THE ROYALISTS DEFEATED.

them not only in Taunton, but also in the surrounding country. On one occasion, a force of about three thousand men was seen approaching the town. This was enough for Blake; he sent out a reliable opposing force, and the Royalists were defeated with great slaughter, and several officers of rank were captured.

These decisive measures on the part of Blake induced the Royalists to make a vigorous effort to drive him from his post. A force of ten thousand men was sent against Taunton. Part of the town was taken, the defences were not strong, and the supply of ammunition was scant. Blake resolved to defend the castle and the remainder of the town, under all circumstances.

His want of ammunition and the very small supply of provision he had for the garrison, were known to the enemy; who, therefore, peremptorily demanded immediate surrender on pain of fire and sword. This summons was treated with defiant contempt, although it was conveyed to him by one who had in less troublous times been his intimate friend, Colonel Wyndham, the royalist governor of Bridgewater. Finding menaces unavailing, the besiegers next tried persuasion. Wyndham, aware of the merciful disposition of the governor of Taunton, urged him to surrender, and thus spare an unnecessary effusion of the blood of his countrymen and fellow-Christians.

Wearied at length by alternate threats and entreaties Blake made the following unequivocal reply:

"These are to let you know that, as we neither fear your menaces nor accept your proffers, so we wish you for the time to come to desist from all overtures of the like nature to us, who are resolved to the last drop of our blood to maintain the quarrel we have undertaken; and doubt not that the same God who has hitherto protected us, will ere long bless us with an issue answerable to the justice of our cause. However, to Him alone we shall stand or fall."

The Parliament contrived to send a supply of provisions to the garrison, by means of an adventurous band of troops, who broke through the ranks of the besiegers. Blake's chief difficulty, at this juncture, was want of men. Still he resolved to defend his position to the uttermost.

Having devastated those parts of the town which were not protected by the castle, the Royalists imagined that Blake, whose ammunition and provisions were nearly exhausted, and who had not succeeded in obtaining reinforcements, would surrender. Accordingly, he was in due form summoned to surrender. He replied laconically that he would. eat his boots first. His well-known character in private life, his sagacity, bravery, and humanity as a military governor, and his firmness in restraining undue violence on the part of his men, gained the majority of the townsfolk over to the Parliamentary side. By their aid, the difficulties by which he was beset were materially lessened. Barricades were

DEFENCE OF TAUNTON.

raised with all sorts of material, and every advantage gained by the besiegers was gained dearly.

Generals Fairfax and Skippon were marching to the relief of Taunton at the very time that Prince Rupert and Lord Goring were hastening to the assistance of Sir Richard Grenville, the royalist general who conducted the siege. Before the royalist auxiliaries could render material assistance to their colleagues, they were called off to assist the king, at Oxford; thither also Fairfax and Skippon were directed to proceed, instead of going to Taunton; but they sent detachments of troops under command of Colonel Wheldon and Colonel Greaves, to unite with Blake in repelling the besiegers. The arrival of these auxiliaries encouraged Blake, and so determined was the defence, that Grenville was obliged to raise the siege on the 11th of May, 1645. In this siege a thousand men of the royalist army were slain, and an immense number were wounded. Blake's gallantry raised him greatly in the estimation of the Parliament. A letter of thanks was voted to him, and it was accompanied with a more substantial acknowledgment of his services, a present of five hundred pounds. The sum of two thousand pounds was also voted for distribution amongst his valiant garrison.

A subscription was opened for re-building those parts of the town which had been destroyed by the Royalists; but the inhabitants were not to enjoy the blessings of peace so soon as they expected. Sir Richard Grenville having been reinforced by Lord

Goring and Colonel Berkeley, returned to the scene of his recent repulse. Blake and Weldon were ready for them, and gave them a warmer reception than they liked. Weldon, not content with defensive operations, made vigorous and generally-successful sallies on the besiegers. On one occasion, he and his troops were nearly surrounded by the Royalists; no sooner, however, did Blake ascertain his imminent danger, than at the head of two troops of horse, he hastened to the rescue. Fierce was the charge and brilliant the victory.

The

Great was the excitement amongst the Parliamentarians throughout the country, when intelligence was received of the renewed siege of Taunton. committee of Kent volunteered to supply two troops of dragoons and two companies of infantry; the corporation of London granted four thousand pounds, and volunteered to raise and equip a thousand cavalry for the assistance of Blake.

In the meanwhile, Blake, who could not ascertain what efforts were being made to extricate him from his perilous position, bravely resolved not to yield, but to harrass the enemy, whom, under the circumstances, it would have been madness to engage.

Goring was sanguine of success. He well knew that the garrison was enduring great privations, and he wrote to the king to stand on the defensive for a few days, and then, having become master of Taunton, he would march to his succour. That letter was the means of changing the whole aspect of English

CHARACTER OF CHARLES.

affairs. It was intercepted by Fairfax, who at once saw his opportunity, and resolved to make the best of it by engaging the king in battle without delay.

The armies met in the vicinity of Naseby, in Northamptonshire, and there they fought one of the most memorable battles ever waged on English ground. That battle decided the fate of the king; the victory over him was decisive: but this was not the most disastrous of the results of the engagement.

Charles, whatever his virtues may have been, was like all his family, notorious for duplicity. Amongst the spoil which fell into the hands of the conquerors, was his private cabinet, which contained his papers and correspondence: these were, nine days after the battle, produced and read in the House of Commons. Their effect on the minds of the members no doubt contributed much to bring about the fatal result of the sanguinary conflict between the king and the parliament.

The thousand horse contributed by the city of London was entrusted to the command of Majorgeneral Massey, who was speedily joined at Taunton by Fairfax, at the head of his victorious troops. Goring suffered a signal defeat; he was compelled to raise the siege; nineteen hundred prisoners and two thousand horse were captured by the Parliamentarians, and Blake, whose indomitable perseverance facilitated so considerably the victory of Naseby, remained governor of Taunton. His time was fully employed in restoring the town and recruiting his garrison.