often made, "Who wrote them?" Some have imagined the whole to be a romance; if it be, it is a romance the likest to truth that I ever read. It has all the features of truth, it is clothed with her simplicity, and adorned with her charms. Without hazard I may venture to say, were all romance writers to follow this author's example, their works would yield entertainment to philosophers, as well as serve for the amusement of beaux-esprits. But I am fully persuaded, our author, whoever he was, had been early concerned in the actions he relates. It is certain, no man could have given a description of his retreat from Marston-moor to Rochdale, and from thence over the moors to the north, in so apt and proper terms, and in so exact a manner, unless he had really travelled over the very ground he describes. I could point

* Printed at Leeds, by James Lister, without date.

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out many other instances in the course of the memoirs, which evidence, that the author must have been well acquainted with the towns, battles, sieges, &c., and a party in the actions he relates. But, as it is needless to do this, all that remains is, to trace our author to his name.

He says he was second son to a Shropshire gentleman, who was made a peer in the reign of King Charles I., whose seat lay eight miles from Shrewsbury. This account suits no one so well as Andrew Newport, Esq., second son to Richard Newport, of High Ercoll, Esq.; which Richard was created Lord Newport, October 14th, 1642. This Andrew Newport, Esq., whom we suppose our author to be, was, after the Restoration, made a commissioner of the customs, probably in reward of his zeal and good services for the royal cause.

The several illustrations these memoirs furnish to the history of those times they refer to, the variety of adventures they contain, and the elegant account herein given of the wars in Germany and England, will abundantly recommend them to the curious.