Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 110. The Army passed most by Kidderminster (a Fields Breadth off) and the rest through it: Colonel Graves sent two or three Messages to me, as from the King, to come to him; and after, when he was at Worcester, some others were sent: But I was at that time under so great an Affliction of sore Eyes, that I was not scarce able to see the Light, nor fit to stir out of Doors: And being not ⟨p. 69⟩much doubtful of the Issue which followed, I thought if I had been able, it would have been no Service at all to the King; it being so little on such a sudden, that I could add to his Assistance.

§ 110. The Army passed most by Kiderminster (a Fields Breadth off) and the rest through it: Collonel Graves sent two or three Messages to me, as from the King, to come to him; and after, when he was at Worcester, some others were sent: But I was at that time under so great an Affliction of sore Eyes, that I was not scarce able to see the Light, nor fit to stir out of Doors: And being not ⟨p. 69⟩much doubtful of the Issue which followed, I thought if I had been able, it would have been no Service at all to the King; it being so little on such a sudden, that I could add to his Assistance.

When the King had stayed a few Days at Worcester, Cromwell came with his Army to the East side of the City, and after that, made a Bridge of Boats over Severn, to hinder them from Forage on the other side; but because so great an Army could not long endure to be pent up, the King resolved to charge Cromwell's Men; and a while the Scots Foot did charge very gallantly, and some chief Persons among the Horse, The Marquis Hamilton (late Earl of Lanerick) being slain: But at last the hope of Security so near their Backs, encouraged the King's Army to retreat into the City, and Cromwell's Soldiers followed them so close at the Heels, that Major Swallow of Whalley's Regiment first, and others after him entered Sidbury-Gate with them; and so the whole Army fled through the City quite away, many being trodden down and slain in the Streets; so that the King was feign to fly with them Northward, the Lord Willot, the Earl of Lauderdaile, and many others of his Lords and Commanders with him: Kidderminster being but eleven Miles from Worcester, the flying Army past some of them through the Town, and some by it: I was newly gone to Bed when the Noise of the flying Horse acquainted us of the Overthrow: and a piece of one of Cromwell's Troops that Guarded Bewdley-Bridge having tidings of it, came into our Streets, and stood in the open Marketplace before my Door, to surprise those that past by: And so when many hundreds of the flying Army came together, when the 30 Troopers cried stand, and fired at them, they either hasted away, or cried Quarter, not knowing in the Dark what Number it was that charged them: And so as many were taken there, as so few Men could lay hold on: And till Midnight the Bullets flying towards my Door and Windows, and the sorrowful Fugitives hasting by for their Lives, did tell me the Calamitousness of War.