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 Hertford. In the skirmish with some of Waller's troops at Chewton Mendip (10 June 1643) he received ‘two shrewd hurts in his head’ (, Hist. bk. vii. §§ 101, 102). He was also present at the battle of Lansdowne (5 July), after which he retired towards Devizes, and, with the Marquis of Hertford, made his way through the enemy's line to Oxford to obtain reinforcements and ammunition, with the help of which Waller was beaten at Roundway Down (13 July) (ib. bk. vii. §§ 104–10;, ii. 227, 233). Maurice joined Rupert in the siege of Bristol, and after its fall sided with his brother in the quarrel with the Marquis of Hertford about the appointment of governor of the city (ib. ii. 236 sqq., 269;, Hist. bk. vii. §§ 124–55).

Maurice, with the Earl of Carnarvon, was now sent back to the south-west, where he remained in command till December 1644. During August 1643 nearly all Dorset was won, Dorchester (4 Aug.) and other places being gradually reduced; but owing to the license of Maurice's troops, and a dispute about the appointment of a governor of Weymouth, a quarrel broke out between him and Carnarvon, which led to the prince being sent into Devonshire (ib. bk. vii. §§ 192, 199;, Hist. of the Great Civil War, i. 231), where he at once set about the reduction of the parliamentary garrisons. Exeter surrendered to him on 4 Sept. 1643 and Dartmouth on 6 Oct., and even Plymouth seemed likely to be won (, Diary;, Hist. bk. vii. §§ 296, 297; , Historical Collections, v. 273). The siege of this town was, however, delayed by Maurice's illness, of the nature of ‘a slow fever with great dejection of strength,’ which kept him inactive at Milton from the middle of October for about one month (, ii. 307, 326). On his recovery Maurice continued his attack on Plymouth, but without real success, and the design was abandoned. He was directed to march through the southern counties on London, and in February 1644 was commissioned to act as lieutenant-general in all the counties south of the Thames except Hampshire (, Oxford Docquets, p. 140). In March he was ordered to advance eastwards (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1644, pp. 57, 75). Accordingly, in the same month he laid siege to Lyme without success, and withdrew on the approach of the Earl of Essex (15 June 1644). This failure and waste of time after his ill-success at Plymouth did much to lessen Maurice's reputation (, Hist. bk. viii. § 92). He now retired west before Essex, and on 26 July his troops were reviewed by the king at Crediton, after which he joined Charles at Exeter, and with the main army followed Essex into Cornwall, his troops forming the advanced guard (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1644, pp. 304, 407). Maurice was present at Lostwithiel with five thousand foot and two thousand five hundred horse, and signed the letter for a treaty sent by the Earl of Brentford and Forth and other officers to the Earl of Essex (, Diary, pp. 45, 53, 56–8;, Hist. bk. viii. § 105). After the surrender of Essex's army, Maurice's Cornish troops refused to march east with the king, and were sent home, the prince accompanying Charles to meet Waller. Maurice failed to take Taunton and Bridgewater, and was responsible for the failure of the attempt to surprise Waller on 18 Oct. (, i. 497). He was present at the second battle of Newbury, 27 Oct., and took up his position on Speen Hill, which was stormed by Skippon and Balfour (, Hist. bk. viii. §§ 154, 159). After the battle he retired to Oxford, and on 7 Nov. returned to relieve Donnington Castle (, Diary, pp. 147, 148).

Maurice was now appointed to fill Prince Rupert's place in Wales, but without the title of president. In December 1644 he accordingly resigned his command in the west, and was made major-general of Worcestershire, Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire (, ii. 126). Leaving Oxford on 14 Jan. 1645 he took up his position at Worcester, and set about the task of reducing these counties to order. The plundering of Maurice's troops, an increase in taxation, and the rise of the Clubmen aggravated the prevailing discontent and rendered organisation impossible. He himself complained of want of power and (29 Jan.) asked for the enlargement of his commission. His soldiers also were deserting (Arch. Cambrensis, ‘Maurice's Diary,’ i. 39;, ii. 129; , iii. 53, 60).

As both Shrewsbury and Chester were in danger, Maurice left Worcester, and on 5 Feb. reached the former town. On the 14th he marched towards Chester; Shrewsbury was lost on the 22nd. The parliamentary troops were now gathering round Maurice in Chester, but he was relieved by the arrival of Prince Rupert (17 March) (WEBB, ii. 141), and the siege of Beeston Castle was raised. On the approach of the Scottish army Rupert and Maurice retreated towards Hereford (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1645, pp. 375, 402), and the latter, probably after returning to Worcester, marched again towards Chester (ib. p. 404), whence he proceeded to Oxford to escort the king's train